Motorola secures major WiMAX contract in Ireland

Motorola has been selected by Imagine to design and deploy an end-to-end WiMAX network to replace Imagine's existing wireless infrastructure nationwide across Ireland. Motorola will provide deployment, integration and support services to Imagine in addition to WiMAX equipment. This will include WiMAX Access Points, such as the WAP 450 for increased coverage and capacity in a compact design and the WAP 800 with beamforming antenna techniques for enhanced performance. For customer premises equipment Imagine will offer the USBw 100 dongle for high speed mobile connectivity; the CPEi 775 which includes a built-in Wi-Fi router and ports for VoIP; and the CPEo 450 which extends the coverage of critical broadband and VoIP services, while reducing infrastructure and support costs. A portion of purchase price will be financed by Motorola.
http://www.motorola.com
http://www.imagine.ie

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Bell Labs Collaborates with Korea's Gachon Energy Institute

Alcatel-Lucent's Bell Labs and the Gachon Energy Research Institute (GERI) of Korea's Kyungwon University have entered into a joint research agreement to design mission-critical communication infrastructure, comprehensive security systems, and develop innovative businesses models for the next-generation smart power grid (Smart Grid). The Grid 2.0 research project aims is to enhance the efficiency, reliability, security, and intelligence of electric power grids by exploiting the convergence between electric power systems and information and communications technologies.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

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NTT DOCOMO Selects Alcatel-Lucent's 7450 Ethernet Switch

NTT DOCOMO has selected Alcatel-Lucent's 7450 Ethernet Service Switch (ESS) for a nationwide, high quality, latency-sensitive network addressing voice and video traffic when transporting over its core IP network. It also provides a smooth evolution path for NTT DOCOMO to upgrade its network to 10Gig and - as network growth demands -- to 40Gig and 100Gig. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

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Fujitsu Releases MPEG-4 Encoder/Decoder for Remote Applications

Fujitsu Frontech North America released a set of compact MPEG-4 AVC encoders and decoders for real time transmission of high-definition (HD) and standard-definition (SD) content over IP networks. The IP-900 is designed formobile and transportable applications in news gathering and other remote event applications.


The Fujitsu IP-900E encoder utilizes advanced H.264 encoding for bandwidth-efficient real time transmission of digital content over IP networks. Error correction and retransmission (FEC/ARQ) technology enables the Fujitsu IP-900 series to deliver a error-free transport stream across private and public IP networks. http://www.frontech.fujitsu.com/en/

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Wi-Fi Direct Specification Nears Completion

The Wi-Fi Alliance is nearing completion of a new specification to enable Wi-Fi devices to connect to one another without joining a traditional home, office, or hotspot network. The Wi-Fi Alliance expects to begin certification for this new specification in mid-2010, and products which achieve the certification will be designated Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct.


The Wi-Fi Direct specification, previously code-named "Wi-Fi peer-to-peer," can be implemented in any Wi-Fi device, from mobile phones, cameras, printers, and notebook computers, to human interface devices such as keyboards and headphones. The Wi-Fi Alliance plans to publish its peer-to-peer specification upon completion.

Significantly, devices that have been certified to the new specification will also be able to create connections with hundreds of millions of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED legacy devices already in use. Devices will be able to make a one-to-one connection, or a group of several devices can connect simultaneously.
http://www.wi-fi.org

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Brocade to OEM Motorola's 802.11 WLAN

Brocade is partnering with Motorola's Enterprise Mobility Solutions business unit on wireless LAN (WLAN), voice-over-WLAN, mobile unified communications/fixed mobile convergence (FMC), cloud computing and wireless broadband technologies. The companies established an OEM reseller agreement, through which, Brocade will rebrand and resell a number of Motorola's enterprise wireless LAN solutions and resell Motorola wireless security products as an extension of its own IP/Ethernet product portfolio.


"Working together, Brocade and Motorola can develop and deliver industry-leading integrated wired and wireless solutions," said Michael Klayko, chief executive officer, Brocade. "This clearly is an area of increasing importance to our customers as businesses continue to upgrade their network infrastructures to meet the demands of a mobile workforce who require ubiquitous access to any application, from anywhere at any time."
http://www.brocade.com
http://www.motorola.com

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AT&T Delivers Campus Application with Pyxis Mobile

AT&T introduced a new mobile application for colleges and universities that extends the college experience to students' mobile devices.


Built with Application Studio, a mobile application platform from Pyxis Mobile, UpperClass from AT&T is a customizable application delivering a wide range of campus-related information to students, administrators, faculty, parents and alumni. The application provides a college community with real-time access to the information, including class information, student and faculty directories, scheduling, administration and community information, social networking, ticket purchasing and fundraising options, along with campus wide alerts such as weather conditions or class cancellations.
http://www.business.att.com/enterprise/Portfolio/enterprise-mobility-enterprise/

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TELUS Deploys Fujitsu's FLASHWAVE

TELUS has selected Fujitsu's FLASHWAVE Packet Optical Networking Platforms (Packet ONPs) for its next-generation converged Packet/TDM optical network. The deployment features the Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 9500 and FLASHWAVE 4100 ES Packet ONPs. Network planning, management, and professional services support are being provided by the complete line of Fujitsu NETSMART software solutions and Network Life Cycle Services. Financial terms were not disclosed.


The Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet ONP combines the functionality of Connection-oriented Ethernet and SONET/SDH with the flexibility of a ROADM in a single shelf. The pluggable ROADM option and patent-pending universal switch fabric of the FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet ONP allow both Ethernet and SONET/SDH traffic to be transported in their native framing formats to create a universal optical infrastructure. The FLASHWAVE 4100 ES micro Packet ONP offers a compact 2RU (3.5") modular solution for high concentrations of DS1, DS3, and Ethernet services. Both platforms include integrated Connection-oriented Ethernet technology that delivers the interface flexibility, statistical multiplexing and packet aggregation benefits of Ethernet with the QoS performance and security of SONET/SDH.
http://us.fujitsu.com/telecom

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Motorola Releases Wireless Ethernet Backhaul for Licensed Spectrum

Motorola introduced a licensed microwave point-to-point (PTP) Ethernet solution operating in the 11, 18, 23 and 26 GHz frequency bands and designed to backhaul IP data for a range of applications, including building-to-building connectivity, distance learning, last-mile access or wireless video surveillance.


The new Motorola PTP 800 delivers network speeds ranging from 10 to 368 Mbps, full duplex on a single channel, and offers user-configured channel bandwidths from 7 to 56 MHz. Motorola is offering a flexible pricing for the platform through software license key upgrades, enabling customers to gradually increase throughput capacity as their bandwidth demands grow.


The modem features adaptive coding and modulation, enabling transmitters and receivers to negotiate the best mutually sustainable data rate, helping ensure the highest spectral efficiency and top throughput possible for the radio path, while providing the maximum link availability. The PTP 800 also comes equipped with unique asymmetric throughput control, enabling customers to regulate down- and up-link data rates depending on the types of applications and traffic patterns on their networks.


Motorola said its PTP 800 is the smallest modem on the market, supporting wall or rack mount deployments and reducing the need for rack space.


Motorola also features LINKPlanner tool that helps network designers to project performance characteristics for multiple links prior to purchase, view the PTP links in Google Earth and obtain a bill of materials that lists all equipment required to deploy the network.


"Network operators want the flexibility to deploy both licensed and unlicensed fixed wireless broadband solutions, and seek technology providers that have the most complete portfolio to meet their current and future needs," said Scott Imhoff, director of point-to-point product management, Motorola Enterprise Mobility Solutions.
http://www.motorola.com

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Internap Adds Hibernia Atlantic to Carrier Diversity Model

Internap Network Services has added Hibernia Atlantic's trans-Atlantic cable system to its diverse network of backbone providers. Internap's patented routing technology chooses the best path for content delivery. The company currently delivers and distributes applications and content for more than 3,000 companies over its managed Internet and Content Delivery Network (CDN). With the addition of Hibernia to the best-path options available within this architecture, Internap's private network backbone solution is even less susceptible to failures in the rather unlikely event that more than one of its other providers were to experience simultaneous outages.
http://www.hiberniaatlantic.com

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Telco Systems Releases Ruggedized Ethernet for Military

Telco Systems announced the availability of two new Ethernet routing switches designed specifically for military use in harsh environments. The T5R-24T and T5R-24GT are MIL-STD-810F compliant and provide wire speed, non-blocking Layer 2-4 switching at Gigabit Ethernet speeds. With up to 24 Ethernet connections and four (4) Gigabit fiber uplinks in a 1.4 inch enclosure, the T5R is designed for high-density IP services in space-constrained airborne and ground communications environments. The switch can support IP connectivity for airborne and radar systems, signals intelligence, UAV data lines, and mobile communications.

The T5R-24GT-RUG provides 18 auto-sensing 10/100/1000BaseT Ethernet connections and four (4) Gigabit fiber uplinks, while the T5R-24T-RUG supports 24 auto-sensing 10/100BaseT Ethernet connections, two (2) Gigabit copper uplinks and two (2) Gigabit fiber uplinks. Expansion options are available for each model to support up to 54 ports in the T5R-24GT and 66 ports in the T5R-24T.
http://www.telco.com

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Fujitsu Rolls Out Connection-oriented Ethernet for FLASHWAVE 9500, 4100

Fujitsu rolled out significant new capabilities for its FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet Optical Networking Platform (Packet ONP) to allow the system to aggregate, switch, and deliver Connection-oriented Ethernet (COE) services across any type of access network (EoX). The Connection-oriented Ethernet (COE) capabilities are also now supported on Fujitsu's FLASHWAVE 4100 ES platforms, which has an installed base of over 10,000 units.


The new Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF)-compliant EoX Gateway on the FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet ONP integrates the functionality of many network elements in central offices, hub sites, co-location facilities and IP service edges/POPs. The new EtherMapper EoX Gateway cards and system software on the FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet ONP transparently terminate a wide variety of access networks, perform Connection-oriented Ethernet switching and grooming, and present fully-protected Ethernet or SONET/SDH handoffs to other transport or service delivery networks.


A single FLASHWAVE 9500 EoX Gateway can aggregate hundreds of thousands of Ethernet/IP circuits from hundreds of different physical access networks comprised of Ethernet over SONET/SDH (EoS), T1/T3 (EoPDH), WDM (Eoλ), and fiber (EoF).


"Space is at an incredible premium in many of the hub site locations," continued Naphan. "An EoX Gateway eliminates stacks of stand-alone MSPPs, EoPDH gateways, and Ethernet switches. It aggregates all Ethernet and IP services onto one or more fully protected Ethernet External Network-to-Network Interfaces (ENNIs) or Ethernet UNIs, creating efficient handoffs to Ethernet and IP service edge networks," said Rod Naphan, vice president of product and strategic planning at Fujitsu Network Communications.


Fujitsu said the EoX Gateway on the FLASHWAVE 9500 benefits wholesale and retail Ethernet service providers by dramatically increasing the number of addressable customers for differentiable Ethernet and IP services. Service providers can use the EoX Gateway to deliver a complete wholesale access service to their retail service provider partners by aggregating and delivering standardized MEF Ethernet services over any type of access network from a flexible ENNI to a remote UNI at the customer premises. The EoX Gateway can also be used to aggregate traffic from TDM-based 2G/3G and Ethernet-based 3G/4G mobile backhaul networks, regardless of whether the cell tower is accessed via SONET or Ethernet.


The Connection-oriented Ethernet capabilities for the FLASHWAVE 4100 ES is enabled by installing new COE cards and performing an in-service software upgrade to the existing nodes. The FLASHWAVE 4100 ES Micro Packet ONP, in conjunction with the EoX Gateway on the new FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet ONP, provides a backhaul, aggregation and service delivery solution over SONET or native Ethernet over Fiber.


Applications that benefit the new COE enhancements include mobile backhaul, wholesale Ethernet access, metro Ethernet business services, and backhaul of triple play residential services including broadband Internet access from DSLAM, PON or CMTS equipment. The platform is ideal for mobile backhaul applications due to its native support for T1s and Ethernet. Existing FLASHWAVE 4100 ES cell site deployments currently providing T1 backhaul for legacy 2G/3G services can be upgraded to deliver the high-quality, Connection-oriented Ethernet capabilities required for Ethernet-based 3G and 4G wireless services. The FLASHWAVE 4100 ES platform is environmentally hardened to operate within the harsh environment of a cell site outside plant (OSP) cabinet.


"Connection-oriented Ethernet delivers the stringent QoS, performance, high availability, and security of SONET while providing the networking efficiency, bandwidth scalability and flexibility of native Ethernet," said Rod Naphan, vice president of product and strategic planning at Fujitsu Network Communications. "The addition of COE to our popular FLASHWAVE 4100 ES platform enables longer-term revenue opportunities for our customers. As their wireless service provider customers migrate to 4G, the platform supports a graceful transition from Ethernet over SONET to native Ethernet over fiber."http://us.fujitsu.com/telecom

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Sunrise Telecom Offers DOCSIS 3.0 Services Analyzer

Sunrise Telecom introduced an upstream and downstream sweep system designed to analyze triple-play services and optimize the use of the crowded upstream spectrum for emerging DOCSIS 3.0 services. The CM2800 allows technicians to identify even small impairments in network performance, speeding plant maintenance, increasing quality of service and reducing outages. The high resolution, true non-interfering downstream sweep features ensure that the network is operating at the levels and frequency responses required to deliver reliable, distortion-free services. Fast 5 to 200 MHz upstream sweep, compatible with the CaLan upstream sweep function, allows one person to test the full frequency span of return lasers with a single instrument.
http://www.sunrisetelecom.com

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Extreme Unveils BlackDiamond 20804 Ethernet Transport Switch

Extreme Networks introduced its BlackDiamond 20804 Ethernet Transport switch designed for Tier 2 and Tier 3 carriers migrating from SONET/SDH and 1 Gigabit Ethernet rings to 10 Gigabit Ethernet rings. The new BlackDiamond 20804 Ethernet Transport switch boasts 120 Gbps per slot line-rate switching capacity in a 4-slot chassis. It supports up to 32 line-rate 10 GE ports per chassis initially, with ample bandwidth for future 100 GE IO Modules. The platform is also designed for future switch fabric upgrades to enable 480 Gbps of switching capacity per slot.


Extreme Networks said the new BlackDiamond 20804 enables carriers to gracefully expand video and other services on their network. Video service delivery is accelerated with multicast quality of service hardware resources that help to ensure video multicast traffic gets to the subscriber no matter how busy the network. Business Ethernet service delivery is also accelerated with MEF certified E-LINE and E-LAN support and pre-standard E-NNI support. Support for Provider Backbone Bridges enables carriers to scale their aggregation networks using reliable, industry-standard Ethernet protocols.


The BlackDiamond 20800 Series of Ethernet Transport switches includes the new BlackDiamond 20804 and the eight-slot BlackDiamond 20808. Both platforms use the same power supplies, IO modules and management modules.


In addition, the BlackDiamond 20800 Series includes support for Ethernet Access Protection Switching (EAPS RFC 3619), an Ethernet ring resiliency protocol offering 50ms failover protection on fiber access and aggregation ring topologies. In addition to EAPS, Extreme Networks offers support for advanced Ethernet OAMP protocols like Continuity Fault Management and ITU Y.1731 combine with an easy to use GUI-based service management system to provide carriers the service management tools they need to delight their subscribers.


The BlackDiamond 20804 Ethernet transport switch will be available in the first quarter of 2010.
http://www.extremenetworks.com

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New Edge Networks Launches MPLS NNI

New Edge Networks introduced and MPLS Plus service, a network-to-network interface (NNI) service that provides carriers with direct access to its nationwide MPLS network. With the NNI, New Edge is able to hand off customer traffic in a variety of ways, providing a scalable solution which meets business continuity and disaster recovery requirements. Customer nodes connect directly with the New Edge MPLS backbone so customers experience security, redundancy and Quality of Service capabilities. Network interface connections may be located at nine of New Edge's MPLS core locations nationwide through either a fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet physical interface. New Edges said customers can also benefit from new revenue opportunities associated with selling MPLS over a broad range of access technologies ranging from DS3 and Ethernet through DSL and EVDO.


"We continue to invest a great deal in our MPLS network and see this NNI offering as an important expansion of our distribution model in terms of potential additional value creation and economies of scale," said New Edge Networks President Cardi Prinzi. "Expanding to the wholesale market with an MPLS interconnect strategy is both cost-effective and revenue generating for our customers and New Edge. This is the ideal way to enable an ecosystem of applications for customers over our nationwide MPLS network."


"Wholesale MPLS providers will become an extension of New Edge's network and experience the high-quality performance and quality of service they have come to expect from New Edge," added Prinzi.


New Edge's MPLS network service is a fully managed, IP-based offering, providing customers the ability to prioritize applications from end to end. http://www.newedgenetworks.com/products/mpls

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Microsoft Launches Software Architecture for 'Integrated Utility of the Future'

Microsoft outlined a reference architecture to serve as the basis for development of the "integrated utility of the future."


The Microsoft Smart Energy Reference Architecture (SERA) addresses technology integration throughout the full scope of the smart energy ecosystem. Microsoft said its SERA will help utilities by providing a method of testing the alignment of information technology with their business processes to create an integrated utility.


This is the second utility offering to be released from Microsoft in four months, following the announcement of Microsoft Hohm, an online application developed to enhance the experience of utilities' customers and provide further insight into the supply and demand of residential energy use.
http://www.microsoft.com/utilitieshttp://www.microsoft-hohm.com

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D.O.J. Requires Divestitures for AT&T's Acquisition of Centennial

The U.S. Department of Justice will require AT&T to divest assets in eight areas in Louisiana and Mississippi in order to proceed with its $944 million acquisition of Centennial Communications. The DOJ found that the acquisition, as originally proposed, would substantially lessen competition to the detriment of consumers of mobile wireless telecommunications services in those areas, and likely would result in higher prices, lower quality and reduced network investments. The divestitures cover portions of southwestern and central Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi.


Centennial has 1.1 million wireless subscribers and serves largely rural areas of the Midwest and Southeast United States and in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.


"We are pleased with the Department of Justice's decision and see it as an important step toward closing our acquisition of Centennial," said Wayne Watts, Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel, AT&T Inc. "The combination of AT&T and Centennial will bring together two complementary wireless businesses and will produce meaningful benefits for customers of both companies."http://www.usdoj.govhttp://www.att.com

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Cisco Builds on its IPv6 Capabilities with Service Engine

Cisco introduced new carrier-grade IPv6 capabilities to the Cisco CRS-1 Carrier Routing System for the network core and to the Cisco Aggregation Services Routers for the network edge. This includes:

• Cisco Carrier-Grade Services Engine for the Cisco CRS-1. Deployed deep in the core of service provider's network, where maximum Cisco IPv6 coverage can be obtained, this "industry first" supports large-scale network address translation (large-scale NAT or LSN) and offers the industry's highest scalability for translations and throughput.



• Cisco Carrier-Grade IPv6 Solution for the Cisco ASR Series. The new capabilities help enable LSN at the edge of a network in order to meet the needs of smaller or distributed IP NGNs.



• Cisco Services for the Carrier-Grade IPv6 Solution. As service providers strive to address customer demands, Cisco offers migration services to make the transition to IPv6 smoothly and in a cost-effective manner, thereby reducing risk to their IP NGN operations. The Cisco Services portfolio ranges from initial planning and IPv6 readiness assessment to turnkey design and implementation.

Cisco said its new Carrier-Grade IP Version 6 (IPv6) solution provides a cost-effective and efficient means to bridge to a full IPv6 next-generation network while extending the life of existing IPv4 addresses to smoothly manage that migration. Industry sources currently predict an exhaustion of IPv4 addresses in 2011.
http://www.cisco.com

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Cisco to Acquire Starent for Mobile Packet Core

Cisco agreed to acquire Starent Networks for approximately $2.9 billion, or $35 per share in cash -- a premium of about 20% over the stock's recent trading value. The acquisition helps Cisco build out is mobile Internet portfolio, providing an entry point to the packet core of mobile network operators worldwide. Starent's packet core solutions gain strategically significance as operators adopt all-IP architectures with the move to 4G.


Starent Networks is a leading supplier of IP-based mobile infrastructure solutions targeting mobile and converged carriers. The company provides the multimedia intelligence, core network functions and services to manage access from any 2.5G, 3G, and 4G radio network to a mobile operator's packet core network. Starent Networks' access-independent technology is deployed in CDMA2000 (1X, EV-DO), UMTS/HSPA and WiMax networks.


In addition to high-speed data throughput, an IP core has the potential to deliver network intelligence through packet inspection and management. This could enable intelligent traffic control for policy enforcement of advanced services.

Starent Networks was founded in 2000 and completed its initial public offering in 2007. The company is based in Tewksbury, Mass. and has approximately 1,000 employees worldwide. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2008, Starent Networks reported revenue of $254.1 million, up 74 percent from the prior year.


Earlier this year, Verizon Wireless selected Starent Networks as a key supplier for the packet core. The company claims over 100 operator deployments in 40+ countries, including eight of the top 10 3G operators.








http://www.cisco.com
http://www.starent.com

• Starent Networks is headed by Ashraf M. Dahod (CEO and co-founder), who previously co-founded NetCore Systems, a producer of large-scale, high performance switching products, which was acquired by Tellabs in 1999. Starent's technical team includes Anthony P. Schoener(VP of engineering and a co-founder), who previously served as Director of Software Development at 3Com Corporation.

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Level 3 and Internet2 to Carry LHC Data Trans-Atlantic

Level 3 Communications and Internet2 will provide trans-Atlantic data transport from Europe's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to more than 1,700 scientists at 94 institutions across the United States. Under a newly announced agreement, U.S. LHCNet, Internet2 and Level 3 will connect a major network hub in New York City to the LHC in Switzerland. This connection will link to the Internet2 national backbone, ESnet and many regional networks to make LHC data accessible to U.S. scientists.


Specifically, the U.S. LHCNet provides dedicated, high-bandwidth connectivity between CERN and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Science Network (ESnet). The network also shares support in connecting the U.S. and Europe to many universities and laboratories -- called Tier 2 and Tier 3 sites -- where researchers will analyze LHC data. U.S. LHCNet is funded by the DOE Office of High Energy Physics and managed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).


http://www.internet2.eduhttp://www.level3.com

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