Monday, March 15, 2010

Alcatel-Lucent to Leverage Intel Xeon Processors in ATCA Platforms

Alcatel-Lucent will use the new, six-core Intel Xeon processor 5600 series in a wide variety of future products. Alcatel-Lucent reported that the new processor boosts performance by a factor of 15 over single-core servers and a 40 percent performance improvement over the previous generation four-core Intel Xeon processer 5500 series. This new processor series also will provide a significantly improved performance/power dissipation, and by doing so can substantially reduce the carbon footprint of some of Alcatel-Lucent's products.


Alcatel-Lucent also reinforced its commitment to Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA) technology as the foundation for its next-generation telecommunication and application platforms. v

"This announcement builds on our strong, ongoing commitment to ATCA as a key foundation for our efforts to provide high performance networks that offer exceptional cost- and energy-efficiency profiles," said Philippe Keryer, President of the Carrier Products Group at Alcatel-Lucent. "Through our early involvement with Intel in integrating the Intel Xeon processor 5600 series into our gear, Alcatel-Lucent's customers will benefit from the highest available performance for a standards-compliant computing platform and will enjoy reduced power demands and lower operating costs, high priorities for every service provider today."



a key requirement as the company continually drives reductions in power consumption throughout its portfolio.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

Broadband Forum Elects Tom Starr as President

The Broadband Forum announced its new board as well as it new President and Chairman.


The officers include President and Chairman Tom Starr (AT&T), Marcin Drzymala (Telekomunikacja Polska) and Andrew G. Malis (Verizon) holding the positions of Vice Presidents and David Sinicrope (Ericsson) elected as Secretary. Frank Van der Putten (Alcatel-Lucent) remains Treasurer.


Elected to the board were: Peter Adams (ADTRAN), Christophe Alter (France Telecom), Sultan Dawood (Cisco Systems), George Dobrowski (Huawei Technologies), Marcin Drzymala (Telekomunikacja Polska), Kevin Foster (BT), Andrew G. Malis (Verizon Communications), David Sinicrope (Ericsson), Mauro Tilocca (Telecom Italia) and Frank Van der Putten (Alcatel-Lucent). Continuing their terms on the board for a further year is Tom Starr (AT&T), Les Brown (Lantiq) and Greg Bathrick (PMC-Sierra).


Tom Starr, the new Broadband Forum President and Chairman, said, "This is an exciting time to serve as President and Chairman of the Broadband Forum. I am particularly enthused by the increased emphasis on interoperability and certification. The recent successful launch of the Broadband Forum Certification Program with the current MPLS test suite is evidence of our commitment to interoperability. This program is being expanded to incorporate the development of interoperability testing specifications for home networking equipment based on the ITU-T G.hn Recommendation, and with the excellent collaboration with FSAN, our work on GPON testing specifications is proceeding well."


Key Broadband Forum initiatives for 2010 include a Broadband Forum Certification Program using the current MPLS test suite, home networking based on the ITU-T G.hn Recommendation, GPON collaboration with FSAN, IPv6 transition, DSL & fiber access, mobile backhaul, energy efficiency, end-to-end architecture, and the TR-069 remote management work.
http://www.broadband-forum.org

Netflix Picks Akamai for CDN -- Triple Digit Traffic Growth as Videos Move to HD

Netflix has selected Akamai as the primary content delivery network for movies and TV episodes streamed instantly over the Internet. The companies noted that already almost half of the 12.3 million Netflix members had instantly watched a movie or TV episode on either a computer or TV via a Netflix ready device as of the end of 2009..
Separately, Akamai reported that traffic across its global network associated with the delivery of full-length feature films has seen triple digit growth since November 2009. In addition to Netflix, EPIX and Roxio CinemaNow are also delivering HD quality movies on Akamai's distributed edge delivery network.


Akamai's global content delivery network currently exceeds 61,000 servers. A key feature of the Akamai HD Network is adaptive bit rate technology that automatically adapts to a user's fluctuating Internet conditions to enable smooth playback and improved viewing experiences.
http://www.akamai.com

McAfee Debuts Cloud Secure Program for SaaS Providers

McAfee announced a new Cloud Secure program for helping Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers add security to their cloud deployments. The program combines cloud security certification services with automated auditing, remediation and reporting capabilities provided by McAfee. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and SuccessFactors, a leading SaaS provider are expected be amongst the first providers to leverage the new program.



The McAfee Cloud Secure program includes:

  • Cloud Security Certification Services: McAfee will partner with leading Certification delivery vendors to provide Certification services tailored for SaaS and Cloud vendors. The certification services, which are provided on an annual basis, will include existing security controls, processes and certifications, as well 0as future Cloud security standards.


  • Automated Auditing, Remediation & Reporting: Coupled with Certification, McAfee performs automatic and daily security audits, remediation of vulnerabilities and reporting of the security status of their service and network using the McAfee Cloud Secure service. Cloud vendors who pass the daily scan and other checks receive a "McAfee SECURE" trustmark, providing credible, third party validation to be used on their solutions and in customer-facing marketing collateral.


  • Security Credibility: The McAfee Cloud Secure program will leverage the trusted McAfee SECURE technology and trustmark. Currently, the McAfee SECURE trustmark appears on more than 80 thousand websites worldwide. With more than 80 billion touch points, the McAfee SECURE trustmark gives users confidence when doing business with a McAfee SECURE customer. McAfee Cloud Secure combines rigorous security testing, business practice review, compliance certification, and ongoing vulnerability evaluation for Cloud vendors.


McAfee plans to build on the program by leveraging its comprehensive SaaS portfolio of Cloud-based security services along with its unrivaled Global Threat Intelligence network, helping make the broader cloud-computing ecosystem more safe and secure.
http://www.mcafee.com

Sequans Readies its First LTE Chip

Sequans will soon begin sampling its first LTE chip. The SQN3010 is a baseband SOC, designed to comply with the 3GPP R8 standard, supporting UE category 3 throughput of 100 Mbps in a 20 MHz channel, and LTE band classes 38 and 40. The SQN3010 is integrated with RF provided by Sequans' partners. The device, which has been in development for many months, will be delivered first to China Mobile, the leading proponent of TD-LTE technology.


China Mobile selected Sequans to provide TD-LTE chips and USB dongles for the world's first TD-LTE demonstration network that China Mobile will deploy at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, which begins in May.


Sequans confirmed that it is working with Motorola and Alcatel-Lucent to deliver TD-LTE USB dongles to China Mobile for LTE band class 40 (2.3-2.4 GHz) supporting 20 MHz channels.


In addition to enabling China Mobile, Sequans is collaborating with Alcatel-Lucent to bring TD-LTE solutions to TD-LTE operators in Asia and Europe who are planning to offer services at 2.6 GHz. Sequans is therefore delivering a second version of its TD-LTE USB dongle for LTE band class 38 (2.5-2.6 GHz), as announced by the two companies last month.
http://www.sequans.com

Level 3 to Expand its Switched Ethernet Footprint by 400%

Level 3 Communications announced plans to expand the number of Ethernet switches on its U.S. network by almost 400 percent. By expanding the switching footprint, Level 3 is eliminating the need for backhaul of switched metro Ethernet applications and also providing a more efficient backhaul mechanism for higher layer services, such as Internet or voice. The carrier said this will drive network efficiency, scalability and flexibility.


"This expanded architecture enables Level 3 to address a significantly broader set of enterprise and wholesale customer requirements for Ethernet services," said Sureel Choksi, chief marketing officer for Level 3. "This expansion demonstrates Level 3's continued commitment to industry leadership in Ethernet services."http://www.level3.comhttp://

Tinet Adds More TransAtlantic 10G Wavelengths with Hibernia

Tinet, formerly the carrier arm of Tiscali Group, has turned to Hibernia Atlantic to deliver multiple 10 Gbps wavelengths of capacity to and from Toronto, New York, Dublin, London, Frankfurt and other major metro areas on Hibernia's private network. Tinet cited rising customer demand for wholesale services, such as Ethernet Private Lines, VPLS and IP Transit. This increase is also in line with Tinet's previously announced expansion plans, whereas the company is further investing its network, including deploying a third Network Operations Center (NOC) in the U.S.
http://www.hiberniaatlantic.com
http://www.tiscali.net

Continuous Computing Shows Internet Offload Box using Intel Xeon 5600

Continuous Computing has developed an Internet Offload reference platform that leverages its recently upgraded FlexTCA 40G platforms. The Continuous Computing AdvancedTCA platform includes a new high-performance Intel Xeon processor 5600 series-based single board computer (SBC), Trillium protocol software and core reference application functions to create radio access network (RAN) and core-based Internet Offload equipment.


The target application is mobile data traffic offload. This can be accomplished by offloading high-bandwidth, non-revenue-generating traffic at the edge of the 3G or Evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) mobile core prior to reaching the Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) network element. Continuous Computing said its solution is especially effective when used in combination with Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) on the Iu interface to help identify traffic for offload and prioritization -- and Continuous Computing also provides FlexTCA platform solutions for that function as well.


Key features include:

  • Carrier-class FlexTCA 40G and FlexTCA 10G integrated platforms, including chassis, switch, forwarding and CPU blades; scalable from 10G to 100G capacity; a new Intel Xeon processor E5645-based SBC boasting two higher-performing 6-core 2.4GHz processors, 64GB memory and over 1TB of storage


  • Robust classification and traffic identification reference application software


  • Passive IuPS and related control plane / forwarding software that "sniffs" signaling messages prior to making hand-off decisions; ensures that network operation is not adversely affected


  • Field-proven Trillium Diameter software interfaces to policy servers


  • New switching configurations and capabilities that allow sessions to be re-established rapidly toward the Internet or SGSN as required


  • Optimized Trillium Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) and Trillium Generic Tunneling Protocol (GTP) that enable the system to deliver maximum performance.
http://www.ccpu.comhttp://

NETGEAR OEMs Firetide WLAN Controller Software

NETGEAR is licensing Firetide's WLAN controller software for the company's recently announced Pro-Safe 16-AP Wireless Management System (WMS5316).

Firetide said its expertise in wireless mesh infrastructure has enabled it to build controllers with better channel allocation and radio power control mechanisms to combat interferences and optimize network performance, eliminating deployment restrictions and allowing users to have greater flexibility in the management, control and expansion of their networks.
http://www.firetide.com
http://www.netgear.com

Network Test Automation Forum (NTAF) Promotes Open Lab Framework

A new Network Test Automation Forum (NTAF) has launched with the goal to promote interoperability between test tools and to simplify lab automation efforts. Founding members include BreakingPoint Systems, BT, Cisco, Empirix, Ericsson, EXFO, Fanfare Software, Ixia, JDSU, Spirent Communications, and Verizon.


NTAF advocates a fundamental shift from the stand-alone and proprietary approaches to an open lab automation approach to reduce the time, complexity, and cost of product test cycles.


The forum asks test equipment vendors to collaborate with their customers to define an open and advanced automation framework. Through the agreement and adoption of multi-vendor technical architectures for test automation systems, test engineers and lab managers will benefit from accelerated deployment of next generation network products and services.


"Our goal is to provide complete transparency in the Forum's activities and ensure a level playing field for all members." said Keith Kidd, president of NTAF. "By encouraging industry wide participation, NTAF is working toward establishing interoperable testing solutions for service providers, network equipment manufacturers, and other enterprise organizations with large network deployments."http://www.ntaforum.orghttp://

MRV's LambdaDriver Gains MEF Certifications

MRV Communications' LambdaDriver optical transport system has demonstrated compliance with two key Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) standards that help prove the product's ability to integrate optical transport with Carrier Ethernet services. Specifically, the company's LambdaDriver series participated in testing conducted by Iometrix, MEF's authorized testing and certification lab, and successfully passed MEF 9 and MEF 14 certifications.


MEF 9 defines the test suite when LambdaDriver is used as a user-network interface for setting up Ethernet virtual circuits and virtual LANs over WDM transport. These include Ethernet private line, Ethernet virtual private line, Ethernet LAN and related services. MEF 14 certification demonstrates LambdaDriver's traffic management features to ensure proper quality of service per service class across an Ethernet business service.
http://www.mrv.comhttp://

MRV Posts Q4 Revenue of $124 Million, Sees Markets Recovering

MRV Communications reported Q4 2009 revenue of $124.4 million, compared with revenue of $115.1 million in the preceding quarter and $118.1 million in the fourth quarter of the prior year. All three business segments contributed to the sequential growth. Fourth quarter 2009 gross margin was 33 percent, compared with 30 percent in the prior quarter and 25 percent reported in the fourth quarter of 2008.


The Network Equipment group reported revenue of $29.7 million, compared with $26.6 million in the prior quarter and $29.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. The Network Integration group reported revenue of $41.2 million, compared with $35.3 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2009, and $45.0 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008. The Optical Components group, Source Photonics, reported revenue of $56.6 million in the fourth quarter 2009, compared with $55.9 million in the prior quarter and $46.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2008.


The company reported a net profit attributed to MRV of $18.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2009, or $0.11 per diluted share, which included share-based compensation charges of $0.6 million, $20.5 million gain related to the settlement reached with Fiberxon shareholders, a $3.5 million gain from investment activities, and a loss of $6.5 million from discontinued operations related to the sale of EDSLan. This compares with a net loss of $0.5 million, or ($0.00) per share in the prior quarter, which included share-based compensation charges of $0.6 million and $0.4 million income from discontinued operations related to the sale of EDSLan.


For the year ended December 31, 2009 the company reported revenue of $448.1 million, compared with $466.8 million in the prior year; gross margin of 28 percent, compared with 29 percent in the prior year; and net loss attributable to MRV stockholders of $3.5 million, or ($0.02) per share.


"We see positive signs that our markets are recovering, yet, the environment remains challenging, competitive, and uncertain. While we believe we are well positioned to emerge from the downturn with renewed strength and opportunity, it is a pivotal time for MRV as we execute upon our strategy and focus each business segment on delivering profit, innovation and technology leadership," said Noam Lotan, chief executive officer of MRV.
http://www.mrv.comhttp://