Russia's VimpleCom Picks Procera for Policy Enforcement

VimpelCom has deployed Procera’s PacketLogic platforms in nearly 43 cities throughout Russia to provide network visibility, analytics, optimization and bandwidth management.

VimpelCom, in conjunction with technology system integrator Jet Infosystems, performed operational and laboratory testing using Procera’s PacketLogic Intelligence Center (PIC) solutions to gain “live” traffic analytics for their extensive network, and found that over 50% of broadband resources were being consumed by peer-to-peer file sharing. The two companies used the results of this research to design a solution that specifically meets VimpelCom’s unique requirements.


The European operator implemented a number of Procera’s IPE platforms and PacketLogic Intelligence Center (PIC) solutions including several PL10000 series platforms, PL 8000s, and PICs plus bypass switches for additional network resilience and availability. The PL10000 series platforms provide up to 120Gbps of throughput in a single system and can scale up to 2Tbps in a multi-system.


http://www.proceranetworks.com

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Telefónica Monitors Mobile Customer Experience with HP

Telefónica is deploying HP's Customer Experience Assurance network-analysis solution to improve the total customer experience for its mobile users. Telefónica will deploy HP CEA progressively in all its properties across the Americas and Europe. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Telefónica's efforts to to resolve network- and service-quality problems requires analysis of huge amounts of data from disparate sources, including Telefónica’s operations support systems (OSS), probes and network elements. Telefónica is currently serving over 243 million mobile customers across all of its markets.

HP Customer Experience Assurance provides:

• Network data acquisition from multiple sources, including probes, logs and usage-detail records.
  
• Advanced network and quality-of-experience intelligence to correlate and analyze data in real time.
  
• Integrated, multidimensional views of customers, usage, quality of experience and network achievements from all sources.
  
• With an integrated, multidimensional view of the customer experience across networks, traffic and user experience, Telefónica operations and business planners are developing service-assurance systems that are faster and more effective. The company also can lower the total cost of ownership due to savings realized by leveraging its existing assets.

“By giving Telefónica deep, real-time insight into its customers, HP CEA is enabling us to deliver a much higher quality of experience,” said Enrique Blanco, global chief technology officer, Telefónica. “HP and Zhilabs understood our problem, worked closely with us on a proof of concept, and delivered the right combination of powerful software, consulting and integration services, and overall project management.”

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Bright House Networks Picks Fujitsu FLASHWAVE for 100G Metro

Bright House Networks, the sixth largest cable operator in the U.S., has selected the Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet Optical Networking Platform (Packet ONP) to bring 100G performance to the provider’s metro networks.

Fujitsu Network Communications has been a long term supplier to Bright House Networks.
The FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet ONP enables the carrier to significantly expand its network capacity, improve spectral efficiency and lower the cost per bit of optical transport by capitalizing on the platform’s ability to deliver 100G per second bandwidth on each of 88 channels.  In addition to its high performance, the FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet ONP features Soft-decision FEC (Forward Error Correction), a third-generation encoding algorithm that enables longer distances and fewer regenerations on 100G optical networks, helping operators like Bright House Networks meet the ever-increasing demand for high-speed data services.

Fujitsu professional services have also delivered value by providing Bright House Networks with Engineering, Furnish, Installation and Network Testing; and the multiple service operator has employed Fujitsu’s NETSMART 2000 network planning and design software along with the NETSMART 1500 network management application.

“Our partnership with Fujitsu allows us to provide approximately 2.5 million business and residential customers across five states the latest in communications performance, dependability and value-added services,” said Craig Cowden, Senior Vice President, NEO and Enterprise Solutions, Bright House Networks.

http://www.fujitsu.com/us/services/telecom/

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Telehouse Expands London Docklands Data Centre

Telehouse is adding 1,000 m2 of server colocation space to its state-of-the-art data centre located in London's East India Dock adjacent to its existing sites North and East.

Telehouse West was opened in 2010 and has rapidly met the demands of UK and multinational corporations for high-capacity, price-competitive secure London data centre space.

Telehouse West can offer power capacity between 2 to 10kW per rack over shared, dedicated, hot & cold aisle containment and high-density areas. Telehouse West in total is a 19,000 sqm data centre facility.

Telehouse is a subsidiary of KDDI.

http://www.telehouse.com

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Nuance to Acquire Ditech for Voice Processing Technologies

Nuance Communications agreed to acquire Ditech Networks, a supplier of Voice Quality Assurance (VQA) technology and PhoneTag voicemail-to-text services, for approximately $22.5 million.
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Nuance said Ditech Networks’ portfolio of voice technologies will expand its solutions for carriers, consumers and enterprises across an array of products and services. In particular, Ditech Networks’ PhoneTag service will enhance Nuance’s Dragon Voice to Text Services business by adding important customers and complementary technologies, and further advance innovation supporting Nuance’s highly-secure, on-premise voice to text platform.

“The world’s most innovative carriers and unified communications providers work with Nuance to take advantage of the revolution in voice recognition, and nowhere is this more evident than in our voicemail to text and call completion businesses, where billions of calls are converted into easily read text and email messages – a powerful solution for today’s messaging-centric world,” said John Pollard, Vice President and General Manager, Voice to Text Services, Nuance Mobile. “Acquiring Ditech Networks’ voice technologies will help Nuance continue to drive these next-generation services.”

http://www.ditechnetworks.com
http://www.nuance.com

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NTT to Acquire Centerstance for Cloud Integration Expertise

NTT will acquire Centerstance, a U.S.-based consulting company specializing in cloud integration projects, for an undisclosed sum.

Centerstance is a platinum cloud alliance partner for Salesforce.com.  The company is based in Portland, Oregon.  The company helps clients to identify and move key business processes to the cloud leveraging the Salesforce.com platform. Centerstance has completed over 2,000 deployments for clients of all sizes, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.

NTT said the acquisition fits into its strategic focues on Cloud Computing.

“NTT is focused on becoming the leading partner of choice to help clients transform their business as they move to the Cloud. Through this M&A, NTT will be able to strengthen its consulting capability and migration capability which are necessary to achieve a cloud migration supporting customer needs.” commented President and CEO of NTT, Mr. Hiroo Unoura. “Additionally, it will be a driving power for NTT to approach global cloud business especially overseas as a pioneer providing cloud service immediately taking in leading edge technologies without being bounded by existing systems and technologies.”

http://www.ntt.co.jphttp://www.centerstance.com/

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PMC Delivers Tri-speed Carrier Ethernet/OTN Converged Framer

PMC introduced its META 120G -- a Converged Carrier Ethernet/OTN Framer for 10G, 40G and 100G interface cards.

As part of PMC’s powerful portfolio of Metro OTN solutions, the PM5442 META 120G enables high-density Carrier Ethernet and OTN line-cards and IPoDWDM integration on service provider switches and routers, P-OTPs, and PTN equipment.


The new device delivers Carrier Ethernet MAC/PHY, comprehensive OTN framing/mapping in conjunction with multiple FEC protocols, including PMC’s innovative high gain Swizzle enhanced-FEC and fully integrated packet timing engine, including clock recovery that exceeds the IEEE 1588v2 telecom profile for every port.

“Equipment manufacturers are challenged to bring to market high density 10G, 40G and 100G interface line-cards variants demanded by service providers today said Babak Samimi, vice president of marketing and applications for PMC's Communications Products Division., “With our META 120G's Tri-Speed Converged Carrier Ethernet/OTN architecture, our customers can deliver on multiple SKUs with investment in a single, flexible silicon platform and accelerating time to market.”

META 120G is the industry’s first Tri-speed Carrier Ethernet/OTN converged framer device supporting:

• Converged Rates: Innovative rate-agile SERDES enable a single META 120G device to deliver up to 12x10GE/OTU2, up to 3x40GE/OTU3 or a single 100GE/OTU4 connection
  
• Converged Protocols: Per-port configurable Carrier Ethernet or OTN interfaces
  
• Converged FEC: High performance 9.45dB Swizzle enhanced-FEC for OTU3 and OTU4 capable of improving 100G Ethernet optical reach by 50%, and comprehensive G.709 Reed-Solomon and industry compliant eFEC for OTU2 and OTU3 protocols
  
• Converged Intelligence: Integrated IEEE 1588v2 Precision Timing Protocol (PTP) and Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) delivers timing performance and accuracy required for packet wireless infrastructure

The PM5442 META 120G is sampling now.

http://pmcs.com/products/optical_network/otn

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BT and Cisco Test 100G IPoDWDM

BT and Cisco have completed an IP-over-DWDM trial that integrated coherent 100G optical interfaces with the Cisco CRS-3 Carrier Routing System (CRS-3).

The trial used Cisco's CRS-3 core router generating a standards-compliant 100G "alien wavelength" directly into BT's existing network over a 770 kilometer span consisting of DWDM systems from multiple vendors. The test was completed this past summer.

Integrating the DWDM components into the router eliminated the need for a costly external transponder.

Cisco said its coherent technology eliminated the need for additional dispersion compensation units and electrical and optical regeneration equipment, providing a path for BT to further reduce capital and operational expenses.

"Using an IPoDWDM and alien wavelength solution whilst leveraging our existing DWDM investment allows BT to scale its network to a new level. Fulfilling demand for Fibre  Broadband and reducing the unit cost for bandwidth at the same time allows us to invest for the future and is key to BT's strategy. Working with Cisco on this trial has been highly productive in demonstrating the viability of this approach" said Neil McRae, BT's Chief Network Architect.

"Integrating long-haul transport interfaces such as coherent 100Gb/s IPoDWDM into routers to reduce cost while addressing bandwidth demands on service provider core networks is a key step forward for the industry," said Surya Panditi, senior vice president and general manager, Cisco Service Provider Group. "In addition, as service providers increase the capacity of their core networks to 100G and beyond, the CRS-3 ensures continued growth and investment protection with its ability to manage 400 Gbps per slot."

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Sprint's Nextel Migration Hits 1 Million - 60% Recapture Rate

One year after launching its next generation push-to-talk service, Sprint has passed the 1 million customer milestone as customers migrate off of the old Nextel network and onto its CDMA network.


“One million customers in less than a year is an important achievement and reflects well on the permanence of push-to-talk as a communications solution,” said Paget Alves, Sprint’s chief sales officer. “Sprint Direct Connect has clearly met the increasing demand for faster data speeds and better and broader coverage on push-to-talk devices.”

Sprint has previously announced plans to cease service on its iDEN Nextel National Network as early as June 30, 2013.   The Nextel network operates in the 800MHz Specialized Mobile Radio band and uses iDEN technology developed by Motorola. The majority of iDen site have now been taken off air as the company implements its Network Vision plan.

Sprint confirmed that in Q2 60 percent of total subscribers who left the postpaid Nextel platform were recaptured on the postpaid Sprint platform – up from 46 percent in the first quarter. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is one customer to recently migrate to Sprint Direct Connect from its legacy Nextel service. Sprint will provide FEMA with 2,000 Sprint Direct Connect handsets equipped with an Actsoft GPS tracking and navigation solution to support FEMA’s nationwide Mass Evacuation Program.

Sprint noted that its Direct Connect service has triple the square miles of coverage compared to the company’s legacy Nextel National Network.

http://www.sprint.com/sprintdirectconnect
http://www.sprint.com/network

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O2 Plans 15,000 Free Wi-Fi Hotspots in UK

O2 has selected Cisco to be a key technology provider for its public Wi-Fi network across the UK.  

Rollout of the network has already begun using Cisco Aironet 3500 Series Access Points with "CleanAir" capability, which detects interference, identifyies and locates its source and then makes automatic adjustments to help ensure a high-quality service.  The network will also use the Cisco 887 Integrated Services Router.  The Cisco Wireless LAN Controller will monitor and manage the high volume of wireless access points. 

O2 Wifi is expected cover 15,000 UK locations over the next two years.  The service is available free of charge to customers on any mobile network. The business model is supported by sponsored landing pages and O2 has already signed Unilever as an initial backer.

 Telefónica O2 UK Limited is a leading communications company for consumers and businesses in the UK, with 22.2 million mobile customers and over 700,000 fixed broadband customers as at 31 December 2011.

http://www.cisco.com

http://news.o2.co.uk/

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Telefónica Upgrades SAm-1 Undersea Cable with Infinera's DTN-X

Telefónica International Wholesale Services (TIWS) is deploying Infinera's DTN-X platform to upgrade the SAm-1 submarine Cable Network, which links North and South America. 

SAM-1 spans 20,000 fiber kilometers and has landing stations in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, Colombia, Puerto Rico and Florida.

Infinera’s DTN-X enables Telefonica to deploy 500 Gbps long-haul FlexCoherent super-channels integrated with 5 Terabits per second (Tbps) of Optical Transport Network (OTN) switching per bay.  Infinera also supports multiple software-programmable modulation formats for optimization of the network. Integrated OTN switching is coupled with a GMPLS control plane to deliver wavelength flexibility.

TIWS designs and manages the international communications infrastructure of the Telefónica Group, offering an integrated voice, video and data network, with more than 100 points of presence distributed across 60 cities and 40 countries.  The company has been using the Infinera DTN platform, based on 100 Gbps PICs and 40Gbps coherent modulation, since 2009, to upgrade its submarine network throughout South America. 

“The Infinera DTN-X platform gives Telefónica the flexibility to efficiently accommodate their network demands, allowing them to deploy 500G long-haul super-channels,” said Tom Fallon, Infinera CEO. “The DTN-X offers integrated DWDM transport and OTN switching without compromise coupled with industry leading 500G photonic integrated circuits, together enabling Telefónica to deploy services quickly to improve their competitive position in the marketplace.”

http:://www.infinera.com

http://www.internationalservices.telefonica.com/

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Microsoft Warns on Internet Explorer 9 Vulnerability

Microsoft issued a Security Advisory warning of vulnerability in its Internet Explorer 9 browser (and earlier versions) if a user views a website hosting malicious code. 

Microsoft said the vulnerability may corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code.  Anti-virus firms said the bug was actively being exploited to inject the Poison Ivy Trojan.  Microsoft has not yet issued a patch, so F-Secure and others are advising not use IE 9 until the vulnerability is addressed.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/advisory/2757760

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