Portugal's ONI Implements ASON/GMPLS with Alcatel-Lucent

ONI Communications (ONI), a leading Portuguese communications operator, has completed the deployment of a control-plane based optical network based on Alcatel-Lucent's solution. The intelligent optical core enables higher levels of network security and availability to ONI's business customers.


Alcatel-Lucent deployed an optical network using an intelligent control plane. The intelligent control plane, based on Automatically Switched Optical Network/Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (ASON/GMPLS) technology, is key for dynamic networking and traffic protection.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

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XConnect Raises $10 Million in Series B Funding

XConnect, which specializes in neutral and secure next-generation interconnection and ENUM-registry services, has raised $10 million in Series B funding. The financing will enable London-based XConnect to continue expanding its "Interconnect 2.0" portfolio, which includes Carrier ENUM-registry and multimedia interconnection hub services.


A consortium of investors, including Venrock Associates (U.S.), Accel Partners (U.K.), Grazia Equity (Germany) and Crescent Point Group (Singapore), participated in the new funding.
http://www.xconnect.net

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Freescale Offers Quad-core QorIQ Processors

Freescale Semiconductor introduced its 45-nm QorIQ P4040 processor, a four-core version of its flagship P4080 processor. The new device, which is pin and code compatible with the eight-core P4080 device, combines control, datapath and application layer processing. Target applications include wireless infrastructure, enterprise routing and switching and industrial platforms.
http://www.freescale.com

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Aricent and Cavium Team on LTE Evolved Packet Core

Aricent announced a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved Packet Core (EPC) development collaboration with Cavium Networks. The companies will offer pre-optimized, performance-enhanced and highly-scalable EPC Serving Gateway (SGW), PDN Gateway (PGW) and Mobility Management Entity (MME) ready-to-use software frameworks for Cavium's OCTEON Multi-core MIPS64 processor family. This joint effort creates significant technology synergies, offering LTE equipment manufacturers a high-performance, high-capacity solution for their EPC platforms, while simultaneously reducing time to market, risk and cost.

Aricent's LTE EPC software framework is based upon the company's widely deployed DIAMETER and GTP product stacks. The frameworks are complete, pre-integrated control plane software modules suitable for LTE Macro/Micro EPC nodes, supporting essential SGW, PGW and MME capabilities. Aricent's frameworks integrate the complete control plane (signaling) functionality of the EPC node into a seamless package, accelerating and simplifying development of highly scalable, carrier-class EPC solutions.

Aricent's LTE EPC framework will be available and pre-optimized on the current Cavium OCTEON Plus Processor family and the upcoming OCTEON II Processor family.
http://www.aricent.com
http://www.cavium.com

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NSN Unveils Self Organizing Networks (SON) Suite for 2G. 3G, 4G

Nokia Siemens Networks introduced a Self Organizing Networks (SON) Plug and Play feature for GSM/WCDMA/HSPA+ and LTE that automatically sets up the right parameters in base station commissioning, thereby making network rollouts faster and more efficient. The SON Plug and Play suite will also automate the optimization of networks in service.


The SON Suite is the essential part of Nokia Siemens Networks Single RAN solution. At the core of the Nokia Siemens Networks SON Suite are the market leading Flexi Multiradio Base Station and multi-technology, multi-vendor NetAct network management system. Nokia Siemens Networks SON Suite is in use already now in the company's live HSPA/HSPA+ radio access networks and will be complemented with the new SON Plug and Play.


The new Nokia Siemens Networks SON Plug and Play will be available for HSPA/HSPA+ in 4Q 2009 and for GSM and LTE next year.


"The new SON Plug and Play introduces a new level of quality to the network rollout process, making it even simpler and faster," said Tommi Uitto, Head of Wireless Access Product Management, Radio Access, Nokia Siemens Networks. "It enables base station configuration by just connecting to the transmission. The Flexi Multiradio Base Station automatically connects itself to the network with less human interaction."


http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com/SON

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Belgacom International Carrier Implements 40Gbps with NSN

Belgacom International Carrier Services is quadrupling the capacity of its European network by upgrading from 10 Gbps to 40 Gbps.

Nokia Siemens Networks has been selected for the DWDM network upgrade program. The optimization consists in the deployment of the long-haul DWDM platform, including optical amplifiers and software upgrades. NSN is providing its SURPASS hiT 7500 ultra-long haul DWDM platform to the carrier. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.nsn.com

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HP Adds BladeSystem Switching Components

HP has expanded its networking portfolio with new HP ProCurve offerings integrated with HP BladeSystem infrastructure products.


The new offerings include the HP ProCurve 6120 series designed to leverage the HP BladeSystem infrastructure and an expansion of the HP ProCurve 8200 and 5400 Ethernet switch portfolio. Also included in the announcement is a firmware upgrade to HP Virtual Connect that allows users to change bandwidth on the fly to respond to fluctuations in application requirements.


The 10GbE HP ProCurve 6120XG Blade Switch is designed to meet the demands of virtual machines and high-performance applications. When combined with the HP ProCurve Data Center Connection Manager, the switch delivers automated network connection management and provisioning. Engineered with emerging network standards in mind, the HP ProCurve 6120XG Blade Switch is Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) ready, enabling integration of Ethernet and Fibre Channel networks in the future.
http://www.hp.com

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Hutchison Telecom Hong Kong Picks NSN for 42 Mbps HSPA+

Hutchison Telecommunications has appointed Nokia Siemens Networks as the sole vendor and service partner for its 3G network modernization and expansion project. Nokia Siemens Networks will deploy High Speed Packet Access evolution (HSPA+) technology to leapfrog existing high speed data access technology and deliver speeds of up to 42Mbps. A five-year framework agreement has been reached between both parties which includes a minimum equipment purchase of close to HK$ 350 million (approximately EURO 31 million).
http://www.nsn.com

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AT&T Teams with Vlingo for Speech Recognition in Mobile Devices

AT&T and Vlingo announced a licensing agreement and strategic alliance to incorporate AT&T's Watson technology into Vlingo's speech-enabled applications. The goal it to enable people to use their voice to create and send a text message or email, search the Web, access social networking tools, etc.


As part of the alliance, AT&T will take a minority equity stake in Vlingo. Financial terms were not disclosed.


AT&T noted that it already has hundreds of voice applications deployed throughout its network. The company's Watson speech recognition technology includes the latest advances and innovations in the field of speech and language processing with a rich set of tools for custom development and adaptation of acoustic and language models. In addition to Watson, AT&T's suite of speech technologies also includes AT&T Natural Voices, a text-to-speech product that converts text into voice for a wide variety of applications.


Vlingo is a Cambridge, MA-based startup focused on unlocking access to mobile data applications with speech recognition technology that lets people control their mobile applications with the power of their voice. Vlingo's current iPhone, Blackberry and Nokia applications enable customers to simply speak to their phone to create and send a text or email message, search the web, update their Facebook status, etc.
http://www.att.com
http://www.vlingo.com

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Alcatel-Lucent Outlines IP/Optical Transformation Blueprint

Alcatel-Lucent outlined its Converged Backbone Transformation solution aimed at relieving the strain on service providers' core networks by optimizing the routing of IP packets over optical transport.


Dramatic growth in Internet video traffic, along with a growing flood of IP-based business services, are increasing the strain on core routers -- through which nearly all traffic passes. Continually adding core router capacity is expensive, and as a result the network backbone is becoming a significant cost center.


Alcatel-Lucent said its new Converged Backbone Transformation solution solves this problem by more tightly integrating IP and optical transport resources. This integration reduces the number of required network elements, improves efficiencies in power and rack space, simplifies network provisioning and fault management, and minimizes latency. Alcatel-Lucent accomplishes this by means of an intelligent control plane between the optical and IP layers, leveraging ASON and GMPLS technologies. The goal is to handle traffic at lowest layer via flexible grooming & IP offloading options. This enables IP packets to stay at the photonic layer for as long as possible throughout the transit to their destination, rather than being processed by intermediate core routers. Management Plane Integration across IP & optical domains would enable seamless network visibility and provisioning.



A second goal of the Converged Backbone Transformation is to improve the efficiency of the optical network's resources through better grooming -- or "packing" -- of IP ports into wavelengths. Alcatel-Lucent is offering a range of traffic grooming options, including lambda (or wavelength)-level, port-level and sub-port-level grooming of IP traffic.


Alcatel-Lucent estimates its Converged Backbone Transformation would result in CapEx cost savings of at least 30%, in addition to savings in power, space and operational complexity. The Converged Backbone Transformation solution is a key component of Alcatel-Lucent's High Leverage Network strategy.

http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/convergedbackbone

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