T-Mobile Austria Deploys Huawei Intelligent Packet Network

Huawei Technologies has implemented a replacement of T-Mobile Austria' s core data network 3 months ahead of planned schedule. The deployment uses Huawei' s advanced intelligent packet switch platform,


Huawei said its ability to move the implementation schedule ahead by 3 months represented a 50% reduction in the planned deployment schedule of the SGSN. This was accomplished without any impact on existing customer services and without compromising any of the rigorous testing which is a characteristic of T-Mobile Austria' s high quality network deployment.


In addition to the ability to handle large amounts of user data, up to 30Gbps, Huawei packet switch core network has the ability to intelligently route and manage customer data based on the needs of T-Mobile and its customers. By responding to the protocols, destination and other usage information, the Intelligent IP packet switch core provides service tailored to each type of session and supports the creation of innovative new services which will allow T-Mobile to continue its mobile broadband leadership.
http://www.huawei.com

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T-Mobile Austria Deploys Huawei Intelligent Packet Network

Huawei Technologies has implemented a replacement of T-Mobile Austria' s core data network 3 months ahead of planned schedule. The deployment uses Huawei' s advanced intelligent packet switch platform,


Huawei said its ability to move the implementation schedule ahead by 3 months represented a 50% reduction in the planned deployment schedule of the SGSN. This was accomplished without any impact on existing customer services and without compromising any of the rigorous testing which is a characteristic of T-Mobile Austria' s high quality network deployment.


In addition to the ability to handle large amounts of user data, up to 30Gbps, Huawei packet switch core network has the ability to intelligently route and manage customer data based on the needs of T-Mobile and its customers. By responding to the protocols, destination and other usage information, the Intelligent IP packet switch core provides service tailored to each type of session and supports the creation of innovative new services which will allow T-Mobile to continue its mobile broadband leadership.
http://www.huawei.com

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Intel Offers Specialized Atom Processor for Cars, Internet Phones

Intel announced four unique versions of its Atom processors and two new system controller hub additions to the company's "embedded" business division product line-up.

The new products for the Intel Atom processor Z5xx series include industrial-temperature options, as well as different package-size choices better suited for in-car infotainment devices, media phones, eco-technologies and other industrial-strength applications.


New target applications include automotive in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), industrial control and automation, and media phones.


Intel said the package size and power envelope of the Intel Atom Z5xx series are ideal for the media phone, which will provide communications services over IP and easy, one-touch access to lifestyle applications such as e-mail, text messaging, weather information, YouTube, horoscopes and digital photo albums. Intel is also offering a Media Phone Reference Design that will facilitate development of hardware solutions to market. The hardware development platform includes schematics and validated software stacks.
http://www.intel.com/go/embedded

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MediaXstream Leverages Hibernia Atlantic Cable for Delivering HD Media to Europe

MediaXstream, a provider of high definition (HD) network services for broadcast, media & entertainment, has reserved multiple 10 Gbps wavelengths of capacity from North America to Dublin and London over the Hibernia Atlantic cable system. Financial terms were not disclosed.


"MediaXstream caters to the media and entertainment industries, so we need to ensure that our network services are transported with the highest quality routing and security," states Delwin Bothof, President and CEO of MediaXstream. "We deliver high-definition, pristine video transmission and live event transmissions across the Hibernia network that we trust. This network is managed 24/7 with our Television Operating Center (TOC) in Baltimore as well as Hibernia's dual NOC in both Dublin and Boston and in all four cable landing stations."http://www.mediaXstream.tvhttp://www.hiberniaatlantic.com

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Xilinx Narrows Financial Guidance Citing Stronger Wireless Sales

Xilinx narrowed its financial guidance for the March quarter of fiscal 2009. The new guidance:

• March quarter sales are expected to be down 13% to 18% sequentially. This is an upward revision to previous sales guidance of down 15% to 25% sequentially due primarily to better than expected wireless communications sales.



• Gross margin guidance of 61% to 63% and operating expense guidance of flat to slightly down sequentially remain unchanged.

http://www.investor.xilinx.com/

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Zayo Raises $128 Million in New Funding, More Acquisitions Coming?

Zayo Group, a regional provider of fiber based bandwidth, telecom and wholesale voice solutions, announced today that Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners (Morgan Stanley AIP) has joined in a second closing to complete its recently announced Series B round of equity financing. In total, $128 million of new equity was associated with the first and second closings.


The first closing for the round of equity financing was announced on February 12th. Charlesbank Capital Partners led the Series B round and, as part of the first closing, all of Zayo's existing equity investors increased their investment in Zayo. Zayo's equity syndicate now consists of Battery Ventures, Centennial Ventures, Charlesbank Capital Partners, Columbia Capital, M/C Venture Partners, Morgan Stanley AIP, and Oak Investment Partners.


Zayo, which is based in Louisville, Colorado, operates a fiber network that spans 129 markets in 23 states. The company is organized into three business units: Zayo Bandwidth, Zayo Managed Services and Onvoy Voice Services.


Since May of 2007, Zayo has completed acquisitions of eleven businesses including NTI, Citynet Fiber Network, Memphis Networx, PPL Telcom, Indiana Fiber Works, Onvoy, VoicePipe, Columbia Fiber Solutions and 5 CenturyTel CLEC markets. Zayo also recently acquired network assets from the Adesta Secured Creditor Trust and additional assets from Citynet.


Zayo noted that its revenue is now approximately $200M and its EBITDA is approximately $60M. The company said it is net income positive and, beginning in 2Q09, is expected to be free cash flow positive. Prior to the Series B round, Series A equity was $186M. The Series B round consisted of an additional Series A investment of $33M, bringing the total amount of the Series A facility to $219M. The size of the Series B facility is $95M. This capital will be drawn into Zayo only as needed. Zayo has $137M of bank debt and drawn revolver. With a cash balance of approximately $37M, Zayo's net debt is approximately $100M.
http://www.zayo.com/

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World of Warcraft Renews Hosting Deal with AT&T

AT&T and Blizzard Entertainment, a leading publisher of entertainment software, agreed to a two-year renewal for hosted services in North America. Blizzard Entertainment is best known for its Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo PC games as well as its massively multiplayer online (MMO) role-playing game World of Warcraft, which is available in eight languages and played by more than 11.5 million subscribers worldwide.


Through multiple Internet Data Centers (IDC), AT&T will provide strategic hosting and proactive, 24/7 network monitoring and management for the online infrastructure of Blizzard Entertainment's games and services. The AT&T Gaming Core Team will provide comprehensive networking support to Blizzard Entertainment.
http://www.att.com

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ARRIS Debuts ConvergeMedia VOD Products

ARRIS introduced its new ConvergeMedia portfolio of media application and distribution platforms for VOD and advanced advertising. The ConvergeMedia Distribution platform is comprised of two new media switching systems, each with specific market applications and On Demand content delivery capabilities:

• The ARRIS XMS (Any 'X' Media Stored & Streamed) Origin server has a high storage to stream ratio and is ideal for centralized and large video libraries. Based on a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) platform, XMS is optimized for performance across 200 to 20,000 streams and its architectural flexibility allows for deployment of small sites to large sites and central libraries to hierarchical architectures. It features adaptive storage design (SAS, SATA, SSD or RAM), cost-effective nPVR applications and built-in linear and On Demand advertising support.



• The ARRIS MDX (Media Distribution Switch 'X'), developed by Verivue, Inc., is a high capacity media delivery system built on a network platform, combining scalable network transport with media storage and streaming. Individual MDX nodes can be networked together over an IP backbone to operate as a content distribution network (CDN), each node cooperating with others to dynamically move the content source closer to the requesting end user. The MDX features an innovative solid-state storage subsystem based on Flash Memory technology, offering significantly higher streaming performance when compared to hard disk drives. Another design feature of the MDX allows penalty-free high speed content ingest.

ARRIS said its ConvergeMedia portfolio includes standards-based back office support for On Demand TV applications and services, including Video on Demand - transactional, free, subscription and advertising-supported - Switched Video, Personal Video Recording and Time-Shifted TV. It also provides head end support for linear advertising applications including digital program insertion, addressable advertising and schedule management for multiple system interconnects. http://www.arrisi.com/

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NASA, Cisco Develop "Planetary Skin" for Climate Monitoring

NASA and Cisco have formed a partnership to develop a "Planetary Skin" -- an online collaborative global monitoring platform designed to capture, collect, analyze and report data on environmental conditions around the world. NASA provides continuous global observations of the planet using a constellation of spacecraft, as well as airborne and in situ ground instruments. Cisco will bring its experience and expertise in networking technologies and advanced innovation to the project.


Under the terms of a Space Act Agreement, NASA and Cisco will work together to develop the Planetary Skin as an online collaborative platform to capture and analyze data from satellite, airborne, sea- and land-based sensors across the globe. This data will be made available for the general public, governments and businesses to measure, report and verify environmental data in near-real-time to help detect and adapt to global climate change.


Cisco and NASA will kick off Planetary Skin with a series of pilot projects, including "Rainforest Skin," which will be prototyped during the next year. Rainforest Skin will focus on the deforestation of rainforests around the world and explore how to integrate a comprehensive sensor network. It also will examine how to capture, analyze and present information about the changes in the amount of carbon in rainforests in a transparent and useable way. According to scientists, the destruction of rainforests causes more carbon to be added to the atmosphere and remain there. That contributes significantly to global warming.
http://www.planetaryskin.org/http://www.nasa.gov

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Paul Jacobs Takes Over as Qualcomm Chairman from Father

Dr. Paul E. Jacobs has been elected chairman of Qualcomm's board of directors, replacing his father, Dr. Irwin Mark Jacobs, co-founder and CEO from the founding of Qualcomm in 1985 through 2005. Paul Jacobs has served as CEO of the company since his father retired from that position in 2005.
http://www.qualcomm.com

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Comcast to Roll Out 50 Mbps DOCSIS 3.0 in SF Bay Area

Comcast is rolling out its wideband DOCSIS 3.0 service in the San Francisco Bay Area. This enables a new Extreme 50 tier with download speeds of up to 50 Mbps. Wideband will also enable Comcast to double speeds for the majority of existing high-speed Internet customers at no additional cost.


"Wideband utilizes our existing fiber-optic network in neighborhoods across our footprint. With this next generation of service, our customers' online experience is dramatically enhanced," said Steve White, Senior Vice President of Comcast's California Region. "And this is just the beginning. Wideband, combined with our fiber-optic network, gives us the capability of meeting the needs of our customers for many years to come by offering even faster speeds in the future."

There are two new Residential Tiers

• Extreme 50, offering up to 50 Mbps of downstream speed and up to 10 Mbps of upstream speed at $139.95/month.




• Ultra, offering up to 22 Mbps of downstream speed and up to 5 Mbps of upstream speed at $62.95/month.

http://www.comcast.com/fastestfast

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Tata Teleservices Selects Alcatel-Lucent for CDMA/GSM Expansion

Tata Teleservices has awarded a 7-year contract to Alcatel-Lucent to expand its CDMA /GSM network in 22 states across India, covering close to 60 million subscribers. The deployment will use the Alcatel-Lucent optical multi-service node solution. Financial terms were not disclosed.

http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

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tw telecom's Larissa Herda Calls for National Business Broadband Policy

A national broadband policy for businesses is needed to create the growth, efficiency and reduced costs that all American businesses need in order to deal with this recession, said Larissa Herda, CEO of tw telecom, in a keynote address at the COMPTEL Plus conference in Dallas. Herda is calling on competitive business broadband providers to engage Congress and the FCC in establishing a national Broadband Policy.


"The world has changed. The way we interconnect with the incumbent needs to change, because the enterprise customer is changing what they're doing, how they're doing it, and the applications they're developing," Herda said. "A comprehensive broadband policy for business must focus on better, more efficient, more scalable ways to interconnect with the incumbents."


Herda sees a fundamental shift in the strategies enterprise customers are adopting and implementing towards an applications environment that supports initiatives like: Collaboration, Web 2.0 applications, Software as a Service, Ethernet and Storage, Telepresence, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery, Green IT and Cloud Computing; all of which require massive amounts of data bandwidth.


Herda believes a national business broadband policy must include three critical points -- effective regulation of Special Access, including Ethernet services, and UNE last-mile facilities; interconnection for IP voice and data services; and a reform or elimination of the forbearance process.

http://www.twtelecom.com

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Obama Nominates Genachowski for FCC Chairmanship

President Obama nominated Julius Genachowski to serve as chairman of the FCC, replacing Kevin Martin who left the post on Inauguration day. Genachowski, who served as technology advisor to the Obama campaign, holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School (1991), where he studied with Barack Obama.


Genachowski is cofounder and Managing Director of LaunchBox Digital and Rock Creek Ventures, and a Special Advisor at General Atlantic. He was a senior executive for eight years at IAC/InterActiveCorp, where his positions included Chief of Business Operations and General Counsel. He has served on the Boards of Directors of Expedia, Hotels.com, Ticketmaster, Website Pros, and The Motley Fool.


In government, Genachowski served at the Federal Communications Commission as Chief Counsel to Chairman Reed Hundt, and earlier as Special Counsel to FCC General Counsel (later Chairman) William Kennard. He was a law clerk for United States Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter and, before that, for Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. (ret.).


Genachowski received a J.D in 1991 from Harvard Law School (magna cum laude), where he was co-Notes Editor of the Harvard Law Review, and a B.A. in 1985 from Columbia College (magna cum laude). Genachowski was raised in New York, and now resides in Washington DC.
http://www.whitehouse.gov

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