Psytechnics Raises $20 Million for its Quality of Experience (QoE) Assessment Tools

Psytechnics, a start-up headquartered in Ipswich, UK with US offices in Boston, closed a new round of funding bringing total capital raised to over $20 million. The company specializes in solutions for Quality of Experience (QoE) assessment for mobile, fixed and converged network service providers.



Psytechnics' products provid real-time, per-session measurement of end user experience for rapid detection and resolution of service affecting issues.



The company also announced the appointment of Benjamin Ellis as its Vice President of Global Marketing. Prior to joining Psytechnics, Ellis was at Juniper Networks, where he was Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications, and previously head of Product
and Solutions marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

http://www.psytechnics.com

IP Service Providers Ignore Customer Experience Metrics at Their Own Risk

Lagging end-user Quality of Experience (QoE) could be the downfall of IP service providers if they continue heightened attention on service price cuts and neglect advancements in test and measurement technology. To ensure end-user satisfaction, IP service providers will find that objective testing methods best suit their testing needs, since older methods, including subjective measurements, consume time and resources without producing the needed results.

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PMC-Sierra's PALADIN 20 Targets Remote Radio Head Architecture

PMC-Sierra introduced its third generation Digital Predistortion (DPD) solution targeting next gen wireless equipment designed for Remote Radio Head (RRH) deployments. RRH promises to significantly lower the cost of 3G network rollouts by reducing power requirements for base stations and thereby eliminating the need for expensive air-conditioned housing.



PMC-Sierra's new PM7820 PALADIN 20 device, which offers full software compatibility with its existing PALADIN family, powers new Doherty power amplifier (PA) architectures to achieve power efficiencies in excess of 40 percent, more than doubling the efficiency of currently deployed Class A/B LDMOS PAs.



Together with PMC-Sierra's BRIC family of standard Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) baseband to RF interconnects, the PALADIN 20 provides an end-to-end digital solution for distributed base station architectures.



The Paladin 20 provides 20 MHz of bandwidth for WCDMA, CDMA2000 and WiMAX applications giving wireless Service Providers enhanced flexibility to deploy various carrier configurations.



PMC-Sierra said the new PALADIN 20 provides the enhanced linearization a Doherty PA requires and increases efficiency by reducing the thermal and memory effects that contribute to performance degradation. The solution's DPD algorithm enables Doherty PAs to exceed the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) WCDMA specification requirements with greater than 3 dB of margin. The use of highly efficient Doherty PAs in WCDMA and CDMA2000 system deployments provides significant cost savings, including reduced energy expenses due to reduced heat dissipation, cost-effective plastic cooling units, and a smaller footprint that saves cost and board space on the RRH. Doherty PAs, combined with the PALADIN 20's advanced DPD technology, can cut annual energy costs by as much as 50 percent compared to DPD Class A/B PAs. For a typical 15,000 BTS rollout, with three PAs per BTS, this translates into an annual savings of more than $2.1M.

http://www.pmc-sierra.comIn February 2006, PMC-Sierra introduced its second-generation, single-chip Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) solution for enabling 3G distributed architectures. As mobile operators increase the coverage and capacity of their cellular networks, distributed base station architectures using Remote Radio Heads can help them realize major performance improvements and significant capital and operational savings.



PMC-Sierra said its Baseband to Radio Interface Controller (BRIC) product family will accelerate the adoption of distributed wireless base station architectures, significantly reducing capital and operational expenditures for carriers.

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Spirent Adds 10GbE X2 Interface for Enterprise Switch Testing

Spirent Communications announced new test solutions to help network equipment manufacturers of 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) switches and routers. Spirent now offers 10GbE copper and fiber interfaces on a single test module. The solution provides twenty-four ports of GigE and two ports of 10-Gigabit Ethernet.



The new MSA-1001A Two port 10GbE test Module with X2 interfaces starts at $70,000 US List price.



Spirent said equipment vendors are seeing high growth rates in blade switches and stackable Gigabit Ethernet switches that have two or four 10GbE uplinks. These uplinks are normally 10GBASE-CX4 copper, XFP or X2 fiber connectors, all of which can be evaluated on Spirent TestCenter.

http://www.spirentcom.com

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Riverbed Launches New WAN Optimization Appliances

Riverbed Technology introduced three new "Steelhead" WAN optimization appliances that deliver high scalability and acceleration for up to one million simultaneous connections at 4 Gbps throughput. The latest release of the Riverbed Optimization System (RiOS), version 3.0, supports QoS enforcement for all traffic types, including TCP, VoIP, video, and any other forms of UDP.



The Steelhead appliances, which sit at both ends of a WAN connection, optimize performance across all traffic types, including voice and video. The product rollout includes:

• the Steelhead 5520 -- which delivers optimized WAN bandwidth of up to OC-3 (155 Mbps) and 800 Mbps with disk-based data reduction disabled. It supports up to 15,000 simultaneous TCP connections and has a disk capacity of 1.5 TB and a data store of 700 GB.



• the Steelhead 6020 -- which is the most scalable WAN optimization product on the market. It delivers up to 310 Mbps and 800 Mbps with disk-based data reduction disabled. The Steelhead 6020 can support up to 40,000 simultaneous TCP connections and has a disk capacity of 3.2 TB and a data store of 1.4 TB.



• The Riverbed Interceptor 9200 allows very large organizations to deliver massive scalability by enabling virtual in-path clusters of Steelhead appliances without Web Cache Communications Protocol (WCCP) or Policy-Based Routing (PBR). The device supports up to a million simultaneous TCP connections per cluster and up to 4 Gbps of optimized WAN throughput. WAN administrators can configure, upgrade, and scale clustered Steelhead appliances non-obtrusively.

Optimizations in RiOS 3.0 include Network File System (NFS) application streamlining, which accelerates NFS for Linux/Unix users without the need for caching or explicit proxies. The performance of Unix-based applications such as ClearCase, Unigraphics, Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Interactive Application (CATIA), and remote Home Directory access can increase by up to 55 times. RiOS 3.0 also includes new optimizations for the Common Internet File System (CIFS) protocol that improve the performance of collaborative applications such as Visio and SolidWorks by up to 20 times. Every Steelhead introduced into the network can auto-detect over 4,000 other Steelhead peers without requiring complex tunneling configurations.



Every Steelhead introduced into the network can auto-detect over 4,000 other Steelhead peers without requiring complex tunneling configurations.



Riverbed said it now has over 1,000 customers. For its latest fiscal quarter, the company racked up sales of $18 millionhttp://www.riverbed.com/

WAN Optimization: Finding the Best Approach

There are critical factors beyond bandwidth limitations that impede performance and productivity. While users complain that the network is painfully slow, network managers insist that the problem must lie outside the network, since utilization is at only a fraction of the total bandwidth available. How can both arguments be correct? Latency is the secret throughput killer. Physics dictate that latency is unavoidable in a wide area network - the information takes some small amount of time to traverse the network connection. But when transport and application protocols are layered on top of typical network latencies, frustration can mount as employees wait for data and applications to load.

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Verizon Launches Free "PlayLinc" Games Messenger

Verizon began offering a free "PlayLinc" service that provides gamers with an integrated interface for voice, instant messaging and access to free public servers. Essentially, PlayLinc is a free games messenger with VOIP tools. It also allows players to host games on their own PCs and invite friends to private Internet gaming sessions.



PlayLinc can be used with any broadband connection, but Verizon said its fiber-based FiOS Internet service will deliver superior performance.



PlayLinc's peer-to-peer voice capabilities allow up to 32 players to communicate with one another in real time.

Verizon's introduction of PlayLinc is the result of the company's new relationship with SuperComputer International (SCI), a leading provider of high-performance game-server hosting solutions, gameplay-related services and fully integrated gaming portals. Verizon acquired an equity position in SCI in May.



Verizon also announced the launch of its new online community Web site, games.verizon.com, which showcases PlayLinc and includes forums, frequently asked questions, blogs, gaming news and other features for online gaming aficionados.



Verizon said PlayLinc and the new Web site are key parts of its overall strategy to establish relationships with and encourage the growth of a large, loyal community of serious and casual gamers. These relationships with gamers are expected to fuel business opportunities for Verizon, including digital distribution of games, in-game and on-site advertising, promotion of other Verizon services, and increased adoption of Verizon's FiOS and DSL broadband services.http://games.verizon.com

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XO Deploys Fixed Broadband Wireless in Nine U.S. Cities

XO Communications announced its first significant market deployments of fixed broadband wireless in nine metropolitan markets -- Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, San Diego, Tampa and Washington, DC.



The deployments are the first in a series of markets nationwide in which XO plans to utilize fixed broadband wireless technology through a partnership with its sister company, Nextlink, the nation's largest holder of Local Multipoint Distribution System (LMDS) spectrum with licenses in 75 metropolitan markets.



XO is using LMDS fixed broadband wireless as a last mile access method to deliver Dedicated Internet Access and Metropolitan and Inter-city Ethernet solutions directly to businesses at speeds of 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps.



From Nextlink wireless hubs deployed in each market, XO can deliver services to any qualified line-of-site location within an average of five miles. Services include Internet access, VoIP, and private business local area networks at native LAN speeds. XO is also reducing local network costs by replacing leased circuits that connect local switch locations to the XO network with more cost-effective and scalable fixed wireless links.htp://www.xo.com

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QUALCOMM Introduces Single-Chip CDMA Solution for Low-Cost Handsets

QUALCOMM introduced a single-chip solution for low-cost CDMA2000 handsets aimed at emerging markets worldwide. The design integrates baseband modem, RF transceiver, power management and system memory into a single chip. QUALCOMM said the chip reduces the number of discrete components required, reduces bill-of-materials costs and delivers board-area savings of more than 50%. Key features include downloadable polyphonic ringtones and color displays.

http://www.qualcomm.comhttp://www.cdmatech.com/singlechip

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Atheros Adds Network Processor and Debuts 802.11n Chipset with 2x2 MIMO

Atheros Communications launched its first family of network processors, the AR7100, targeting triple-play wireless APs and routers. Key features of the Atheros network processors include a high-performance MIPS-based processor core; a 33/66 MHz PCI interface; dual Ethernet ports for LAN and WAN connectivity; a high- speed 32-bit DDR memory controller to support high-bandwidth applications; and on-chip cache memory. The NPUs also offer dual USB 2.0 interfaces for wireless network storage and printing; a PCM interface to support analog and VoIP telephony; and an I(2)S interface to support audio streaming through the router.



Two NPU processor models are initially offered: 300MHz with dual 10/100 Ethernet ports, and 400MHz with dual 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) Ethernet ports.





Atheros also introduced a high-performance, cost-optimized draft 802.11n chipset (AR5008V) featuring a 2x2 MIMO design. The 2x2 solution, based on Atheros' XSPAN technology, achieves cost savings through silicon and other bill of materials cost reductions. It provides PCI and PCIe host interface support for integrating the chipset into laptops, routers and APs.



The chipset provides up to 300 Mbps physical data rates. Atheros said the technology delivers 10 times the range of legacy 802.11g and a/g solutions.



As with the entire Atheros XSPAN family, the new AR5008V supports all the mandatory technical elements in the Draft 1.0 802.11n specification to ensure interoperability with both legacy devices and draft 802.11n products that adhere to the specification.

http://www.atheros.com

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KPN Selects Alcatel/Lucent for All IP Network

KPN, the incumbent operator in the Netherlands, selected Lucent Technologies to manage the deployment and integration of KPN's All IP Next Generation Network (NGN), based on IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) service architecture.



Lucent will serve as prime integrator in the migration of KPN's existing services and customers to the new All IP network, which will support multimedia services across the nation. KPN has earlier announced that it will be spending between EUR 1 to 1.5 billion on its All IP program. Following the successful migration of customers and services, the legacy networks and buildings will be phased out.



KPN has also selected Alcatel to provide the network equipment to extend its nationwide Ethernet Virtual Private Network (VPN) services for business customers and Ethernet aggregation for residential services. The contract is part of a substantial IP network transformation project that will give KPN one of the largest MPLS-enabled networks in the world, which in turn forms part of its All IP program.



The contract is the second phase of an ambitious IP/Ethernet network transformation. Phase one was awarded to Alcatel in October 2005 for the delivery of triple play services from 28 main POPs and 172 medium PoPs located in 14 different regions. The second phase extension is expected to be completed by 2008 and will result in a network with an additional 1300 smaller POP locations.



The foundation for the phase two extension is the Alcatel 7450 Ethernet Service Switch (ESS) and Alcatel 5620 Service Aware Manager (SAM).

http://www.lucent.comhttp://www.alcatel.com

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Consolidated Communications Launches IPTV in Texas

Consolidated Communications, the 17th largest local telephone company in the United States, launched its IPTV service in Conroe and Katy, Texas, offering 157 local and premium digital channels and over 1000 hours of movies on-demand. Consolidated serves approximately 239,000 local access lines and 46,000 DSL accounts.

http://www.consolidated.com

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MoCA Certifies ONTs from Motorola and Tellabs

The Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA-TM) has certified Optical Network Terminal (ONT) triple-play fiber-to-the-home terminals from Motorola, Inc. and Tellabs. These devices, the first ONTs to be certified by MoCA, convert optical signals, delivered over a passive optical network (PON) on fiber, into electrical signals that are sent to a homeowner's entertainment devices. MoCA technology, embedded in the ONT, enables triple-play content, including well over net 100Mbps of multiple HDTV and SDTV programs, high-speed data, gaming, voice and any other services over IP , through the existing in-home coaxial wiring. The ONT is typically attached to the outside of a home or apartment.



The Motorola ONT1000M Single Family MoCA Optical Network Terminal provides a single point of delivery for voice, video and data services over a single fiber network.



The Tellabs 1600-612 Single Family Unit (SFU) ONT supports residential voice, Ethernet-based data, video over IP, MoCA and RF analog-digital video services all over a single optical fiber in an easy-to-install unit. The unit supports either 10/100BaseT Ethernet or a MoCA interface for high-speed delivery of entertainment over IP throughout
a home using coaxial cable.

http://www.mocalliance.org

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Google Launches Hosted Communications Services for Businesses

Google began offering a set of business communications services, including email, messaging, calendaring and other web-based applications, aimed at small businesses that "the hassle of installing and maintaining software or hardware."



"Google Apps for Your Domain" allows a company to customize the user interface with their own branding and color scheme. Over time, Google will offer versions of Google Apps for Your Domain that are oriented toward the needs of a variety of organizations, from family websites and community groups to non-profits and small businesses, as well as universities, large enterprises, and ISPs.



Google Apps for Your Domain, an expansion of the Gmail for Your Domain service that launched in February 2006, currently includes Gmail web email, the Google Talk instant messaging and voice calling service, collaborative calendaring through Google Calendar, and web page design, publishing and hosting via Google Page Creator.



Domain administrators use a web-based control panel to manage their user account list, set up aliases and distribution lists, and enable the services they want for their domain. End users with accounts that have been set up by their administrator simply browse to customized login pages on any web-connected computer. Google said the service scales to accommodate growing user bases and storage needs while reducing maintenance costs.



Initially, Google is offering a beta version without cost to domain administrators or end users. Key features include 2 gigabytes of email storage for each user, easy to use customization tools, and help for administrators via email or an online help center. Furthermore, organizations that sign up during the beta period will not ever have to pay for users accepted during that period (provided Google continues to offer the service).



A premium version of the product is being developed and pricing will be disclosed shortly.



As a hosted service, Google Apps for Your Domain is available worldwide, though the control panel for domain administrators is currently available only in US-English. Google is currently working to make the service available to administrators in additional languages.

http://www.google.com/a

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RADVISION Enhances H.324M Toolkit for Fast Video Call Set-up

RADVISION announced the availability of fast call set-up support in the new release of its 3G-324M toolkit, aligning the software with the recent improvements to the 3G standard established by ITU-T Study Group 16. These improvements are designed to enhance the experience of 3G video subscribers by significantly reducing the amount of time required in setting up a video call.



The ITU has included RADVISION's intellectual property related to fast call setup as an integral and mandated part of a revision to the H.324M standard for 3G video, known as H.324 Annex K MONA (Media Oriented Negotiation Acceleration). The newly released 3G-324M Toolkit fully supports H.324 Annex K MONA.



The H.324M standard is used in cellular 3G networks to exchange real-time and bi-directional video traffic that is used in popular services.



RADVISION said the improvements significantly shorten the call set-up time required when requesting such video services as video fun tones, video conferencing and video community chat groups. http://www.radvision.com

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DISH & Warner Bros. Sign VOD Deal

EchoStar Communications' DISH Network satellite TV service reached an agreement with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group to carry the studio's current and catalog titles on its Video On Demand platform, DISH On Demand, as well as Pay-Per-View services, including high definition. DISH On Demand service is currently available on certain DVR receivers. http://www.dishnetwork.com

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SunRocket Raises $33 Million for Consumer VoIP Service

SunRocket, a provider of consumer VoIP service, secured $33 million for its Series C round of institutional financing, bringing the firm's total venture capital raised to approximately $80 million.



The company said it has nearly tripled its subscriber base in 2006, although subscriber numbers were not disclosed.



SunRocket plans to use the money "to accelerate product and feature development, penetrate strategic new sales channels, and enhance the overall customer experience."



A new customer care center opened in Springfield, Missouri earlier this month and will employ as many as 500 workers by the end of the year.



The Series C includes participation from all of SunRocket's existing investors: BlueRun Ventures, Mayfield Fund, DCM and Anthem Capital Management.

http://www.sunrocket.com

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Nokia Siemens Networks Announces Executive Team

Nokia and Siemens announced the key executive appointments that will become effective when their merger is complete and the new company starts operations, which is expected by January 1, 2007.



Nokia and Siemens announced previously that Simon Beresford-Wylie would assume the position of CEO at Nokia Siemens Networks; Mika Vehvilainen would serve as Chief Operating Officer (COO); Karl-Christoph Caselitz would serve as Chief Market Operations Officer (CMO); and Peter Schonhofer would serve as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).



The business units of Nokia Siemens Networks will be global organizations with management and personnel distributed in many countries, including both Finland and Germany.



Stephan Scholz, currently Senior Vice President and Head of Carrier Development in Siemens Communications, will lead the Research, Technology and Platforms organization, focusing on research, technology and cross-business unit synergies including common platforms. Scholz will report to Vehvilainen.



Business unit leaders for Nokia Siemens Networks will be:



Jose Costa e Silva, who will lead the Services business unit. Costa e Silva, currently Senior Vice President and Head of Europe and Americas at Mobile Networks in Siemens Communications, will report to Caselitz. Costa e Silva will be based in Germany.



Ari Lehtoranta, who will lead the Radio Access business unit. Lehtoranta, currently Senior Vice President & General Manager of the Radio business at Nokia, will report to Vehvilainen. Lehtoranta will be based in Finland.



Christian Unterberger, who will lead the Service Core and Applications business unit. Unterberger, currently President Fixed Networks at Siemens Communications, will report to Vehvilainen. Unterberger will be based in Germany.



Christian Fredrikson, who will lead the Operation Support Systems business unit. Fredrikson, currently General Manager of the Core Networks business at Nokia, will report to Vehvilainen. Fredrikson will be based in Finland.



Martin Lust, who will lead the Broadband Access business unit. Lust, currently President, Fixed Networks Access at Siemens Communications, will report to Vehvilainen. Lust will be based in Germany.



Bernd Schumacher, who will lead the IP Networking and Transport business unit. Schumacher, currently President, Siemens Optical Networks at Siemens Communications, will report to Vehvilainen. Schumacher will be based in Germany.



The regional organization for Nokia Siemens Networks will report to Caselitz. Its leaders will be:



Mark Louison, who will lead the North American region. Louison is currently Senior Vice President of North America for Nokia Networks.



Fernando Terni, who will lead the Latin American region. Terni is currently Senior Vice President of Latin America for Nokia Networks.



Zhiqiang Zhang, who will lead the China region. Zhang is currently General Manager of Siemens Communications in China. David Ho, currently Senior Vice President of China for Nokia Networks, will serve as Chairman of Nokia Siemens Networks in China.



Jurgen Bill, who will lead the Western and Southern Europe region. Bill is currently Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific for Mobile Networks in Siemens Communications.



Kai Uebach, who will lead the Northern Europe region. Uebach is currently President of the EMEA Region for Mobile Networks in Siemens Communications.



Jan Cron, who will lead the Middle East and Africa region. Cron is currently Vice President and General Manager of the Middle East Region in Mobile Networks for Siemens Communications.



Rajeev Suri who will lead the Asia Pacific region. Suri is currently Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific for Nokia Networks.

http://www.nokia.comhttp://www.siemens.com

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Global Crossing Offers to Acquire UK's Fibernet for $96 Million

Global Crossing announced a cash offer to acquire all of the issued and to-be-issued shares of Fibernet Group Plc , a UK-based provider of specialist telecommunications networks, for approximately $96.1 million (50.6 million British pounds sterling).



Fibernet serves a marquee roster of UK corporate enterprise and carrier customers, including the Bank of England, Citigroup, IBM and Carphone Warehouse. provides its services from a national fiber network in the UK and also from its metropolitan networks in London, Bristol, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester and Reading. The company has more than 100 points of presence in the UK and an additional 12 in Frankfurt, Germany. In the financial year ended August 31, 2005, Fibernet reported revenue of 47.9 million pounds sterling and Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) of 15.9 million pounds sterling, or $91.0 million and $31.2 million, respectively, at current exchange rates.



Global Crossing and Fibernet have complementary long haul networks.



"Global Crossing and Fibernet have complementary businesses in the UK. The opportunity to combine and grow these businesses is compelling and exciting for us. I look forward to a quick and seamless integration upon closing and to better serving existing customers and welcoming new customers with the expanded range of products we will offer," said John Legere, chief executive officer of Global Crossing.



The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2006 and is conditioned on acceptance by Fibernet shareholders and regulatory approvals.

http://www.globalcrossing.comhttp://www.fibernet.co.uk/

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FCC Grants New Certification for XM Radios

The FCC issued new grants of authority for three XM Satellite radios with FM transmitters after determining that the radios are in compliance with FCC regulations. The XM plug-and-play radios -- Audiovox Xpress, Delphi RoadyXT, and XM Sportscaster -- are three of XM's primary products at retail.



XM Satellite pulled the units off of the market in May 2006, after the FCC questioned whether the power output of the FM radio was too strong.

http://www.xmradio.com

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ST and China's Dahua Develop Dual-Mode Cable/IP STB

STMicroelectronics and Dahua Technology, a Chinese supplier of cable and IPTV set-top boxes, announced a jointly-developed, highly- integrated, digital-cable and IP set-top box. At the heart of Dahua's design is a dedicated chip belonging to ST's STi7100 family of Advanced Video Codecs (AVC). This system-on-chip (SoC) solution integrates support for advanced high-definition H.264/MPEG4 AVC and MPEG4 P2 standard definition (SD) in addition to MPEG2 encoded video signals. The box, which begins deployment in Hangzhou Province in August 2006, will enable consumers to enjoy a new three-in-one digital media experience including digital-cable TV, video-on-demand, and web browsing.



ST said it is the first silicon supplier to provide single-chip dual-mode digital set-top-box solutions for the China market.

http://www.st.com

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Broadcom Marks 15th Anniversary

Broadcom marked the fifteenth anniversary of its founding in 1991 by Henry T. Nicholas III and Henry Samueli, each of whom earned a Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from UCLA. The company went public in April 1998.



Broadcom chips are found in broadband gear such as DSL and cable modems, digital cable, satellite and IP set-top boxes, and high definition DVD players and personal video recording devices; in networking infrastructure equipment, which rely on Broadcom switches, controllers, PHYs, security processors, broadband processors, and server I/O chipsets; and in mobile platforms and wireless connectivity devices and equipment such as cellular phones and Wi-Fi routers with VoIP, Bluetooth and WLAN technologies.

http://www.broadcom.com

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