Sunday, June 15, 2008

Cisco Predicts Sixfold Increase in Global IP Traffic by 2012

Global IP traffic will increase at a combined annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46 percent from 2007 to 2012, nearly doubling every two years. This will result in an annual bandwidth demand on the world's IP networks of approximately 522 exabytes, or more than half a zettabyte, according to a newly published "Visual Networking Index (VNI) Forecast" friom Cisco. A zettabyte is equal to 1 trillion gigabytes, or 1,000 exabytes, which corresponds to 250 billion DVDs.


In the consumer market, the advent of rich online video communications and entertainment, as well as social networking, has greatly increased the impact of online video on the network. In 2012, Internet video traffic alone will be 400 times the traffic carried by the U.S. Internet backbone in 2000. Representative of this trend, Internet video has jumped from 12 percent of the global consumer Internet traffic in 2006 to 22 percent in 2007. Video on demand, IPTV, peer-to-peer (P2P) video, and Internet video are forecast to account for nearly 90 percent of all consumer IP traffic in 2012.


Global business IP traffic is forecast to grow strongly at a CAGR of 35 percent from 2007 to 2012. Increased broadband penetration in the small-business segment and the increased adoption of advanced video communications (such as Cisco TelePresence) in the enterprise are major drivers for business IP traffic growth. Business IP traffic will grow fastest in the developing markets and Asia-Pacific. In volume, North America will continue to have the most business IP traffic through 2012, followed by Asia-Pacific and Western Europe.


Additional key findings from the Cisco VNI Forecast include:

  • Global IP traffic will reach 44 exabytes per month in 2012, compared to less than seven per month in 2007.


  • By comparison, global IP traffic in 2002 was five exabytes which means that the volume of IP traffic in 2012 will be 100 times as large.


  • Monthly global IP traffic in December 2012 will be 11 exabytes higher than in December 2011, a single-year increase that will exceed the amount by which traffic has increased in the eight years since 2000.


  • Mobile data traffic will roughly double each year from 2008 through 2012.



http://www.cisco.com

Foundry Scales Carrier Ethernet Trunks to 320 Gbps

Foundry Networks introduced new link aggregation capabilities that enable its NetIron XMR backbone routers and NetIron MLX metro routers to support trunks of up to 320 Gbps using 10 Gbps line rates.

Specifically, Foundry enables new and existing NetIron XMR and MLX customers to aggregate up to 32-ports of 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) to provide an aggregated link capacity of 320 Gbps. The company employs load-sharing algorithms in order to fully utilize the increased capacity. The load-sharing algorithms also help reduce correlation between Equal Cost Multipath and Link Aggregation.


Foundry said that in addition to the 320 Gbps trunk capacity, its solution allows service providers to maximize the return on investment (ROI) of their existing routers. Its platform offers a 10GbE density of up to 128-ports of wire-speed connectivity in a single NetIron router.


In addition, Foundry allows the efficient scaling of Metro/Carrier Ethernet services through MPLS integration with Layer 2 networks and enhances the stability of large-scale Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) networks through the isolation of unstable customer networks. Using Foundry's NetIron MLX router, service providers can integrate standard Layer 2 Metro protocols, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP), and Foundry's Layer 2 Metro protocols, Metro Ring Protocol (MRP) and Virtual Switch Redundancy Protocol (VSRP), with VPLS/MPLS services.


Foundry is extending the NetIron XMR Series' Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) capabilities to enable service providers to suppress the instability of customer networks from the provider backbone while maintaining reachability to the customer network. Foundry said its solution is superior to traditional route flap dampening mechanisms and significantly reduces the routing changes in the network, leading to greater stability and improved resiliency in the provider core network. The increased network stability results from the ability to increase peering with other service providers and the ability to increase the number of IP services and BGP/MPLS Virtual Private Network (VPN) services. It also allows service providers easier service differentiation with better customer service level agreements (SLAs) by leveraging the increased resiliency and scalability of the network.http://www.foundrynet.com

Infinera Updates Financial Guidance, Sees Lower North American

Infinera reaffirmed its guidance for the second fiscal quarter ending June 28, 2008; provided initial revenue guidance for its third quarter ending September 27, 2008; and provided an updated revenue outlook for fiscal year 2008 ending December 27, 2008 that is lower than its previous annual outlook. The anticipated quarter over quarter revenue decline in the third quarter was attributed to indications that the company's existing North American customer base will purchase less product in Q3 than previously anticipated. The company believes this is related to the timing of new network builds at existing customers and the sales cycle with potential new customer wins, along with a product transition associated with its recently announced new system.


The updated guidance was issued in conjunction with its separate announcement that Deutsche Telekom (DT) has selected the Infinera DWDM platform for its pan-European network. As a result of the initial deployment of the Infinera DTN system with DT, Infinera expects to incur one-time charges totaling approximately $4 million during its second and third quarters.


For its second quarter, the Company reaffirmed its expectation to achieve results within its original guidance set on April 22 of adjusted GAAP revenues between $88 million and $90 million and EPS between $0.01 per share and $0.02 per share. The company also indicated that it expects to have added at least two new customers in the June quarter, not including DT.


For its third quarter, Infinera is providing initial preliminary guidance of adjusted GAAP revenue in the range of $75 million to $80 million. As a result, the company now expects adjusted GAAP revenue for fiscal 2008 to grow approximately 10 percent from its fiscal 2007 invoiced shipments of $309.3 million. Previously, the company had anticipated year over year adjusted GAAP revenue growth of approximately 25 percent.

http://www.infinera.com

Deutsche Telekom to deploy Infinera DWDM

Deutsche Telekom will deploy Infinera's optical transport platform for its pan-European network. DT's pan-European network spans almost nine thousands kilometers and links Germany with most major European markets. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Infinera said DT selected its platform due to its PIC-based Digital Optical Networks architecture, including the new ILS2 (Infinera Line System 2) system. This system offers up to 160 DWDM channels in the C-band, extends optical reach to 2500 kilometers, and enables future capacity scalability up to 8 Tbps on a fiber.

"We selected the Infinera system to prepare for the next generation of international network operations and to help our customers to take advantage of this innovative and highly efficient solution with the most flexibility, quickest service provisioning and complete remote capabilities," said Wolf Pueschner, of Global Networks, Deutsche Telekom.http://www.infinera.com

Fujitsu to Sample Mobile WiMAX Chipsets for Mobile Devices

Fujitsu Microelectronics America announced a new mobile WiMAX chipset optimized for small, embedded modules targeting mobile WiMAX devices such as smart phones and PDAs. Samples will be delivered to major module manufacturers starting in August 2008.


The chipset includes a baseband IC, the MB86K22; an RF IC, the MB86K52; and a power management IC, the MB39C316. The three devices are essential elements for competitive WiMAX modules. The chipset was designed so that the size of the WiMAX module will be 12x12mm. The idle current, which has a direct impact on battery life, will not exceed 0.5mA, helping the development of attractive mobile WiMAX terminals.http://us.fujitsu.com/micro/WiMAX

Alcatel-Lucent and China Mobile Sign a US$1 Billion Framework Agreement

China Mobile has awarded a US$1 billion framework agreement with Alcatel-Lucent for mobile communication equipment and services. Specifically, Alcatel-Lucent will provide China Mobile with mobile core network solutions, wireless network solutions, TD-SCDMA equipment, applications, transmission and IP router equipment and the related services.


This agreement was secured through Alcatel-Lucent's flagship company in China, Alcatel Shanghai Bell. The frame agreement signing ceremony, witnessed by Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan who was on an official visiting trip to USA, was held in Washington, DC.http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

Italy's Linkem to Deploy WiMAX Rev-e with Alcatel-Lucent

Italy's Linkem Spa, a leading wireless broadband service provider, will provide a turnkey WiMAX 802.16e-2005 network (also called Rev-e) in the Lazio Region. Terracina (in Latina Province) will be the first city reached by the service. Linkem is a holder of recent WiMAX licenses in 13 Italian regions, spreading from north to south and reaching 80% of the Italian population.


Alcatel-Lucent will provide a complete WiMAX Rev-e infrastructure solution, including the radio access network, microwave backhaul and IP routers that will cover a selected area in the Lazio region and will support VoIP and high-speed Internet access, enabling the delivery of advanced broadband multimedia services, such as video streaming, through a variety of end-user devices including modems and WiMAX terminals. Financial terms were not disclosed.

http://www.alcatel-lucent.comhttp://www.linkem.com/it/

EMBARQ selects Alcatel-Lucent's IP/MPLS

EMBARQ is deploying Alcatel-Lucent's IP/MPLS equipment as a basis for the service provider's ongoing network upgrade. The deployment will enable EMBARQ, which offers a comprehensive range of communications services in 18 states across the country, to deliver advanced premium communications services to its business and residential customers via a single network infrastructure.


The solution is based on the Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Router, the Alcatel-Lucent 5750 Subscriber Services Controller, and the Alcatel-Lucent 5620 Service Aware Manager, a single management platform offering element, network and service management. Alcatel-Lucent will also provide network integration services including project management, consulting, network design, installation, deployment, integration, testing and maintenance. Financial terms were not disclosed.http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

Microsoft Introduces Embedded OS for Portable Navigation Device

Microsoft released its Windows Embedded NavReady 2009 operating system designed specifically for OEMs building handheld portable navigation devices (PNDs). Windows Embedded NavReady 2009 is aimed at connected, service-oriented PNDs that connect to online services, mobile phones using Bluetooth, Windows-based PCs and the Internet.


Key features include:

  • Live Search delivers OEMs and partners key elements enabling Internet-based Live Search on devices to find up-to-date points of interest similar to the ones provided by the Live Search Maps service.


  • Bluetooth with the following profiles: Hands Free, Pairing Service, Phone Book Access, Advanced Audio Distribution, Audio and Video Remote Control, Dial Up Networking and Bluetooth Connection Manager.


  • MSN Direct, which can reduce users' commute time by providing up-to-date information such as traffic alerts and fuel prices.


  • Windows SideShow functionality helps enable the PND as a secondary display screen for many Windows Vista-based PCs.

http://www.windowsembedded.com/NavReady

Neotel Selects Telsima for WiMAX in South Africa

South Africa's Neotel has chosen Telsima's WiMAX technology for its network deployment.

It is estimated that fewer than a quarter of households in South Africa have access to basic fixed line telecommunications, and only a small fraction of those have broadband Internet access. Neotel will contract Telsima's regional partner, Tellumat, to provide the equipment and associated turnkey services and support for the deployment of Neotel's WiMAX network. Financial terms were not disclosed.


Wolfgang Mack, Telsima's Chief Marketing Officer added, "Economic and regulatory conditions have changed dramatically in recent years making the African continent one of the most viable for converged telecommunications services over WiMAX networks. The economies of scale and performance enabled by WiMAX allow new services from established service providers and new entrants into the market to construct viable business cases for converged services to residential and business customers."http://www.telsima.com

Tellabs Digital Cross-connect Packs 400% Greater Density, 80% Power Savings

A new high-density (HD) 384 port shelf on the Tellabs 5500 digital cross-connect system enables service providers to obtain 32 times the port densities of older Tellabs 5500 Digital Cross-Connect systems. Tellabs said its HD384 port shelf delivers 400% more capacity than the current HD96 port shelf. In addition, each circuit of the new port shelf sips its power sparingly. Each one uses up to 80% less energy than previous circuits. The shelf connects to all Tellabs 5500 systems and can coexist with previous deployed versions of the shelf on the same rack. http://www.tellabs.com

Microsoft Mediaroom Powers 2 Million TV Sets Worldwide

Microsoft Mediaroom reached 1 million subscriber homes in the first quarter of this year and now Mediaroom is powering connected TV services on more than 2 million TV sets worldwide.

It took Mediaroom 18 months to reach its first million TVs and only five months, more than three times faster, to reach its second million TVs. Microsoft now counts 20 Service Provider customers for its Mediaroom IPTV platform.


Microsoft also announced six new additions to the Mediaroom partner ecosystem today, including:

  • System Integrators: HP, Tech Mahindra, 180Squared


  • Quality of Service Assurance: Agilent, IneoQuest. . Specific measurement and performance indicators Agilent and IneoQuest's solutions will provide include effective packet loss, taking into account Microsoft Mediaroom's unique error-correction methods that enable high resilience to network performance degradation; Analysis of audiovisual bit rates; Ongoing assessment of instant channel-changing effectiveness; and Continual observation of round-trip latency between Microsoft Mediaroom servers and clients.


  • Encoding Solution Provider: Harris' NetVX range of H.264/MPEG-4 standard-definition (SD) video networking encoders have completed encoder conformance testing for use with the Mediaroom platform.
http://www.microsoftmediaroom.com

ECI Expands and Enhances its XDM Platform

ECI Telecom has expanded its XDM optical portfolio with new "edge" ROADM, multi-rate cards and a variety of additional enhanced capabilities.



This includes a new 2-degree (2D) ROADM that was cost-efficiently designed for metro-core and metro-edge segments, and complements ECI's leading best-of-breed multi-degree WSS ROADM. With the 2D ROADM, the XDM offers reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexing (ROADM) functions that allow up to 40 channels (option to scale up to 80 channels) of pass-through or add/drops, plus full real-time power
control and monitoring of each individual wavelength. The new ROADM is optimal for sites with lower degree needs, or requiring full add/drop capability.


An additional feature introduced is the multi-service, multi-rate ADM-on-Card (AoC). The AoC is a next-generation optical service card, combining the cost-efficiency of an optical platform with the granularity and flexibility previously available in SDH/SONET networks. The AoC is a high-density card multiplexing up to 8 Ethernet/ Fiber Channel/TDM client interfaces onto a 10G optical ring (10.7G OTN) - enabling up to nine GbE services per ring. The AoC leverages the high-capacity and scalability of the OTN layer and the advantages of SDH/SONET-like networks, without an actual SONET/SDH matrix. It is particularly optimized for video applications, featuring multicast drop-and-continue capabilities.


ECI is also offering a Multirate Combiner module that enhances the XDM universal base card (CHTR_B), enabling cost efficient multiplexing of several different low rate signals (e.g. STM1/4, GbE, and Fibre Channel) onto a 2.5 G C/DWDM wavelength. Typical access requirements are for multiservice support such as legacy TDM with a router/switch. Supported services include GbE (full rate only) bi-directional
and uni-directional, FC 1G, FC 2G, and STM1/4. Line side interfaces include: 2.5G/2.7G SFP-based non-colored and C/DWDM SFPs. The module also incorporates two network interfaces to provide 1+1 line protection on a single module.


These features are part of ECI's recently announced 1Net framework. ECI 1Net is committed to offer carriers lower total cost of ownership and increased revenue opportunities, while facilitating the transition to next-generation networks.http://www.ecitelecom.com

Ethernet Alliance Forms Data Center Subcommittee

The Ethernet Alliance has formed a Data Center subcommittee, chartered to be a reference and resource for IT professionals for both existing and emerging data center-focused Ethernet technologies and standards.


In addition to assisting users and developers of Ethernet, the Data Center subcommittee will identify areas where technical work may be needed to provide enhancements, enabling Ethernet to remain the best choice for IT professionals to meet their growing data center networking requirements.


The Ethernet Alliance said it will work closely with IEEE 802 task force members and T11 members to promote emerging standards for data center networking, including IEEE 802.1 Data Center Bridging and Congestion Notification, multiple IEEE 802.3 projects, and T11 FC-BB-5 for Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE).


The subcommittee also plans to sponsor private interoperability test events for various data center Ethernet technologies through third-party test facilities, and will work collaboratively to produce white papers and educational material. To lead the effort, Anthony Faustini of Cisco was elected as technical chair, and Sunil Ahluwalia of Intel as marketing chair.
http://www.ethernetalliance.org

One Minute Video: What is RF over Glass (RFoG)?











One Minute Video presented by Shane Eleniak, Alloptic -- What is RF over Glass? (RFoG)?


Jargon Buster

Thailand's DTAC Deploys NSN's Base Stations

Thailand's Total Access Communication Public Company Limited ("DTAC"), which operates 800 MHz and 1800 MHz mobile networks, has received the first of 1,500 Flexi EDGE base stations from Nokia Siemens Networks. NSN said its base stations can deliver up to a 70% energy savings over existing equipment as they minimize the need for air conditioning at the base station site. Financial terms were not disclosed.http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

Softbank Telecom and Bay Microsystems Deploy Multi-Site Disaster Recovery for VMware

SOFTBANK TELECOM Corp. has deployed Bay Microsystems' ABEx2020 Multi-Service Transport Gateway to deliver high-performance carrier Infiniband services as part of its Wide Area Virtualization infrastructure and to demonstrate its automated multi-site disaster recovery solution.


The Wide Area Virtualization infrastructure, implemented between SOFTBANK TELECOM data centers in Tokyo and Osaka (approximately 500 km apart), included virtualization of servers, storage, and I/O. Infiniband was adopted as the datacenter network, providing the highest performing unified server and storage solution. SOFTBANK TELECOM successfully demonstrated the automated recovery of VMware virtual servers at the remote data center and the ability to migrate VMware servers between data centers live without interruption.


The Bay Microsystems ABEx 2020 Multi-Service Transport Gateway enabled SOFTBANK TELECOM to extend the Infiniband network between data centers across their wide area OC-192 SONET network. Ethernet services were also provisioned from the same ABEx 2020 in order to interconnect the network management network at both sites. The ABEx 2020 delivers multiple services, including carrier Infiniband, at line rate speeds across any metro or wide area network. This enabled SOFTBANK TELECOM to extend high performance server virtualization, storage virtualization, and I/O virtualization between multiple datacenters.


Additional contributions to the solution included I/O virtualization from Xsigo Systems, Inc., storage virtualization and mirroring from DataCore Software Corporation and integration assistance from Sumisho Computer Systems Corporation (SCS).


Bay Microsystems will also be showcasing Wide Area Virtualization at this week's NXTcomm 2008 in Las Vegas.http://www.baymicrosystems.com

Road to 100G Alliance Forms Technical Committee

The Road to 100G Alliance has formed an official Technical Committee chartered to identify gaps in technology and standards that could impact the rollout of 100G OTN and Ethernet networking platforms. Lalit Merani, Product Planning Manager at Lattice Semiconductor Corporation, has been appointed the Chairperson of the Technical Committee and will oversee the committee's Working Groups.


The first two Working Groups formed by the committee will focus on Optical Interfaces and Electrical Interfaces in the data path. The committee members will liaise with other organizations such as the Ethernet Alliance, IEEE, Interlaken Alliance, ITU-T, OIF and others that already have begun addressing some of the potential issues. The charter of the groups will be to evaluate existing and developing technology and standards to highlight issues and to make recommendations if conflicts or gaps exist as they relate to 100G component and system designs.


These Working Groups address two of the seven technical areas identified by the Road to 100G Alliance as potential impediments to the implementation of 100G platforms.


"Interoperability of 100G optical and electrical components represents two of the most critical areas that need early resolution if 100G systems are to reach the market quickly," said Lalit Merani, Technical Committee Chairperson. "That is why we have chosen these two groups to initiate our technical efforts."http://www.roadto100G.org