TAZZ Networks Teams with Tech Mahindra on IP Policy Control

TAZZ Networks, a start-up specializing IP policy control solutions, has formed a partnership with India's Tech Mahindra, a provider of IT services and telecom solutions. Specifically, Tech Mahindra will build a system integration practice around the TAZZ Policy Control System (PCS) developing a standardized set of reusable capabilities and interfaces for the rapid creation and delivery of value-added Service Provider offerings such as IPTV, Video-on-Demand, VoIP and Bandwidth-on-Demand.

http://www.tazznetworks.com

http://www.www.techmahindra.com

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ZyXEL Selects Ikanos' Multi-mode VDSL2 Chipsets

ZyXEL Communications has selected Ikanos' multi-mode central office (CO) and customer premises equipment (CPE) VDSL2 chipsets for used in VDSL2 DSLAMs and other equipment targeted for worldwide deployment.



Ikanos' Fx 100100-5 CO chipset and Fx100100S-5 CPE chipset support all VDSL2 profiles and are optimized for 30 MHz spectrum operation to offer up to 100/100 Mbps performance.



Advanced features for triple play and IPTV include on-chip classification, queuing and scheduling for enhanced Quality of Service (QoS) with IPv4 and IPv6.

http://www.ikanos.com

http://www.zyxel.com

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Alvarion Supplies WiMAX for Telecom Namibia

Telecom Namibia has selected Alvarion's BreezeMAX to upgrade wireless local loop systems with WiMAX.



The WiMAX network will be used to provide primary telecommunication voice services, broadband data and high speed Internet access, throughout the country. In addition, Telecom Namibia will offer primary voice and data services to residential and business subscribers; Rampoint Communications is Alvarion's local partner for the project. Financial terms were not disclosed.

http://www.alvarion.com

http://www.telecom.na/

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ITU Approves HomePNA 3.1 as a Global Home Networking Standard

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has standardized the HomePNA 3.1 multimedia home networking specification, which delivers speeds of up to 320 Mbps over both phone wires and coaxial cables inside the home.



"The ITU Recommendation demonstrates to the home networking market that HomePNA technology enables a worldwide market for advanced home networking applications like triple-play IPTV, VoIP and other next-generation services," said Rich Nesin, HomePNA president and vice president of marketing for Coppergate Communications.

http://www.homepna.org

• AT&T has selected HomePNA 3 for in-home distribution of its U-verse services. HomePNA 3 technology is integrated into IP set-top boxes supplied by Motorola and Scientific Atlanta and Residential Gateways supplied by 2Wire as key components of AT&T's U-verse deployment.



• The previous HomePNA 3.0 spec, which was standardized by the ITU in May 2005, reaches a data rate of 128 Mbps with optional extensions reaching up to 240 Mbps. It also features a deterministic QoS mechanism so that it can be used as a high speed backbone for distributing multiple, feature-rich digital audio and video applications throughout a home.

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Second Life to Add VoIP Capabilities

Linden Lab, creator of the Second Life virtual world, will add VoIP capabilities enabling its residents to speak to each other if they wish, in addition to the current Instant Messaging and chat functions. Linden Lab anticipates that voice will be particularly valuable to Resident groups such as educators, non-profits and businesses, who might use Second Life as a collaborative tool for learning and training.



A limited beta program on a test-grid for 1,000 users will be launched next week, before a Grid-wide beta trial, which will give current Second Life Residents the opportunity to explore the benefits of voice-enabled communication. A formal launch is scheduled for Q2 2007.

http://blog.secondlife.com/

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Calix and Metaswitch Complete H.248 Testing

MetaSwitch and Calix have completed H.248 interoperability testing.

The integrated solution combines MetaSwitch's softswitch with Calix fiber or copper-based network access equipment. The companies said their solution is fully interoperable using either traditional time division multiplexed (TDM) or H.248-based voice signaling, offering carriers a smooth transition from legacy networks to IP-based services.

H.248 is the international standard for media gateway control published jointly by the ITU and the IETF, and is the media gateway control protocol specified by the emerging IMS architecture.

http://www.calix.com

http://www.metaswitch.com

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MetaSwitch Unveils SIP Conference Server

MetaSwitch announced a new conferencing component for its UC9000 Unified Communications application suite.



The UC9000 Conference Server combines standards-based SIP conferencing control with a reservation-less "meet-me" conference application and a web-based management interface. It supports conference calls of up to 500 participants. Moderators are able to easily set up conferences via an intuitive web interface, and control participant interaction and call flow via the phone interface or through the web. Other features include:

• Lock/roll call/number of participant controls


• Dynamically updated participant list in real time


• Visible indication of current speaker and audio levels


• Ability to mute, gain control and disconnect any participant


• Call recording

As part of the UC9000 Unified Communications application suite, the new conferencing capability integrates seamlessly both with MetaSwitch's softswitch platform and other UC9000 enhanced services including unified messaging, auto attendant, music on hold, and privacy defender.

http://www.metaswitch.com

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Orange Business Services to Support Riverbed's WAN Optimization

Orange Business Services has signed a global integration services contract with Riverbed Technology to provide global installation and maintenance support, including a four-hour response time to replace field parts to Riverbed customers worldwide.



Orange Business Services' field services and logistics capabilities will allow Riverbed to ensure seamless business continuity, regardless of the size and location of enterprise customers. Orange Business Services has more than 29,000 people in 166 countries around the world.

http://www.riverbed.com

http://www.orange-business.com

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JDSU to Acquire Picolight for VCSELs

JDSU agreed to acquire Picolight, a leading designer and manufacturer of optical pluggable transceivers, for approximately $115 million in JDSU stock, plus up to an additional $10 million in cash subject to the achievement of certain revenue targets during 2007.



Picolight's pluggable optics technology address the fast-growing market for optical interconnect applications in the datacenter, enterprise, storage area and metro networking markets.

Picolight has been a pioneer in developing the vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), a key technology used in high-speed and short-to-medium distance optical interconnects. The company has shipped over 1 million small form-factor pluggable products. The product line includes 850 nanometer (nm) and 1310 nm VCSEL-based transceivers.

JDSU said the acquisition supports its growth and margin expansion initiatives with a best-in-class vertically integrated manufacturing model.

http://www.jdsu.com

http://www.picolight.com

• The term "VCSEL" was coined in 1989 by optical innovator and Picolight Founder/Chief Technology Officer Jack Jewell. VCSELs emit light vertically through the surface of a wafer—rather than through its edges, as with edge-emitting lasers. Picolight VCSELs are semiconductor lasers in which the active region on-chip is embedded between mirror layers on a semiconductor wafer.

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iSkoot Raises $7 Million for Mobile Skype

iSkoot, a start-up based in Cambridge, Mass., secured $7 million in Series B financing for its software for mobile Skype calling.



In recent months, iSkoot has entered into a co-marketing and development partnership with Skype, and landed its first mobile carrier for its Skype-to-mobile service. iSkoot targeted its PC-to-mobile plug-in at Skype's PC-based VoIP service.





The 3 Group, a U.K.-based division of Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., is offering Skype-to-mobile service using iSkoot software preloaded on certain carrier phones, including Nokia and Sony Ericsson handsets.



The round was led by Charles River Ventures and includes previous investors Khosla Ventures, ZG Ventures, and Jesselson Capital Corp. This financing follows a previous a $6.2 million Series A round of funding, bringing funding to a total of $13.2 million in the past year.

http://www.iskoot.com

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SeaChange Supplies IPTV Solution for India's MTNL

SeaChange International has supplied its VOD systems to Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. (MTNL) for deployment in its Mumbai IPTV rollout. MTNL's IOL Broadband service is using H.264 video coding, also known as MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Coding).

http://www.schange.com

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Midwestern CLEC Deploys ECI's Optical Backbone

Jaguar Communications, a CLEC targeting rural communities in the Midwest, has selected ECI Telecom's optical platform as part of its latest network expansion into new rural areas. Specifically, Jaguar Communications has deployed ECI's XDM Multi-Service optical platform for the backbone expansion of its FTTP network. Jaguar's rural FTTP deployment is funded by the USDA's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) program. Financial terms were not disclosed.

http://www.ecitele.com

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