Carrier Ethernet 2.0 Moves Ahead

One year after launching its Carrier Ethernet 2.0 initiative, the Metro Ethernet Forum announced significant progress in its efforts to drive the next wave of Ethernet service delivery.

Whereas the first generation of Carrier Ethernet standardized E-Line and E-LAN services, CE 2.0 standardizes Multi-CoS over eight interconnected services, including two versions of E-Line, E-LAN, E-Tree and E-Access. Newly defined Multi-CoS extensions ensure standardized performance objectives across geographic boundaries, resulting in improved QoS and optimized efficiency on a global scale. New interconnect specifications extend the reach between carriers, and new management specifications provide scalability and measurability not previously possible. A new Mobile Backhaul Implementation Agreement creates a standard for 4G mobile backhaul services through Multi-CoS-enable interconnects.

At the Americas Ethernet Summit in San Diego, the MEF announced that the first twenty equipment vendors have been certified as Carrier Ethernet 2.0 compliant: Accedian, Altera, BTI Systems, Ciena, Cisco, Cyan, FibroLAN, Huawei, Infinera, Juniper Networks, MRV, Omnitron, Overture, PT Inovacao, Pulsecom, RAD Data Communications, Telco Systems, Tellabs, Transition Networks and Transmode.

“CE 2.0 is a difficult accreditation to achieve.  To be recognised as CE 2.0 certified, each company must pass a suite that totals 634 stringent tests. Over 155 companies are now certified for CE 1.0 and the adoption signs for 2.0 are exciting. The demand for certified products and services is a driving force, and we expect a significant increase in service provider certifications not only from established markets, but also from developing economies in 2013,” stated Bob Mandeville President and Founder of test lab Iometrix, responsible for MEF’s testing process.

“The main market drivers continue to dominate business: bandwidth growth, mobile data and LTE migration and the growth of public and private cloud computing,” stated Nan Chen, MEF President. 

Some other notes from the Americas Carrier Ethernet Summit:

• IDC: over 1.2 billion new Ethernet ports were shipped last year (400 million wired and 800 million wireless)
  
• Frost & Sullivan, Vertical Systems and Infonetics: Carrier Ethernet services will be a near $48+ billion services market by 2015.

• A lot of discussion is underway on how to leverage CE 2.0 for cloud services, including for data center interconnects and private-public cloud bursting.  The fundamental building blocks are there but more work will be needed including specifying a path to software-defined networking through open APIs and Dynamic Responsive Ethernet (DRE) or Carrier Ethernet 4 Cloud (a draft document is underway to identify the attributes).  

• CE 2.0's Multi-CoS capability is useful for small cell backhaul.  Widespread rollout of small cells will need guaranteed bandwidth.
  
• Ethernet's 40th birthday is coming up this May.  Watch for events from Metro Ethernet Forum, PARC and the Computer History Museum of Silicon Valley.

• CE 2.0 Certification is built on MEF specifications and 1,000s of technical contributions.
  

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Fujitsu Claims New Protocol Delivers 30X over TCP

Fujitsu Labs has developed a new data transfer protocol that it claims delivers a 30x improvement in throughput over conventional transmission control protocol on long-haul connections between Japan and the U.S.  

Fujitsu's protocol uses a proprietary retransmission method based on user datagram protocol (UDP).  The protocol addresses the problem of UDP transmissions consuming excess bandwidth by performing a real-time measurement of available network bandwidth and securing an optimal amount of communications bandwidth without overwhelming TCP's share of the bandwidth.  Existing IP applications do not have to be modified.

Fujitsu said its new protocol can improve data transfer speeds between data centers in Japan and the US. It is also expected to help improve the usability of virtual desktops when accessing a virtual desktop located on a remote server using a low-quality communications environment.  The company claims virtual desktop latency is reduced to 1/6 that of conventional TCP approach.

http://www.fujitsu.com/global/news/pr/archives/month/2013/20130129-02.html

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Amazon's Elastic Transcoder Targets Video Production in the Cloud

Amazon Web Services introduced a highly scalable service for transcoding video files between different digital media formats in the cloud.

The new Amazon Elastic Transcoder enables content producers to convert their large high resolution “master” video files into smaller versions that are optimized for playback on websites, mobile devices, connected TV’s and other video platforms.

Amazon said its new service manages all aspects of the transcoding process transparently and automatically. It offer transcoding presets that make it easy to transcode video for smartphones, tablets, web browsers and other devices.

Amazon Elastic Transcoder offers pay-as-you-go pricing. Customers are charged based on the number of minutes they need to transcode and the selected resolution. There are no upfront fees or minimum commitments required.

Amazon Elastic Transcoder is available in six regions: US East (N. Virginia), US West (Oregon), US West (N. California), EU (Ireland), Asia Pacific (Singapore) and Asia Pacific (Japan).

http://aws.amazon.com/elastictranscoder

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Orange Launches LTE in Paris

Orange officially launched commercial LTE service in the Paris Opera neighborhood and promised to cover the entire city of Paris by the end of 2013. Orange is also preparing to launch LTE in 15 other French cities in April.

Orange is currently supporting 5 LTE smartphones: Samsung Galaxy S III 4G, Samsung Galaxy Note II 4G, Nokia Lumia 920, HTC One SV, and the Sony Xperia Z.

http://orange-en-france.orange.fr

In September 2011, ARCEP, the office telecoms regulator in France, awarded LTE licences to four operators to use the 2.6 GHz frequency band. Orange France won a duplex frequency block of 20 MHz, for which the company bid the sum of €287,118,501. The company also holds 800 MHz spectrum. Orange said this position will enable it to deliver rates of up to 150 Mbps downlink.

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SFR Launches LTE in Paris La Défense with NSN

SFR launched its commercial LTE service in Paris La Défense. 4G service packages start at EUR 29 per month for 3GB. SFR currently offers LTE in six cities and four additional cities are slated open during the first half of 2013: Lille, Marseille, Strasbourg and Toulouse.

Nokia Siemens Networks has been selected by SFR as radio supplier to implement its 4G LTE network and upgrade its existing GSM and 3G networks in major French cities. NSN will supply its Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station as well as its Self-Organizing Networks (SON) solution.  The contract also includes Nokia Siemens Networks’ NetAct network management system and a suite of associated software tools for consolidated configuration, monitoring, and network optimization across technologies.

http://www.nsn.com

http://www.sfr.com/presse/communiques-de-presse/01292013-1145-sfr-lance-la-4g-paris-la-defense

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Russia's MTS Deploys ECI Telecom's Apollo Multi-Layer Transport for 100G

MTS, the leading mobile operator in Russia, has deployed ECI Telecom's Apollo Optimized Multi-Layer Transport (OMLT) platforms to extend the existing ECI’s DWDM backbone, enabling all advanced services, including 100G.

The project links Moscow and Saint Petersburg.  With more than 1,000 km, it has been operational since 2003, with both 2.5G and 10G.  By adding Apollo OMLT shelves with 100G cards in add/drop points, MTS can leverage the already installed XDM shelves.

Specifically, MTS has deployed the Apollo OPT9624 to expand its cross-country DWDM backbone based on ECI optical platforms. The new Apollo DWDM network will enable MTS to provide advanced high capacity, long reach 100G services. It includes connection between core routers with 100G link.

"According to our forecast the penetration of smartphones in our network will reach 60% by the end of 2015; launches of LTE networks in Russian regions will force the mobile traffic growth; implementation of fixed line internet and its usage growth will increase the volume of data traffic in our backbones at 6-10 times. At the moment the volume of everyday traffic exchange between Moscow and Saint Petersburg is over 1 Petabyte and we are building the high-performance system of backbone lines sequentially enhancing its capacity to supply the demand in data exchange in long-term perspective," stated Andrey Ushatskiy, Vice-president, Group CTO, MTS

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VMware up 22% in '12 but Forecasts Slower Growth in '13

VMware reported Q4 2012 revenue of $1.29 billion, an increase of 22% from the fourth quarter of 2011, and net income of $206 million, or $0.47 per diluted share, compared to $200 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2011.

Revenues for all of 2012 were $4.61 billion, an increase of 22% from 2011. U.S.revenues for 2012 grew 22% to $2.23 billion from 2011.  International revenues grew 22% to $2.38 billion from 2011.

Looking ahead, VMware is forecasting annual 2013 total revenues to be in the range of $5.230 billion to $5.350 billion, an increase of approximately 14 to 16 percent from 2012, and annual license revenues are expected to grow between 8 and 11 percent. First quarter 2013 total revenues are expected to be in the range of $1.170 billion to $1.190 billion, an increase of approximately 11 to 13 percent from the first quarter 2012.

“2012 was a strong year for VMware, with solid Q4 results despite a tough economic environment,” said Pat Gelsinger, chief executive officer, VMware. “We see a tremendous market opportunity in 2013 and beyond, as we focus on what our customers value most: VMware’s role as a pioneer of virtualization technologies that radically simplify IT infrastructure from the data center to the virtual workspace.”

http://www.vmware.com

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Mavenir Opens VoLTE/RCS Centre in Cologne, Germany.

Mavenir Systems has opened a VoLTE/RCS Centre of Excellence in Cologne, Germany to support European mobile operators implementing new technologies based on the 4G LTE standards.  Mavenir already operates an EMEA headquarters in Reading, UK.

"2012 was an eventful year for the mobile industry with the commercial launch of VoLTE and the very latest version of RCS.  These developments herald the dawn of a new era in mobile communications and mark the beginning of a major phase of network investment and transformation as we move towards an all-IP infrastructure," said Pardeep Kohli, president and CEO Mavenir Systems. "The challenge for operators implementing LTE is being able to deliver services seamlessly to their customers using both 3G and 4G without affecting the consumer experience."

http://www.mavenir.com

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AT&T Supplies MPLS-VPN for Canada's Dorel

AT&T has been selected by Dorel Industries to connect more than 40 offices and integrate its worldwide operations and multiple divisions. AT&T will interconnect sites in North America, Europe and Asia through AT&T MPLS-enabled Virtual Private Network (VPN) to enhance employee collaboration and productivity, providing access to shared resources across the organization. 

Dorel is based in Montreal, Canada. Its branded products include Safety 1st, Quinny, Cosco, Maxi-Cosi and Bebe Confort in Juvenile, as well as Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, Mongoose, IronHorse and SUGOI in Recreational/Leisure.

AT&T's network is also helping Dorel converge its three operating segments worldwide – Juvenile, Recreational/Leisure and Home Furnishings – offering a secure and reliable environment for voice and data applications.

http://www.att.com

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Taiwan's Chunghwa Forecast Lower Revenue in 2013

Citing the likelihood of less construction revenue from its property development subsidiary, a continued decline in voice revenue, mandated tariff reductions as well as the mobile interconnection rate reduction imposed by Taiwan's regulatory authority, Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom expects its overall revenue for 2013 to fall by NT$2.46 billion, or 1.1%, to NT$217.82 billion compared to the unaudited consolidated revenue for 2012. Electricity rates for the year are also forecast to rise.

Growth areas offsetting some of these negative factors include mobile internet, Fiber broadband and ICT including cloud services.

Capex for 2013 is budgeted to increase by NT$3.89 billion from 2012, to NT$37.15 billion, primarily related to the fiber broadband, mobile network, and cloud infrastructure build-outs.

http://www.cht.com.tw/en/ir/stockit-ff.html.

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Spirent Intros Axon Network and App Testing Box

Spirent Communications introduced its "Axon" network and application testing platform for validating the performance of applications, network devices and IT services.

Spirent's Axon can be used to generate and model realistic traffic scenarios that benchmark and validate the performance of applications and network infrastructure.  For example, now when rolling out new services such as VoIP, video conferencing or email upgrades, the IT team can deal with bandwidth bottlenecks, incorrect ACL (access control list) configurations or performance choke points prior to deployment avoiding extensive post-rollout  troubleshoot and problem solving.  IT managers and network engineers now can have confidence that their new services perform seamlessly from the start. Axon changes the face of testing in many unique ways:

Spirent's Axon includes a pre-built library of test cases.  This enables the user to build a “playlist” of the traffic types to be tested.

“IT teams know they need to incorporate proactive validation into their daily activities, however sophisticated professional testing platforms are typically out of reach for all but the largest IT organizations,” said Tim Jefferson, general manager for Enterprise Solutions at Spirent.

http://www.spirent.com

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