Fulcrum Microsystems Releases Next Gen 10GE Switch/router Chips

Fulcrum Microsystems released its next generation of 10-Gigabit Ethernet switch/router chips, the FocalPoint FM3000 series, featuring a lossless fabric and security capabilities.

Continuous Computing has chosen the FocalPoint FM3000 series for its FlexCore ATCA-FM40 base / fabric switch blade. Continuous Computing's FM40 provides full 10GE line-rate switching for 16 slots and eight external links with a 240 Gbps non-blocking fabric switch. The backplane interface supports 10GE links for applications demanding maximum performance, but is also backward compatible with GE links for legacy products.


Fulcrum Microsystems believes the service provider network is increasingly resembling that of a large enterprise data center as they shift to an IP-based network and expand server and storage farms to deliver data services ranging from IPTV to "cloud computing" to email to data security and others.


The FM3000 series of L2+ switches features a variety of port configurations - up to 24 non-blocking 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10GE) ports. The devices have a shared memory, output-queued architecture that makes efficient use of frame memory and enables fully provisioned multicast replication. A sophisticated set of congestion and traffic management mechanisms including class-based pause, link-level flow control and congestion notification enable lossless data transmissions while maintaining ultra-low (300ns) latency. A built-in policy engine allows designers to establish fully configurable access control lists and other types of policy-based frame forwarding - all of which can operate at full line rate with no performance degradation.


Additionally, this latest generation of switches couples the ultra-low latency with highly efficient load balancing through Pearson's-based hashing to enable extensible "fat-tree" architectures to be built within a chassis.http://www.fulcrummicro.com

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Verizon Selects Fujitsu Packet Optical Networking Platform for Transport Infrastructure

Verizon has selected Fujitsu Network Communications' FLASHWAVE 9500 platform

to enhance the metro transport infrastructure within Verizon markets in the United States. The deployment will support and consolidate SONET, Ethernet, and wavelength services traffic in a variety of applications. In the FiOS network this infrastructure will facilitate deployment of packet-based services for Verizon customers, including high-definition video on demand, higher-speed Internet access, and advanced voice services. The contract is the result of the Verizon Packet OTP RFP process. Financial terms were not disclosed.


Verizon will be utilizing several NETSMART management software tools that are common to Fujitsu optical networking products to capitalize on the operational familiarity among personnel in the Verizon regions. The Fujitsu NETSMART 1500 Element Management System (EMS) will allow Verizon to support inventory flow-back, provisioning flow-through and fault management for their entire network of Fujitsu network elements. The NETSMART 2000 optical network design tool, which removes the complexity of creating DWDM/ROADM optical network designs, will be used to expedite deployment of the FLASHWAVE 9500 platform.

"We are extremely excited to continue our 25-year relationship with Verizon as a trusted supplier that is committed to Verizon's success," said George Chase, group president and chief operating officer at Fujitsu Network Communications.http://us.fujitsu.com/telecom

• Earlier this month, Fujitsu Network Communications announced Provider Backbone Bridging with Traffic Engineering (PBB-TE) support for their newly announced FLASHWAVE CDS and existing FLASHWAVE 9500 packet optical networking platforms. PBB-TE fits into the metro aggregation network where it serves the critical need of collecting and backhauling Ethernet circuits from access locations back to the multi-service edge, which is the gateway to the backbone IP/MPLS network. The Fujitsu packet optical networking platforms allow service providers to create a distributed, connection-oriented Ethernet aggregation and transport infrastructure that natively delivers Ethernet private line and virtual private line services, and backhauls Ethernet traffic to the IP service edge.

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MetaSwitch and TI Collaborate on Enhanced VoIP Monitoring

MetaSwitch has selected standards-based voice quality analysis technology from Texas Instruments (TI) for its media gateway products. This analysis technology will enhance the network monitoring capabilities of its MetaView network management system.


With the addition of this proactive monitoring and reporting feature across MetaSwitch's entire media gateway product line, service provider networks will be alerted to potential call quality issues -- even while the call is still connected. This real-time feature will allow service providers to more dynamically address a wide range of network problems, resulting in users experiencing greater overall satisfaction with their voice service.


Introduced in January 2008, the MetaView network management system enabled carriers to monitor the health of the entire VoIP network, with real-time statistics superimposed on a graphical display of the network topology. In that first release, these statistics included packet loss, delay, and jitter. The addition of TI's quality management technology in every MetaSwitch gateway will enable additional standards-based statistics such as estimated mean opinion score (MOS) to be provided.


Real-time VoIP quality monitoring is a key element of TI's PIQUA software, and leverages the IETF RFC 3611, Real Time Control Protocol Extended Reports (RTCP-XR) standard, providing a call by call, standards-based quality metric calculation and reporting mechanism. In addition, PIQUA software interoperates with other devices on the network complying with this standard, allowing widespread use across disparate service provider networks.http://www.ti.com/piqua

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Actelis Launches New Ethernet-over-Copper for Mobile Backhaul

Actelis Networks introduced a new Ethernet-over-Copper solution aimed at mobile backhaul. The new ML650 EAD, one of the first products to receive MEF 18 certification from the Metro Ethernet Forum, delivers TDM and broadband services over a converged packet network.


Actelis said that as mobile networks evolve to pure packet-based networks, they will still require the support of TDM circuits and precise network synchronization. Its new ML650 EAD product family offers pseudowire capabilities (PWEEE) with clocking accuracy and resiliency. The company's pseudowire guarantees synchronization equal to, and even better than, that provided by traditional T1 and E1 circuits.


The platform offers up to 100 Mbps of symmetrical Ethernet over existing copper using up to 8 copper pairs per unit. It features a built-in Ethernet switch with 2.8 Gbps of non-blocking capacity.http://www.actelis.com

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Verizon Extends 50/20 Mbps FiOS Internet Service

Speaking at the NXTcomm conference in Las Vegas,

Verizon President and Chief Operating Officer Denny Strigl announced that the company is expanding its FiOS Internet connections of 50/20, 20/20, 20/5 and 10/2 Mbps across all of Verizon's FiOS Internet service footprint in 16 states. The new service tiers replace the previous offerings of 30/15 Mbps and 15/15 Mbps services, respectively.



The FiOS network currently passes 10 million homes and business.


At the end of the first quarter 2008, 1.8 million Verizon customers received their broadband service over Verizon's all-fiber network, and more than 1.2 million customers had subscribed to FiOS TV.http://www.verizon.com

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Chilean Service Provider Selects Ciena's Multi-degree ROADM

VTR Global Com (VTR), a leading communications service provider in Chile, has deployed Ciena's CN 4200 RS FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform throughout its Santiago network. The operator is utilizing the CN 4200's reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) functionality in its metro network infrastructure to enhance the delivery of its triple play offering. The Ciena solution was implemented by ADEXUS, Chile's largest systems integrator and a strategic resale partner in Ciena's BizConnect program. Financial terms were not disclosed.


VTR, majority-owned by North American company Liberty Global, is Chile's largest multi-channel television and residential broadband Internet provider and Chile's second largest provider of residential telephony services, reaching 1.1 million subscribers.http://www.ciena.com

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Ciena Targets Software-enabled, Service-driven Networks

Ciena unveiled plans for creating software-enabled, service-driven networks that turn seemingly disparate network elements into an intelligent, cohesive platform that can be controlled on-demand.


Through its "FlexSelect" Architecture, Ciena aims to transform networks into programmable service delivery engines. Service providers would be able to adapt and scale their networks to address emerging services, turn unpredictability in service demand into business opportunities and eliminate barriers between creating and monetizing new services.


Ciena's FlexSelect Architecture initially has been focused on capacity and cost reductions for optical transport using the company's with "any service on any port". It hase been expanded to focus on network efficiency using OTN, sub-wavelength grooming and performance-grade Ethernet. The company is now further evolving its FlexSelect Architecture with a focus on creating agile, software-enabled networks running across efficient IP/Ethernet and intelligent optical platforms that can cost-effectively enable new revenue-generating services.


Ciena said key benefits of its software-driven approach include the ability to :

• Increase service awareness in access and metro networks to enable new service creation, activation and assurance;



• Dynamically allocate, increase or decrease network capacity with zero to low touch via programmability/automation to respond to unpredictable demand;



• Optimize wireless and wireline networks for ubiquitous connectivity and seamless service delivery; and,



• Distribute integrated service-aware data, control and management plane features across platforms from customer edge to service provider core.

http://www.ciena.com/products/flexselect.htm

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Alcatel-Lucent Introduces Smart Metering Solution

Alcatel-Lucent introduced a smart metering solution targeted at the utility market. The solution will make it possible for utilities to provide consumers with detailed, near real-time information about their personal energy consumption.


As a part of the solution, Alcatel-Lucent is delivering a real-time data processing system based on its Open Service Platform (OSP), offering meter reading, meter management, infrastructure and data management. Alcatel-Lucent's OSP is widely deployed by hundreds of telecommunications operators. The solution is scalable and field proven in gathering call data on hundreds of millions of telephone calls. The smart metering release of the OSP adapts the system to the requirements of the utility providers, counting kilowatt hours or gallons per minute instead of call minutes.


Alcatel-Lucent said its solution is not limited to monitoring only electrical energy and can be adapted to intelligently monitor any electronic meter, including water and gas meters.http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

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Motorola Introduces MPEG-4 Encoders

Motorola introduced two MPEG-4 encoder solutions for distributing high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) video for service and content providers. The new multi channel NE (network encoder) MPEG-4 AVC SD encoder family joins Motorola's 1RU SE (single channel encoder) series MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) HD and SD encoders for service providers.


The new NE series comprises real-time, full-resolution multi-channel standard definition encoders that deliver high quality CBR video services at low bit rates. The NE series features two channels in a single rack unit chassis for a high density solution designed to deliver IP-based multi-channel services, ideal for headend environments.

http://www.motorola.com

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