Eurofiber Selects Infinera

Eurofiber, which operates an extensive fiber network across The Netherlands and Belgium, will deploy an end-to-end Infinera Digital Optical Network for its backbone. Financial terms were not disclosed.



Eurofiber estimates that more than 25% of all Internet traffic and 50% of all mobile communication traffic in The Netherlands is transported over its network.



The Infinera DTN, powered by photonic integrated circuits, is designed to deliver up to 160 wavelengths of DWDM line-side capacity throughout the network. http://www.infinera.com http://www.eurofiber.com

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Alcatel-Lucent and AudioCodes Collaborate on Enterprise SBCs

AudioCodes is working with Alcatel-Lucent through its Alcatel-Lucent Application Partner Program (AAPP) to re-enforce their collaboration on delivering secure voice network solutions. This involves the integration of AudioCodes' Mediant family of Enterprise Session Border Controllers (E-SBCs) with Alcatel-Lucent SIP solutions for enterprises, including OpenTouch Business Edition and the OmniPCX™ Enterprise Communication Server.



The Mediant E-SBCs will be joining the list of existing tested interoperability between AudioCodes products - including the MediaPack 11x and 20x VoIP Gateways and the Mediant 600, 1000, 2000, 3000 and 5000 Media Gateways – and Alcatel-Lucent solutions such as OmniPCX Enterprise, Alcatel-Lucent OmniPCX Office™, as well as the Genesys™ SIP Server.http://www.alcatel-lucent.com http://ww.audiocodes.com

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Telstra Acquires a Unified Communications Company

Telstra has acquired iVision, a provider of video conferencing and collaboration services based in Richmond, Victoria, Australia. Financial terms were not disclosed.



iVision provides integration of corporate Unified Communications systems, as well as managed and hosted services.



Telstra said the deal boosts its capability and expertise across multiple video conferencing products and platforms, enabling it to rapidly design and rollout video conferencing solutions for its customers. The acquisition will make Telstra the number one provider of video conferencing services in Australia, and one of the top three providers in Asia.http://www.telstra.com http://www.ivision.com.au

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JetBlue to Deploy ViaSat-1 Ka-band Internet

JetBlue Airways has agreed to deploy the first Ka-band commercial aviation broadband network using the ViaSat-1 satellite. The agreement, which formalizes the memorandum of understanding first announced last September, includes an order valued at over $30 million for Ka-band airborne terminals and services to outfit the JetBlue fleet of more than 170 aircraft. The equipment will be installed beginning in 2012 on the airline's Airbus A320 and Embraer E190 aircraft along with two-way transmission bandwidth services using the WildBlue satellite broadband network, including the high-capacity ViaSat-1 satellite.



"Over the past few months we have worked closely with JetBlue and LiveTV to finalize a user-friendly and scalable satellite network for in-flight broadband," said Mark Dankberg, ViaSat CEO and chairman. "We believe the economics of Ka-band will create an environment that will engage more passengers and offer a broader range of online experiences in the air."



JetBlue will be the first airline to receive the ViaSat Ka-band system, and those initial installations are expected to be quickly followed by deployment onboard the Continental Airlines fleet, as announced on March 22 by JetBlue's wholly-owned subsidiary, LiveTV, and subject to final agreement. http://www.viasat.com http://www.jetblue.com

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Meru to Miss Q1 Financial Guidance

Meru Networks expects to report first quarter revenue in the range of $20.0 million to $20.5 million. The company had previously provided revenue guidance in the range of $21.5 million to $22.5 million. First quarter non-GAAP operating expenses, which excludes the impact of stock based compensation expenses of approximately $1.3 million, are expected to be in the range of $14.7 million to $14.8 million, compared to prior guidance of approximately $14.8 million.



"In the first quarter we saw a number of transactions, primarily in the United States, that we anticipated would close but with the quarter concluded, it is now apparent that these transactions are experiencing longer than expected approval processes," said Ihab Abu-Hakima, president and chief executive officer of Meru Networks. "This included a lengthening of the budget approval process for a number of our domestic education customers. We continue to believe there is a healthy market for wireless LAN solutions, and accordingly during the first quarter we increased our investment in our sales teams and channel partners to capitalize on this opportunity. We plan to continue increasing our investment in sales coverage and capacity, and expect to announce a new head of worldwide sales in the coming weeks."http://investors.merunetworks.com

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IEEE Looks to Clouds -- The Next Phase of Innovation

IEEE has launched a Cloud Computing Initiative with the approval of two new standards development projects:



IEEE P2301, Draft Guide for Cloud Portability and Interoperability Profiles, which will provide profiles of existing and in-progress cloud computing standards in critical areas such as application, portability, management, and interoperability interfaces, as well as file formats and operation conventions. IEEE P2301 will provide an intuitive roadmap for cloud vendors, service providers, and other key stakeholders.



and IEEE P2302, Draft Standard for Intercloud Interoperability and Federation, which defines essential topology, protocols, functionality, and governance required for reliable cloud-to-cloud interoperability and federation. It will also address fundamental, transparent interoperability and federation much in the way SS7/IN did for the global telephony system, and naming and routing protocols did for the Internet.



Two new working groups have been established to advance these standards. The goal is to help users build and/or procure standards-based cloud computing products and services.



"Since its inception, the Internet has gone through radical changes driven by the twin engines of continued technology advancement and evolving user expectations," said Steve Diamond, chair, IEEE Cloud Computing Initiative. "Cloud computing today is very much akin to the nascent Internet – a disruptive technology and business model that is primed for explosive growth and rapid transformation. But without a flexible, common framework for interoperability, innovation could become stifled, leaving us with a siloed ecosystem. By leveraging its uniquely deep and broad technological resources and expertise, IEEE is helping to minimize fragmentation and ensure that cloud computing realizes its full potential."



"Cloud computing will change everything. It is one of the three aspects of the 'perfect storm' of technology waves currently sweeping across humanity, the other two being massive deployment of very smart mobile devices, and ubiquitous high-speed connectivity," said David Bernstein, IEEE P2301 and IEEE P2302 WG chair, and managing director, Cloud Strategy Partners. "The cloud will tie all of these coming advancements together. We're truly embarking on a new age of innovation."http://www.ieee.orghttp://standards.ieee.org/develop/project/2301.html

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Gefen Extends HDMI to 100m over Cat-5

Gefen introduced an extra long-range extension of HDMI devices. The GefenPRO ELR Extender for HDMI with PoL offers a long-range, multi-signal method of extension up to 330-feet (100m) over just a single CAT-5 cable. HDMI video at 1080p full HD resolutions, 3DTV support, audio, IR remote, RS-232 control, Ethernet and power are all delivered over the same CAT-5 cable. Previous solutions required two cables to reach shorter distances.



Gefen said its PoL technology is based on the Power over Ethernet standard. This enables the delivery of power to the receiver unit, giving an added advantage to the integrator. Power is provided to the receiver using the AC power connected at the sender unit. Each receiver unit is also equipped with an additional 5v output to power a supplemental product, such as a scaler, switcher or splitter at the display location.
http://www.gefen.com

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TI to Acquire National Semiconductor, Consolidating Analog Market

Texas Instruments agreed to acquire National Semiconductor for $25 per share in cash -- valuing the deal at about $6.5 billion. Both companies are leaders in analog semiconductors.



The market for analog semiconductors was $42 billion in 2010. TI was the market leader with 2010 analog revenue of $6.0 billion, or 14 percent of the market. National's revenue in calendar year 2010 was about $1.6 billion, or 3 percent of the market.



National, which is based in Santa Clara, California, boasts a portfolio of 12,000 analog devices, with many design wins in the industrial power market and customer design tools. It has 5,700 employees and 2010 annual revenues of $1.6 billion. National has manufacturing operations in Maine, Scotland and Malaysia, which TI will continue to operate. Each site has additional capacity to increase production. National's headquarters will remain in Santa Clara, California.



Texas Instruments has about 30,000 analog devices in its portfolio, with depth in mobile/portable markets.



When the acquisition closes, National will become part of TI's analog segment, and sales of analog semiconductors will represent almost 50 percent of TI's revenue.http://www.ti.com http://www.national.com

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Google Bids $900 Million for Nortel'ss Patent Portfolio

Google confirmed that it will bid to acquire Nortel's extensive intellectual property portfolio. Google said the move is necessary to fend off frivolous lawsuits from patent trolls who have no intention of creating innovative product or services on their own, but who would simply use the patents to attack others. Nortel has selected Google's bid as the "stalking-horse bid," making it the starting point against which others will bid prior to the auction. Google believes this will set a higher entry barrier to discourage the patent trolls.http://googleblog.blogspot.com/http://www.nortel.com/

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Vodafone New Zealand Implements ALU for FemtoCells

Vodafone New Zealand has selected Alcatel-Lucent to power its commercial "Sure Signal" residential and enterprise femtocell service, which boosts the 3G signal.



Alcatel-Lucent's solution includes the 9361 Home Cell, the 9362 Enterprise Cell, the 9366 Small Cell Gateway, and its network management solution, which combines the strengths of Alcatel-Lucent's Wireless Management System, Wireless Provisioning System and the Home Device Manager from its Motive Product Division. The solution is complemented by Alcatel-Lucent's 7750 Service Router which provides IP routing and Ethernet aggregation. In addition, Alcatel-Lucent is providing a select range of professional services to Vodafone New Zealand which includes project management, consulting, architecture, design and installation.



"Some of our consumer and business customers have been frustrated in the past when they find they don't have indoor coverage and that the technical options available to improve their coverage were either too expensive or simply weren't up to the task," said Hamish Sansom, Head of Mobile Data, Vodafone NZ. "The introduction of Vodafone Sure Signal using the Alcatel-Lucent femtocell solution means that we can now end the frustration for these customers. The installation and launch of the solution went very smoothly and we now have ecstatic customers with five bars of coverage where they once had none."http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

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EMC Acquires NetWitness

EMC has acquired NetWitness -- a privately-held provider of network security analysis solutions -- for an undisclosed sum. The deal closed on April 1.



NetWitness' technologies provide precise and pervasive network visibility, enabling security teams to detect and remediate advanced threats while automating the incident investigation process. NetWitness' monitoring and analysis platform addresses insider threats, zero-day exploits and targeted malware, advanced persistent threats, fraud, espionage, data leakage, and continuous monitoring of security controls. NetWitness also enables automated malware analysis, a rapidly growing requirement for addressing advanced persistent threats.



NetWitness customers include enterprises across the Global 1000 in sectors such as financial services, power and energy, telecommunications, retail, and high-tech, as well as government agencies around the world in defense, homeland security, law enforcement, and intelligence. NetWitness is based in Reston, Virginia.



"The intensity and sophistication of advanced adversaries and zero day malware challenge every organization to rethink traditional approaches to network security," said Tom Heiser, President, RSA, The Security Division of EMC."NetWitness has redefined the security landscape, providing a powerful solution for organizations seeking to gain immediate insight, precise clarity, and timely closure in the face of the toughest cyber threats. NetWitness' unique network security analysis capabilities extend RSA's solutions for managing security risk and compliance across both physical and virtual environments."



NetWitness will become a core element of RSA's Advanced Security Management Solutions, providing real-time visibility into network activity and adding efficiency to incident investigations and workflow.



The company plans to combine the NetWitness network monitoring and analysis technology with RSA's enVision platform, RSA Data Loss Prevention Suite (DLP) and RSA CyberCrime Intelligence service.http://www.emc.com http://www.netwitness.com

• Earlier this year, NetWitness unveiled Spectrum, a new offering that replicates the knowledge, process and workflow of malware analysts. Spectrum will deliver multiple signature-free methods to identify advanced and zero-day malware.

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Verizon and NEC Test 100G, 450G and 1T Optical Transmission

Verizon and NEC Corporation of America have jointly tested ultra-fast optical transmission technology, including 100G, 450G and 1T (1 terabit or 1000G) coexisting on the same fiber. The trial measured the quality of the signal for all channels as well as the intensity of the optical signal. The final determination resulted in the conclusion that these "superchannels" were able to carry higher capacities while improving spectral efficiency without sacrificing distance.



The results of the trial, which was performed last year on 3,560 km (2,212 miles) of field fiber of Verizon's network in the Dallas area, were outlined in a post-deadline paper that was presented at the recent OFC/NFOEC Conference and Expo.



"As we look to a future when data rates go beyond 100G, it's important to begin examining how these technologies perform," said Glenn Wellbrock, director of optical transport network architecture and design at Verizon, and an author of the paper. "This trial gives us a good first step toward analyzing the capabilities of future technologies."



"NEC is committed to the introduction of ultra-high-speed optical DWDM systems and has an extensive history in achieving the most advanced research and development results in the optical networking area globally," said Jim Nakajima, senior vice president at NEC. "This joint effort with Verizon demonstrates our capability to introduce novel concepts, confirm their performance, and validate our long-term strategy to service the carrier marketplace with viable high-bandwidth solutions for optical networks."

The two companies specifically focused on transmission performance over a significant fiber distance since previous experiments of this type have only been performed in a lab environment.http://www.verizon.com http://www.necam.com

A discussion about the deployment of 100G technology with Verizon's Glenn Wellbrock, Director, Optical Transport Network Architecture & Design.

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