NTT Com to Offer Wide-area Ethernet via Broadband

NTT Communications is launching a wide-area Ethernet service for enterprise customers across Japan that uses inexpensive broadband IP access lines. The service, named Group-Ether, is a best-effort service offering low-cost nationwide network coverage by taking advantage of broadband access lines that NTT Com's sister companies NTT East and NTT West provide with certain versions of their FLET'S-branded Internet access services. The service launches this week.


Group-Ether provides a Layer 2 connectivity, giving users flexibility in choosing their network's design and communications protocol. NTT Com will provide one-stop service covering applications, billing and troubleshooting, as well as FLET'S access line, dedicated converter and network. The service fee will vary depending on the type of service, bandwidth and access line. In the case of a Main-Category service type using Economy Plan bandwidth and a FLET'S Hikari Next Family Type access line, the monthly service fee will be 18,900 yen (tax included).


NTT Com already offers a wide-area Ethernet service, named e-VLAN, with guaranteed quality and burstable bandwidth, suited to large facilities requiring high-end network performance. The addition of Group-Ether will give customers a relatively low-cost alternative for smaller offices and facilities where network requirements are less demanding. Offices will be able to interconnect their e-VLAN and Group-Ether networks from the third quarter of 2009.
http://www.ntt.co.jp

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HP Acquires IBRIX to Extend Scale-out Storage Capabilities

HP has agreed to acquire IBRIX, a leading provider of enterprise-class file serving software that includes data protection, high-availability features and data management services for extreme scale-out, cloud and high-performance computing deployments. Financial terms were not disclosed.


IBRIX's solutions allow enterprises to scale their storage to tens of petabytes. The data management capability of IBRIX's Fusion software suite also allows customers to seamlessly add capacity as their data or performance needs grow. IBRIX's software is currently available with HP StorageWorks storage area networks (SANs), HP ProLiant servers, HP BladeSystem, and HP ProCurve Ethernet switches and management software.


Founded in 2000, and an HP partner for three years, IBRIX is privately held and headquartered in Billerica, Mass. It has 53 employees and more than 175 enterprise customers spanning the communications, media, entertainment, Internet, oil and gas, healthcare, life sciences, and financial services markets.
http://www.hp.com/go/storagehttp://www.ibrix.com

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Verizon Business Wins J.D. Power and Associates Award for Enterprise Voice

J.D. Power and Associates, which recently gave Verizon Business a leading ranking for customer satisfaction among large-enterprise data service customers, has now ranked Verizon Business highest in overall customer satisfaction among large-enterprise voice services providers.


Respondents to J.D. Power and Associates' 2009 Major Provider Business Telecommunications Study - Voice Services determined that Verizon Business sets the benchmark for five of the six factors used to measure customer satisfaction: performance and reliability, sales representatives/account executives, billing, cost of service, and offerings and promotions. Verizon Business' overall score of 684 on a scale of 1,000 was 22 points higher than the large-enterprise segment average score, and the company ranked particularly high in both the offerings and promotions and billing factors.
http://www.verizonbusiness.com

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Horry Telephone Selects Occam

Horry Telephone Cooperative (HTC) of South Carolina will expand its deployment of Occam Networks' DSL technology as part of its strategy to push greater bandwidth capability deeper into the network. HTC utilizes Occam's BLC 6000 multi service access platform (MSAP) and remote terminal cabinets (RTC) for delivery of DSL based broadband and lifeline POTS in its service area. To extend broadband availability to select unserved rural areas, HTC plans to deploy additional BLC 6000 equipment and RTC cabinets deeper into its network, thereby continuing to shorten loop lengths.


HTC and HTC Communications operate more than 96,000 access lines and serve both business and residential customers.
http://www.occamnetworks.com
http://www.htcinc.net

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Internet Society: IPv6 is Next Big Step

The Internet Society, in collaboration with the Asia Pacific IPv6 Task Force and the Malaysian National Advanced IPv6 Centre of Excellence, the INET Asia Regional Conference, is hosting a conference in Kuala Lumpur this week under the theme "IPv6: The next step". The high-level event seeks to build awareness that the free pool of IPv4 addresses will be depleted within a couple of years and that the need to increase deployment of the far more abundant IPv6 addresses is growing everyday.


"The technical community has been pushing for the move to IPv6 for many years now," explained Rajnesh Singh, manager of the Internet Society's Regional Bureau for Asia. "In the last year or so, the need to deploy IPv6 has become an issue that has received widespread media and public attention, and the level of awareness on IPv4 to IPv6 transition issues has now become mainstream."


A high-level event such this highlights the potential for business, industry, and governments in this region to show strong leadership in the next stage of global IPv6 The INET Asia Regional Conference is on 20 July 2009, at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel and Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 09:00 -- 17:50 (UTC+8).
http://www.isoc.org/isoc/conferences/inet/09/kualalumpur.shtml

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IEEE Develops First Ethernet Standard (P802.3az)for Power Reduction

The IEEE 802.3 Working Group has advanced the IEEE P802.3az Energy-Efficient Ethernet standard to Working Group ballot. The standard project is now on plan to meet its target September 2010 approval as a standard by the IEEE-SA Standards Board.

IEEE P802.3az will be known by its full name of "IEEE Standard for Information Technology - Telecommunications and Information Exchange Between Systems - Local and Metropolitan Area Networks - Specific Requirements Part 3: Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) Access Method and Physical Layer Specifications - Amendment: Media Access Control Parameters, Physical Layers and Management Parameters for Energy-Efficient Ethernet."


When completed, the project will extend the existing IEEE Std 802.3 Ethernet standard to facilitate transition to and from lower power consumption in response to changes in network demand for twisted-pair and backplane PHYs. IEEE P802.3az will provide end-users with the ability to reduce energy used by network equipment.


"This is the first project in the history of Ethernet aimed specifically at reducing energy use," says Michael Bennett, Senior Network Engineer, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Chair, IEEE P802.3az, Energy Efficient Ethernet Task Force. "IT managers are faced with ongoing pressures to balance energy use and reduce energy costs. Reaching this milestone is an important step towards providing network designers with additional tools to reduce energy consumption."


"Market pressure and legislative action worldwide are demanding improvements in the energy efficiency of networked systems," says David Law, Consultant Engineer, 3Com and Chair for the IEEE 802.3 Working Group. "The capabilities provided by the IEEE P802.3az extension will be important as Ethernet becomes an enabler for low-duty cycle, consumer-class applications. Additionally it will enable new system-level energy management techniques that will save energy beyond the network interface."http://www.ieee802.org/3/az

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Solara Launches Global, 2-Way Handheld Interactive Satellite Text Messenger

Solara Remote Data Delivery released an interactive text messenger with automatic GPS tracking and 2-way communications from anywhere on Earth. The Solara Field Tracker 2100 operates over the Iridium satellite network, making it the only handheld device with on-screen interactive text messaging and GPS tracking with truly global coverage.


The Field Tracker 2100 puts automatic position reporting, bidirectional text messaging, GPS utility functions and an intuitive 2-way Emergency Alert notification system into the palm of the hand with this small, lightweight unit. The Field Tracker 2100 incorporates an Iridium Short Burst Data (SBD) modem, making its reliable, two-way, low-latency Iridium-based service available globally. Built-in power saving features allow users to simply turn it on and let it run automatically for days, even weeks, depending on the user's configuration choices. The comprehensive 2-way Emergency Alert notification system uniquely communicates the nature and severity of an emergency.


The secure, online Web-based client interface for the Field Tracker 2100 includes tracking of multiple units with online maps, reading and sending text messages to individual Field Tracker 2100 units and the ability to broadcast to multiple units. Forwarding of text messages by email and automated telephone contact anywhere in the world are standard features of the Solara Web-based client interface. Units can be remotely controlled, including changing the time interval between position message transmissions.
http://www.solaradata.com

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Nokia Sells its Symbian Professional Services Group to Accenture

Accenture has agreed to acquire Nokia's Symbian Professional Services unit, which is responsible for Symbian OS customer engineering and customer support. The unit provides engineering consulting and product development services on a global basis to mobile phone manufacturers, as well as chip manufacturers and mobile operators.


Services provided by the Symbian Professional Services teams include advanced technical support, techniques for enhancing performance, memory, and power, advanced error diagnosis and repair, and turnkey software development services that can be used in a range of technical environments.


Approximately 165 people will transfer to Accenture as a result of the agreement. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close by the end of third quarter 2009.


"The acquisition of the Symbian professional services unit will enhance Accenture's existing embedded software, product-development and testing skills to help players in the mobile solutions ecosystem address ever-more-demanding time-to-market and quality requirements," said Jean Laurent Poitou, managing director of Accenture's Electronics & High Tech industry group. "The capabilities we are acquiring from Nokia will help support the tremendous growth our clients can expect from the explosive adoption of converged mobile multimedia services and will expand Accenture's role as a key supplier of new tools, products and solutions to clients in this industry."http://www.accenture.com/PSShttp://www.nokia.com

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Extreme Networks Sees Revenue in Line With Analyst Estimates

Extreme Networks expects to report revenue between $79 million and $81 million for the quarter ended June 28, 2009 and a cash and investments balance as of that date of approximately $127 million. Earnings will be announced on July 30, 2009.


The company also today announced that Karen M. Rogge, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has tendered her resignation in order to pursue other opportunities. She will be replaced by Bob L. Corey. http://www.extremenetworks.com

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Verizon Wireless Introduces Novatel 2-in-1 PC Data Card

Verizon Wireless and Novatel Wireless introduced the PC770 2-in-1 PC Card and Express Card that provides access to Verizon Wireless' Mobile Broadband service
(EV-DO Rev. A) and that includes an adapter so it can be used with an ExpressCard or a PC peripheral interface slot. This helps users make the transition from PC Cards to the newer ExpressCard format.
http://www.verizonwireless.com

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