Francisco Partners and Sequoia Capital Make Significant Investment in Data Connection and MetaSwitch

Francisco Partners has led a significant investment round into Data Connection Limited (DCL), including its MetaSwitch division. The funding round included Francisco Partners' strategic partner, Sequoia Capital, one of Silicon Valley's most prominent venture capital firms. The Data Connection Employee Benefit Trust (EBT) -- previously the sole shareholder in the business -- retains a major stake in the company. Financial terms were not disclosed.


Data Connection Limited (DCL) is an independent developer and supplier of IMS, SBC, SIP, Megaco/H.248, Diameter, MGCP, Unicast and Multicast IP Routing, Packet and Optical MPLS, ATM, and SNA portable products. It also supplies complete telecom solutions via its MetaSwitch division. Data Connection customers include leading software and hardware vendors, such as Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, IBM, and Microsoft.


The company's entire existing management team, led by Ian Ferguson, stays in place. In particular, Phil McConnell continues to lead Data Connection's network protocols business, while Graeme MacArthur and John Lazar continue to lead the MetaSwitch division.


"Having recently passed $100 million in annual revenue, it became clear to us that our current growth trajectory would be significantly enhanced by tapping into the experience and resources that major players such as Francisco Partners and Sequoia Capital can bring," said Ian Ferguson, Chairman and Founder of Data Connection and MetaSwitch.

http://www.dataconnection.com

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Guam's IT&E Deploys Metaswitch for Cable Voice Service

IT&E, a 28-year-old carrier serving Guam, has deployed MetaSwitch's core switching and applications solutions to offer competitive residential phone service sold through the island's cable operator, MCV Broadband. The white label solution currently counts more than 1,000 customers installed.


IT&E initially deployed MetaSwitch technology to build on its history as a successful provider of long distance, PCS wireless and internet services to an existing customer base, including a thriving tourist industry. With MetaSwitch's support for access deployment and next-generation capabilities, IT&E transitioned to a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) and began to offer advanced IP-based business services such as conferencing and music-on-hold to its business customers and unified messaging to its residential customers through its partnership with MCV Broadband.


MetaSwitch's core switching technology, combined with the MetaSphere suite of applications, enables IT&E to supply MCV Broadband with a feature set including: Find-Me/Follow Me, simultaneous ringing services and Unified Messaging, allowing subscribers access to voicemail, e-mail and fax messages through any e-mail program or web browser. The offer also includes local service and either measured rate or unlimited long distance at pricing around 30 percent less than incumbents.http://www.metaswitch.com

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BroadLight Partners with Taiwan's ITRI to Promote GPON in Taiwan

BroadLight, a leading supplier of GPON semiconductors and software, has partnered with Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to promote GPON throughout Taiwan.


Specifically, ITRI and BroadLight will join hands to grow the GPON market in Taiwan by first leveraging BroadLight-powered GPON systems, and then facilitating a new industry cluster formed by optical communication device and equipment vendors.


ITRI has organized a GPON Industry Promotion Alliance in Taiwan with members such as ZyXEL, Alpha Networks, XAVi, TECOM, OPNET, TAINET, Billion Electric, Motorola Connected Home Solutions, Realtek Semiconductor, DELTA Networks, Senao Networks, Universal Microelectronics, Askey Computer, Infineon Taiwan, Fiber Optic Communications, Coretek Opto and TAILYN Communication.http://www.broadlight.com

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Sensory Networks' Security Software Acceleration Boosts Performance

Sensory Networks, a start-up specializing in acceleration technology for network security applications, released its "FastChannel" and "HyperScan" software acceleration product lines aimed at improving the performance of resource-intensive applications such as Intrusion Prevention (IPS), Antivirus (AV) and Content Filtering. The software enables security applications to operate at multi-gigabit throughput speeds on standard low cost platforms without the need for specialized hardware.


Sensory Networks said its FastChannel enables Snort IPS version 2.7 to run at over 6 Gbps, with full coverage, operating using standard Intel Quad-Core Xeon processors. FastChannel is a proprietary lock-free, zero-copy, load-balancing and packet processing software library that
scales linearly across multiple CPU cores, dynamically distributing network traffic loads. FastChannel can be applied to IPS, Firewall, Content Inspection, AV, and virtually any networking and security application to improve the price/performance value proposition.


HyperScan comprises a suite of high-speed optimized pattern-matching and scanning engines that perform Deep-Packet Inspection (DPI) on network traffic. Using advanced knowledge of x86 architectures and instruction sets, ,HyperScan software provides up to 10 Gbps of scanning throughput for PCRE, literal, packet header and other data types. Sensory's patent-pending technologies enable them to keep working sets in L1
and L2 cache and thereby operate at the full speed of each CPU core.


"As the security equipment market continues to become more competitive, designing to price/performance goals has become critical for vendors," said Sab Gosal, VP of Marketing for Sensory Networks. "Our FastChannel and HyperScan product lines address this challenge head-on by allowing vendors to now leverage software-only solutions to deliver application performance that can scale to 10Gbps. These new
software-only solutions eliminate the cost, complexity and technology risk that come with using custom-built silicon and other hardware alternatives."http://www.sensorynetworks.com

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Packeteer Collaborates with Cavium on Network Traffic Processing

Packeteer is working with Cavium Networks to deliver high speed network traffic processing solutions. The effort combines Packeteer's network traffic visibility and control technology with Cavium's OCTEON Multicore MIPS64 processors to create a series of high-throughput, high performance traffic processing solutions. The companies said their solution will enable the fastest available intelligent application processing for distributed applications in environments requiring multi-gigabit traffic monitoring and real time policy enforcement response. The first solution to be released as part of this collaboration will be Packeteer's new high throughput product architecture, codenamed "Turbo," which will vastly increase the capacity of Packeteer's high-end PacketShaper 10000 product.http://www.caviumnetworks.comhttp://www.packeteer.com

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Dune Networks Raises $12 Million for Network Silicon Fabrics

Dune Networks, a start-up based in Sunnyvale, California with R&D in Israel, recently closed a $12 million series B investment round for its silicon designs for Metro Ethernet, Enterprise and Data Center platforms. Dune's product portfolio includes chipsets for switching fabric and traffic management. Its SAND chipset includes two types of devices: the Fabric Access Processors (FAPs) and Fabric Elements (FEs).


All of Dune's existing investors; Alta Berkeley Ventures, Aurum Ventures, Cipio Partners, Jerusalem Venture Partners, Pitango Venture Capital and its strategic investors participated in the financing round. This additional funding brings the total amount of funding raised to date to $45M. The new funding is to be used to accelerate development of new product lines while expanding sales and support of existing customers.http://www.dunenetworks.com

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NetStreams Raises $18 Million for Networked Entertainment Systems

NetStreams, a start-up based in Austin, Texas, raised $18.2 million in Series B funding, for its IP-based networked entertainment systems. The funding was led by series A investor Austin Ventures.


NetStreams' DigiLinX IP Audio, Video and Control system is a distributed A/V system that delivers uncompressed, high definition audio & video to multiple rooms throughout a home or commercial facility over a TCP/IP network. NetStreams' StreamNet technology provides an end-to-end all digital solution with A/V signal synchronization, automatic device discovery and configuration, remote access for control, and software upgrades, insuring the flawless synchronization of audio & video throughout the installation.http://www.netstreams.com

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Netflix Offers Unlimited Streaming of Movies to Subscribers

Netflix, which provides DVD rentals by mail to some 7 million U.S. subscribers, has begun offering unlimited streaming of movies and TV episodes to subscribers' PCs for no additional fee. Netflix subscribers on unlimited rental plans are able to choose from a library of over 6,000 familiar movies and TV episodes. Previously, Netflix had taken a "metered" approach to the feature, offering, in essence, an hour per month of instant watching on a PC for every dollar of a subscriber's monthly subscription plan.


http://www.netflix.com/

• Netflix is using Microsoft's DRM 10.0 via a Browser plug-in in IE. The streaming is not yet available on a Mac.

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XO Extends High-Capacity Sales Programs for Wholesale Customers

XO Communications has extended two services campaigns that offer the industry's most competitive rates and guarantees for high-capacity network services delivered over its advanced nationwide inter- city and metro networks. The two campaigns, "10 Gigs in 10 Days" and the "3 Guarantee Program" will be extended through March 31, 2008.


The XO "10 Gigs in 10 Days" Guarantee is an installation guarantee that offers wholesale customers the ability to order 2.5 Gbps or 10 Gbps high capacity network transport services and have them provisioned in 10 business days across select major coast-to-coast routes on the XO network. Under the guarantee, if XO Communications fails to install the service within business 10 days, the customer will be eligible for a one month service credit for each year of the customer's contract.


Under the 3 Guarantee Program for wholesale customers, XO will beat competing prices for 2.5 Gbps and 10 Gbps Wavelength services and 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps Ethernet services along select major XO network routes; XO will provide a one month service credit for these Ethernet, IP Transit and Wavelength services if it fails to meet the agreed upon service delivery date; and XO will allow customers to trial its IP Transit service for one 90-day period without commitment. http://www.xo.com

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France's Altitude Selects Harris Stratex Networks for Ethernet Backhaul

French WiMAX operator Altitude has selected Harris Stratex Networks to supply a wireless Ethernet backhaul solution. The network will be based on Harris Stratex Networks' Eclipse microwave radio, which is optimized for data networks, with flexible, high- bandwidth capabilities and native Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. The Eclipse radio platform can support intelligent Layer 2 Quality of Service controls and features, such as IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation and Harris Stratex's Resilient Wireless Packet Ring (RWPR) technology. Financial terms were not disclosed.http://www.harrisstratex.com/http://www.altitudetelecom.fr

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ARRIS Introduces VOD Privacy Mode Encryption

ARRIS is now offering Video on Demand Privacy Mode Encryption for its D5 Universal Edge QAM (UEQ), enabling cable operators to encrypt their VoD programming, ensuring this content can only be viewed by authorized subscribers. ARRIS said Privacy Mode delivers an economic and scalable content security mechanism which will support continued VoD revenue growth by cable Multiple System Operators (MSOs) and increase the addressable market of the ARRIS D5 UEQ.


The ARRIS D5 Universal Edge QAM is a highly dense and flexible multi- service platform supporting Digital Broadcast, VoD and multi protocol Switched Digital Video (SDV). It is also fully hardware compatible with DOCSIS 3.0 and M-CMTS standards .
http://www.arrisi.com/get/d5

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FCC Qualifies 214 Bidders in Upcoming Auction of 700 MHz Band Licenses

The FCC has qualified 214 applicants as eligible to bid in the upcoming auction of 700 MHz Band licenses, which is slated to begin on Thursday, January 24, 2008. The designation of an applicant as qualified to bid in the auction indicates that the applicant has provided the certifications and information concerning its qualifications for participation in the auction and timely submitted a sufficient upfront payment.


The list of qualified bidders includes (partial list): Advance/Newhouse Partnership, Alltel Corp., AT&T Mobility Spectrum, AWS Spectrum LLC, C&W Enterprises, Cavalier Wireless, Cellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless, Central Texas Telephone Investments, CenturyTel, CHEVRON USA, Cincinnati Bell Wireless, Citizens Mutual, Cox Wireless, Cricket Licensee, Farmers Telephone Company, Fidelity Communications Company, Frontier Wireless, Google Airwaves, MetroPCS, Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative, Puerto Rico Telephone Company, QUALCOMM, Towerstream, Vulcan Spectrum, and Worldcall Inc., among others.


The full list of 214 qualified bidders is posted on the FCC website.http://www.fcc.gov

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The Times: BT to delay £10bn national network upgrade

BT's 21CN project has fallen behind schedule, according to The Times, as the carrier has "transferred so far only a fraction of the 350,000 lines in Wales that it planned to move to the new network by the end of this summer." The article cited several possible reasons for the delay, including an overly ambitious rollout schedule and whether the company selected suppliers with the lowest possible bids over those with greater experience with its network. The delay is expected to push back the 21CN rollout schedule by a year.

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