Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Belgium's VOO Deploys ADVA's Optical+Ethernet

VOO, the leading provider of cable television service to Belgium's
Brussels and Wallonia regions, is interconnecting distribution networks and centralizing transport platforms with the implementation of a new Optical+Ethernet solution from ADVA Optical Networking, supported by
system integrator Arcadiz Telecom.


VOO serves more than 1.2 million business and residential customers. Following the merger of multiple sub-regional
networks, VOO found itself rapidly integrating disparate networks spanning more than 2,000km


The ADVA FSP 3000 multi-haul platform forms the basis of a 10 Gbps optical backbone. The same platform was chosen to support the multiple 1 Gbps metro access rings that feed the service provider's backhaul network. In order to deliver transparent sub-Gbps connections, the ADVA FSP 150 forms the critical demarcation point for the services VOO
provides to its enterprise and carrier customers. The complete solution is managed by the ADVA Network Manager (NM), which enables carrier-class management functionality across all network elements, both optical and Ethernet.


Systems integrator Arcadiz Telecom, which designed the solution, partnered with ADVA Optical Networking for the deployment of the network and will provide ongoing maintenance and support of VOO's network moving
forward.
http://www.advaoptical.com
http://www.voo.be

Holland's Ziggo Selects ADVA's FSP 3000 Platform

Ziggo, the Netherlands' top provider of cable television, digital television, Internet services and telephony, has deployed a new 10 Gbps C/DWDM (Coarse/Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) network from ADVA Optical Networking, supported by system integrator Arcadiz Telecom. The network is built on the ADVA FSP 3000, which provides Ziggo a scalable platform for delivering voice, video and Internet services to its almost 8 million customers. In addition, the network supports business Ethernet services.


ADVA's solution converges the disparate legacy networks of three former telecom operators, Casema, Essent Kabelcom and Multikabel, onto a standardized, integrated 10 Gbps backbone.
http://www.advaoptical.com/http://www.ziggo.nl

Apparent Raises $12 Million for Network Path-based Mgt for Clouds

Apparent Networks, a start-up based in Wellesley Hills, Mass., raised an upsized $12 million in Series C funding for its performance management solution for cloud applications.


Apparent Networks provides a means for assessing, measuring and diagnosing complex networks, including LANs, WANs and service providers' clouds. The company's patented path-based solutions deliver end-to-end insight into the entire application path, including areas previously beyond the network manager's line of sight. Apparent Networks said it enables users to quickly and efficiently identify problems within their own networks, their carriers' clouds, and even their customers' environments.


The new funding was led by Egan-Managed Capital and supported by existing investors Bain Capital Ventures, JMI Equity and Business Development Bank of Canada.
http://www.apparentnetworks.com
  • Apparent Networks is headed by Jack Sweeney (CEO), who previously was president and CEO of Network Intelligence Corp., which was acquired by EMC for $175 million in 2006. Post-acquisition, he served as Vice President of mergers and acquisitions for EMC. Earlier in his career, Jack was president and CEO of Stargus (acquired by C-Cor, Inc.), CEO of EPiCON (acquired by Nortel for $450 million), and CEO of Bell Atlantic Network Integration, which grew to $330 million in revenues under his leadership.

Ocarina Raises $20 Million for Storage Optimization

Ocarina Networks, a start-up based in San Jose, California, closed a $20 million Series B round of financing for its online storage optimization technology.


Ocarina's leverages patented content-aware compression and object deduplication technologies to reduce the space taken by online file data by up to 90%. This is accomplished in three steps: extract, correlate and optimize. As a result, the company claims this can drastically reduce capital and operational expenses for businesses faced with soaring storage costs.


Ocarina has also joined forces with a majority of the industry's leading primary storage vendors to integrate or co-market its solutions. These Ocarina-enabled solutions seamlessly snap into existing storage systems and allow customers to store the same amount of data on significantly fewer disks, freeing up space for new files, and reducing capital expenditures without compromising capacity or performance.


The new funding was led by JAFCO Ventures with significant participation from Series A investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Highland Capital Partners. As part of this transaction, Joe Horowitz, a general partner of JAFCO Ventures, will join the Ocarina Board of Directors.
http://www.ocarinanetworks.com
  • Ocarina is headed by Murli Thirumale (CEO), who previously was Group Vice President and GM of the Citrix Advanced Solutions Group, where he led the SSL-VPN division (acquired via Net6).

Support Grows for ITU-T G.hn Standard

HomeGrid Forum, a non-profit trade group promoting United Nations' ITU-T G.hn standardization efforts, announced new agreements with the Consumer Electronics Powerline Communication Alliance (CEPCA), HomePNA Alliance, and Universal Powerline Association (UPA). These organizations include the world's top consumer electronics manufacturers, service providers, PC manufacturers, network equipment manufacturers, semiconductor, and software companies. The organizations agreed to promote G.hn and ensure co-existence between G.hn-based products and those using other current generation powerline, phoneline, and coax networking technologies.
http://www.HomeGridForum.org/

Nokia Siemens Networks wins EUR 880 Million Contracts in China

China Mobile and China Unicom
have signed framework agreements with Nokia Siemens Networks valued at 7.6 billion RMB (approx. EUR 880 million). Specifically, the carriers agreed to purchase 2G and 3G mobile equipments and services from Nokia Siemens Networks during 2009.

Under the framework agreements Nokia Siemens Networks will roll out WCDMA networks for China Unicom in 11 provinces across China. In addition, it will provide China Mobile with TD-SCDMA and GSM networks. The framework agreements were key items on the agenda of the China-Europe Purchasing Delegation currently visiting Germany.


Commenting on the signing of the agreement was Zhang Zhiqiang, head of Greater China Region, Nokia Siemens Networks, "We have always played a key role in the development of China's telecom sector. With the country gearing up for the launch of 3G services, we are once again in a competitive position to leverage our experience across both WCDMA and TD-SCDMA technologies and roll-out services to support the plans of Chinese operators."http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

HP to Distribute Sun Solaris on HP ProLiant Servers

HP has agreed to distribute and provide software technical support for Sun's Solaris 10 Operating System on the HP ProLiant server and blade system platforms.

Under the terms of a new multi-year original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and support agreement, Sun becomes a strategic HP ProLiant OS distribution partner and Solaris is now elevated to the lineup of key operating environments for the HP ProLiant platform.


"The endorsement of Solaris on HP ProLiant dramatically expands the available market for Solaris on x86 servers, building on the largest installed-base of any commercial UNIX and Linux distribution," said John Fowler, executive vice president, Systems, Sun Microsystems.
http://sun.com
http://www.hp.com

Alloptic Selects Xelerated's Wirespeed Network Processor

Alloptic has chosen Xelerated's X11 network processor unit (NPU) for deployment in its Edge10 EPON system. Based on Xelerated's wirespeed dataflow architecture, the X11 is a high-function, low-cost processor that enables Alloptic to extend its access network portfolio into the next generation of GEPON and 10GEPON systems for network operators and enterprises.
http://www.xelerated.com
http://www.alloptic.com

Tata Communications Expands with London 2 Data Centre

Tata Communications announced it plans for London 2, a Tier-3 data centre, that will provide a state-of-the-art environment for supporting mission critical infrastructures, with advanced cooling, power, redundancy, and sustainability features to ensure that Tata Communications client's critical systems and applications are readily available while optimizing energy efficiency. The 21,400 square foot London 2 data centre will be ready for service during the second quarter of 2009. Located 25 miles from London, the highly secure data centre facility was built by Digital Realty Trust, the world's largest wholesale data centre provider, and contains two individually segregated, maintainable data halls that receive six megawatts of power from diversely routed supplies.


As Tata Communications third data centre opened in the UK, London 2 brings the company's total data centre footprint in the region to over 50,000 square feet. The company owns and operates data centres on three continents totaling nearly one million square feet of space.


Tata Communications said it has seen a dramatic growth in the number of UK companies looking to outsource their hosted IT operations as they look to rationalize costs and free up capital. Increasingly, the lack of power in the City of London has seen many firms seek to move operations outside the M25 and into a managed service environment to lower their cost of ownership, improve performance and reduce downtime of their IT investment.
http://www.tatacommunications.com
  • On February 12, Tata Communications' announced plans to invest USD $180 million in development of data centre and associated services in Singapore.


  • Tata Communications' Global Network encompasses one of the largest submarine cable networks, a Tier-1 IP network, with connectivity to more than 200 countries across 300 Pops, and more than 1 million square feet of data centre and colocation facilities.

BT Global Services Delivers "Laptop Protection" Powered by Alcatel-Lucent

BT Global Services will begin offering laptop data protection service based on Alcatel-Lucent's laptop security technology.



Alcatel-Lucent's technology ensures that if a laptop is reported lost or stolen, all data held on the device can be immediately and automatically destroyed, even if the computer is turned off. It also enables organizations to take remote control of any laptop in order to apply security patches or track its location.


"Laptop Protection from BT MobileXpress" is available now in the UK, and is targeted for launch in Spring 2009 in Benelux, France and Germany, with further launches planned.
http://www.bt.com/aboutbt

Dominican Republic's Codetel Launches IPTV service with Alcatel-Lucent

Compania Dominicana de Telefonos (Codetel), the leading telecommunications operator in the Dominican Republic, launched a nationwide IPTV offering, providing subscribers across the country with TV programming, video on demand and other multimedia content services. Enhanced features include picture in picture, karaoke entertainment and digital video recording.


The new IPTV service is supported by Alcatel-Lucent's end-to-end IPTV solution, including the Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV and multimedia software platform. The service complements Codetel's existing voice and broadband Internet access service, enabling the operator to offer one of the first complete "triple play" packages in the Caribbean. To complete the solution, Alcatel-Lucent is providing professional services such as network integration, project management, network design and optimization and maintenance.


Alcatel-Lucent noted that is middleware solutions support more than 2 million IPTV subscribers, representing more than 13 percent of all IPTV subscribers worldwide. The company is involved in more than 55 triple play service delivery architecture (TPSDA) deployments and more than 60 IPTV transformation and integration projects.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

Motorola Supplies Real Time Video Surveillance in Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi police force has awarded a contract to Motorola to provide an end to end wireless mobile video surveillance solution for the force's vehicles and personnel. The contract will see Motorola supplying the latest from its
MOTOA4 mission critical portfolio and delivering innovative and reliable wireless solutions. Financial terms were not disclosed.


The new service will enable control room operators to interact with the video system that delivers real time streaming of video from police vehicles and personnel; in contrast to previous solutions that used recorded video. Not only will the service allow live streaming of video, it will also provide local recording of high resolution video.


Motorola said a core aspect of the new contract is the provision of the MotoLocator service, the primary purpose of which is to provide location-based video surveillance from police in the field back to the control room. The service, which also shows all the force vehicles on a map, will enable control room operators and management to have real-time knowledge of what is happening in the field and allow them to respond on that basis.
http://www.motorola.com

Canada's Shaw Pick Motorola for DOCSIS 3.0-enabled services

Shaw Communications has committed to deploy a DOCSIS 3.0-qualified cable modem termination system (CMTS) containing Motorola BSR 64000 TX32 Decoupled Downstream Modules, and DOCSIS 3.0-certified SURFboard cable modems. Shaw is a long standing Motorola customer. Financial terms were not disclosed.


The TX32 downstream module slides directly into one of the 16-slots of the Motorola BSR 64000 chassis, ultimately offering a five-fold increase in bandwidth capacity while reducing the cost per downstream channel. The Motorola TX32 supports 32 QAM channels in a single slot within the Motorola BSR 64000 CMTS/edge router. The solution enables cable operators to deliver significantly increased bandwidth for whole-home media services to new DOCSIS/EuroDOCSIS 3.0 cable modems, such as Motorola's SURFboard SB6120 cable and SBV6220 digital voice modems, while preserving operator investment in legacy DOCSIS/EuroDOCSIS 1.x and 2.0 cable modems.
http://www.motorola.com

Nortel Announces Additional 3,200 Job Cuts

Nortel intends to reduce its workforce by an additional net 3,200 positions worldwide. The company expects to carry out these reductions over the next several months, in accordance with local country legal requirements. These new reductions are incremental to the 1,800 remaining reductions from previously announced plans that require completion.


As previously announced, Nortel confirmed that it is working with several parties, including its creditors, to define the best plan forward to present to the bankruptcy courts. The company hopes to emerge from the creditor protection process as a more focused and competitive company.


In addition, Nortel's Board of Directors has approved management's recommendation to not pay any bonuses under the Nortel Annual Incentive Plan (AIP) for 2008. In addition, Nortel is seeking Canadian court approval to terminate its equity based compensation plans, including all outstanding equity under the plans (including stock options, restricted stock units and performance stock units), whether vested or unvested, and no further equity will be awarded in 2009. http://www.nortel.com/restructuring
  • Nortel announced its bankruptcy filing on 14-January-2009.