Monday, October 16, 2006

TI Extends its OMAP Program for Multi-Radio Handset Designs

To ease the development and design of mobile phones with multiple wireless technologies, Texas Instruments is extending its OMAP Technology Center (OTC) program to include support of TI's WLAN, Bluetooth technology and mobile TV solutions. By extending its OTC program to non-cellular solutions, TI is further speeding time to market for handset manufacturers who offer 2.5G and 3G devices based on its OMAP platform and OMAP-Vox processors.

http://www.ti.com/otc

Sun's Project Blackbox Offers "Instant-on" Datacenter

Sun Microsystems unveiled Project Blackbox, "instant-on" modular datacenter targeting companies seeking rapid and highly efficient deployment of lights-out infrastructure. Project Blackbox packages compute, storage and network infrastructure, along with high-efficiency power and cooling into modular units based on standard shipping containers. The Project Blackbox prototype is designed to be rapidly and flexibly deployed.

Project Blackbox is a pre-configured, fully contained datacenter, optimized for maximum density, performance and efficiency, as well as complete recyclability. One Blackbox could hold 250 Sun Fire servers, provide two petabytes of storage, or provide seven Terabytes of memory.



Sun said potential deployment scenarios could include Web 2.0 companies that have an ongoing need for datacenter space, yet don't have the time to design or build it; advanced military applications; developing nations that lack the power and networking infrastructure to support a traditional datacenter; oil exploration companies; or companies that might wish to relocate their data center resources to take better advantage of alternative energy sources and rates.http://sun.com/blackbox

JDSU Completes 1-for-8 Reverse Stock Split

JDSU announced the completion of its 1-for-8 reverse stock split. The reverse split reduced the number of shares of the JDSU's common stock outstanding from approximately 1.7 billion to approximately 211 million. http://www.jdsu.com

Level 3 to Acquire Broadwing, Furthering Consolidation

In a further sign of carrier consolidation in the US market, Level 3 Communications agreed to acquire Broadwing Corporation in a cash and stock deal valued at $1.4 billion. The deal would add to a series of acquisitions by Level 3 this year, including WilTel, Progress Telecom, ICG Communications, TelCove and Looking Glass Networks.



Broadwing, based in Austin, Texas, operates a 19,000 mile intercity fiber network over which it delivers data, voice and media solutions to enterprises and service. Approximately half of Broadwing's revenue comes from the wholesale market, with business customers comprising the remaining revenue.



Level 3 Communications operates a 23,000 mile fiber optic network over which it delivers wholesale and enterprise services, including Internet Protocol (IP) services, broadband transport, colocation services, and softswitch-based managed modem and voice services. S



"The acquisition of Broadwing is consistent with both the Level 3 wholesale market strategy as well as our more recent entry into the enterprise market," said James Q. Crowe, chief executive officer of Level 3. "We believe the combination of Level 3 and Broadwing will create value for our investors through the elimination of duplicative network and operating costs, the addition of a solid revenue base, and a further strengthening of our financial position.



"Broadwing has made great strides with national enterprise customers as a result of their strong product portfolio and national sales teams. This creates an exciting opportunity for us to leverage both of these capabilities to accelerate the growth of Level 3's Business Markets Group."http://www.level3.comhttp://www.broadwing.com
  • In June 2006, Level 3 Communications agreed to acquire Looking Glass Networks, Inc., a privately held facilities-based provider of metropolitan transport services, for $165 million. Looking Glass, based in Oak Brook, Illinois, provides data transport services including SONET/SDH, Wavelength and Ethernet as well as dark fiber and carrier-neutral colocation. Looking Glass' network includes approximately 2,000 route miles serving 14 major metro markets, with lit fiber connectivity to approximately 215 buildings. Looking Glass also has dark fiber connectivity to approximately 250 additional buildings.


  • In May 2006, Level 3 Communications agreed to acquire TelCove, Inc., a privately held, facilities-based network operator, for $1.2375 billion in stock and cash. TelCove's network has over 22,000 local and long haul route miles serving 70 markets across the eastern United States, with approximately 4,000 buildings on net. The company has annual revenues of about $390 million. TelCove also holds over 300 LMDS and 39 GHz licenses covering 90% of the U.S. population.


  • In April 2006, Level 3 Communications acquired ICG Communications, Inc., a privately held Colorado-based telecommunications company, for $163 million in stock and cash. ICG primarily provided transport, IP and voice services to wireline and wireless carriers, Internet service providers and enterprise customers. ICG's network has over 2,000 metro and regional fiber miles in Colorado and Ohio and includes approximately 500 OPs. ICG served more than 1,600 customers.


  • In January 2006, Level 3 Communications acquired Progress Telecom, a regional wholesale network services company based in St. Petersburg, Florida, for $137 million, consisting of $68.5 million in unregistered shares of Level 3 Common Stock and $68.5 million in cash.
    The Progress Telecom network features diversely routed fiber, DWDM and SONET connecting nearly 200 POPs across the south-eastern U.S. The infrastructure includes over 8,524 route-miles of fiber and 29 metro networks.


  • In October 2005, Level 3 Communications agreed to acquire WilTel Communications in a cash and stock deal valued at $680 million. WilTel, which was based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, operated a fiber network that extended coast-to-coast with direct access in more than 700 locations.


  • In July 2006, Infinera named Broadwing as a customer for its DTN optical system, enabling the carrier to offer managed wavelength services to more cities in their nationwide network. In addition, Infinera licensed key Corvis intellectual property including Raman amplification, and took over manufacturing and maintenance support for Broadwing's CorWave network with members of the Corvis engineering, manufacturing, and support team becoming Infinera employees. Level 3 is another Infinera customer.


  • In July, Broadwing appointed Stephen E. Courter as its new CEO and member of its Board of Directors, replacing Dr. David Huber.


  • Broadwing first began deploying its nationwide, All-Optical Ultra-Long Haul Network in 2000.

Deutsche Telekom Launches its T-Home Triple Play

Deutsche Telekom's T-Com division launched its T-Home triple play service, offering Internet access at up 50 Mbps, VoIP and advanced TV services over its VDSL2 network using the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform.



The television service offers over 100 free and pay TV channels and an extensive choice of entertainment including video on demand.



Other highlights include:

  • T-Home is partnering with major broadcasters ARD, ZDF, RTL, Pro7 and Sat.1, as well as specialist broadcasters like Planet TV, History Channel and Gusto TV.


  • The service includes all Premiere channels and offers football fans "Bundesliga on PREMIERE powered by T-Com," featuring live matches from the 1st and 2nd German football leagues.


  • The VOD service is the only one in Germany to feature blockbusters from Universal, Dreamworks, 20th Century Fox, MGM, Paramount, Warner and Sony.


  • The T-Home X 300T media receiver features an 80GB hard disk to enable Personal video recording (record and pause live TV)


  • Live TV in High Definition (HD)


  • The hardware package costs EUR 99.99 by single payment and contains the Media receiver (T-Home X 300T), a WLAN-Router with Voice over IP functionality (Speedport W 700 V) and - for the two Complete Packages - the VDSL Modem (Speedport 300 HS)


Price overview of T-Home packages


























































  T-Home
packages
  Classic Complete Basic Complete Plus
T-Net line From 15.95 From 15.95 From 15.95
DSL line

(6000 or 16,000)
From 24.99    
VDSL line

(25 and 50 Mbit/s)
  From 34.99 From 34.99
Flat-rate IP telephony, Internet
access & TV (T-Home Complete Packages)
 Flat-rate IP telephony, Internet
access

19.90                                       
Flat-rate IP telephony, Internet
access & TV  29.90                                                
Flat-rate IP telephony, Internet
access & TV  39.90                                                  
Total monthly price 65.84 80.84 90.84
Example of additional TV options   International channel
packages from 4.95
    Bundesliga on PREMIERE
powered by T-Com from 9.95
    PREMIERE packages from
9.99











http://www.t-home.de

Motorola Posts Q3 Sales of $10.6 billion, up 17% over Last Year

Reporting record handset shipments of 53.7 million units, Motorola posted record quarterly sales of $10.6 billion, up 17 percent versus the year-ago quarter. GAAP earnings were $0.39 per share, including income of $0.10 per share from discontinued operations and charges of $0.05 per share.



"While our third-quarter sales were slightly below our guidance, we are pleased with our earnings. Each of our business segments and total Motorola improved operating margin versus the second quarter of 2006, excluding highlighted items. Mobile Devices again achieved record unit shipments and sequentially improved its market share versus the second quarter," said Ed Zander, chairman and CEO. "During the quarter, GSM infrastructure sales in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region were weaker than anticipated due to customer delays in capital spending. Additionally, sales of iDEN mobile devices were lower, caused by customer inventory reductions in anticipation of new dual-mode device shipments in the fourth quarter."



Some highlights:

  • Mobile Devices Segment sales were $7.03 billion, up 26 percent compared with the year-ago quarter.


  • Shipped 53.7 million units, up 39 percent compared to the third quarter of 2005 -- and up 3.6 percent compared to 51.9 million handsets shipped during the second quarter of 2006.


  • Expanded handset global market share to an estimated 22.4 percent, up 3.8 percentage points from a year ago and up 0.3 percentage points from the second quarter of 2006.


  • Networks and Enterprise Segment sales were $2.78 billion, up slightly compared with the year-ago quarter.


  • Connected Home Solutions Segment sales were $812 million, up 9 percent compared with the year-ago quarter.


  • Set a new quarterly record in video, shipping nearly 2.5 million digital entertainment devices.


  • The company's outlook for the fourth quarter of 2006 is for sales of between $11.8 billion and $12.1 billion, an increase of 18 to 21 percent versus the prior-year quarter.
http://www.motorola.com

Marvell Considers Financing Options for Intel Unit Acquisition

Marvell Technology Group said it intends to meet with potential lenders in connection with the private acquisition financing of Intel's communications and application processor business. The proposed acquisition financing will be in the form of a senior term loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of up to $500 million. Marvell expects that the net proceeds from the term loan facility, together with existing cash on hand, will be used to pay the purchase price for the acquisition, related transaction costs, and advance payments for products under a supply agreement with Intel.
http://www.marvell.com
  • In June 2006, Marvell Technology Group agreed to acquire Intel's communications and application processor business for $600 million in cash plus the assumption by certain liabilities. Intel has the option to take up to $100 million of the $600 million purchase price in Marvell common stock.


  • Intel's communications and application processor business develops and sells processors for handheld devices including smart phones and personal digital assistants. The business' processors, based on Intel XScale technology, include the Intel PXA9xx communications processor, codenamed "Hermon," which powers Research in Motion's (RIM) Blackberry 8700 device. The Intel PXA27x applications processor, codenamed "Bulverde," is used in the Palm Treo smart phone, the Motorola Q and other devices. The business is run by approximately 1,400 employees. It is expected that the vast majority of these employees will become employees of Marvell.

FiberNet Deploys VoIP Gateway Services with Nextone

FiberNet Telecom Group launched VoIP Gateway Services provide TDM to VoIP conversion and inter-working between SS7 and C7 signaling. The company also introduced a SmartPartition Service that routes VoIP traffic and aggregates it to a central system. These new services are specifically targeted at those carriers that buy or sell voice termination but lack either gateway or switch capacity to do so using IP.



Built on the NexTone Real-time Session Manager (RSM) platform, the FiberNet SmartPartition Service includes the full suite of available NexTone service modules:



  • Route Analysis Module: processes Call Detail Records (CDR) in real-time, from one or more session controllers, to determine quality of service and other measures of system performance.


  • Events and Statistics Module: provides summaries of operational events, platform performance and facilitates alarming.


  • Least Cost Routing Module: generates reports illustrating the priority in which calls are routed to carrier partners. LCR functionality also includes an easy to use report that displays the routes prioritized by the order of least cost.


  • Adaptive Routing Module: provides a set of actions to change the session controller's routing configuration and disable calls, at endpoint ingress or egress, based on a detected alarm condition.


  • Business Analysis Module: processes CDRs to produce on-demand business reports. BAM provides 44 reports that allow a wide range of supplier, customer, revenue, route and profitability analyses to be conducted.


  • Web Interface Module: enables secure web access to the system for
    operational staff and customers. Users can access and control their endpoints, including gateways, access system features and produce reports.
http://www.ftgx.comhttp://www.nextone.com


















Centillium Completes TR-069 and TR-104 Interoperability Testing

Centillium Communications' Atlanta and Palladia families of chipsets have successfully completed interoperability testing with Motive's Home Device Manager (HDM) software. The test evaluates and verifies whether manufacturers and semiconductor providers of customer premises equipment (CPE) adhere to the DSL Forum's WAN Management Protocol standards, TR-069, and provisioning parameters for VoIP CPE, TR-104. Interoperability with Motive's HDM software ensures that CPE manufacturers that use Centillium chipsets will have solutions that work seamlessly with Motive's TR-069 and TR-104 standards-based solutions. http://www.centillium.com

JDSU Acquires Metconnex Wavelength Selective Switch Technology

JDSU has acquired the technology and patent portfolio of Metconnex Canada, Inc., a developer of wavelength selective switch (WSS) modules, for $2.5 million. JDSU did not acquire any of Metconnex's business operations. The companies also agreed to dismiss all pending litigation including litigation commenced by JDSU against Metconnex and certain of its officers and employees for alleged violation of JDSU patent and intellectual property rights.



WSS technology is central to JDSU's portfolio of reconfigurable add/drop multiplexers, or ROADMs, which are increasingly used by carriers to enable the rapid, cost-effective roll-out of triple-play services. http://www.jdsu.com

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Juniper Releases Load Balancers, WAN Accelerators, Enterprise Core Router

Juniper Networks introduced a set of new enterprise data center products, including WAN application acceleration platforms, load balancers and a new M120 enterprise core router.



The new WXC 590 WAN acceleration platform, which is based on technology acquired from Peribit, is designed for data center consolidation, web-enablement of applications, data replication and backup, implementation of high availability architectures and regulatory compliance. The technology uses compression, sequence caching, latency reduction, bandwidth management, path optimization, and visibility tools to improve congested enterprise WAN links. The new WXC90 unit can be deployed in a stack configuration that can be licensed up to 155 Mbps and support up to 840 sites. It can be deployed on OC-3 links in a 3-client stack configuration supporting up to 420 remote sites, and as a single platform for 45 Mbps links supporting 140 sites.



New WAN acceleration software features include "advanced disk warming", which enables existing Network Sequence Caching to be directionally independent. Thus, as long as the WXC platform recognizes a pattern on either direction of a link, the WXC platform will achieve maximum compression via Sequence Caching when the pattern is seen on the return path.



The DX 3280 and DX 3680 data center acceleration platforms combine SSL capabilities with load balancing features for Web-enabled and IP-based business applications. Key capabilities include server load balancing (SLB), global server load balancing (GSLB), SSL encryption and termination, HTTP compression and application security. The DX platform has scaling options in both functionality and performance for any business environment.



The new M120 Enterprise Core Router, which uses the same ASICs, JUNOS operating system and WAN interfaces as the existing M-series routers, is a compact platform supporting Juniper's new Ethernet Services Cards. The MSRP starts at $73,000 and commercial availability is set for this month.

http://www.juniper.net
  • In April 2005, Juniper Networks agreed to acquire Peribit Networks, a developer of WAN optimization technology, for approximately $337 million in cash, stock and assumed stock options.

SK Telecom Selects Lucent's Optical Cross Connect Systems

SK Telecom, South Korea's largest wireless service provider, has selected Lucent Technologies' optical networking systems for building out the operator's intelligent backbone networks. Specifically, Lucent will deliver its next-generation optical cross connect (OXC) system, the LambdaUnite MultiService Switch (MSS), to major central offices of SK Telecom, completing the deployment by the end of December. Lucent's Optical Management System (OMS) will provide network management and provisioning capabilities for the deployment, and Lucent Worldwide Services will provide professional technical support. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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

Cisco Sets Up Financing Programs for Channel Partners

Cisco Systems announced new financing tools to streamline the leasing process for its channel partners serving small and medium-sized businesses, the fastest-growing segment of the voice and networking market.



Last year, Cisco Capital entered the SMB market with the introduction of EasyLease, a leasing platform that provides competitive financing solutions to complement Cisco's SMB growth initiatives. A key component of EasyLease is the @once finance tool, which initially provided fast-track credit approvals and lease pricing for transactions under $250,000. Cisco channel partners in 16 countries have already taken advantage of EasyLease to provide innovative financing solutions to their customers.



Cisco's U.S. channel partners can now use @once to generate lease documentation for transactions under $50,000. The company said its channel partners can no complete pre-sale credit applications, create a lease quote, and generate lease documentation in minutes.

http://www.cisco.com

Sprint to Deploy QUALCOMM's QChat Push-to-Talk on PCS Network

Sprint, which currently offers the Nextel Walkie-Talkie push-to-talk service on the Nextel National Network, expects to utilize QUALCOMM's QChat technology to extend push-to-talk services to customers on the Nationwide Sprint PCS Network, as well as provide interoperable push-to-talk services between users on both networks. QChat, which is optimized for CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A wireless networks, aims to deliver call set-up latency of less than one second between handsets.



Sprint also selected Lucent Technologies to develop software and infrastructure necessary to enable the new services to work throughout Sprint's CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A network. In addition, Lucent Services is providing program management, end-to-end multi-vendor network integration, testing, operational readiness and deployment services to implement QChat.

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

Pulse~LINK Demos 1394 and Ethernet Over Coax

Pulse~LINK is demonstrating high data rate HD video transmissions using both 1394 (Firewire/iLink) and Ethernet simultaneously over the same coaxial cable. The demo at this week's Connected@Home conference in San Diego features Pulse~LINK's CWave chipset implemented in Mini-PCI card form.



The company said its ability to seamlessly merge both Coax and Wireless connections into one hybrid network using the same chipset addresses many shortcomings of other technologies, such as reliable coverage, security, Quality of Service and throughput limitations.



Pulse~Link claims to deliver over 400Mbps of application layer throughput available across hundreds of feet of consumer grade RG59 coax, including consumer grade cable splitters, varying cable lengths and un-terminated coax stubs.
http://www.pulselink.net

NTT West Plans Wireless Mesh Across 100 Japanese Cities

NTT West announced a multi-service wireless mesh network service for over 100 of Japan's cities to cover the population of over 50 million using Strix Access/One Network Outdoor Wireless System (OWS) and Indoor Wireless System (IWS). Financial terms were not disclosed.



The networks will be used for broadband wireless voice, video, and data services primarily to corporate enterprise and municipalities in Japan. In addition, the Strix solution will be used for public safety and emergency services and related applications.

http://www.strixsystems.com

Atheros Powers La "Fonera" Routers

FON, a global Wi-Fi sharing community , has introduced a Social Routers featuring Atheros' single-chip 802.11b/g router solution. There are nearly 100,000 Foneros worldwide. By the end of 2007, that number is estimated to reach 1 million, according to FON. The company's Wi-Fi community enables Foneros to provide a network of free (or very low cost access) hotspots where they are needed.http://en.fon.com/http://www.atheros.com

PCCW Global Deploys Atreus' IP Service Provisioning

PCCW Global has launched Atreus' IP Service Provisioning Platform to activate IP Centrex applications for their reseller channels located in the United States, Brazil, Mexico, and the EMEA region.



The Atreus platform enables PCCW Global to seamlessly provision resellers and offer differentiated IP centrex and TDM trunk replacement offerings through automated provisioning and re-brandable self-service portals in multiple languages.

http://www.atreus-systems.com

Verizon Combines Home and Wireless Features

Verizon announced a "Complete Freedom" package that combines voice mail systems and other features between Verizon home phones and Verizon Wireless phones. Calling between the Verizon home phone and the family's Verizon Wireless handsets will not be charged against wireless airtime allowances. Customers will also get OnePoint Voice Mail with wireless notification. The wireless notification feature automatically sends a text message to the Verizon Wireless handsets when a voice mail is left either at the Verizon home or Verizon Wireless numbers; there is only one mailbox to check. Billing for all services is integrated on Verizon's ONE-BILLhttp://www.verizon.com/verizoncompletefreedom

SaskTel Deploys HD over IPTV with Alcatel

SaskTel will add HD service to its IPTV offering using MPEG 4. The HD service rollout is enabled by Alcatel's IPTV software development and services integration capabilities. These capabilities complement Alcatel's Triple Play Service Delivery Architecture (TPSDA), which includes the Alcatel 7750 Service Router, 7450 Ethernet Service Switch, and 7330 ISAM fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) platforms. The Alcatel 5620 Service Aware Manager and 5526 Access Management System provide management for the TPSDA network.

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