Force10 Debuts 40-port Line Card, Packing 560 10 GigE Ports per Chassis

Force10 Networks announced the availability of a new 40-port line-card that increases the density of its ExaScale E1200 virtualized core switch/router to 560 10 GbE ports in a single half-rack chassis -- a new industry record.


Force10's 40-port 10 GbE line card is the latest solution based on the ExaScale suite of advanced, packet processing and switching ASICs that leverage Force10's high performance hardware and software design knowledge, patented backplane technology, and performance, reliability and flexibility.


The company said its ExaScale can be configured for both line-rate and oversubscribed 10 GbE ports, ensuring customers can support high density connectivity as well as true non-blocking operations where required. In addition, Force10's Ethernet products incorporate the Force10 Virtualization Framework technology suite, which enables data centres and service providers to build, manage and automate network and application performance and processes.


Pricing for the 40-port 10 GbE line-card starts at $97,500. The product will begin shipping in the 2nd quarter of 2010.
http://www.force10networks.com

• In December 2009, Force10 Networks introduced a 10-port 10 GbE line card and a 50-port GbE line card for its ExaScale E1200 and midsized ExaScale E600 chassis. The new ExaScale 10-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) line card provides support for SR, LR, ER, ZR, and CX4 interfaces using pluggable XFP transceiver modules, making them ideally suited data centers as well as in WAN and long-haul optical networks. The new ExaScale 50-port GbE line card supports pluggable SFP modules, which provide support for SX, LX, ZX and 1000Base-T interfaces. The line card's high-density design enables the ExaScale switch/router to support up to 700 line-rate GbE SFP ports in a single chassis.

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CENX Introduces First Carrier Ethernet Voice Exchange Service

CENX, which operates Carrier Ethernet exchanges for Service Providers, will also offer a Carrier Ethernet neutral Voice Exchange service. Optimized for IP traffic, CENX's Voice Exchange service replaces both TDM direct connections and legacy voice tandems.


CENX said this new service provides competitive carriers with the one-to-many efficiency of a tandem design combined with the effectiveness of a direct connect (capacity-based charges, not minutes-used based charges), delivered on a Carrier Ethernet Exchange platform that scales to match traffic volumes. The CENX service will be offered in a one or ten gigabit Ethernet connection and it will feature capacity-based billing. This enables competitive carriers to reach all other competitive carriers and replace lower speed, costly T1, DS3 and SONET/SDH connections.


"This is the first deployment of Carrier Ethernet for a voice exchange application. The virtual connection and granular bandwidth characteristics of our Carrier Ethernet Neutral Exchanges make it the perfect alternative to legacy voice tandems and the multitude of inefficient, low-speed direct connections between carriers, including wireless carriers and MSOs," said Nan Chen, CENX co-founder and Chief Executive Officer. "Our new Voice Exchange service integrates seamlessly with other CENX Carrier Ethernet Exchange services. By leveraging several unique technical innovations and our years of Ethernet expertise, CENX enables profitable scalability as flat-rate calling plans increase in popularity and traffic volumes grow."http://www.cenx.com

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Radia Perlman Named Intel Fellow for Network and Security

Intel announced the appointment of Radia Perlman as an Intel Fellow, a position where he is responsible for ensuring Intel Labs' leadership in network and security.


Intel Fellows represent one of the highest levels of technical achievement within the company. They are selected for their technical leadership and outstanding contributions to the company and the industry.


Perlman was most recently with Sun Microsystems, where she was a Sun Fellow. Perlman is the inventor of many fundamental technology innovations in computer networking, including the spanning tree algorithm, which is at the heart of today's Ethernet; TRILL, an emerging standard for data center interconnection that can replace today's spanning tree Ethernet; and scalable and robust link state routing technology that is key to the operation of today's Internet.


Perlman has authored two networking textbooks and earned a Ph.D. from MIT in computer science. She holds approximately 100 patents in encryption, decryption and routing.
http://www.intel.com

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MRV's LambdaDriver WDM Surpasses Verizon's TEEER Energy Standard

MRV's LambdaDriver WDM optical transport system has surpassed the Telecommunications Equipment Energy Efficiency Ratings (TEEER) standard for energy efficient optical networking. The TEEER standard, developed by Verizon, provides a score for products that measures the direct relationship between the system's throughput capacity and its power consumption, weighted for different operation modes. Verizon's calculated TEEER value represents the system energy efficiency rating on a scale from one (least efficient) to 10 (most efficient).


MRV said a measured TEEER for optical or video transport equipment should be better than 7.54. In certain configurations, MRV's LambdaDriver platform achieved a score of 9.02, showing the modular WDM system to be a highly energy efficient solution for carriers. The LambdaDriver is the second MRV product to achieve high ratings under the TEEER rating system, following the Fiber Driver optical multi-service platform.


MRV's LambdaDriver is designed for enterprise access, metropolitan carrier and long haul transport networks. The LambdaDriver is a multi-functional, compact, modular WDM system that supports both DWDM and CWDM. LambdaDriver also serves as a packet optical transport system by integrating Carrier Ethernet connection-oriented services and reconfigurable OADM for automated optical mesh topologies with wavelength-level switching. The LambdaDriver series can support data rates from 8 Mbps up to 40 Gbps with future upgrades to 100 Gbps.
http://www.mrv.com

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Dell'Oro: Access Spending Robust in Q4

Revenue from telecom infrastructure equipment capable of providing high access network bandwidth, including EPON and GPON OLTs, VDSL DSLAMs, and DOCSIS 3.0 CMTS, grew 10 percent sequentially and 18 percent over the year-ago period during the fourth quarter of 2009, according to a newly published report by Dell'Oro Group.


The report shows that Huawei was the leader for both EPON and GPON equipment sales largely due to its status as lead vendor in the China market. Alcatel-Lucent held the top spot for VDSL and second spot for GPON due to being a primary supplier for AT&T's U-verse and Verizon's FiOS services, respectively. For CMTS sales, Arris held the top spot over Cisco for the third consecutive quarter.


"Upgrade projects driven by competition, increasing Internet traffic, government incentives, and operators' desire to enable new revenue-generating services are all having a positive impact on equipment demand," said Tam Dell'Oro, President of Dell'Oro Group. "High bandwidth VDSL, PON and Cable DOCSIS 3.0 access concentrator equipment are being deployed for these upgrades. As a result, each of these products had moderate to strong year-over-year revenue growth in the fourth quarter," Dell'Oro added.
http://www.delloro.comhttp://

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Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse Sees Wireless Opportunity for Healthcare

"Mobile wireless applications within healthcare are rapidly increasing and becoming a more common sight within the hospital environment opening a wealth of opportunities for workflow solutions and simply making information more accessible," said Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse in a keynote at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference.


Last year, 89 percent of wireless Internet users sought health information online. Hesse also noted that caregivers are using smartphones equipped with medical applications for instant, secure access to lab results, x-rays, vital signs, drug-to-drug interactions, and other vital medical records.


Sprint anticipates information transactions between healthcare providers will become more data-intense, such as live streaming video, on-demand applications and virtual office visits. Wireless networks will need a lot more bandwidth to handle these data-centric exchanges and to do it instantly. Hesse argues that 4G networks will be vital to this growth.
http://www.sprint.com
http://www2.sprint.com/mr/spList.do

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Bridgewater Cites Major European Customer for HSPA Policy Control

Bridgewater Systems that a European property of a major global mobile operator group has selected its Policy Controller (PCRF) to meet new EU mobile data roaming legislation that has just come into effect. Specifically, this European operator (name withheld) has selected its Policy Controller for its HSPA network to prevent mobile bill shock, comply with EU data roaming regulations, and enable new services including:

• Setting limits and notifications while roaming. Volume-based metering is used to track data usage, set limits, and trigger notifications. When a usage threshold is reached, subscribers are notified by SMS or email and redirected to a payment portal where they can opt for a temporary bandwidth boost, a service extension, or other options.



• Flexible quota management based on subscriber type - for example EU, non-EU and domestic subscribers.



• Applying "Smart Caps" to ensure fair usage. Smart Caps are precise controls that adjust bandwidth levels based on real-time factors such as the subscriber's bandwidth usage during a mobile data session, roaming status, and level of network congestion.

http://www.bridgewatersystems.comhttp://

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T-Venture Makes Strategic Investment in Lantiq

T-Venture, the venture capital company of Deutsche Telekom, has made a strategic investment in Lantiq, which specializes in next-generation access and home networking technologies. Financial terms were not disclosed.


"We are pleased to announce that we have taken our relationship with Deutsche Telekom Group to the next level with this investment, and our partnership will help drive our products and technology roadmap for the benefit of our customers and the industry," stated Christian Wolff, CEO of Lantiq. "Deutsche Telekom is one of the world's leading carriers defining and driving the architecture of next generation networks. The investment in Lantiq demonstrates trust and enthusiasm in our business strategy and technology portfolio, and we look forward to working together."http://www.lantiq.com
http://www.t-venture.de

In November 2009, Lantiq began operations as independent company. The new entity was created through the sale of Infineon Technologies Wireline business unit to US-based investor Golden Gate Capital. It has since acquired Metalink's WLAN division and the home networking and DSL-related assets of Aware.

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Windstream Deploys Hatteras for Ethernet-over-Copper and Ethernet-over-TDM

Windstream, the fifth-largest carrier in the United States with operations in 21 states, has standardized upon and deployed a Hatteras Networks solution for Ethernet service delivery over both copper (EoC) and Time Division Multiplexing (EoTDM) infrastructure. Hatteras Networks' HN6100 platform delivers up to 40 Gbps of bandwidth, enabling any Ethernet service over any media.


Hatteras said its solution supports all MEF service models, extending Windstream the flexibility to swiftly roll out virtually any service including Windstream's business data services, transparent local area networks (LANs), wholesale offerings and VoIP.


In addition to the HN6100, the Hatteras Networks products deployed by Windstream include the following:

• HN4000, a purpose-built Ethernet switching and labeling platform capable of delivering up to 100 Mbps of symmetrical Ethernet services over a single bonded-copper infrastructure;



• HN400 series of Ethernet over Copper CPE;



• HN500 series of demarcation devices for Ethernet over TDM and Ethernet over NxT1/E1, and



• HN 239Repeaters, enabling interconnection of enterprises or mobile towers over longer loop lengths.

Windstream's portfolio of next-generation Ethernet Business Services, including advanced Internet access and virtual private networks (VPNs), is available in more than 1,000 Windstream exchanges covering approximately 98 percent of its ILEC territory.
http://www.hatterasnetworks.com
http://www.windstream.com

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Netronome's SSL Inspection Appliance Packs 10 Gbps

Netronome introduced an SSL inspection appliance that can be deployed in 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps networks without negatively impacting network throughput or latency. The appliance is designed to accurately detect and decrypt 100% of encrypted communications for inspection.


Netronome said its SSL could be used to detect the type of attack on encrypted SSL traffic that were recently experienced by some Fortune 1000 companies, global Internet search providers and U.S. government agencies.

Key features of Netronome's SSL Inspector Appliance include:

• Hardware acceleration - that can actively search for SSL traffic, guaranteeing that all encrypted communications are detected and optionally inspected while maintaining gigabits of network throughput.



• Integration into existing infrastructure - protecting investments in existing networking equipment without requiring wholesale replacements to add SSL inspection.



• Improved enterprise security and compliance - with regulations such as PCI, SOX and HIPPA by seamlessly connecting to existing intrusion detection and prevention, forensics and data loss prevention systems



• Transparency -- unlike other traditional proxy devices, the SSL Inspector Appliance is fully transparent requiring no client configuration.

Additionally, Netronome's SSL Inspector Appliance provides an operator-configurable policy control engine for white- and black-list inspection. The system provides granular logging, reporting and statistics for operators to gain visibility into the often unknown extent of encryption use in their networks. The appliances also support numerous configurations for in-line and passive deployments, providing the ability to inspect both inbound and outbound SSL flows. For in-line deployments, the SSL Inspector Appliances offer network resiliency features including fail-to-open and fail-to-close wire and fiber options.
http://www.netronome.com

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JDSU Expands Enterprise Troubleshooting for its T-BERD

JDSU introduced an Enterprise Services Application Module (ESAM) for its T-BERD/MTS-4000. The ESAM provides physical media tests including speed-certification of electrical Ethernet cabling, network connectivity tests, discovery, wire-speed deep-packet statistics, and wire-speed protocol capture and expert analysis using unique, in-depth JDSU J-Mentor capabilities. In addition, the ESAM is part of the modular JDSU T-BERD/MTS-4000 platform allowing additional test capability that includes fiber and copper cable certification, WiFi testing, VoIP emulation, IP video testing, optical power measurements, visual fault location and fiber connector inspection to IEC standards.
http://www.jdsu.comhttp://

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Netgear Announces Wireless-N HD Home Theater Kit

NETGEAR announced a High-Performance Wireless-N HD Home Theater Kit designed for wirelessly playing multiple jitter-free 1080p HD video and audio streams to every room in a house. The company said its product has been tested to provide sustained throughput of HD streams in excess of 40 Mbps 99.9 percent of the time, through multiple walls, throughout an above-average single family home.


The Universal WiFi Internet Adapter for Home Theater Devices and Gaming Consoles (WNCE2001)delivers Wireless-N performance of up to 300 Mbps through the Ethernet port of consumer electronic (CE) devices such as Internet TVs, game consoles, Blu-ray players, etc. It is designed to overcome the common problems -- wireless signal strength, quality and reliability --associated with interference, frequently changing WiFi environments, and areas of the home that are notoriously difficult to reach. The kit combines 4x4 multiple-input, multiple-out (MIMO) antenna signal processing, real-time spectrum analysis and dynamic digital beamforming with the industry's highest performance IEEE 802.11a/n 5GHz wireless LAN chipset, providing an unprecedented level of reliability and wireless performance in terms of data rates and range.


NETGEAR's kit is pre-configured with security, so a single touch of a push-button securely connects additional adapters.


NETGEAR is also introducing a USB-powered Universal WiFi Internet Adapter that works with Internet TVs, game consoles and Blu-ray players.
http://www.netgear.com/HDWiFi

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Qualcomm Increases Quarterly Dividend by 12%

Qualcomm announced a 12% increase in its quarterly cash dividend, which will increase from $0.17 to $0.19 per share of common stock and will be effective for quarterly dividends payable after March 28, 2010. This dividend increase will raise the annualized dividend payout to $0.76 per share of common stock.


The company also announced a new $3.0 billion stock repurchase program to replace a $2.0 billion stock repurchase program, which was recently completed with $1.7 billion of repurchase activity.
http://www.qualcomm.comhttp://

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Two Minute Video: Ethernet Access Evolution

Presented by: M. Vijay Raman, Vice President of Marketing & Product Management, Hatteras Networkshttp://www.hatterasnetworks.com

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Australia Invests $100 Million into Tasmania NBN Project

The Rudd Government plans to make an equity injection of $100 million into the National Broadband Network (NBN) project in Tasmania to facilitate the further roll out of FTTH in the state. The first two stages of the rollout are focused on extending the Tasmanian optical backbone network and delivering better telecommunication services into regional Tasmanian communities.


Stage 3 of the National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout would extend to 90,000 premises in the major population centres of Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie.


"In total, the first three stages of the NBN will target 100,000 premises in Tasmania, including homes, businesses, schools and hospitals, which will receive high speed broadband," said Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.


"Detailed design work is now underway for Stage 3 with 40,000 premises in Hobart, 30,000 in Launceston and 10,000 in each of Burnie and Devonport to have access to superfast broadband via optic fibre."http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2010/015http://www.tas.gov.au/

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Crossbeam's X-Series Delivers 18 Million PPS Firewall for Mobile Operators

Crossbeam Systems disclosed new performance testing data that shows its X-Series security platform delivers 18 million packet per second firewall security for smartphone traffic typically carried by mobile operators.


Crossbeam stress tested the Check Point R70 Security Gateway firewall running on a fully loaded X-Series using BreakingPoint Elite, a cyber simulation product for verifying the resiliency of network and security equipment.


The tests simulated the heavy traffic environment of a mobile operator, using HTTP traffic and 96-byte packets, the typical type and size generated by smartphones. Crossbeam said the data confirmed that the X-Series can process 18 million packets per second under the worst traffic conditions, providing full firewall protection to secure millions of simultaneous connections.


"We're entering the age of mobile broadband, where smartphones and other wireless devices offer affordable, high-speed technology for surfing the Web and downloading video. Demand will only increase," said Nikos Koutsoukos, director of product management at Crossbeam. "Mobile operators need to think in terms of real-world conditions, not just performance claims in white papers and data sheets. Crossbeam stands up to the most rigorous tests, and we continue to push the envelope to help customers achieve real-world, high-performance security."


Crossbeam's X-Series security platform virtualizes best-in-class, third-party security applications on a highly scalable, carrier-class chassis.
http://www.crossbeam.com

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EXFO Simplifies its Corporate Name/Brand

EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering has officially shortened its name to "EXFO Inc." The company said it opted to change its name for simplicity's sake.


EXFO's mission is to supply test and service assurance solutions for network operators and equipment manufacturers in the global telecommunications industry. Its Telecom Division, which accounts for almost 90% of the company's revenues, offers a wide range of innovative solutions to assess optical networks, from the core to access, as well as next-generation IP infrastructures and related triple-play services. The company also has a Life Sciences and Industrial Division.
http://www.exfo.comhttp://

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TeliaSonera Moves from ADSL to VDSL2 with Ericsson

TeliaSonera has selected Ericsson to assist with a migration of its fixed broadband networks from ADSL to VDSL2. Specifically, Ericsson has been chosen as sole supplier of one million access lines. Under the agreement Ericsson will deliver EDA 1200 based on VDSL2 technology and related installation services. The contract includes Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Deployment starts in Sweden and will run over the next 12 months. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.ericsson.com

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South Korea Leads in FTTH/B Penetration

South Korea is the first country in the world where more than 50% of households are using FTTH/B connections, according to new figures from the FTTH Council. The top five global economies in terms of the total number of subscribers are Japan, China, South Korea, USA and Taiwan. These five countries represent more than 90% of all FTTH/B subscribers in the Global Ranking.


The latest update to the FTTH/B Global Ranking, jointly issued by the three FTTH Councils of Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America, was presented at last week's FTTH Conference in Lisbon.


"We welcome the latest update of the Global Ranking with mixed feelings", commented Karel Helsen, President of the FTTH Council Europe. "On one hand, we are happy to see European newcomers like Portugal, Bulgaria and Czech Republic in the Ranking, and of course France, one of the European G-20 states. On the other hand, the new G-20 Ranking shows that countries such as Germany and UK, and of course the European Union as a whole are still lagging behind. Although too slow, Europe is heading in the right direction and the FTTH Council Europe will pursue its efforts to accelerate FTTH deployment in Europe."
http://www.ftthcouncil.org/

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Telefónica Reaches 265 Million Accesses, up 5.1%

As of the beginning of 2010, Telefónica was serving 265 million accesses worldwide (+5.1%) thanks to the expansion of the mobile business (+7.4%), fixed broadband (+8.2%) and pay TV (+9.8%). Net adds in the mobile telephony business grew by multiples in all regions in the second half while the mobile broadband business reached 15 million accesses at year end compared to 9 million a year earlier.


By region, the growth rates reported by Telefónica Europa were 6.9% year-on-year, while and Telefónica Latinoamérica grew by 6.5% year-on-year.


For 2009, Telefónica met all its financial guidance despite the global economic conditions. In absolute terms, Telefónica Latinoamérica contributed 40.5% to total Group revenues (+1.8 percentage points compared to 2008, excluding the impact from hyperinflation accounting), whilst Telefónica España and Telefónica Europe contributed 34.7% and 23.9% to Group revenue respectively.


Operating income before depreciation and amortisation (OIBDA), which totaled 22,603 million euros in 2009 (-1.4% in reported terms). In organic terms, OIBDA grew 0.9% year-on-year, underpinned by Telefónica Latinoamérica (+3.8 percentage points) and Telefónica Europa (+0.7 percentage points), which offset Telefónica España's lower
contribution (-3.3 percentage points).


Some highlights from the report:

• By type of access, the Telefónica Group had over 202 million wireless accesses at the
  end of 2009.



• The main drivers of wireless net adds to December 2009 were Brazil (6.8 million), Mexico (2.1 million), Germany (1.5 million), Argentina (1.1 million) and UK (1 million). The main contributors in the fourth quarter were Brazil (2.9 million), Mexico (0.9 million), Argentina (0.5 million) and Germany (0.6 million).



• In Spain nearly 88% of retail broadband accesses are bundled as part of some kind of dual or triple play package, whilst in Latin America almost 56% of broadband accesses are bundled as part of Duos or Trios. In 2009 net adds exceeded 1.0 million accesses (0.3 million in the fourth quarter), mostly from Argentina and UK.



• Pay TV accesses stood at around 2.5 million at the end of 2009, 9.8% up from a year earlier. It is worth mentioning that the Company already offers Pay-TV services in Spain, the Czech Republic, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela and Argentina.



• CAPEX for 2010 is expected to be in the range of EUR 7,450 t0 7,650 million. For comparison, CapEx in 2009 reached EUR 7,257 million.



• In 2009, Spanish wireline access market continued affected by an adverse economic climate, and showed an estimated year-on-year decrease of 0.8%. Against this backdrop, the company's total number of wireline accesses in service (retail wireline telephony accesses, wholesale line rental, fully unbundled loops, and nked wholesale ADSL) was down 2.4% in 2009 (-386,465 wireline accesses in the year).



• In wireless telephony, estimated market penetration in Latin America stood at 90%, an increase of 8 percentage points from December 2008. Telefónica managed 134.7 million wireless accesses in the region, yielding year-on-year growth of 9.2% after reporting net adds of 11.4 million accesses in the full year.



• The number of broadband accesses in Latin America for the company exceeded 6.4 million, and is still recording
  significant growth rates (+5.9% year-on-year) as a result of solid growth in Argentina (+14.4% year-on-year), Peru (+10.0% year-on-year) and Chile (+9.3% year-on-year). Pay TV customers reached 1.6 million (up 7% year-on-year), with 179,556 accesses added since the start of the year. Wireline accesses remained affected by fixed-mobile substitution and fell by 4.2% on 2008.

http://www.telefonica.comhttp://

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Russia's Uralsvyazinform Tests Huawei's Gear

Huawei will supply a test IMS network for Russia's Uralsvyazinform, a universal communication provider and subsidiary of Svyazinvest. The IMS solution has a packet-switched network as its core and implements transmission of different types of traffic (voice, multimedia, and video).


"This IMS project, implemented in cooperation with Uralsvyazinform, is the largest project of this kind ever to be implemented in Russia and CIS. We are proud of the confidence put in our company by OJSC , Uralsvyazinvest. Successful implementation of this project will mark a new stage in the transition of operators to convergent services," said Wang Kexiang, president of Huawei Russia.
http://www.huawei.com

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Alcatel-Lucent Expands GPON ONT portfolio

Alcatel-Lucent added eight new models to its portfolio of GPON-based optical network terminals (ONTs). ONTs are located at end-users' premises and convert optical signals back into electrical voice, video or data. The rollout includes indoor models with integrated residential gateway and Wi-Fi features.


In addition, Alcatel-Lucent noted that it has now shipped its one millionth ONT.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.comhttp://

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France Telecom-Orange Tops 193 Million Connections, up 5.7%

France Telecom reported 2009 revenues of EUR 45.944 billion, down 1.8% on a comparable basis (EUR 50.952 billion including the UK). Organic cash flow reached EUR 8.35 billion, better than the announced objective. Revenues (excluding the United Kingdom) were EUR 11.540 billion in the 4th quarter of 2009, a decrease of 3.3% on a comparable basis and 5.8% on an historical basis. Including the United Kingdom, consolidated revenues were 12.808 billion euros, a 3.0% decline versus the 4th quarter of 2008 on a comparable basis.


Incoming CEO Stéphane Richard stated ""I would first like to thank Didier Lombard for leading the Group's transformation from being a national monopoly to a robust multi-national group that can boast more than 190 million customers and 180,000 employees in 32 countries, all while keeping a tight reign on its financial
performance. It is an outstanding group blessed with many excellent qualities, even as it faces a crisis of confidence in France. We are working to recenter the business to provide a renewed outlook for the Group as a whole. This new project, which will be announced before the summer, aims to reposition both customers and employees firmly at the heart of the executive management's priorities in a way that balances economic performance with social considerations while retaining our leadership position in innovation. This is the exciting task that lies ahead for me and the new management team."


Some notes from the financial report:

• For the year, France Telecom posted an increase in the overall customer base of 5.7% year on year (192.7 million customers at 31 December 2009).



• There was a 8.8% growth in the mobile customer base (132.6 million customers).



• There was a 4.1% rise in ADSL broadband subscribers (13.5 million customers) and very rapid growth of digital TV, with 3.2 million subscribers at 31 December 2009 for a year-on-year increase of 53%.



• The group's capital expenditure reached EUR 5.3 billion, for a CAPEX rate of 11.5% of revenues. This compares with CAPEX of EUR 6.3 billion in 2008 (13.4% of revenues) on a comparable basis. CAPEX for the 4th quarter was significantly higher than the average level for the first three quarters of the year, in line with seasonal trends seen in previous years.



• The MVNO customer base in Europe rose 25% to 4.0 million customers at 31 December 2009 (including 2.4
  million customers in France), compared with 3.2 million customers a year earlier (including 1.8 million
  customers in France).



• ADSL broadband services continued to grow, reaching 13.5 million customers at 31 December 2009, a year-on-year
  increase of 4.1%. Broadband usage rose sharply.



• At 31 December 2009, there were: 3.2 million digital TV (IPTV and satellite) subscribers, a 53% increase in one year; 7.6 million Voice over IP subscribers, a year-on-year increase of 17%; and 8.8 million Livebox subscribers, a 12% increase in one year.

http://www.francetelecom.comhttp://

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Deutsche Telekom's 2009 Revenue Hits EUR 64.6 Billion

Deutsche Telekom's revenue for 2009 increased 4.8 percent to EUR 64.6 billion compared with 2008, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) grew 6.2 percent to EUR 20.7 billion. This resulted in an adjusted EBITDA margin of 32.0 percent, up from 31.6 percent the previous year. The increase in profitability is even more marked in the fourth quarter of 2009: while revenue increased 0.6 percent year-on-year, adjusted EBITDA rose by 8.6 percent.


Adjusted net profit totaled EUR 3.4 billion, 1.1 percent below the prior-year figure. In unadjusted terms, net profit was considerably lower than the previous year at EUR 0.4 billion. This was mainly attributable to impairment losses of EUR 2.3 billion recognized on goodwill in the United Kingdom and Southeastern Europe.


"After a bumpy start, we rounded 2009 off with good results," said René Obermann, CEO of Deutsche Telekom. "Cost discipline was key to getting through economically challenging times. However, we did not save at the expense of the future, but continued to invest heavily."


Some notes from the financial report:

• Free cash flow was on target at EUR 7.0 billion for the full year, a mere 0.9 percent down on the 2008 level.



• The Group's cash capex in 2009 totaled EUR 9.2 billion, an increase of 5.7 percent year-on-year.



• For DT's fixed network in Germany, line losses and the reduction in call charges resulted in an expected revenue decline of 5.3 percent compared with 2008. At the same time, adjusted EBITDA decreased by just 2.4 percent.



• The number of line losses decreased to 417,000 in the fourth quarter, the lowest in any quarter since the end of 2005. In the full year, 2.1 million line losses were recorded, almost 17 percent less than in 2008.



• In Germany, the company has a DSL net market share of just over 45 percent.



• Revenues for the German mobile business increased by 0.5 percent to EUR 8.1 billion in the full year 2009.



• At year-end, Deutsche Telekom served 17.2 million mobile contract customers in Germany, up 1.1 percent compared with the end of 2008.



• T-Mobile USA was under intensified competitive pressure and as a consequence posted a 1.6-percent decline in revenue to USD 21.5 billion compared with 2008 and a decrease in adjusted EBITDA of 4.5 percent to USD 5.9 billion.



• The number of T-Mobile USA customers rose by one million in 2009, totaling 33.8 million at the end of the year. Having lost 77,000 customers in the third quarter, T-Mobile USA returned to growth in the fourth quarter with 371,000 net additions.



• T-Mobile USA's said it surpassed 3G build-out targets in 2009 and now covers a population of 205 million. The entire 3G network was also upgraded with the HSPA standard and now supports data transmission rates of up to 7.2Mbps. Average data revenue per customer was USD 10.20 in the fourth quarter, which is more than 22 percent of total revenue per customer. A year ago, this figure was still below 19 percent. Total data revenue increased by 35 percent to USD 598 million in the fourth quarter compared with the same period in 2008. For the full year 2009, T-Mobile USA's data revenue totaled USD 2.2 billion, up 37 percent on 2008.



• DT's Europe segment recorded a revenue decrease of 11.6 percent and a decline in adjusted EBITDA of 13.0 percent over the full year on account of these influences.



• In the Netherlands, T-Mobile successfully completed the integration of Orange Nederland.



• In Poland, PTC finished the year successfully on the whole despite the major negative effects of the economic crisis. The EBITDA margin for the full year increased slightly year-on-year to 35.1 percent.



• Following the inclusion of the OTE group effective February of this year, the segment recorded a year-on-year revenue increase of around EUR 1.4 billion to EUR 2.6 billion in the fourth quarter. Adjusted EBITDA rose by EUR 0.5 billion to EUR 0.9 billion. Over the full year, revenue totaled EUR 9.7 billion, up EUR 5.0 billion year-on-year. Adjusted EBITDA was EUR 3.8 billion during the same period, increasing EUR 1.8 billion compared with the prior year.

http://www.telekom.de

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Virgin Media Selects Brightcove Platform for Online Video

Virgin Media has selected Brightcove to support short-form video content across Virginmedia.com. Virgin Media offers a range of online news, sports, music and entertainment content and will use the Brightcove platform to publish and distribute high quality, advertising-supported video across its website.
http://www.brightcove.comhttp://

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Novatel Wireless Completes 18Mbps WiMAX Call With MiFi

Novatel Wireless reported throughput of 18Mbps in over-the-air testing of its new MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot prototype based on 4G-WiMAX. The device can support theoretical peak throughput speeds exceeding 30Mbps downlink and 10Mbps uplink in a 10 MHz channel.


"Novatel Wireless is pleased to support the growing 4G ecosystem and the evolution of next-generation communications with this milestone WiMAX call," said Rob Hadley, CMO, Novatel Wireless. "The combination of our intelligent software platform on MiFi with 4G speeds from Beceem's high-performance 4G-WiMAX chips will open up new opportunities for the growing number of initiatives involving 4G mobile broadband applications and services."
http://www.novatelwireless.comhttp://

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Novatel Wireless to Use Qualcomm Wearable Mobile Device Modules

Novatel Wireless completed a technology transfer with Qualcomm of two Qualcomm Wearable Mobile Device module designs, enabling the expansion of Novatel Wireless' portfolio of embedded machine to machine (M2M) and consumer electronic (CE) devices.


The Qualcomm Wearable Mobile Device 1X and 1X EV-DO Rev. A are modules that support integrated GPS, accelerometer and Bluetooth technologies. With data and voice support for 1X and 1X EV-DO Rev. A networks, a standardized USB 2.0 interface and defined APIs and development kit, the modules provide unprecedented functionality and streamlined 3G connectivity for M2M and CE devices.
http://www.novatelwireless.comhttp://

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BT Offers Video Conf Interoperability between Cisco, Polycom and TANDBERG

BT Conferencing now offers interoperability between the video conferencing systems of the three top manufacturers of video conferencing equipment: Cisco, Polycom and TANDBERG, as part of the company's managed service offering, BT One Source. BT One Source includes Engage Meeting Manager, BT's universal customer interface that allows customers to operate different manufacturers' products, creating a seamless, automated customer experience. BT customers can use Engage Meeting Manager to initiate a video call between Cisco TelePresence systems and traditional TANDBERG and Polycom video systems with a simple point and click.


Aaron McCormack, CEO of BT Conferencing, said: "BT has successfully deployed this interoperability service for several large multi-national customers, enabling them to use a mixture of different endpoints in a video meeting. We also currently operate this service within BT's internal video estate. Our goal is to help our customers maximize their investments in video technology by allowing them to collaborate with partners, suppliers, customers and others around the globe."http://www.btplc.comhttp://

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Sonus Reports Q4 Revenue of $68.7 Million, Net Income

Sonus Networks reported revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 of $68.7 million, compared to $56.2 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2009 and revenue from continuing operations of $89.5 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008. The company's net income on a GAAP basis for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 was $10.3 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $3.4 million, or $0.01 per share, for the third quarter of fiscal 2009, and a loss from continuing operations of $99.5 million, or $0.37 per share, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008.


"We are pleased with the progress we made over the past year to successfully re-engineer the Company," said Richard Nottenburg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sonus Networks. "Despite the challenges we and others in our industry faced in 2009, we ended the year profitable on a non-GAAP basis, with a strong balance sheet, more efficient cost structure and substantial operating leverage. As we accelerate our product innovation initiatives, I am confident Sonus is well positioned to capitalize on new growth opportunities to drive future profitability and success."http://www.sonusnet.comhttp://

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Virgin Media to Launch 100 Mbps Broadband in UK

Virgin Media will begin rolling out a 100 Mbps broadband service, the fastest available commercial product in the UK, by the end of 2010.


Virgin Media also announced plans to extend its 200 Mbps pilot to Coventry where it will look to recruit hundreds of customers to test the internet with this supercharged speed. The 200Mb pilot, which began in May 2009 in Kent, has been focusing on future technologies and applications, such as home teleconferencing and downloading HD programmes on-demand, which are likely to require fast speeds.


Virgin Media's chief executive officer, Neil Berkett, said:"There is nothing we can't do with our fibre optic cable network, and the upcoming launch of our flagship 100Mb service will give our customers the ultimate broadband experience. Just as we led the way by launching the UK's first ever next generation service, we want to keep giving our customers the very best broadband available, by investing in technological innovation and transforming the experience they have when they are online. The launch of Virgin Media's 100Mb service will be a historic moment and will mean the UK will be comparable to other leading broadband nations."


Virgin Media has 4.1 million broadband customers, with most on cable broadband, and currently offers 10Mb, 20Mb and 50Mb services.
http://www.virginmedia.comhttp://

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Samsung Readies Broadband HDTVs with Embedded Skype

Samsung Electronics Co. is preparing to launch new LED 7000 and 8000 series high-definition televisions featuring embedded Skype software. This will allow Skype users to make video and voice calls through the TVs. Consumers who connect the TVs to the Internet can easily attach a FREETALK TV Camera for Samsung provided by In Store Solutions (ISS). Voice calls will use Skype's SILK audio codec, which enables super-wideband audio quality. The first models are already shipping in Korea. Worldwide shipments are slated for the first half of 2010.


Skype said the debut of the new Samsung televisions reinforces its commitment to making its video and voice calling capabilities available on a full range of Internet-connected devices.
http://www.skype.com

• Televisions with built-in Skype software were first introduced at the International Consumer Electronics Show in January 2010.

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Telekom Austria Secures IPTV Service with NDS

NDS and Telekom Austria have extended their relationship to secure the operators IPTV service. Specifically, NDS will integrate its VideoGuard encryption technology with the new platform to ensure that the operator's service remains uncompromised.


NDS has provided the security for Telekom Austria's IPTV service since 2005.
http://www.nds.com
http://www.telekomaustria.com

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Solera Appoints Paul Kraus as VP of Engineering

Solera Networks, which specializes in network forensics, has appointed Paul Kraus as Vice President of Engineering. Prior to joining Solera Networks, he led product engineering for Omniture Inc., an Adobe company and a leader in online business optimization software. http://www.soleranetworks.comhttp://

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France Telecom-Orange Announces Executive Committee

Stéphane Richard, the incoming CEO of France Telecom-Orange, announced key executive appointments for the Group's Executive Committee. It will consist of 15 members and will take office on 6th April. Stéphane Richard will also continue in his role as Head of Operations in France.
http://www.francetelecom.com/en_EN/press/press_releases/cp100225en2.jsp

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Cablevision to Offer Home PC-to-TV Media Relay Service

Cablevision, which serves more than 3 million New York homes, unveiled a uniqe PC-to-TV Media Relay service that will allow its digital cable customers to relay whatever information or images currently appear on their computer screen to their television in real-time, without any additional equipment in the home, using only the company's advanced fiber-rich network.


The service works by transmitting information on a PC screen in real-time through Cablevision's network facilities and then back to the home via a dedicated channel viewable only by that customer.

Cablevision said its service will completely eliminate the need to change input settings on the TV, as is the case with most in-home networking alternatives, or to purchase and install expensive additional equipment. A one-time software download to the computer will enable the PC to TV Media Relay service. In addition, the technology that enables PC to TV Media Relay may also be extended to other consumer devices in the home including handheld devices running applications and connected to in-home wireless networks. PC to TV Media Relay for Mac is also in development. A technical trial is slated by June.

Pricing was not disclosed.
http://www.cablevision.comhttp://

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Cable&Wireless Offers International Ethernet Private Line for Financial Sector

Cable&Wireless Worldwide is now offering an International Ethernet Private Line (IEPL) service supporting the specialized and mission critical algorithmic trading and communication needs of the world's largest investment banks and financial institutions.


Cable&Wireless Worldwide said it has already secured a deal with a prominent global investment bank based out of United Kingdom to extend the reach of their cash equities, prime brokerages and futures trading algorithmic network. This specially designed trading network connects the investment bank's key worldwide financial trading exchanges in Chicago, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Korea, Osaka, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.


Cable&Wireless Worldwide delivers the IEPL based service over its fully meshed global Core Director Transmission network, at speeds up to 1 Gbps and across 31 sites in Asia, India, the UK, Continental Europe and the US. The network is powered by Ciena's Core Director optical switches.
.*http://

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Allied Telesis' Ethernet Switches Go Green

Allied Telesis has launched eco-friendly versions of its Power over Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet WebSmart Switches.


The newly enhanced versions of the company's AT-FS750/24POE, AT-FS750/48, and AT-GS950/48 Power over Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit WebSmart switches integrate its ECO-Switch technology to optimize the front panel of the switch by allowing LED indicator lights to power off when they are not in use. ECO-Switch technology embedded in the software of the WebSmart switches automatically turn off LEDs after 15 minutes.


In addition, the switches employ "minimize and measurement" technology to ensure only the minimum power is driven into the shorter cable lengths, to significantly lower power consumption and maintain highly efficient power supplies in enterprise networks.
http://www.alliedtelesis.comhttp://

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FTTH in Europe Now Reaches 2.5 Million Subscribers

Europe has reached 2.5 million FTTH subscribers; 3.5 million if Russia is also included, according to new figures released by the FTTH Council. The majority of subscribers (77 percent) are concentrated in seven countries, in the following order: Sweden, Italy, France, Lithuania, Norway, The Netherlands and Denmark. Amongst them 5 countries now have connected more than 200,000 subscribers.


The FTTH Council Europe's unique Ranking is part of its Market Panorama study, commissioned from research firm IDATE. It shows the percentage of homes and businesses that receive broadband communications services over direct fibre-optic connections to their homes or buildings. http://www.ftthcouncil.euhttp://

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Tellabs Passes JITC Certification for 40G Packet Optical Transport

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) has certified the Tellabs 7100 Optical Transport System and the Tellabs 7100 Nano Optical Transport System. These products integrate SONET/SDH, native Ethernet switching and ROADM-based DWDM technology.


The DoD plans to deploy optical LANs and packet optical networks worldwide to modernize military bases, deliver real-time battlefield imagery and secure mission-critical defense communications. The DoD recently approved a number of Tellabs optical networking and enterprise GPON products.


"No one puts mission-critical telecom equipment through tougher tests than the U.S. Department of Defense. Tellabs' products are the first and only optical LAN and packet optical transport with 40G to pass DoD's stringent testing and achieve JITC certification," said Joe Shilgalis, vice president for Tellabs Government Systems.


As the first JITC-certified packet optical transport system, the Tellabs 7100 system extends the optical LAN from the enterprise GPON network towards the data core by providing efficient Layer 2 aggregation, while offering virtually unlimited bandwidth with WDM technology. SONET traffic can be converged onto the same Tellabs 7100 system using a separate wavelength, instead of a completely separate network. The Tellabs 7100 Nano system, a right fit for the majority of DoD agencies' locations with limited space and high bandwidth requirements, offers similar capabilities in a more compact footprint with lower power consumption.
http://www.tellabs.comhttp://

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Motorola Deploys TD-LTE at Shanghai Expo

Motorola has installed a Time Division Duplex Long-Term Evolution (TD-LTE) network at the Expo Center for World Expo 2010 Shanghai China, and completed the first indoor over-the-air (OTA) TD-LTE data sessions at the site.



In 2009, China Mobile selected Motorola as a main equipment supplier to provide indoor TD-LTE coverage for pavilions at Shanghai Expo. During the Shanghai Expo, Motorola will provide an advanced end-to-end TD-LTE solution and the world's first TD-LTE USB dongles. Motorola will also leverage its orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) expertise with professional services to deploy, maintain and optimize these leading-edge networks.


Motorola said it remains on track in its LTE ecosystem plan and is making strides toward TD-LTE commercialization and globalization. Recently, Motorola announced the successful completion of the TD-LTE key functionalities tests initiated by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Earlier, Motorola demonstrated the world's first live TD-LTE drive tour in Geneva at ITU Telecom World and successfully completed the joint OTA trial with operators as part of the collaborative trials scheduled throughout 2009. Motorola is also engaged with several other global tier-one operators on TD-LTE trials that commenced in Q4 2009.
http://www.motorola.comhttp://

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Sprint Expands 4G Launch Plans for 2010

Sprint announced plans to launch 4G in several additional major markets in 2010, including Denver, Kansas City and Minneapolis. These markets will join 27 cities where Sprint 4G is already available.


Sprint has previously announced plans to activate its WiMAX service this year in Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. More Sprint 4G markets will be announced at a later date. Sprint 4G is expected to cover up to 120 million people by the end of 2010.


.
http://www.sprint.com/4Ghttp://

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FCC Chairman Promises More Spectrum in National Broadband Plan

"Without sufficient spectrum, we will starve mobile broadband of the nourishment it needs to thrive as a platform for innovation, job creation and economic growth," stated FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski in a speech to the New America Foundation in Washington, D.C.


Counting 2008's 700 MHz auction, the FCC in recent years has authorized a 3-fold increase in commercial spectrum for mobile broadband. But Genachowshki admits that this increase will not allow us to keep pace with an estimated 30-fold increase in traffic.


As part of its soon to be reveled National Broadband Plan, the FCC will set a goal of freeing up 500 Megahertz of spectrum over the next decade. The FCC will work closely with NTIA to do so. Specifically, the FCC will seek to establish market-based mechanisms that enable spectrum intended for the commercial marketplace to flow to the uses the market values most.


Genachowski said that one such mechanism will be a "Mobile Future Auction" -- an auction permitting existing spectrum licensees, such as television broadcasters in spectrum-starved markets, to voluntarily relinquish spectrum in exchange for a share of auction proceeds, and allow spectrum sharing and other spectrum efficiency measures. He pointed to one study that suggests that as much as $50 billion in value could be unlocked if the U.S. adopted policies to convert some of the broadcast spectrum to mobile broadband.


Genachowski also mentioned the the upcoming National Broadband Plan will seek to resolve longstanding debates about how to maximize the value of spectrum in bands such as the Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) or Wireless Communications Service (WCS) by giving licensees the option of new flexibility to put the spectrum toward mobile
broadband use--or the option of voluntarily transferring the license to someone else who will. In addition, the National Broadband Plan will encourage innovative ways of using of spectrum, including what some call "opportunistic" uses, to encourage the development of new technologies and new spectrum policy models.
http://www.fcc.gov

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GENBAND Confirms Plans to Acquire Nortel's CVAS Assets

GENBAND confirmed its plans to acquire substantially all assets of the Nortel Carrier VoIP and Application Solutions Business (CVAS). The acquisition is subject to court and certain regulatory approvals in Canada, the United States and other jurisdictions, as well as other closing conditions.


The deal combines GENBAND's next-generation media, session and security gateway technologies and Nortel's softswitch, media gateway and application technologies. The combined company will have products deployed with over two-thirds of the world's top 100 service providers and will cover broad markets including fixed, mobile, cable and broadband operators.


GENBAND has teamed with One Equity Partners (OEP) and other existing shareholders to secure the Nortel assets.
http://www.genband.com

• In January 2010, GENBAND first announced plans to acquire Nortel's CVAS assets for a purchase price of US$282 million, subject to balance sheet and other adjustments currently estimated at approximately US$100 million.

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Quantenna Raises $15 Million for its 4x4 MIMO Wi-Fi

Quantenna Communications, a start-up based in Fremont, California, raised $15 million in a Series D round of financing for its 4X4 MIMO 802.11n chipsets designed for next gen home networking applications.


Quantenna leverages dynamic digital beamforming to deliver very high-speed wireless coverage throughout the whole home for sharing high definition (HD) video and multimedia content between home gateways and TVs. Quantenna's silicon is targeted at devices such as home residential gateways, set-top boxes, routers, HDTVs and consumer electronic devices, which all require high bandwidth and reliability to support whole home HD video distribution and networking over standard Wi-Fi networks.



The new funding came from Quantenna's current investors: Grazia Equity, Sequoia Capital, Sigma Partners, Southern Cross, Swisscom, and Venrock Associates.


"This is an exciting chapter for Quantenna, as we work with some of the industry's leading consumer electronics manufacturers to deploy a new generation of ultra-high-reliability Wi-Fi home-networking products that can distribute multiple video streams throughout the home at full, 1080p resolution," said David French, Quantenna's CEO. "We have a rapidly growing design pipeline encompassing a wide variety of exciting new products and services, all based on our industry-standard IEEE 802.11n technology with super-charged video capabilities."http://www.quantenna.comhttp://

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Overture Adds 1588v2 Differential Timing to Optical Ethernet

Overture Networks has added 1588v2 differential timing to both its UTS4000 Ethernet Edge Platform and UTX8500 Pseudowire Gateway, enabling applications such as high-performance DS1 pseudowire over Ethernet. DS1 pseudowire can be used for mobile backhaul applications where latency, jitter and wander requirements are particularly stringent.


Overture Networks said its UTS4000 product family enables converged Ethernet services and up to 24 pseudowire DS1s over native Ethernet transport. It supports fine-grain CoS and SONET-quality DS1 transport over Gigabit Ethernet or any other native Ethernet transport. The UTS4000 series, which is already MEF18 certified in adaptive mode, now offers the additional option of integrated 1588v2 differential mode timing. Specifically, the UTS 4000 can be paired with the Overture Networks UTX8500 PWE gateway to allow carriers to enable a 1588v2 solution without the cost and complexity of deploying separate 1588v2 timing servers. The UTX8500 PWE gateway supports 1,000 protected DS1s in a completely redundant system. The UTX8500 leverages existing BITS or SONET line timing to deliver an integrated 1588v2 timing master server which supports up to 500 remotes.
http://www.overturenetworks.comhttp://

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Starwood Hotels Go Live with Cisco TelePresence Meetings Suites

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide launched its first in-hotel Cisco TelePresence meeting suites at the W Chicago City Center and the Sheraton on the Park Sydney.


The two hotels are the first in Starwood's global portfolio to introduce the new Cisco TelePresence technology.


In June of 2009, Starwood announced a partnership with Tata Communications and plans to build Cisco TelePresence rooms in 10 properties worldwide. In addition to the W Chicago and Sheraton on the Park Sydney, inaugurated as part of this partnership with Tata Communications, two more Cisco TelePresence meeting suites will open in the first half of this year including the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers and Sheraton Centre Toronto which will come online in the upcoming months. Other Starwood locations planned to open throughout 2010 include The Westin Los Angeles Airport, with the anticipation to expand the offering to key domestic and international business markets such as Dallas, San Francisco, Brussels, Paris, Hong Kong and Frankfurt. l in South Africa.
http://www.cisco.com
http://www.tatacommunications.com/telepresence

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Carl Zeiss Chooses AT&T to Link 250 Locations

Carl Zeiss group has chosen AT&T as its sole provider of comprehensive communications services. The five-year contract with a value of more than $20 million includes the networking of over 250 Carl Zeiss global offices in 44 countries throughout Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia and Africa using AT&T`s innovative technologies.
http://www.att.com

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Gigamon Adds Packet Modification to its Data Tap Switch

Gigamon, a start-up based in Milpitas, California, has added unique 10 Gbps packet modification technology to its GigaVUE-2404 data access switch. The Gigamon switch platform provides data access span ports for monitoring complex and remote networks. The switch aggregates, filters and replicates customized data streams to all monitoring tools.



New software "GigaSMART" software leverages 10 Gbps, full line-rate packet modification technology to offer time stamping, network port labeling, slicing and masking capabilities. These capabilities provide flexibility and security in front of the range of monitoring tools that a network operator might deploy. Existing filters within the GigaVUE-2404 also allow GigaSMART to pin down a subset of traffic for advanced modification.


"Up to now, GigaVUE faithfully transferred packets from the network to the monitoring tools exactly as they appeared on the network," explained Gigamon Co-founder Tom Gallatin. "But in some cases, the monitoring tools will perform more efficiently by eliminating unwanted content, or by adding source or timing information only available at the point of collection, or by hiding confidential information like passwords, financial accounts, or medical data, keeping it away from users who 'don't really need-to-know.' GigaSMART can deliver all this - and more - at 10-Gig full line-rate."

• Time Stamping of packets provides effective way to troubleshoot and measure application response times, jitter or latency. As the packets flow into GigaVUE, they are time stamped at line-rate, taking place as close to the network as possible, resulting in a permanent time record that remains with the packet for subsequent analysis, such as jitter or latency measurements, at a more convenient time.



• Packet Slicing can reduce packet size to increase processing and monitoring throughput, optimizing the tools' ability to crunch data. The reduction in packet size can enable more data storage in a recorder application, leaving only the most vital part of the payload.



• Packet Masking -- even when encrypted, a packet can often still carry private information that can be seen by the tools connected to the network, leading to security vulnerability and compliance threats. A simple mask over this private information increases security and compliance without impact to the monitoring tasks. GigaSMART's customizable masking feature allows any private information within the packet to be masked, keeping the information private while the network tools and the network engineers do their jobs. Gigamon said masking is an especially desirable feature for the financial, insurance and healthcare verticals, because every network has private or sensitive information on it; as packets travel through tools, masking will keep private information private.

http://www.gigamon.com

• Earlier this month, Gigamon announced that it had raised $22.8 million from Highland Capital Partners in its first institutional financing to support its data access switching product line.

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Palo Alto Networks Fine Tunes its Firewall for App Identification

Palo Alto Networks released new software for its security appliance that combines three identification technologies to provide the necessary visibility and control over applications, users and content. All of the required functionality resides in the firewall, such that a single network device can accurately identify applications, scan content to stop threats and prevent data leakage.


Enhancements in PAN-OS 3.1 software include:

• App-ID has a new function-based hierarchy (versus a flat structure) for better control over application enablement. The company said this means organizations can easily enable an application and disable certain functions - like enabling Facebook while disabling Facebook apps. This new hierarchical structure in PAN-OS 3.1 allows more powerful, finer-grained policies that are easier to manage.
  
  
  Palo Alto Networks has previously said it can identify and control over 900 different applications.



• User-ID now offers pervasive coverage with support for LDAP directories such as eDirectory and OpenLDAP, in addition to Microsoft Active Directory, so IT managers can link application traffic to specific users and groups - not just IP addresses. User-ID also now features an API for integration with other repositories. User-ID is
  unique in the firewall market in its ability to provide enterprises with both visibility and policy control of users and groups.



• Content-ID offers even better protection with daily threat signature releases as well as the ability to customize threat signatures for specific applications and vulnerabilities. Additionally, because threat developers continue to exploit the Web 2.0 movement, Palo Alto Networks has added protections against JavaScript and HTML viruses to
  Content-ID in PAN-OS 3.1. As a result, Content-ID is a more powerful, real-time threat prevention engine that detects and blocks a wide range of threats, limits unauthorized transfer of files and data, and controls non-work related Web surfing.

http://www.paloaltonetworks.comhttp://

• In August 2008, Palo Alto Networks, a start-up based in Sunnyvale, California, secured $27 million in Series C financing for its next-gen firewalls for enterprises. Lehman Brothers Venture Partners led the oversubscribed round, with participation from existing investors Globespan Capital Partners, Greylock Partners and Sequoia Capital. The new funds will be used to support the company's rapid growth by further expanding sales, marketing and customer service initiatives.
  # Palo Alto Networks was founded by Nir Zuk (CTO), Rajiv Batra (VP of Engineering) and Yuming Mao (Chief Architect). Zuk was previously CTO at NetScreen Technologies, which was acquired by Juniper Networks in 2004. Prior to NetScreen, Nir was co-founder and CTO at OneSecure, a pioneer in intrusion prevention and detection appliances. Nir was also a principal engineer at Check Point Software Technologies and was one of the developers of stateful inspection technology.
  
  
  Batra previously was the Vice President of Engineering at Peribit, which was acquired by Juniper Networks in 2005. He also co-founded VitalSigns Software and served as Vice President of Engineering at Bay Networks.
  
  
  Mao previously was Chief Architect and a Distinguished Engineer at Juniper Networks, which he joined through the NetScreen Technologies acquisition. At NetScreen, he was one of the initial engineering architects.

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Occam Supplies Broadband Infrastructure for Micronesia

The Federated States of Micronesia Telecommunications Corporation (FSMTC) has selected Occam Networks for a major network upgrade enabling wireline broadband service to the main population centers of the islands.


Prior to the deployment of Occam's BLC 6000 MSAP solution, FSMTC offered Internet services through T1 access, dial-up and WiFi. While Pohnpei is the first island in the federation to be connected to the submarine fiber cable, a combination of smart solutions and Occam's MSAP equipment will be deployed in all states. FSMTC will offer DSL to business and residential areas, and VDSL2 to larger businesses. Future plans call for Gigabit Ethernet FTTP in select deployments. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.occamnetworks.comhttp://

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U.S. Senate Examines Energy Efficiency in Communications - Sprint

A U.S. Senate Committee heard testimony on Improving Energy Efficiency Through Technology and Communications Innovation. Witnesses included Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint Nextel; Adrian Tuck, Chief Executive Officer, Tendril Networks; Kathrin Winkler, Chief Sustainability Officer, EMC2 Corporation; and Lorie Wigle, General Manager, Eco-Technology Program Office, Intel Corporation.


Some notes from the testimony:

• Sprint has expanded its commitment to green-power use, recently announcing an agreement with Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) that facilitated the building of the Spearville, KS Wind Farm. As part of that agreement, Sprint agreed to purchase 87M kilowatt hours per year for its 200-acre Overland Park, KS, headquarters campus from
  KCP&L via the Spearville, KS wind farm.



• Sprint's network consumes approximately 80 percent of its total corporate-energy use.



• Sprint has a partnership with the Department of Energy to conduct alternative-energy research and
  currently works with two national laboratories -- Sandia in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. Their projects include energy storage and photovoltaic-panel research.



• Sprint has already deployed more than 250 hydrogen fuel cells at cell sites, with more installations planned. Sprint is also using solar-powered energy at cell sites in California and New York.



• Sprint has committed to absolutely reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2017 and to increase its use of renewable energy to 10 percent by 2017.



• Over a 20-month period, Sprint has significantly reduced its IT based power consumption by retiring more than 3,850 servers.



• Sprint is launching a new, vastly expanded wireless handset buyback program that offers a financial incentive, in the form of instant account credit, to current and new Sprint customers who turn in up to three eligible wireless devices.



• In June 2009, Intel hosted an IEEE meeting in Santa Clara that brought in energy industry experts to discuss creation of open smart grid standards.

An archived webcast is online.http://tinyurl.com/y85vr49http://

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FCC Confirms March 16 for National Broadband Plan

The FCC has scheduled an Open Meeting on March 16 to present its National Broadband Plan. The Commission will vote on a Broadband Mission Statement, containing goals for U.S. broadband policy.
http://www.fcc.gov

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FCC Survey: 93 Million Americans without Broadband

A total of 93 million Americans -- one-third of the country -- are not connected to high-speed Internet at home, according to the FCC's newly-published National Broadband Plan Consumer Survey. This includes approximately 80
million adults and 13 million children over the age of five.


The survey identifies three main barriers to adoption:

• Affordability: 36 percent of non-adopters, or 28 million adults, said they do not have home
  broadband because the monthly fee is too expensive (15 percent), they cannot afford a computer,
  the installation fee is too high (10 percent), or they do not want to enter into a long-term service
  contract (9 percent). According to survey respondents, their average monthly broadband bill is
  $41.



• Digital Literacy: 22 percent of non-adopters, or 17 million adults, indicated that they do not have
  home broadband because they lack the digital skills (12 percent) or they are concerned about
  potential hazards of online life, such as exposure to inappropriate content or security of personal
  information (10 percent).



• Relevance: 19 percent of non-adopters, or 15 million adults, said they do not have broadband
  because they say that the Internet is a waste of time, there is no online content of interest to them
  or, for dial-up users, they are content with their current service.

The survey also found that non-adopters usually have more than one barrier that keeps them from having
broadband service at home. Over half of non-adopters, when selecting from a menu of possible barriers to
adoption, chose three or more. For example, more than half of non-adopters who cited cost also listed
reasons relating to digital literacy or relevance.


The full study is online.
http://www.fcc.govhttp://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-296442A1.pdf

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IBM Partners with BLADE Network Technologies in FCoE

BLADE Network Technologies introduced an integrated Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) solution inside a blade chassis. This single-chassis FCoE solution is based on IBM BladeCenter H equipped with BLADE's BNT Virtual Fabric 10G Switch Module and QLogic Virtual Fabric Extension Module and Converged Network Adapters.


BLADE's FCoE-ready switch is a key element of the company's Unified FabricArchitecture (UFA). The goal is to tie together best-of-breed servers, storage, hypervisors and core networking systems into a virtual machine aware data center networking platform.


The new solution converts CEE (Converged Enhanced Ethernet) packets to native Fibre Channel, so IBM BladeCenter customers can directly attach to their existing storage targets without any impact to their SAN infrastructure. The lossless, low-latency, low-power and low-cost BLADE switch performs at 10G line-rate throughput with no packet loss as required by Fibre FCoE and the CEE standards for open unified networking.


BLADE Network Technologies calculates that its integrated FCoE solution is 3x less expensive, 2x more energy efficient and requires no cabling between the switch and the gateway compared with external top-of-rack gateway designs. This switch for IBM BladeCenter consumes less power than a standard light bulb -- up to 75 percent less than external switches -- and supports BLADE's VMready software for Virtual Machine-aware networking.
http://www.bladenetwork.nethttp://www.ibm.com

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Alcatel-Lucent Cites Market Gains in IP Service Provider Routers

Alcatel-Lucent gained almost five percentage points of market share in 2009, solidifying its number two position in the "edge" segment with over 20 percent market share, according to figures from Dell'Oro Group cited by the company. Alcatel-Lucent was also the only one of the three leading router vendors to gain share in the overall service provider router market, with an increase of almost four percentage points in 2009.


"The service provider edge is where operators define and deliver services for residential, mobile and business customers, making it a key focus for capital investment, despite the tough economic environment throughout 2009. This is the market opportunity that Alcatel-Lucent's service router portfolio is ideally suited to address, and the reason we've taken another five points of market share in the last year," said Basil Alwan, president of Alcatel-Lucent's IP Activities and head of carrier portfolio strategy. http://www.alcatel-lucent.comhttp://

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Tata Communications Picks Tyco for TGN Gulf Cable

Tyco Telecommunications has been selected for the construction of the TGN Gulf cable system, a new state-of-the-art undersea network slated for completion during 2011. It will connect countries in the region to the rest of the world via the Tata Global Network (TGN).


Tata Communications' partners in the TGN Gulf project include Bahrain Internet Exchange in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Nawras of Oman, Qatar Telecom of Qatar, Mobily of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Etisalat of the United Arab Emirates. Tata Communications and its partners intend to build on this cable project as part of strategic relationships that will support the development of an extended portfolio of advanced telecommunications services such as Global Ethernet, MPLS based VPN, Managed Security, IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) and Global Telepresence.


The announcement was made at a gala event in Dubai hosted by Tata Communications and attended by representatives of the partners as well as Tyco Telecommunications. At the event, Tata Communications also unveiled plans to invest $200 million over the next two years for development of its operations in the Middle East,http://www.tatacommunications.comhttp://

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RAYSPAN Shows Multi-band Antenna for LTE Devices

RAYSPAN introduced an LTE antenna solution that can support six or more bands operating from 698 MHz to 960 MHz in the low band and 1710-2170 MHz as well as 2.6 GHz in the high band without requiring any switching elements or matching circuits. The company describes its MTM-E as the smallest LTE antenna platform available, meeting the requirements for portable LTE devices such as mobile phones, laptops, USB dongles, wireless routers and wireless modems. Unlike competing 3D antennas designed for LTE, the MTM-E(TM) antenna is a simple 2D design in which copper artwork is printed directly on a device's printed circuit board (PCB) using standard PCB manufacturing techniques. It supports LTE, 3G, Bluetooth and GPS.
http://www.rayspan.comhttp://

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Juniper Licenses IBM Tivoli Netcool Software

Juniper Networks has agreed to license and integrate IBM's Tivoli Netcool service management software into its Junos Space application platform.


Juniper's new Junos Space Fault Suite, which is expected to be available in third-quarter 2010, will provide a turnkey fault and network management solution for enterprises and communication service providers.


IBM's Tivoli Netcool software allows customers to gain real-time, centralized monitoring and network discovery capabilities. The software helps service providers operate more effectively by gaining greater network intelligence and business insight into their networking infrastructures.


"Juniper Networks and IBM share a common vision on developing next-generation platforms that enable new services, new experiences and new business models," said Mike Harding, vice president and general manager of the Junos Space Business Unit at Juniper Networks. "Our combined solution enables customers to simplify network operations and rapidly scale services, which improves the resilience, economics and experience of their networking infrastructures."http://www.juniper.net/ibmhttp://www-01.ibm.com/software/tivoli/products/omnibus-network-mgr

• Earlier this month, Juniper Networks announced a new business group called Junos Ready Software dedicated to creating and delivering an ecosystem of software and applications built on the Junos platform for Service Providers. The Junos Ready Software group will deliver Juniper and partner-built applications, all running on the Junos platform.

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PC World: AT&T Wins in 3G Performance Test

AT&T's 3G network pumped out download speeds that were 67% faster than any other national wireless carrier in the latest testing, according to a new series of tests published by PCWorld.com. The report finds that AT&T's network has undergone a dramatic make-over in the last eight months since the previous test was conducted.


In the 13 cities tested, PC World found AT&T's average download speeds increased by more than 80%.


The AT&T network's reliability improved drastically as well: Last spring, PC World testers got a usable broadband connection with AT&T only 68% of the time. In the latest tests, testers connected to AT&T successfully in 94% of their attempts.


Verizon Wireless, which performed best all-around in last spring's 3G network testing, and Sprint, a close second, both continue to perform well, according to the recent study. The tests found that Sprint's network delivered download speeds nearly identical to those measured eight months ago in the 13 test cities, while Verizon's download speeds decreased by 8% on average.


PC World included T-Mobile in its tests for the first time this winter. Its download speeds were competitive with those of Sprint and Verizon in the tests in most major cities.


Throughout December and January, PC World's testing partner, Novarum Inc., tested the download speeds, upload speeds and network dependability of AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon 3G networks from 20 locations in each of 13 U.S. cities. Using laptops running Ixia ixChariot testing software and smartphones running the Internet-based Extreme Labs mobile broadband performance test, Novarum performed more than 10,000 tests in total.
http://www.pcworld.com
http://www.novarum.com/

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Ericsson Acquire LHS -- Billing & Customer Care

Ericsson has completed its acquisition of LHS, a billing and customer care software company based in Germany.


With the acquisition Ericsson combines its prepaid solutions with LHS postpaid offerings and provides a fully integrated convergent charging and billing solution for mobile and fixed operators. There are now 1 billion subscribers charged and billed using Ericsson and LHS solutions.
http://www.ericsson.comhttp://

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ADVA Adds Fiber-Plant Analysis to FSP 3000

ADVA Optical Networking has enhanced its FSP 3000 platform with an integrated Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) capability for end-to-end analysis and monitoring of the fiber transport network. This enables testing of dark fiber issues such as fiber breaks or bends, deficient fiber splices, damaged connectors or other issues that degrade or destroy the performance of services. It also performs in-service OTDR monitoring, enabling the operator to identify and isolate fiber issues without interruption of existing services. ADVA also noted that OTDR analysis can reveal security issues such as illegal fiber taps that jeopardize the integrity of mission-critical data. It operates over distances of up to 100 km.
http://www.advaoptical.comhttp://

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KEYMILE Adds Optical Ethernet Card

KEYMILE introduced a 24-port FTTH Ethernet card for its multi-service access system MileGate. Per rack, the card will allow connection of up to 1,920 households by optical fiber. The new card also enables an additional cable TV signal can be transmitted on each port at the same time as IP data traffic. This enables FTTH operators to offer conventional TV without having to deploy IPTV.


In a typical FTTH environment, the network operator connects homes via a single fibre optic connection directly to a port. The card transmits the Ethernet/IP signal in both directions at different wavelengths. The cable TV signal is added to the Ethernet/IP signal via a third wavelength with a wavelength multiplexer (an RF overlay for CATV) which is integrated on the card. When it reaches the subscriber, the CPE separates the Ethernet and cable TV signal from one another. The cable TV signal is changed into an electrical TV signal and fed into the existing co-axial cables. The Ethernet signal is completed on the CPE and residential customers can then connect their computers for Internet access, or other IP-based terminal equipment (for example SIP telephones, set-top boxes).
http://www.keymile.comhttp://

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McAfee's Saas-based Security Service Surpasses 575,000 users

McAfee has surpassed 575,000 users for its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings, including email and web protection, email continuity and archiving services, endpoint protection and vulnerability management.


McAfee's SaaS-based security solutions include email, web, email continuity, email archiving, endpoint protection and vulnerability management. The company also announced a number of enhancements to it SaaS solutions.

• Enforced TLS for SaaS Email Protection -- Enforced Transport Layer Security (TLS) gives customers the option to force inbound and outbound delivery of mail via TLS for specified domains, proving even greater security.



• Outlook 2003/2007 Integration for SaaS Email Archiving -- A new downloadable Outlook 2003/2007 integration add-in will be available, enabling Message Archive administrators to more easily search for, view and save copies of archived messages directly through a Microsoft Outlook 2003 or 2007 email client.

http://www.mcafee.comhttp://

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3Com and Tipping Point Offer Secure Virtualized Data Center Products

3Com's TippingPoint division introduced its Virtual Controller (vController), a software solution that extends the company's network security into virtual environments.


The vController is the first product in TippingPoint's Secure Virtualization Framework, the company's vision for securing all elements of the data center and a core element of 3Com's Secure Network Fabric, which combines security technology from TippingPoint with LAN infrastructure equipment from H3C, the enterprise networking brand of 3Com.


The SVF software will enable organizations to pass virtual machine (VM) traffic -- including host-to-host traffic -- through a TippingPoint Intrusion Prevention System. This product takes advantage of the specialized processing performance built into TippingPoint's N-Platform, including a newly redesigned and more powerful Threat Suppression Engine (TSE) that can effectively inspect more traffic. Since the traffic is passed through the IPS, it is inspected and filtered with TippingPoint's Digital Vaccine service, which uses security intelligence from TippingPoint's DVLabs, as well as its external research program the Zero Day Initiative, to provide data center organizations with up-to-date network protection.


TippingPoint's vController includes integrated management capabilities that are compatible with VMware's VMsafe API via the Reflex Systems vTrust technology and Virtual Management Center (VMC). This provides customers with a more granular level of visibility and control into communication within the VMware virtual environment.
http://www.tippingpoint.com/virtualization

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3Com New Enterprise Core Switch Packs up to 192 10GE Ports

3Com introduced its H3C S9500E modular switch chassis, a new enterprise core switch optimized for enterprise core and medium-sized data center networks. The H3C S9500E features an Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF) technology that enables multiple H3C S9500E switches to be linked as a single virtual switch, doubling performance and utilization, increasing capacity, while also eliminating the need for legacy resiliency protocols.The new switch fills the gap between the company's H3C S7500E 10 Gigabit Ethernet switch and its H3C S12500 core data center, "big iron" switch.


The H3C S9500E platform is available in three chassis models offering 12, eight and five input/output (I/O) modules respectively, the H3C S9512E, the H3C S9508E-V (vertical alignment) and the H3C S9505E. It offers a maximum switching capacity of 1.4 Tbps and up to 192 10-Gigabit ports or 576 Gigabit ports (fiber or copper), with embedded, extensible security and robust network and service virtualization to help consolidate, secure and simplify network deployments for large data centers and virtual networks.


The company claims a Resilient Virtual Switch Fabric (RVSF) delivers greater than "five nines" availability.


The H3C S9500E options include the network-embedded H3C SecBlades for VPN Firewall, NetStream Monitoring, Load Balancing and, expected later this year, a TippingPoint IPS module. Integrated visibility, management and security are a key component to 3Com's Secure Network Fabric strategy, enabling network administrators to distribute network applications and services throughout the network, maximizing control and minimizing bottlenecks.


"3Com's new H3C S9500E platform was designed to address the growing demand for 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity and virtualization services," said Saar Gillai, senior vice president Product and Solutions at 3Com."Coupled with the TippingPoint IPS and the overall total cost of ownership advantages of the H3C portfolio, 3Com offers today's enterprises a compelling security and network infrastructure solution for virtualized networks and data centers that is unique in the industry."http://www.3com.com

• In November 2009, HP announced its intention to acquire 3Com for approximately $2.7 billion in cash ($7.90 per share). The deal would make HP the No.2 enterprise networking vendor worldwide with a growing share of the Chinese market. HP said the acquisition accelerates its next-generation data center strategy focused on the convergence of servers, storage, networking, management, facilities and services. In particular, the acquisition of 3Com will dramatically expand HP's Ethernet switching offerings, add routing solutions and significantly strengthen the company's position in China via the H3C offerings. In addition, the combination will add a team of 2,400 engineers in China.



• In May 2009, 3Com outlined plans to return to the global enterprise networking market by leveraging its broad portfolio of H3C edge-to-data-center solutions. As a first step, the company is introduced two new switching platforms, the H3C S12500 for end-of-rack in data centers, and a "flex-chassis" switching platform, the H3C S5800, for wiring closets, smaller network cores and top-of-rack in data centers. The products are manageable by a new platform.

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Brocade Posts $539.5 Million in Revenue -- Storage Grows, Ethernet Weak

Brocade posted quarterly revenue of $539.5 million for its first fiscal quarter ended January 30, 2010, up 25% year-over-year. Q1 GAAP EPS (diluted) was $0.11, increasing 57% sequentially and from a loss in Q1 2009.


"Brocade's Q1 performance exceeded consensus non-GAAP EPS expectations for the 18th consecutive quarter thanks to the balance and diversity of our business model, our highly variable cost structure and our ability to execute," said Michael Klayko, CEO of Brocade. "At the same time, Q1 highlights the work ahead in building our Ethernet business to the levels we expect. Going forward, Brocade plans to reenergize our Ethernet business strategy, which targets opening hundreds of new direct enterprise Ethernet accounts each quarter. As one of two end-to-end networking companies worldwide, we believe Brocade is well-positioned and are optimistic about our ability to take advantage of the expected worldwide growth of networking spending in 2010 and beyond."


Brocade noted that storage strengthened to 65% of revenues in Q1 versus 58% in Q4. The company said migration to 8 Gig Fibre Channel continued to accelerate during the quarter, with identifiable 8 Gig Fibre Channel Director shipments increasing over 145% sequentially and now representing 77% of identifiable Director shipments.


However, Brocade's Ethernet business declined 25.7% sequentially and represented 18% of revenues in the quarter, versus 25% in Q4. The company said Ethernet revenues performance was mixed. While US enterprise (non-Government) revenues increased 8% quarter over quarter, government sales declined in part to delays to the US Defense appropriations bill, which was signed in mid-December instead of late November as previously
expected. Additionally, Brocade's Data Center Ethernet revenues did not grow as anticipated.
http://www.brocade.comhttp://

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Softbank Mobile Picks Ericsson for 42 Mbps HSPA

Softbank Mobile has selected Ericsson for an upgrade of its 3G network.


Specifically, Ericsson is delivering RBS6000 HSPA/LTE multi standard base stations. The upgraded network will use multi-carrier HSPA technology which provides speeds up to 42Mbps for the most data dense areas in Japan: the Tokyo, Kansai and Tokai (Nagoya) regions. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.ericsson.com

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TerreStar Completes Ground Based Beam Forming Test

TerreStar Networks completed its initial on-orbit testing of Ground Based Beam Forming (GBBF) is complete, clearing another hurdle prior to the launch of its hybrid satellite+terrestrial smartphone service. The service is expected to launch in the second half of this year.


The TerreStar GBBF system is the first two-way GBBF system to employ both ground based calibration and beam forming. The system provides the flexibility to deploy over 500 spot beams and manage power and capacity as customer demand dictates.


"Stable, configurable beams are being formed and link performance is meeting our expectations for this phase," said Dennis Matheson, chief technology officer, TerreStar. "We could not have made this tremendous progress without our dedicated partners Hughes Network Systems and Space Systems/Loral."


"Since the launch of our satellite, TerreStar-1, on July 1, 2009, TerreStar has continued to execute on its vision of offering ubiquitous, reliable and resilient mobile service -- virtually anywhere in North America," said Jeffrey Epstein, president & CEO, TerreStar. "Today's 'first' is another milestone on the path to deliver the next generation of mobile services."http://www.terrestar.com

• In September 2009, AT&T agreed to market TerreStar's satellite cellular smartphone. The TerreStar GENUS Smartphone combines AT&T's 3G terrestrial wireless service with TerreStar's all-IP satellite voice and data as a back-up throughout the United States. The TerreStar satellite footprint also covers Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and offshore coastal waters. The satellite-terrestrial smartphone reference design represents the world's first quad-band GSM and tri-band WCDMA/HSPA device running the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, and offering integrated satellite-terrestrial voice and data capabilities.



• In July 2009, TerreStar Networks successfully completed the first end-to-end VoIP phone call over its newly launched TerreStar-1, the world's largest, most advanced commercial communications satellite. The call used two handsets developed by EB (Elektrobit).

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Comcast DOCSIS 3.0 in Indianapolis

Comcast is launching DOCSIS 3.0 in the Indianapolis area. Comcast is introducing the new Extreme 50 tier with download speeds of up to 50 Mbps to many Indianapolis area communities served by Comcast, including Indianapolis, Anderson, Bloomington, Kokomo, Greenwood, Noblesville, Fishers, Lafayette, Attica and Muncie. Wideband is already available in the Fort Wayne and South Bend areas.
http://www.comcast.comhttp://

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Verizon Wireless Builds "Super Switch" for South Florida

Verizon Wireless has completed construction of a $50 million "super switch" facility capable of handling tens of millions of voice calls and wireless data transmissions each day.


The 45,000-square-foot Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) will serve as the company's main call-processing hub for South Florida, serving an area from Key West and continuing through all of Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The MTSO is located on five acres in west Broward County. It is designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane or other major disaster.


"Our network teams have been working extremely long and hard on this giant jewel of wireless network technology," said Frank Wise, Florida executive network director. "This is a big moment for our technicians and a great moment for wireless customers in South Florida."


With construction complete, technicians are currently conducting final tests for the network "cutover" of these wireless transmissions. The cutover - in which wireless traffic will be transferred to the new switch from existing Verizon Wireless facilities - is scheduled for early March.
http://www.verizonwireless.comhttp://

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Walmart to Acquire VUDU for Movie Streaming

Walmart has agreed to acquire VUDU, a start-up that streams movies to US viewers. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close within the next few weeks.


VUDU initially started offering its movie service through it own set-top box, but has moved to a new distribution model whereby its service application is built into broadband-ready TVs and Blu-ray players. Customers with broadband Internet access and an Internet-ready TV or Blu-ray player can rent or purchase movies, typically in high-definition, without needing a connected computer or cable/satellite service. The company has also been building partnerships to offer applications on its platform including Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, The New York Times and The Associated Press.


VUDU has licensing agreements with major movie studio and dozens of independent and international distributors. Its library includes approximately 16,000 movies. including many in 1080p.


Walmart said its size and retail expertise would help grow the VUDU service.
http://www.walmart.com
http://www.vudu.com

• In 2007, Wal-Mart launched its own video download service, but later withdrew it from the market.

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Twitter: 50 million Tweets Per Day

Twitter is now handling 50 million tweets per day, according to new usage metrics posted on the company's blog.


This compares to around 5,000 tweets were sent per day in 2007. The daily figure grew to 35 million per day by the end of last year and has now shot up to 50 million tweets per day.http://blog.twitter.com/http://

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Japan's Kyushu University Streams Live Surgery in HD Video

Japan's Kyushu University has partnered with OKI Networks to successfully stream live HD-resolution video of a surgical procedure to Seoul National University Bundang Hospital in Seoul, Korea, and to the Kyoto Second Red Cross Hospital, in Kyoto, Japan. The video was also streamed to the 29th Asia-Pacific Advanced Network Conference, which was held in Sydney, Australia earlier this month.


The experimental system compressed the surgical videos to H.264/AVC using an HVE9100 high-performance hardware encoder from NTT Electronics. The encoder was located at Kyushu University hospital, thereby enabling concurrent streaming through an "OKI MediaServer" to multiple domestic and international sites. Standard PCs running the "OKI Player" software were used at the receiving ends.
http://www.oki.comhttp://

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Thailand's DTAC Implements Nokia Siemens Networks' Energy Solutions

DTAC, the second largest mobile operator in Thailand, has signed Nokia Siemens Networks to modernize its network with a new architecture, technology, and approach that aims to significantly lower its carbon emission.


Under the deal, Nokia Siemens Networks will deploy its latest mobile softswitching platforms to reduce the number of switching sites needed in the core network. The company will also remove a significant number of transcoder nodes by providing the same functionality with Nokia Siemens Networks software features, and improve ventilation at radio network sites to reduce dependency on air conditioning. Nokia Siemens Networks estimates that these modernized elements will reduce carbon emissions by at least 60% compared to the previous generation of infrastructure providing the same amount of capacity. Financial terms were not disclosed.


Total Access Communication Public Company Limited (DTAC), a subsidiary of Telenor, currently serves about 19.7 million phone numbers.
http://www.nsn.com
http://www.dtac.co.th

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