Ekinops reports Q2 revenue of € 39.2 million, up 10%

Ekinops reported consolidated revenue of €39.2m in Q2 2023, up +10% Y-o-Y. As a reminder, Q2 2022 recorded strong growth of +29%. This year's quarterly growth at constant exchange rates was 11%. Compared to Q1 2023 (€31.9m), Q2 sales were up +23%, reflecting buoyant activity.

Over H1 2023, revenue amounted to €71.0m, representing overall growth of +12% vs. H1 2022, which was a particularly challenging basis for comparison (+25% growth last year).  

Didier Brédy, Chairman and CEO of Ekinops said: "Ekinops delivered a good H1 2023, fully in line with our expectations. This robust H1 performance, achieved despite the very challenging comparative figures after an exceptional 2022, comes in an overall less buoyant market context and a weaker economic environment. Despite this, we expect H1 sales to show good profitability in terms of gross margin."

"Visibility is weaker for H2 given the economic environment, and Ekinops is making it a priority to ramp up its commercial activity across all its geographies."

Some highlights

• In continuity with FY 2022, Optical Transport activity continued its strong growth trajectory, achieving a further jump of +41% in H1 2023 compared to the same period last year (vs. +32% in Q1 2023 and +49% in Q2 2023), thanks to the success of WDM solutions and the appeal of OTN technology both in the US and Europe.
• Access solutions were down by -5% over H1 2023 (vs. +21% in H1 2022), mainly due to lower sales in Asia-Pacific. Access sales were virtually flat in France (-1%), but up +7% in EMEA.
• Software & Services revenue, which accounted for 14% of Group revenues in H1 2023 (vs. 15% over full year 2022), showed slight growth over the period (+1%).
• International growth came in at +14% in H1 2023. Sales outside France represented 66% of the Group's total revenue, compared with 65% a year earlier.
• North America reported revenues of €18.2m up by a robust +42% year-on-year (identical in US dollar terms), driven by strong demand for Optical Transport solutions. This key strategic region represented 26% of Group revenue in H1 (vs. 20% a year earlier).
• After a dip at the start of the year (-7% over Q1 2023), the EMEA region (Europe - excluding France - Middle East & Africa) has returned to growth, posting a +13% increase over H1 2023. This recovery was mainly driven by solid growth in sales of Optical Transport solutions in the region, which account for 39% of sales.
• Business in Asia-Pacific was down -65% at mid-year, following a +80% growth in H1 2022. Ekinops generated 2% of its revenue in Asia-Pacific in H1 this year.
• Lastly, in its domestic market, Ekinops posted H1 revenue growth of +9% vs. the year-earlier period, particularly driven by a doubling in sales of Optical Transport solutions. Ekinops generated 34% of its H1 revenue in France.

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Ekinops announces MEF 3.0 certification for Ethernet portfolio

Ekinops' entire Ethernet Access Device portfolio, supported by its unique OneOS6 network operating system, has been certified under the MEF 3.0 Carrier Ethernet compliance program of the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF).

This certification marks an important milestone in the validation of Ethernet related services supported by the OneOS6 network operating system, confirming its status as a uniquely consolidated system to support Layer 2 (L2), Layer 3 (L3), Voice, SD-WAN and Virtualized services.

MEF 3.0 certification is now available for various 1647 and 1651 platforms, supporting E-Line, E-Lan, E-Tree, E-Access and E-Transit services. Depending on the platform, it is possible to use the same hardware platform to deliver L2, L3 or SD-WAN services, thus reducing the amount of equipment which must be validated and maintained for various services.

“MEF certification is an important signal to the market that Ekinops’ family of Ethernet Access Devices conforms to some of the highest standards in the telecoms industry.” said Sylvain Quartier, VP Marketing and Product Strategy for Access at Ekinops. “Demonstrating that our devices are certified by independent and international standard bodies has never been more important. MEF 3.0 certification is a powerful hallmark that will instill confidence in our worldwide operator customer base.” 

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Ekinops reports brisk growth as Q3 revenue rises 36% yoy

Ekinops reported Q3 2022 consolidated revenue of €32.8 million, up by a robust +36% versus Q3 2021.

At constant scope and exchange rates, revenue was up +29%, reflecting further acceleration and significant progress on the annual guidance of +15%, which was already increased in July.

For the first nine months of 2022, the Group's consolidated revenue totaled €96.1m versus €74.9m a year earlier, representing an increase of +28% (+23% at constant scope and exchange rates).

Ekinops noted brisk growth across all its businesss lines. In particular, sales for Access solutions reported accelerated growth (notably in France), up +26% over the nine-month period versus +21% at the end of the first half of 2022.

As in 2021, the first nine months of 2022 were characterized by the excellent momentum of Optical transport, which posted growth of +32% versus a year earlier (+31% in H1 2022) thanks to the success of 200 Gbps and 400 Gbps WDM systems.

Driven by the success of SDN (Software Defined Networks) solutions, network functions' virtualization and Services, revenue generated by sales of Software and Services increased by +32% year-on-year, representing 14% of Group's revenue over nine months.

The first nine months were marked by strong growth in international business (+23%), with an increase in all regions, particularly North America and Asia-Pacific. As of 30 September 2022, international business accounted for 64% of total revenue.

In North America, activity continued to record robust growth, with business volumes totaling €21.1 million, up +62% versus the previous year (+42% in US dollar). This growth benefited from strong demand for Optical Transport equipment. With 22% of its business now generated in North America, Ekinops achieved for the first time more than 20% of its revenue in that region.

After two years of business impacted by the pandemic, Asia-Pacific returns, quarter after quarter, to a dynamic growth trajectory at +36% for the first nine months. Asia-Pacific accounted for 6% of Ekinops' total revenue as of 30 September 2022.

EMEA (Europe, excluding France, the Middle-East and Africa), which represented 36% of business over the first nine months, generated revenue of €34.6 million, up +6% relative to the same prior-year period, in line with H1 2022 (+6%).

After virtually stable revenue in its domestic market in 2021 and Q1 2022, Ekinops restored sharp growth in France. Boosted by robust sales momentum in Access solutions, Q3 2022 growth amounted to +59% in France, an increase of +39% over the first nine months. Over the period, Ekinops recorded 36% of its sales in France.

https://www.ekinops.com/news/corporate/q3-2022-36-growth-28-for-the-first-nine-months-of-the-year-revenue-guidance-raised

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Ekinops reports 1H22 revenue of €63.3 million, up 25% yoy

Ekinops reported consolidated revenue of €63.3 million for the first half of 2022, compared with €50.8 million in the previous year, representing robust growth of 25%. At constant scope and exchange rates, half-year growth was 20%. Gross margin was 52.9%, within the target range, despite the components crisis.

This trend is the result of solid momentum in all the Group's activities: +31% for optical transport equipment, +21% for Access solutions and +47% for software and services, which now represent 15% of the group's revenue as a result of the success of SDN (Software Defined Networks) and virtualization solutions.

In geographic terms, half-year sales grew significantly by 48% in North America (33% in USD), reaching 20% of the group's business for the first time. Asia-Pacific continued on the growth trajectory that began in H2 2021 with a very sustained 80% increase in half-year sales. Sales in EMEA, in which 38% of the group's activity is generated, grew 6% compared with the same period in the previous year. After a first quarter in which activity in France remained virtually stable, the group's sales returned to steady growth of 29% in the semester.

https://www.ekinops.com/news/corporate/ekinops-delivers-ebitda-margin-at-17-0-and-25-revenue-growth-in-h1-2022-raises-guidance-for-2022-revenue

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Ekinops reports H1 revenue of €63.3 million, up 25%

Ekinops reported Q2 2022 revenue s consolidated revenue stood at €35.5m, vs. €27.6m a year earlier. At constant scope and exchange rates, quarterly growth stood at +24%.

Over H1 2022, revenue amounted to €63.3 million, vs. €50.8 million in H1 2021, an increase of €12.5m. This solid level reflects robust growth of +25% relative to H1 2021 and +20% relative to the H2 2021, which traditionally contributes more.

Ekinops noted growth in all of its business lines (Optical transport, Access and Software & services). In the wake of 2022, the Optical transport activity was particularly buoyant, with robust growth of +31% relative to H1 2021, thanks to the success of 200 Gbps and 400 Gbps WDM systems.

Over the period, momentum in Access solution sales was also strong in all regions, with +21% growth compared to H1 2021.

Driven by the success of SDN (Software Defined Networks) solutions, network functions virtualization (VNFs – Virtual Network Functions), Services activity, including the contribution of SixSq's activities, revenue generated by sales of software and services, which constitute a factor for improving profitability, jumped by +47%, representing 15% of H1 revenues.

By geography, revenues wereup +29% in France and strong sales momentum in international business, including +48% in North America. International sales momentum was upbeat over H1 2022, with revenue up +22% and strong growth in all regions. International business accounted for 65% of total revenue over H1 2021 (vs 67% a year earlier). Business volumes totaled €12.8 million in North America, representing strong growth of +48% relative to H1 2021 (+33% in US dollar), driven by demand for Optical transport equipment. Ekinops reached, for the first time, 20% of its revenue in North America in H1 2022 (vs. 17% in the previous year).

At mid-year, EMEA (Europe, excl. France, Middle-East and Africa), which accounts for 38% of business, generated revenue of €24.3 million, up +6% relative to H1 of the previous year.

Didier Brédy, Chairman and CEO of Ekinops, stated: "After a dynamic 2021 for Ekinops, this beginning of 2022 is marked by a clear acceleration in demand growth. Illustrating this dynamism, all our business lines show strong growth, with strong traction in our Optical transport solutions, particularly in North America. This momentum puts us ahead of our target set at the time of the OTN technology acquisition in 2019, namely, to triple our sales over 5 years for this business line. Beyond the excellent growth in sales, my greatest satisfaction is the tremendously positive feedback from our largest customers regarding our ability to deliver on schedule while the unprecedented components crisis is raging. From the beginning of the Covid crisis, we have chosen to use our balance sheet to increase our inventory, to buy certain risky components 12 to 18 months in advance, while we would buy those 6 months ahead before the crisis. These choices have proven to be right ones as they generate goodwill from our customers and allow us to win market share."

https://www.ekinops.com/news/corporate/ekinops-delivers-record-h1-revenue-at-63-3-million-up-25-q2-growth-at-29

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Ekinops' SixSq joins 5G-EMERGE

Ekinops has joined SixSq in the 5G-EMERGE project, which aims to develop solutions that leverage 5G technology and satellite broadcasting for media delivery. The project is part of the European Space Agency (ESA) programme of Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) led by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

The 5G-EMERGE project aims at developing an integrated satellite and terrestrial system based on open standards to enable high-quality content distribution services over multi-layer IP infrastructures. Telecommunications satellites will efficiently deliver high-demand content, including streaming of live events, as close as possible to the end user – to the 'edge'. The project includes demonstrations in 5G base stations, users' homes and vehicles.

A consortium of 20 companies from six European countries will collaborate on developing the distributed edge technology and service-delivery features. SixSq's contribution includes leading the demonstration work package and providing the edge-to-cloud software infrastructure based on its Nuvla.io B2B SaaS platform and marketplace of containerised applications, as well as its open source NuvlaEdge software.

SixSq CEO Marc-Elian Bégin said, "leveraging satellite broadcast and 5G is a great opportunity to deliver the right high-density content at the right location with the right customization. However, this requires fine-tuned orchestration of the entire value chain and this is what SixSq edge-to-cloud software provides. We are no stranger to big challenges posed by ESA and EBU and are looking forward to pushing the boundaries of edge-to-cloud, bringing together the space sector, 5G and multi-media content delivery."

"The 5G-Emerge project is yet another example of Ekinops' long commitment towards software innovation as a mean to add value to the telecommunications sector," commented Vincent Munière, Group Chief Technology Officer & VP R&D at Ekinops. "We are looking forward to helping set the bar in 5G services and content delivery."

http://www.ekinops.com/ 

https://sixsq.com

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Everstream deploys Ekinops360 optical transport

Everstream, a communication service provider serving  north-central and eastern regions of the United States, is deploying the Ekinops360 optical transport solutions.

Specifically, Ekinops is delivering its PM 200FRS02 FlexRate module with multi- reach capability from access to ultra-long haul along with a flexgrid ROADM-based optical line system to provide the optical layer flexibility necessary to reconfigure capacity rapidly based on customer demand.  Ekinops' Celestis NMS network management system provides the monitoring and control functions and delivers rich, actionable intelligence about the state of the network that Everstream uses to manage all of its locations from its dual network operations centers.

Everstream operates an extensive 27,000 fiber-mile network stretching from Duluth, Minnesota all the way to Washington, DC.The network consists of more than 5,000 on-net locations with connectivity in 63 Tier 1 to Tier 4 data centers across its ten-state footprint, including key markets such as Milwaukee, Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Detroit and Philadelphia.

Everstream said its solution facilitates increased transport capacity for fiber to the tower (FTTT) backhaul services in addition to enterprise transport applications. 

"From wireless backhaul services for 5G to enterprise cloud applications – the demand for bandwidth continues to rise," said Chuck Girt, Everstream Chief Technology Officer. "Capacity-building technologies such the Ekinops360 platform provide the scalability called for in Everstream's technology roadmap, enabling delivery of the high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity solutions our customers require."  

"We are very pleased to be partnering with Everstream on such a robust network," says Kevin Antill, Ekinops' group vice president of sales for North America. "That they've built so quickly speaks volumes not just about the performance of Ekinops equipment, but also our ability to execute and deliver in response to customer requirements."

https://www.ekinops.com/solutions/optical-transport 

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France's LyRES Metropolitan Network deploys Ekinops360

The Ekinops360 optical transport system has been implemented within the LyRES Metropolitan Network (Lyon Recherche et Enseignement Supérieur) to support the delivery of high-speed, ultra-secure broadband to staff and students at 22 universities and over fifty connected sites in the Lyon area. The upgraded network delivers average speeds of 100Gbps, with peaks of several hundred Gbps in certain areas.

The Ekinops360 optical transport solution has been selected by partner SPIE ICS, a digital services subsidiary of the SPIE group, which is contracted to LyRES to seamlessly upgrade its network to meet new and existing challenges of digital development for its higher education and research institutions. As the LyRES network is connected to the RENATER national network for higher education and research, maintaining network availability, reliability and security is crucial.

“LyRES Metropolitan Network is yet another example of how Ekinops is able to quickly serve customers,” said Thierry Varona, Sales Director France at Ekinops. “We are delighted that the LyRES Network has chosen Ekinops and its partner SPIE ICS for its network and believe this signals the beginning of future investment in homegrown French technologies.”

“Ekinops’ deep understanding of how mission critical networks should be upgraded is clear in their optical transport solutions,” adds Bogdan Stefanescu, Director Competence Center for the Eastern Region, SPIE ICS. “The flexibility and scalability enabled by their technologies allowed us to deliver a seamless migration to the new network environment and provide tremendous network speeds to all users. Ekinops is also headquartered in France which gives us an operational advantage too.”

https://www.ekinops.com

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Ekinops reports strong Q1 demand and +20% revenue growth

Ekinops reported Q1 2022 consolidated revenue of €27.8m, up 20% vs. Q1 2021 (+19% at constant scope). At constant scope and exchange rates, revenue rose 16%, in line with the 2022 annual target for organic growth at least equal to that of 2021 (+12%).

The company reported growth in all of its businesses, with software and services up +64%. Profiting from the strength of its Services activity, its SDN (Software Defined Networks) solutions, the network function virtualization solutions, and the contribution of SixSq's activities, revenue generated by software and services rose by +64% over the quarter.

The share of software and services continued to increase, and now accounts for 17% of the Group's quarterly revenue, versus 12% one year prior, and 14% for full year 2021.

Optical Transport activity showed a strong increase over Q1 2022, thanks to the success of the 200 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s WDM systems.

In North America, which totals 18% of Group's sales, Ekinops achieved vigorous quarterly growth of +54% in Q1 2022 (+42% in US dollars). This performance is the result of an extremely solid increase in the activity of both Optical Transport and Access solutions.

EMEA (Europe - excl. France - Middle East & Africa) region, which represents 42% of the Group's activity, achieved growth of +21% for the quarter, underpinned largely by Optical Transport solutions, particularly in Germany.

https://www.ekinops.com/news/corporate/q1-2022-strong-demand-and-20-revenue-growth

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Ekinops signs reseller partnership with Fujitsu

Fujitsu will integrate the Ekinops next generation OTN compact modular switches into the Fujitsu 1FINITY open optical networking portfolio.

The Ekinops ETSc, an OTN compact platform optimized for metro and metro-access services, provides greater scaling capacity for optical networks from 1GbE to 200G, while giving service providers more choice in open networking solutions. Virtuora, Fujitsu's multi-layer, multi-vendor control and orchestration software platform, will provide automated and seamless network operations for the Ekinops platform. In addition to scalability and flexibility, the compact form factor delivers operational efficiencies to service providers.

"Fujitsu's partnership with Ekinops is part of our continuous strategy to create an industry-leading, open networking ecosystem for service providers worldwide," said Paul Havala, head of the optical business unit at Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. "We are proud to offer our customers new solutions that comply with our high performance, quality and reliability standards."

"The combination of our high-performance OTN products integrated with Virtuora® is a best-in-class next-generation solution. North American service providers now have a flexible, scalable, future-proof system using state-of-the-art technology for operation and management," added Kevin Antill, Group VP heading North America at Ekinops.

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Ekinops debuts Compact OTN

Ekinops introduced its first Ekinops360 ETSc, a new compact Optical Transport Networking (OTN) platform that enables a new Transport-as-a-Service (TaaS) model for service providers.

Ekinops said its new ETSc platform leverages the latest advances in network processor chipsets to enable a new ‘Transport-as-a-Service’ (TaaS) model for service providers supporting client data rates from Gigabit Ethernet (1.25 Gbps) to 400GbE with dedicated resources end-to-end and rapid provisioning capability. The Ekinops360 ETSc provides full OTN switch capability with scalability from 100Gbps to 6 Tbps to address the requirements of any network node from access to the core. As small as 1RU and with low power consumption, it can even be used as customer premises equipment (CPE) for Layer 1 services. 

The ETSc is currently undergoing full field validation and integration into an open, multi-vendor SDN-controlled environment. The new OTN platform can also be managed by Celestis NMS, Ekinops’ converged network management system that provides a single tool for end-to-end management of both Ekinops360 OTN and WDM networks.

“We designed the ETSc to be a flexible scalable, future-proof system using state-of-the-art technologies that can operate in open network environments,” says Vincent Munière, Group Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Research & Development at Ekinops. “It will allow Ekinops to address new customers and applications that we couldn’t with our WDM portfolio alone helping Ekinops achieve its stated goal of tripling transport revenue by the end of 2024.”

https://www.ekinops.com/products-services/products/ekinops360/otn/ets-compact

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Video: How Europe's Data Sovereignty Rules Change the Vendor Landscape

 

https://youtu.be/pWYthYfYYBk

With different laws in place around the world it can be challenging for cloud vendors to manage data locally. In this video, Sylvain Quartier, Vice President, Marketing and Product Strategy at Ekinops, talks about how these challenges drive a more secure network and highlight the importance of an open operating system.

Ekinops Software-Defined Solutions

https://www.ekinops.com/solutions/software-defined

Ekinops OneOS6

https://www.ekinops.com/products-services/products/compose/oneos6

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Ekinops delivers optical backbone upgrade for France's IKOULA

IKOULA, a French Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provider of dedicated servers, outsourced cloud computing, web and cloud hosting services, has selected Ekinops to upgrade its backbone network between data centers.

Ekinops is delivering the PM 200FRS02 200G FlexRate coherent line card for IKOULA to upgrade its existing Ekinops chassis that are already transporting traffic on multiple 10G cards. The line card is used in 100G mode, de facto instantly multiplying the capacity of this line by a factor of ten to handle the current traffic load. 

IKOULA has been using Ekinops equipment for its core network for over ten years, connecting data centers in Reims and Eppes and an Internet point-of-presence (PoP) in Paris. Having grown since the initial installation to 25,000 active customers in over 60 countries on 4 continents, IKOULA recognized the need to upgrade its backbone network in order to maintain its customers’ high quality of experience despite the increased demand. The PM 200FRS02 FlexRate card can be installed in the same chassis used by 10G saving IKOULA both the cost of new shelves as well as the time and cost of deploying and commissioning the new hardware. A long record of performance, simplicity of deployment, short lead times and exemplary execution were all factors in IKOULA’s decision to upgrade with Ekinops.

“Our optical transport solutions enable service providers to radically transform the speed of their networks,” says Thierry Varona, Sales Director France at Ekinops. “The FlexRate technology will allow IKOULA to more easily adapt to continued service growth without compromising on quality of service.”

https://www.ekinops.com/news/customers/ekinops-upgrades-ikoula-data-center-interconnection-links-enabling-cloud-services-on-french-network

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EKINOPS acquires SixSq for its edge computing SaaS

EKINOPS has acquired SixSq, a start-up based in Geneva, Switzerland that offers a software-as-a-service (SaaS) for edge computing. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The SixSq range comprises the Nuvla.io marketplace, which hosts all types of business applications in container format, and the NuvlaBox software, which converts enterprise routers or other open hardware platforms capable of processing data, into smart edge systems.

The Nuvla.io marketplace makes available to all NuvlaBoxes deployed in the field inside enterprises, all the applications it hosts in the Cloud, similar to the App Store or Play Store for consumers. 

“After enriching OneOS6 middleware with SD-WAN and SBC solutions, it is now possible to extend it to all types of applications through the integration of NuvlaBox into OneOS6 and access to the Nuvla.io marketplace. The possibilities are infinite!” said Didier Brédy, CEO of Ekinops. “We are looking forward to presenting this opportunity to our telecom operator customers. It is a new way for them to monetize their presence at enterprise branch sites through our OneOS6 routers.”

“Our solution, already productized, offers a unique value proposition to various verticals such as industry, mass retail and telecoms. For us, joining Ekinops is an enormous accelerator,” said Marc-Elian Bégin,co-founder and CEO of SixSq. 

https://www.ekinops.com/news/corporate/ekinops-acquires-sixsq-and-steps-up-its-presence-in-edge-computing

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Ekinops' Q3 revenue rises 12%

Ekinops reported consolidated revenue of €24.1m in the third quarter of its financial year, reflecting steady growth of 11% from third-quarter 2020. At constant exchange rates, revenue grew 12% on an organic basis. Some highlights from Ekinops:

• As in the first half of the year, the third quarter was marked by strong sales momentum in Optical Transport solutions in all geographical regions.
• Bolstered by the success of Software Defined Networks (SDN) and virtualization offers, the share of software and services continued to grow, accounting for over 13% of Group revenue at end-September 2021 (compared with 10% for full-year 2020).
  
• Growth accelerated internationally in the first nine months, with Ekinops reporting growth of 20% for the period (+14% in H1 2020). At end-September, international operations accounted for 67% of total Group revenue (vs. 63% for full-year 2020).
• The EMEA region (Europe - excluding France - Middle East and Africa) posted growth of 24%, with nine-month revenue at €32.6m. The region benefited in particular from the 60% increase in sales of Optical Transport solutions.
• North America once again achieved double-digit growth, with revenue of €13m, reflecting strong 21% growth (+28% in USD). The trend was fueled by solid growth in both Access and Optical Transport solutions.
• After an 18-month period impacted by the consequences of the pandemic, Asia-Pacific returned to growth in the third quarter, with sales now down by just 7% in the first nine months of the year (compared with -29% in the first six months).
• France posted nine-month revenue of €24.7m, down slightly by 3% since the start of the year. This performance should be seen in light of the growth achieved in the same period in 2020 (+11%).

Didier Brédy, Chairman and CEO of Ekinops, states: "Ekinops posted a record third quarter despite unprecedented global tensions on electronic components. This reflects a solid performance by the Group, driven by the efforts led across all geographical regions and by our determination to generate strong and lasting growth. We are highly satisfied with the continued double-digit growth in North America and EMEA, the initial signs of a recovery in business activity in the Asia-Pacific region, and the robust outlook for our business activities in France between now and the end of the year. Despite inflation on component prices, we remain confident that we will meet our targets for the 2021 financial year."

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Ekinops expands collaboration with the b<>com research institute

Ekinops announced a new research collaboration with b<>com, a private Institute of Research and Technology in France with labs in Rennes, Paris, Brest, and Lannion.

The collaboration, which utilizes b<>com's private-public partnership model, will see the two organizations work together to develop technologies for private cloud infrastructures with use cases in eHealth, artificial intelligence and telecoms. The collaboration will focus on developing new generations of hardware and software platforms using a bare-metal "service containers" approach that optimizes resource allocation while meeting evolving connectivity demands in solutions that are robust, compact and easily integrated into any environment. It will also look to develop solutions that are flexible enough to host services that can support IoT or Edge Computing use cases, such as real-time pattern or object recognition, Cloud services while offering 4G, 5G or fiber access.

Ekinops has previously collaborated with b<>com on optical transport solutions.

"Having already successfully applied virtualization to business use cases with our OneOS6-LIM technology, this new research collaboration will allow us to address different environments and services. A bare-metal integrated container approach in OneOS6 would offer the benefits of both worlds of physical (pCPE) and virtualized (uCPE) platforms," comments Sylvain Quartier, VP Marketing & Product Strategy Access at Ekinops. "We are delighted to have found with b<>com, once again, ambitious technological innovation supporting companies, and it is with great motivation that we continue our collaboration with their experts," he adds.

"Our ambition is to imagine the private networks of tomorrow while meeting the needs of companies today," says Mathieu Lagrange, Director of Networks and Security at b<>com. "The challenges of the transformation that lies ahead are numerous, whether it is AI or real-time computing, for example, to serve the performance, resilience and security of these future networks. The results of our joint research will probably be applied first to very demanding uses in terms of security and processing of high-definition video streams with very low latency, for example in the healthcare field," he concludes.

"Ekinops' ambition is to have a product ready for the market in 2022. This will most likely apply to the field of cyber security, a strong topic for us in the context of our SD-WAN Xpress solution," adds Sylvain Quartier.

http://www.ekinops.com

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Slovak Telekom picks Ekinops to upgrade its network access

Slovak Telekom, a Deutsche Telekom Group member, has selected Ekinops' network access solution to upgrade its legacy symmetrical DSL network.

Slovak Telecom is utilizing Ekinops’ ONE521 router, which combines a DSL modem, a Fiber port and LTE as an option. Slovak Telekom can now benefit from this remotely provisioned router based on the Ekinops OneOS6 operating system. The OneOS6 software offers as standard a broad set of network access features, and also supports advanced VPN, SD-WAN and a Microsoft Direct Routing certified session border controller. 

Ekinops says its solution enables Slovak Telekom to easily expand its service portfolio and handle increasing connectivity demands (from DSL to Fiber) without changing hardware.

“We were familiar with Ekinops’ strong technical capabilities and personalized, collaborative approach following its close work with other Deutsche Telekom group members,” commented Jozef Lachkovic, Director of Technology Transformation and Optimization at Slovak Telekom. “These qualities have been central to this project’s success. Highly responsive and agile, Ekinops has delivered a flexible, open and cost-effective solution that aligns with our needs today and in the future.”  

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Ekinops selected by Michigan school district for WDM network

Michigan's Grosse Pointe School System (GPSS) has selected the Ekinops360 optical transport system to build a new wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) network in its district.

The network serves a community of 14 public schools consisting of approximately 1,000 teachers and administrators and over 7,000 students.  Its existing managed lit services from its local service provider were costly to operate, required a long lead-time to upgrade and did not deliver the quality of service GPSS needed.  The new WDM network, based the Ekinops360, delivers up to ten times the connection bandwidth to each school compared to the fastest commercially available service.

GPSS selected the Ekinops360 after a competitive, open bid process that attracted multiple proposals from the global WDM system vendor community. Plante & Moran served as technology consulatant. 

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Australia's NetSG picks Ekinops' OneAccess enterprise routers

Network Solutions Group (NetSG), a partner-led Service Provider with a network spanning Australia and New Zealand, has selected Ekinops to provide OneAccess branded enterprise routers to grow their managed services, which include data and voice, data center and cloud connectivity, network design and engineering, and network management..

NetSG will center its offering around the ONE421, the "all-in-one box" branch office solution for services up to 200 Mbps powered by the next-gen operating system OneOS6. The ONE421 combines fiber, A/VDSL and LTE for hybrid access and service continuity enabling the ultra-connected branch office. Thanks to OneOS6, NetSG will be able to offer SD-WAN (Software-defined WAN), SBC (Session Border Controller) or firewall built-in functions to their customers at a time of their choosing.

Commenting on the partnership, Laura Veness, co-founding director at Network Solutions Group, said: "NetSG and Ekinops ethos match perfectly as both companies focus on reducing the complexity of network solutions. We are very excited to represent the Ekinops access portfolio in Australia and New Zealand."

"Ekinops offers advanced edge technologies solutions built on years of enterprise access expertise to support a channel that is looking to grasp new opportunities in the market. We are extremely pleased to welcome NetSG on board," comments Jason Beaumont, Regional Sales Director Asia Pacific, at Ekinops. "We look forward to working with Network Solutions Group to promote open and flexible managed solutions in the region."

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Ekinops posts record 1H2021 revenue of EUR50.8m

Ekinops reported consolidated revenue of €27.6m in Q2 2021, a 12% increase compared with Q2 2020. At constant exchange rates, quarterly growth comes out at 14%. Revenue for the first half of the year amounted to €50.8 million, up 11% over the same period last year.

Ekinops said all its Group product lines (Optical Transport, Access and Software) posted growth and contributed to the solid half-year performance. Optical Transport demonstrated particularly strong momentum, with H1 growth of 26%, and, for the first time, generated over €10m in revenue in a single quarter.

The share of software and services increased to 12% of revenue in the reporting period (compared with 8% in H1 2020), driven in particular by the success of network function virtualization solutions.

In geographic terms, growth in North America came out at 15%, rising to 25% in US dollars. While Optical Transport equipment continue to prove highly successful, the first half was marked by a boost in the sales of Access solutions. These solutions enable operators to undertake the virtualization of their network functions and benefit from new-generation software-defined networks (SDNs). Access sales almost doubled in the region, reaching a seven-digit number over the period. After a stable first quarter, the EMEA region bounced back sharply in the second, ending the first half with robust growth of 22%. All the business lines posted growth, with an extremely strong increase for Optical Transport equipment. First-half growth in France amounted to 4%, with a slight slowdown in Q2 2021 that was to be expected owing to extremely strong momentum in the region in Q2 2020 (growth of 29%). In the domestic market, all the Group's business activities also posted growth. In Asia-Pacific, the business activity remained depressed in the first half (-29%). The region continues to struggle to rebound following the extreme impact of the pandemic.

https://www.ekinops.com/news/corporate/record-revenue-in-first-half-2021-50-8m-for-a-substantial-increase-of-13-at-constant-exchange-rates

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