Monday, October 26, 2009

Video Interview: Verizon on Packet Optical Transport





http://verizonbusiness.com

Ikanos' Q3 Revenue Grows to $29 Million

Ikanos Communications reported Q3 2009 revenue of $29.3 million, compared with revenue of $22.4 million for the second quarter of 2009 and revenue of $24.2 million for the year ago period. GAAP net loss for the third quarter of 2009 was $15.5 million, or $0.40 per share, on 38.8 million weighted average shares. This compares with a net loss of $6.4 million, or $0.22 per share, on 29.4 million weighted average shares in the second quarter of 2009 and with a net loss of $26.7 million, or $0.93 per share, on 28.6 million weighted average shares in the third quarter of 2008.


Revenue is expected to be between $55.0 million and $58.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2009.


During the third quarter, we successfully completed a number of strategic initiatives including the Conexant Broadband Access acquisition, a strategic alliance with ASSIA Inc., and the introduction of Ikanos Velocity, the industry's lowest power high-performance A/VDSL central office chipset," said Michael Gulett, president and CEO at Ikanos. "These accomplishments strengthen our ability to compete in our core broadband DSL market. In addition, we are pleased with the growth in our communications processor business which accounted for approximately 25 percent of revenue in the most recent quarter."http://www.ikanos.com

DragonWave Reports Stronger Growth in Orders

DragonWave reported that it has recently experienced strong order intake such that its order backlog has increased by approximately 60% since the end of fiscal Q2. These new orders have been received over the last week from DragonWave's customers in the United States, Canada and EMEA.
http://www.dragonwaveinc.com

Cisco to Acquire ScanSafe for SaaS-based Security

Cisco agreed to acquire privately held ScanSafe, a provider of software-as- a-service (SaaS) Web security solutions, approximately $183 million in cash and retention-based incentives.


Based in London and San Francisco, ScanSafe offers Web security via a SaaS model. Its Web Security offering combines Web filtering with a proprietary "Outbreak Intelligence" engine that uses dynamic, reputation and behavior based analysis to identify and block zero-day threats. Its Web Filtering service enables customers to define what content is permitted to enter their network, as well as what information can leave. ScanSafe also provides an inbound and outbound email filtering and security service.


Cisco said the acquisition builds on its earlier acquisition of IronPort. The acquisition brings together the Cisco IronPort high-performance Web security appliance and ScanSafe's SaaS Web security service. This combination will expand Cisco's security portfolio to offer on-premise, hosted, and hybrid-hosted Web security solutions.


ScanSafe's service will be integrated with Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client, the newest virtual private network (VPN) product from Cisco, to provide a secure mobility solution. In addition, ScanSafe's global network of carrier-grade data centers and multi-tenant architecture will further enhance Cisco's ability to provide new cloud-security services for customers anywhere in the world.
http://www.scansafe.com
http://www.cisco.com

ZTE Posts 42% Annual Growth in its Q3 2009 Revenue

ZTE reported revenue from principal operations of RMB15,136 million (USD 2.216 billion), representing growth of 42.81% as compared to the same period last year, while net profit attributable to the parent company grew 58.18% to RMB 409million (USD 60 million). Basic earnings per share amounted to RMB0.23 (USD 0.03).


The company said it is succeeding in gaining further inroads with multi-national carriers for its LTE, UMTS and GSM products. This success was attributable in large part to leveraging opportunities presented by the need for network construction in emerging markets against the backdrop of an improving global economic environment.


In terms of market development, ZTE reported substantial growth in operating revenue largely attributable to large-scale 3G network construction in the domestic China market.


Internationally, the company said it now holds strong competitive position thanks to its cost advantage, financing resources and customization abilities.


Product-wise, ZTE's carrier network segment reported year-on-year growth of 47.32%, which was driven mainly by revenue generated from sales of the company's 3G network equipment, optical transmission products and data communication products. Revenue from terminal products also grew by 38.67%, which was in line with sales growth for 3G products. Revenue from the Group's telecommunications software systems, services and other products grew by 17.85%, reflecting primarily growth in the sales of fixed terminals.
http://www.zte.co.cn

Dell to Resell Juniper's Networking Gear

Dell will resell Juniper Networks' networking solutions under the Dell PowerConnect brand. In addition, the companies plan to work together on open, standards-based solutions for virtualized data centers and deliver technology solutions using Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE), also known as Data Center Bridging (DCB) and iSCSI to improve network economics.


Under their original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement, Dell and Juniper intend to deliver a secure network infrastructure - from a customer's traditional data center out to its branch offices, remote workers, customers and business partners - that can dynamically adjust to meet these challenges and provide orchestrated management of users, workloads and data -- avoiding single-vendor lock-in.


Dell also plans to market, service and support Juniper's high-performance networking solutions to its large enterprise, small and medium business customers and public organizations. The products Dell will deliver under its PowerConnect brand include the Juniper Networks MX Series services routers, EX Series Ethernet switches and SRX Series services gateways, all running JUNOS Software. Dell expects to make these products available to customers via its direct and PartnerDirect channels.


"Networking is an important piece in providing customers with choices for how they optimize their data center operations to improve efficiency," said Brad Anderson, senior vice president, Enterprise Product Group, Dell. "This agreement will help address many of our customer's biggest challenges including a dramatic rise in security concerns, an increasingly dispersed workforce and challenges brought on with the advent of the virtualized data center."http://www.dell.com
http://www.juniper.net

Sprint Outlines “Open�? Application Approach, Free Forwarding to Google Voice

In a keynote address at Sprint's 2009 Open Developer Conference, Steve Elfman, president of Sprint's Network Operations & Wholesale, encouraged mobile application developers to create applications that work not only on Sprint's 3G network, but across the industry. Elfman outlined the key tenets of Sprint's Open approach:

  • Let consumers determine the application winners

  • Be easy to do business with

  • Create a developer's "Garage" where new innovation happens

  • Use the proven Open Internet model as a guide

  • Support is best performed by the creators of the content

  • Open still requires management


Voice services continue to play a central role in mobile communications, even as data grows. Application developers have created a number of voicemail and messaging services that take advantage of call forwarding capabilities.


Sprint also announced that it will not charge customers for certain types of call forwarding. Conditional call forwarding for busy calls or calls not answered using the customer's wireless phone will be free, beginning mid-November (standard charges will continue to apply for immediate call forwarding.) This change will give Sprint customers the opportunity to access third-party voice services, including the new voicemail feature in Google Voice. Google Voice lets users manage and control their voice communications and comes with a suite of voicemail and text messaging features. Sprint said it is working with Google to develop additional functionality to support services such as Google Voice that will deliver an even richer experience to Sprint customers.


Earlier this week, Google announced it will offer a Google Voice feature that allows mobile phone users to take advantage of Google Voice without having to sign up for a Google Voice phone number.
http://www.sprint.com

Nokia Launches its First TD-SCDMA Device with China Mobile

Nokia introduced its first device for TD-SCDMA - China's domestic 3G standard. The Nokia 6788 is the result of close collaboration between Nokia and the world's largest mobile phone operator, China Mobile. It is an all-in-one device that provides its users with faster Internet speeds and download times. It features a 5-megapixel (2592 x1944) camera with a dual-LED flash, a 2.8" QVGA display, and the Symbian S60 platform.


Nokia plans to introduce more TD-SCDMA phones in the near future.
http://www.nokia.com

Amdocs Acquires jNetX for its Service Delivery Platform (SDP)

Amdocs has acquired jNetX, a privately-held service delivery platform (SDP) provider, for $50 million net of debt and cash.


jNetX offers a Java-enabled convergent service platform that exposes the functions of any network service. jNetX provides a built-in set of 3GPP service enablers to control a call, a conference, a session, to interact with a user, get location, charge, etc. The system is extensible, allowing for the integration and functional exposure of any additional service enabler for simplified, reusable development. This enables the service provider to "own the service logic" and thus own and control the services provided to their customers.


The companies estimate the SDP market will grow at a 14% CAGR to $6 billion by 2013, according to figures from Analysys Mason.


Amdocs said the acquisition accelerates its position in the SDP market and builds on its own existing customer experience solutions and service delivery capabilities. The combination also provides strategic enhancements to the Amdocs CES Portfolio as it:

  • Enhances Amdocs' convergent charging offering by providing scalable and robust service control and service brokering capabilities;


  • Delivers closer integration with the Amdocs App Store to expose network services to developers;


  • Provides a holistic service delivery framework that enables a quicker launch time for new services.


In addition to the product synergies, Amdocs and jNetX share a number of top tier customers, including Vodafone Group, British Telecom and Mobilkom. The combination will benefit customers as they seek to enhance the customer experience and become an active participant in the emerging Telco-Web eco-system.
http://www.amdocs.com

Hughes and Avanti Sign European Ka-Band Satellite Deal

Avanti Communications Group ha selected Hughes Network Systems to supply eight (8) gateways and 50,000 customer premise terminals to operate over HYLAS, Europe's first dedicated, high-throughput Ka-band broadband satellite to be launched in 2010. The initial value of the contract is in excess of US$24 million over the multi-year framework agreement.
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In addition, Hughes has agreed to acquire capacity on the HYLAS satellite to expand the managed services it provides to major corporations in a variety of market sectors, including oil and gas, lottery, and retail. This builds on the Hughes strategy to deliver broadband Internet access and managed services on the most advanced platforms around the world, including its SPACEWAY 3 switch-in-the-sky and recently announced Jupiter high-throughput satellite system.
HYLAS is Avanti's first satellite and has been designed with advanced Ka-band technology to provide high-performance broadcast and data communications services to a wide range of market segments, including broadband Internet access to rural and remote areas underserved by terrestrial networks. The unique characteristics of HYLAS reduce the overall operating costs of satellite services, both in bandwidth utilization and systems hardware.
http://www.hugheseurope.com

Motorola Offers New PMP Fixed Wireless Solutions for 5.4 / 5.8 GHz

Motorola announced the latest addition to its point-to-multipoint (PMP) fixed wireless broadband portfolio. The PMP 430 wireless broadband distribution and access network solution offers increased throughput rates and better range in the 5.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz frequency bands. It can be can be co-located with existing Motorola PMP wireless broadband networks to offer service providers greater connectivity from their existing access point locations and is an approved solution for providing broadband connectivity within the guidelines of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.


Motorola's PMP 430 fixed wireless broadband and access network solution features Orthogonal Frequency Divisional Multiplexing (OFDM) technology to deliver high throughput and long range as well as line of sight (LOS) and near-line of sight (nLOS) performance. Offering more than 40 Mbps of total aggregate throughput per access point sector, the system can deliver more than 160 Mbps of throughput from a single tower location to difficult-to-reach subscribers, including those in multipath urban or rural areas. The PMP 430's higher gain antennas and OFDM technology provide extended ranges of up to 40 miles (64 km) when the subscriber module is configured with a passive LENS or reflector. Motorola's latest solution also offers low one-way latency of less than 3.5 msec, enabling customers to provide high Quality of Service (QoS) for latency-sensitive voice and video services. The throughput rates of the PMP 430 subscriber modules can be upgraded easily from 4 to 40 Mbps via a software key system to meet customers' changing bandwidth requirements.
http://www.motorola.com

Broadcom Announces HD Cable STB Chips with Dual 1GHz Tuners, MoCA 1.1

Broadcom announced new set-top box (STB) system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions supporting interactive HDTV programming, connectivity, whole-home media distribution and advanced 3D user interfaces to the North American market. The new Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA)-integrated BCM7125 and BCM7119 single-chip, multi-format HD DOCSIS 2.0 compatible solutions enable advanced functionality and services such as multi-room HD DVR capabilities and advanced 3D graphics user interfaces.


Key features include MoCA 1.1 support, Tru2Way Cablecard support, dual integrated 1GHz cable tuners and DOCSIS 2.0 compatible modems. The chipsets also include flexible software support for new compelling subscriber applications that use Native UI, OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP), Adobe Flash Platform for the Digital Home, Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), and DTCP-IP security. Sampling is underway.
http://www.broadcom.com

Motorola's Latest DOCSIS 3.0 Gateways Hit 300 Mbps Downstream, 100 Mbps Upstream

Motorola announced its next-generation SURFboard DOCSIS 3.0 modems and integrated gateways -- with technical performance that is two times faster than the company's existing DOCSIS 3.0 products. The new line of standards-based and remotely manageable gateways supports high-bandwidth Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) home networking and channel bonding of up to eight downstream and four upstream channels. This increased 8 x 4 throughput support enables an operator to offer its customers advanced multimedia services with data rates up to 300 Mbps downstream and more than 100 Mbps upstream.


The new SURFboard all-in-one integrated gateways also are equipped with a four-port GigE switch and integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi access point. The gateways' internal antenna and switched on-board radios (2.4 or 5 GHz) enable consumers to maximize the high-bandwidth potential of their home or business networks, while eliminating the need for stand-alone routers, hubs and access points. In addition, the new SURFboard gateways are equipped with next-generation security features: a built-in firewall with Stateful Packet Inspection; intrusion detection; Denial of Service attack prevention; and a simplified "visitor" feature set, enabling users to easily accommodate addition of their "permissioned" guests onto the home's Wi-Fi network, while still protecting the network from unwelcome hacker attacks.


Motorola said its new SURFboard platform is also environmentally friendly and complies with international environmental and energy-efficient standards. The portfolio uses ENERGY STAR-qualified power supplies, and its devices and power supplies are compliant with both European Code of Conduct and RoHS regulations.
http://www.motorola.com/SURFboardSolutions

Verizon Requires Thermal Modeling for New Network Hardware

Verizon will begin requiring hardware manufacturers to use thermal modeling when designing circuit boards and cabinets used in network gear. The goal is to minimize heat generation that impairs equipment performance and requires costly air conditioning in central offices, equipment vaults and other facilities.


"When you optimize efficiency at the simplest level, you go to the heart of the process," said Chuck Graff, Verizon director of corporate network and technology. "Starting in July 2010, equipment makers will be required to submit results of thermal modeling applied to their hardware that show they have optimized their circuits to generate less heat and perform more efficiently."


Verizon published the new technical purchasing requirement this week as part of its 15th annual NEBS conference. Thermal modeling involves using a computer to simulate the heat flow around electrical components in equipment such as circuit boards, before the equipment is built. This enables the equipment to be designed in a way that minimizes heat generation and thus improves energy efficiency, and saves time and costs.


The new Technical Purchasing Requirement outlines the goal of the testing program, details test procedures to be conducted, and establishes a process for review of the results and approval of the equipment design. The new testing requirement leverages powerful computational fluid dynamics computer tools that simulate circuit board and equipment design and the air and heat flow around components prior to the creation of a prototype, to maximize the energy efficiency of the design. The benefits to Verizon are cooler operating temperatures, faster deployment because thermal issues are addressed earlier in the process, and lower costs for air conditioning.


In his report to the conference, Graff noted that Verizon operates in 150 countries, occupies 31,000 facilities worldwide, maintains a 53,000-vehicle fleet and consumed 9.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and 59 million gallons of fuel in 2008. During that year, the company reduced its carbon emissions by 303,000 metric tons.


"The new thermal-management requirements are actually a process for helping the equipment makers meet the 20 percent improvement goal, which then helps Verizon reduce its energy consumption and carbon footprint significantly," Graff said. "Circuit boards can work fine when they are generating more heat than necessary, but they work better and save operating costs when you pay attention to heat issues up front. That's the goal here."






http://www.verizonnebs.com
  • In January, Verizon implemented purchasing rules requiring that new equipment purchased for deployment in the company's networks operate at a level 20 percent more efficient than the equipment it replaces.

Verizon Expands and Enhances Packet Optical Deployment

Verizon now has more than 2,000 optical transport platforms (OTPs) deployed in key metro and regional locations in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The latest optical switching gear also can handle traditional, time-division multiplexing (TDM) transmissions or packet traffic, leading to a single, high-capacity intelligent network.


Verizon has also begun deploying the latest evolution of wavelength-selection switches (WSSs). This enables the Verizon P-OTP network to support eight fiber degrees, or directions, as opposed to the previous four fiber degrees. Each of those eight fiber degrees will support an additional 44 wavelengths in each direction, bringing the total to 88 wavelengths. Because of these additional fiber directions, the P-OTP network will bolster Verizon's global mesh capabilities, a technology that creates additional paths to seamlessly reroute traffic in the event of multiple cable breaks or network disruptions.


Verizon also noted that OTP also improves performance, provisioning and efficiency by routing wavelengths without the typical optical-to-electrical-to-optical conversion that can affect the quality of the signal. Also, fewer pieces of equipment are needed, thereby reducing the interval to deploy new services by limiting the number of touch-points in the network.


"Since 2003, we've invested in our network with a goal of combining transport capacity with packet flexibility," said Mark Wegleitner, senior vice president of technology for Verizon. "With packet OTP, we create the foundation for enhanced service delivery, performance, reliability and resiliency for customers of all sizes."


In addition, Verizon noted that it will begin to integrate packet optical capabilities into its Ultra Long Haul (ULH) network by 2011. Since launching its ULH network in 2004, Verizon has deployed 58,000 kilometers (36,000 miles) of ULH in the U.S., Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. ULH also reduces the need for regeneration equipment, lowering operational expenses as well as the number of active components in the network.







http://verizonbusiness.com