Sunday, August 10, 2008

Orange Business Services launches Network Boost

Orange Business Services is launching Network Boost, a network-based application performance management solution, fully integrated with the Orange IP VPN. Network Boost prioritizes, accelerates and optimizes customers' applications and guarantees uptime through stringent network-based application service level agreements and proactive performance monitoring.


Orange is partnering with Ipanema Technologies, which develops solutions for application traffic management.


Orange said its Network Boost would give businesses a clear understanding of how their networks are used -- by application, site and user group. Orange proposes multiple options depending on customer need, including:

  • acceleration that compresses data and minimizes network delays,


  • application monitoring that anticipates network performance degradation, and


  • self management that allows customers to change their own application service quality.


The service is available in 220 countries and territories.

http://www.orange-business.com

RAD Supports Olympic Coverage for China Radio International

China Radio International (CRI) is using RAD Data Communications to enable it to transmit video on demand (VOD) from the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. CRI, which maintains a video server at the Olympics, recommended RAD's RIC-155GE Gigabit Ethernet over STM-1 network termination unit (NTU) to China Telecom as a reliable gateway for transmitting its Ethernet-based video feed over existing SDH lines to various provincial capitals, including Chengdu (in Sichuan), Xian (in Shaanxi) and Changsha (in Hunan).


Using virtual concatenation technology, the RIC-155GE maps the video streams into VC-4 containers for transport across long-haul fiber connections. CRI first deployed RAD's RIC-155GE in 2006 to run Ethernet-based video over traditional STM-1 circuits.http://www.rad.com

Bharti Airtel Selects Oracle to Optimize Fiber Network

India's Bharti Airtel has selected Oracle Communications Network Integrity to help optimize the use of its extensive national fiber-optic network. Specifically, Oracle Communications Network Integrity will give Airtel enterprise-wide visibility of its network assets by enabling the constant auditing of inventory data quality and providing a user-friendly mechanism to identify and reconcile data discrepancies. This automated solution will replace Airtel's burdensome manual processes for assessing and reconciling its network assets and capacity to help streamline business operations. Financial terms were not disclosed.http://www.oracle.com/Communications

HP Agreed to Acquire Colubris for WLAN Solutions

HP agreed to acquire Colubris Networks, a privately-held provider of intelligent wireless networks for enterprises and service providers. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.


Colubris supplies an Intelligent Mobility Solution that delivers wireless integrated access, management and security products as well as 802.11n capability.


HP said it plans to integrate Colubris' extensive product line into its ProCurve Networking product portfolio. This will expand HP ProCurve's reach into vertical markets such as hospitality, transportation, healthcare, manufacturing, service provider and education.


Colubris Networks, which is based in Waltham, Mass., was founded in 2000.http://www.hp.comhttp://www.colubris.com

SingTel Group's Combined mobile Customer base Reaches 198 million

Singapore Telecommunications Group's operating revenue increased 5.9 per cent to S$3.78 billion, driven by the double-digit growth in data and IT businesses in Singapore and Optus' strong focus on mobile and fixed on-net businesses. Net underlying profit for the first quarter was flat at S$865 million but would have increased 6.0 per cent if the regional currencies had remained stable from a year ago. Net profit declined 5.3 per cent to S$878 million after including a one-off S$84 million exceptional currency translation gain recognized in the first quarter a year ago.

Some highlights:

  • The Group's combined mobile customer base in the region has reached 197.71 million as at 30 June 2008. Compared to a year ago, the Group's mobile customer base in the eight markets -- Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand -- grew 45% from 136.35 million customers. On a quarterly basis, the increase was 6.7%.


  • In India, Bharti added another record 7.40 million new customers to bring its total mobile customer base to 69.38 million. Bharti's customers constituted 35% of the Group's combined mobile base.


  • In Indonesia, Telkomsel attracted 1.11 million new mobile customers during the quarter. With a customer base of 52.44 million customers, it remained Indonesia's leading cellular company.


  • In Thailand, AIS attracted more than 877,000 new customers. Its total base of 25.96 million customers represented about 46% share of the Thai market.


  • In the Philippines, Globe added 1.46 million mobile customers to bring its total base to 22.74 million as at 30 June 2008.


  • In Pakistan, Warid increased its base by 1.10 million customers to reach 15.49 million mobile customers while in Bangladesh, PBTL saw its total CDMA base growing to 1.70 million customers.


  • In Australia, Optus' total customer base reached 7.24 million as at 30 June 2008. During the quarter, it added 101,000 new mobile subscribers, of which 87,000 were in postpaid.


  • In Singapore, SingTel added 182,000 subscribers in the first quarter , bringing its total mobile customer base in Singapore to 2.75 million -- a market share of 44.7 per cent. In the prepaid segment, 151,000 customers were added in the first quarter, bringing total subscribers to 1.34 million and a market share of 44.6 per cent. SingTel added 31,000 postpaid customers and held a market share of 44.8 per cent.


  • SingTel's Revenue from Data & Internet grew 11 per cent to S$370 million in the first quarter boosted by strong demand for managed services and fixed broadband service.


  • SingTel added 13,000 fixed broadband customers in the quarter and retained leadership position with a 54.1 per cent market share.


  • Customer base for mio TV, which started a year ago, grew nearly 2,000 to more than 45,000 at the end of 30 June 2008 from a quarter ago. Customer additions in the quarter were offset partly by the termination of inactive subscribers following the expiry of the waiver periods introduced during the initial launch period.
http://www.singtel.com

Sonus Networks Reports Q2 Revenue of $87.9 million

Sonus Networks reported Q2 revenues of $87.9 million, compared to $74.0 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 and $75.5 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2007, an increase of 16% year over year. Net income on a GAAP basis for the second quarter of 2008 was $0.1 million, or $0.00 per diluted share, compared to GAAP net income of $0.6 million, or $0.00 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2008, and a GAAP net loss of $7.0 million, or $0.03 per share, for the second quarter of 2007.
http://www.sonusnet.com/

Extreme Networks Announces $100 Million Stock Repurchase

Extreme Networks announced a "modified Dutch auction" tender offer to purchase $100 million worth of its common stock at a price per share not less than $3.30 and not greater than $3.70. Goldman, Sachs & Co. will serve as dealer manager for the stock tender offer. http://www.extremenetworks.com

Corning's FutureCom 10TENe Exceeds Specification

Corning Cable Systems announced that its FutureCom 10TENe System exceeds international ISO/IEC 11801:2002 Amd1:2008 and American ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2-10-CAT6A system standards requirements. The FutureCom 10TENe System, which is aimed at data centers, is specifically designed to support 10 Gbps applications over 100 meters. It complies with the IEEE 802.3an and the recently released new EA class. It is also suitable for Power over Ethernet and PoE Plus applications.
http://www.corning.com

Global IP Solutions Enables VoIP for iPhone

Global IP Solutions (GIPS) has tuned its GIPS VoiceEngine Mobile for Apple's iPhone. This allows iPhone application developers to integrate quality, real-time VoIP applications.


"The popularity of the iPhone, along with the emergence of various applications and faster connectivity, makes it an ideal platform for developing applications that incorporate quality real-time VoIP, giving consumers real-world communication experiences like in-game, multi-person chat," said Emerick Woods, GIPS' Chief Executive Officer.http://www.gipscorp.com/ve

NXP Completes Acquisition of Conexant's BMP Business

NXP Semiconductors, the independent semiconductor company founded by Philips, completed its acquisition of the Broadband Media Processing (BMP) business of Conexant Systems for US $110 million in cash up front, and additional consideration of up to US $35 million based on achievement of certain revenue milestones over the period from closing through 2009.


The deal combines NXP's existing set-top box (STB) and digital TV (DTV) operations with Conexant's BMP business, adding STB system solutions for satellite, cable and IP STBs to an existing portfolio of terrestrial STB, IP STB and DTV products. This makes NXP a top three technology player in the Digital Video Systems market (DTV and STB).


Christos Lagomichos, EVP and General Manager of NXP's Home Business Unit, said: "Leadership and scale are vital to win, especially in a market that is consolidating. The combination of complementary digital TV expertise from two leading players gives NXP a market leading position and the R&D synergies required to be the first to bring innovative products to customers. Specifically, we aim to lead in the development of 45-nm based technology.http://www.nxp.com

Zeugma Adds Mike Turner to its Board

Zeugma Systems, a start-up based in Vancouver, Canada, has added J. Michael (Mike) Turner to its board of directors. Turner has more than 30 years of experience at SBC (now AT&T), most recently as president of SBC DataComm, Global & Internet Services, where he was responsible for providing internet services, global customer care, and networking services and integration. In addition to domestic and international responsibilities, Turner has worked extensively with digital media companies.http://www.zeugmasystems.com
  • In May 2008, Zeugma unveiled its Zeugma Services Node (ZSN), a broadband edge aggregation device designed to help broadband operators identify, monitor, manage and customize service flows traversing their networks. Zeugma integrates routing, subscriber, and service management in a single platform powered by high-performance, multi-core packet processors. The system leverages a customized compute grid architecture and up to 520,000 DMIPS compute capacity to identify and monitor session flows on a highly granular per-subscriber, per-service basis.


  • Zeugma Systems is led by Andrew Harries, co-founder, President and CEO and who previously co-founded Sierra Wireless Inc.; Siegfried Luft, founder, CTO and formerly a senior development executive at Redback Networks; Jeff Dillabough, VP Engineering, formerly at PMC-Sierra; Tom Meehan, VP product management, previously at Redback Networks; Wayne Shackelford, SVP Worldwide Sales, who formerly led sales at several startups and at Newbridge Networks USA; and Kevin Walsh, VP of Marketing, who previously was VP of Corporate Marketing at Calix.

  • In December 2007, Zeugma announced completion of its US$22.5 million Series B financing. The financing was led by new investor Vertex Venture Capital. The syndicate members include returning investors Granite Ventures, Ventures West, Yaletown Venture Partners, GrowthWorks Capital Ltd. and BDC Venture Capital, as well as new investors GTD Capital and BC Advantage Funds.

FCC Grants IDT Spectrum Key License Extensions

The FCC has extended IDT Spectrum's one thousand and thirty-four 39 GHz band licenses until June 1, 2012. These licenses cover Economic Areas (EAs) across all fifty states, including 175 markets and a population of approximately 285 million people.


In April, the FCC also extended the company's sixteen 28 GHz Local Multipoint Distribution Service ("LMDS") band licenses until June 1, 2012. IDT Spectrum's LMDS licenses cover sixteen Basic Trading Areas (BTAs) across the country.


Michael Rapaport, CEO of IDT Spectrum, applauded the FCC's action. "The FCC deserves credit for speeding the deployment of Wi-Max through the auction of the 700 MHz spectrum and these 39 GHz license extensions. Once again, the FCC has sided with consumers to increase competition and lower costs. IDT Spectrum is ideally positioned to serve this market with highly competitive backhaul solutions and Wi-Max build-outs."http://www.idtspectrum.com