Level 3 Activates New London Data Center

Level 3 Communications opened a new advanced data centre in Hayes,�West London. The facility provides enterprise customers with data centre space and access to Level 3's major fibre routes across the Atlantic and its low latency routes into the Chi-X trading platform in�Slough.


The new facility, one of Level 3's Premier Elite data centres, features high-power density cabinets and suites, 24 x 7 security and maintenance support, and will provide additional capacity to Level 3's three existing data centres in central�London�and to its more than 350 data centres worldwide.

Due to its close proximity to central�London, the new facility will offer disaster recovery, replication and redundancy facilities, and will offer customers in the region a new option for expanding or outsourcing their enterprise data centre requirements. The location was chosen in part, to help enable companies to meet disaster recovery objectives, while also being able to perform synchronous replication.
http://www.level3.com

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Discera Ships Sicon MEMS Oscillator

Discera announced the production availability of its DSC3001 PureSilicon oscillator for mobile, video, and audio applications. The device is available in frequencies up to 150 MHz and temperature ranges up to 105 degrees Celsius with shock resistance up to 30,000 G.


Discera said its DSC3001 series of oscillators is available in both low power and high precision configurations that consume as little as 3mA of power and deliver higher frequency stability over wider temperature ranges for better performance than other crystal or silicon based products.

Key features include:

• 1.6 mm x 1.2 mm x 0.5 mm footprint


• Output frequency support from 1 to 150 MHz


• Frequency stabilities of 10, 25, 50 ppm across temperature and voltage


• Operating temperature range up to 105 degrees Celsius


• Supply current as low as 15uA standby, 3mA active from 1.7 to 3.6V


• Fast startup time of 1.0 millisecond


• MIL-STD883 shock and vibration tolerant to 30,000 G


• AEC-Q100 qualification for automobile applications


• Lead-free and RoHS compliant

http://www.discera.com

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sqrrl Targets Big Data

sqrrl, a start-up based in Cambridge, Mass., announced funding from Atlas Venture and Matrix Partners for its work in security, scalability, and adaptability for�Big Data. The company's core engineering team members architected and developed Apache Accumulo within the National Security Agency (NSA).

sqrrl said its focus is on Apache Accumulo, a distributed key/value store based on Google's Big Table design, which has three unique technical advantages:

• Security:�Fine-grained security controls allow organizations to control data at the cell-level and promote a data-centric security model.


• Scalability:�Accumulo is proven to operate and perform at massive scale.


• Adaptability:�sqrrl's solutions enable users to move beyond batch processing and conduct a wide variety of analyses, including information retrieval, statistical, graph, and visualizations across diverse data environments.

http://www.sqrrl.com/

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General Dynamics to Acquire Fidelis Security Systems

General Dynamics agreed to acquire Fidelis Security Systems, a supplier of cyber security tools that provide real-time network visibility, analysis and control. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Fidelis Security Systems supplies a platform for real-time session-level visibility, analysis, and control for bi-directional communications. The solution help customers stop advanced threats and prevent data breaches by providing visibility into the complex layers of a network, exposing malicious content in real-time. The company employs approximately 70 people at locations in�Waltham, Mass., and�Bethesda, Md.

"The acquisition of Fidelis Security Systems allows General Dynamics to continue to deliver relevant and innovative cyber security solutions that help customers maintain the edge to successfully address and respond to dynamic cyber threats," said�Lou Von Thaer, president of General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems.�

"Being prepared and having the right intelligence and technologies is critical for organizations to mitigate and respond to cyber threats in real time," said�Peter George, president and chief executive officer for Fidelis Security Systems. "The combination of Fidelis Security Systems' products and General Dynamics' cyber services and incident response capabilities will strengthen our customers' ability to achieve situational awareness to protect and defend their networks."http://www.generaldynamics.com http://www.fidelissecurity.com

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AT&T Launches Cloud-hosted Mobile Device Management for Small Businesses

AT&T has expanded its cloud-based Mobile Device Management (MDM) offering with solutions for small businesses. MDM allow small businesses to proactively manage employees� mobile devices and data usage, making it easier for the company to enforce management policies while still empowering workers with mobile access. The cloud-based MDM solutions means small business owners don�t need to invest in installing hardware to support the service because it�s hosted and managed by AT&T.

AT&T Mobile Device Management solutions, available for small businesses with as few as 20 employees, offer:

• Lost device detection, including password recovery, device lock, wipe, and encryption


• Remote configuration of email, Wi-Fi, and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)


• Asset management features that enable business owners to keep track of company-owned devices


• App distribution capabilities that allow business owners to push mission-critical apps to their employees


• App whitelist/blacklist capabilities help control how company-owned smartphones are used

http://www.att.com/MDM

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IEEE 802.3 Group Looks Netxt Ethernet Speed -- Road Towards 10 Tbps by 2020?

A new IEEE 802.3 Industry Connections Higher Speed Ethernet Consensus group has been formed to gather industry input toward the development of the next speed of Ethernet. The group is expected to include users and producers of systems and components for telecommunications carriers, Internet exchanges, financial markets, data centers, multiple system operators (MSOs) networking systems, high-performance computing, network storage and servers and other individuals interested in future IEEE 802.3 Ethernet wireline standards.


In July, the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group published an Ethernet Bandwidth Assessment report that found a continuing exponential clim in global bandwidth requirements across multiple application spaces. The report forecasts that, if current trends continue, networks will need to support capacity requirements of 1 terabit per second in 2015 and 10 terabit per second by 2020. This reflects capacity requirements, not line rates. The report considered input was collected from a variety of application spaces (servers, data center networks, high-performance computing, financial markets, carrier and cable operators, Internet exchanges, the scientific community, etc.) and from different geographic regions. The report confirms that growth is being driven across multiple application spaces and markets by simultaneous increases in users, access methodologies, access rates and services (such as video on demand and social media).

"We continue to seek to streamline the early stages of work of potential future IEEE 802.3 Ethernet wireline standards-development activities,� said John D�Ambrosia, chair of the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Bandwidth Assessment Ad Hoc and IEEE 802.3 Industry Connections Higher Speed Ethernet Consensus group and chief Ethernet evangelist, CTO office, Dell. �The information gathered by the Bandwidth Assessment Ad Hoc demonstrates the ongoing, exponential bandwidth growth that is happening in varying application spaces on a global nature. The launch of the IEEE 802.3 Industry Connections Higher Speed Ethernet Consensus group will facilitate an open forum to explore the start beyond 100Gb/s Ethernet."

Added Paul Nikolich, chair of the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee: "The IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Bandwidth Assessment report documents a cross-industry understanding of the diverse bandwidth needs of various Ethernet applications. By doing so, it provides a critical head start for potential future development activities of IEEE 802 Ethernet standards, as the time needed to accumulate this knowledge is significant. The report and now the work of the IEEE 802.3 Industry Connections Higher Speed Ethernet Consensus group ultimately will help more quickly yield more meaningful IEEE 802.3 Ethernet wireline standards."
http://www.ieee802.org/3/ad_hoc/hse/index.htmlhttp://www.ieee802.org/3/ad_hoc/bwa/BWA_Report.pdf

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Intelsat 21 Successfully Launched

Intelsat 21 was successfully launched into orbit aboard a Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket from the equatorial Pacific.

Intelsat 21 will serve the leading direct-to-home (DTH) and cable programmers in Latin America. It will deliver C-band services for South America, North America and Europe, and Ku-band services for North America, the Caribbean, Brazil, Europe and Western Africa. It also a Ku-band mobility beam, providing coverage across the South Atlantic to Intelsat�s maritime and aeronautical customers. It was built by Boeing Satellite Systems and replaces Intelsat 9.

Intelsat 21 is the fourth of five Intelsat launches planned for 2012. Intelsat 23 is scheduled for launch later this year aboard a Proton launch vehicle from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. http://www.intelsat.com http://www.sea-launch.com.

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Intelsat 21 Successfully Launched

Intelsat 21 was successfully launched into orbit aboard a Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket from the equatorial Pacific.



Intelsat 21 will serve the leading direct-to-home (DTH) and cable programmers in Latin America. It will deliver C-band services for South America, North America and Europe, and Ku-band services for North America, the Caribbean, Brazil, Europe and Western Africa. It also a Ku-band mobility beam, providing coverage across the South Atlantic to Intelsat’s maritime and aeronautical customers. It was built by Boeing Satellite Systems and replaces Intelsat 9.

Intelsat 21 is the fourth of five Intelsat launches planned for 2012. Intelsat 23 is scheduled for launch later this year aboard a Proton launch vehicle from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
http://www.intelsat.com
http://www.sea-launch.com

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FCC Issues New 800 MHz Band Plan for U.S. - Mexico Sharing Zone

The FCC issued its new 800 MHz band plan for the U.S. - Mexico border. The notice is a follow up to the agreement signed in June between the United States and Mexico for sharing spectrum in the 800 MHz and 1.9 GHz bands along the U.S.-Mexican border.

The FCC said this marks the beginning of the final phase for rebanding in the 800 MHz band across the country. These actions will help support commercial broadband services and public safety mission-critical voice communications along the U.S.-Mexico border and throughout the United States.

http://www.fcc.gov

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Communications Workers Of America Ratify AT&T Wireline Agreements

Wireline employees represented by the Communications Workers of America have voted to ratify three-year contracts for the AT&T Midwest region and AT&T Corp. (CWA Telecommunications and Technology Office). The deals were reached July 21 and cover more than 13,000 wireline employees in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The AT&T Corp. agreement covers about 5,700 wireline employees located throughout the country.

http://www.att.com/corewirelinebargaining

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Philippines’Smart Ready for LTE Launch

Smart Communications is ready to launch its first commercial LTE service in the Philippines. Test networks have been underway in various parts of the country over the past year conducted by PLDT’s wireless subsidiary. Several LTE sites located in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Boracay have already been active months prior to the commercial launch.

Smart’s LTE service will deliver speeds of up to 42 mbps with fallback to HSPA+, HSPA and 3G .

Smart’s LTE deployment was made possible by the PLDT Group’s P67.1 billion network technology refresh program which has replaced the base station equipment in all of Smart’s over 9,500 base stations nationwide with 4G-ready facilities. This program has also strengthened the PLDT Group’s fiber optic networks and overseas fiber optic cable systems.

"The Philippines’ first and only LTE service is here and it’s running on Smart’s ‘super-charged’ mobile network," said Smart Chief Wireless Adviser Orlando B. Vea.

http://www.smart.com.ph/lte

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ZTE Intros First Multi-Mode TDD/FDD LTE Devices

ZTE introduced the first multi-standard USB modem and uFi which supports LTE FDD/LTE TDD/TD-SCDMA / EDGE.


The company said its multi-mode approach breaks down regional standard barriers and constraints at user end points.
The MF820S2 is the world’s first LTE FDD/LTE TDD/TD-SCDMA/EDGE multi-standard data card. It features LTE TDD 68M DL speed, LTE FDD 100M DL speed, USB Rotator (270 degrees rotation), and internal antenna. It is compatible with major operators and network systems around the world. With customized networks at different locations, it provides flexibility for travelers.

The MF91S is a portable uFi, supporting LTE FDD/LTE TDD/TD-SCDMA/EDGE standards. Weighing only 105g and running on Li-ion 2300mAh, the mini pocket uFi is the most suitable companion for PC laptops, Macbooks or multi-device users on-the-go.

“This is a transformational year for ZTE’s terminal business. We are catalyzing LTE development on the global stage through heralding new innovations in the LTE terminal market. The new MF820S2 and MF91S are clear demonstrations of ZTE’s leadership in LTE," said ZTE EVP and Head of the Terminal Division, Mr. He Shiyou. “Through continued investment in R&D, we hope to deliver even more cutting edge products for ZTE’s end-to-end terminal suite."
http://www.zte.com.cn

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Infonetics: Optical Network Spending up 15% Sequentially in 2Q12

The global optical network equipment market-WDM and SONET/SDH-grew 15% in 2Q12 from the previous quarter, but is down 10% from the year-ago 2nd quarter, according to new analysis released by Infonetics Research.


The improved results are a step up from very weak performance in Q1 2012, especially in Europe and in the Service Provider segment.

"The optical hardware market outlook looks decidedly different depending on which market you sell into," notes Andrew Schmitt, principal analyst for optical at Infonetics Research. "While spending on WDM is reasonably healthy, SONET/SDH is sailing off a cliff. Vendors who have good WDM products but large exposure to SONET/SDH are struggling to replace lost revenue fast enough to show growth."

Schmitt adds: "Asia Pacific notched a big increase in the second quarter, with large seasonal gains by Huawei and ZTE. Despite tepid growth in the first half of 2012, we expect significant growth in optical spending in China, where ZTE continues to take market share from Huawei."

Some other highlights:

• The global optical network equipment market-WDM and SONET/SDH-grew 15% in 2Q12 from the previous quarter, but is down 10% from the year-ago 2nd quarter


• Huawei expanded its lead in the global optical network hardware market in 2Q12; Alcatel-Lucent held onto the #2 spot (optical revenue up 5%); and Ciena posted its strongest quarter on record, easily maintaining 3rd overall and edging into 2nd in the WDM segment.


• North American SONET/SDH spending is down 45% year-over-year, negatively impacting vendors with legacy revenue streams; AT&T, in particular, has cut aggressively


• WDM now accounts for 80% of all optical spending in North America


• Optical equipment revenue in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) was up sharply in 2Q12, but still down year-over-year; spending growth on WDM equipment outpaced SDH, a positive indicator for the region.

http://www.infonetics.com

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NSNs Optical Platform Gains U.S. DISA Certification

Nokia Siemens Networks’ optical technology has been accorded Approved Product List (APL) status by the US government’s Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), enabling the Department of Defense (DoD) to purchase and deploy the company’s optical equipment, which is based on its hiT7300 platform that uses coherent CP-QPSK technology.


NSN's high capacity DWDM transmission system allows up to 96 optical channels on a single fiber, with each channel carrying data at 100 Gbps. This gives a total capacity of up to 9.6 terabits per second per fiber.


“This US approval is testimony to our optical technology’s capabilities," said Bob Fennelly, head of the US government and public safety customer team at Nokia Siemens Networks. “With the need to access advanced applications across its defense bases, the DoD’s bandwidth requirement has increased exponentially. Nokia Siemens Networks hiT7300 platform is scalable and able to support the DoD’s current and future demand for bandwidth."

http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

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China Mobile Reaches 683 Million Users, Wireless Data Traffic up 184% in 1H2012

China Mobile reported revenue of RMB266.5 billion (US$41.8 billion) for the first half of 2012, up 6.6% over the same period last year, as profits increased by 1.5% over the same period last year to RMB62.2 billion. EBITDA slightly decreased by 0.9% over the same period last year to RMB123.1 billion, with EBITDA margin reaching 46.2%.

Despite increased mobile penetration rates and intensified competition, China Mobile had a net addition of 33.51 million customers, bringing the total customer base to 683 million. The mid- to high-end customer base remained stable. Revenue derived from wireless data traffic, as a component of data services revenue, achieved RMB29.2 billion, up 51.6% over the same period last year.

Some highlights for the first half of 2012:

• Added 15 million 3G subscribers to reach total of 67 million.
• Voice usage volume continued to increase, with total voice usage reaching 2,060 billion minutes, up 9.2% over the same period last year.
• Wireless data traffic accounted for 11.0% of operating revenue.
• Revenue from applications and information services reached RMB24.6 billion, up 8.2% over the same period last year.
• China Mobile's 2.83 million Wi-Fi APs 68.6% of total data traffic in 1H 2012, effectively offloading its GSM network
• China Mobile has 750,000 GSM Base Stations, with network utilization at ~72.4%.
• China Mobile now has nearly 240,000 3G base stations, network utilization reached 18.5%
• China Mobile is currently offering 167 smartphone models, 126 of which are priced below RMB 1,000
• China Mobile is making progress with its Smart Pipes initiative: Mobile Mailbox revenue was up 82% to RMB 1.1 billion, Mobile Reading Revenue was up 77% to RMB 502 million, Mobile Video revenue was up 83% to RMB 420 million, Mobile Gaming revenue was up 48% to RMB 415 million.
• Added 480,000km of fiber to its metro networks.

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NSN Tracks a 54% Rise in Mobile Data in India over 7 Months

Mobile data traffic in India spiked 54% between December 2011 and June 2012, according to a newly released MBit Index report from Nokia Siemens Networks.


The report aggregates real data traffic across all the 2G (GSM and EDGE) and 3G multivendor networks managed by Nokia Siemens Networks for operators in India. The company currently provides 30% of the total 2G and 3G networks in India which provide services to about 300 million subscribers. This large sample size, amounting to a third of India’s 2G and 3G mobile networks.

The report further reveals that data traffic generated by 3G services has increased by 78% while that of 2G services has increased by 47% during the same period.

"Our report highlights India’s enormous appetite for consuming data services on the go and hence the need to provide high quality mobile broadband services to satisfy users," said Sandeep Girotra, head of India region at Nokia Siemens Networks. "2G has been relatively successful in driving mobile broadband use in India, but we are now witnessing 3G pushing the mobile broadband use to unprecedented levels."
http://www.nsn.com

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Alcatel-Lucent Offers API Consulting Services

Alcatel-Lucent is launching a new consulting and professional services practice to help service providers adopt a lifecycle methodology for application programming interfaces (APIs). The goal is to provide expertise and technology to streamline the creation, deployment and management of network-based services.


"APIs are the glue that ties together all the elements of the data economy – apps, the cloud and big data. But launching and supporting a dynamic API strategy is not easy - these programs need to be monitored, nurtured and directed as they evolve over time. Operators need to offer a program that lowers the barrier to entry for developers and creates a more supportive environment. Our methodology and related services are designed to address the pain points affecting developers when designing, implementing and integrating APIs," stated Laura Merling, Senior Vice President, Application Enablement at Alcatel-Lucent.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

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Apple Plans Massive Data Center in Oregon

Apple is planning to build a massive data center in Prineville, Oregon, in proximity to Facebook's main data center, according to city documents reported by The Bend Bulletin. The facility reportedly will be over 500,000 square feet (46,451 m2) located on 160 acres of land. This would be equivalent in size to Apple's flagship data center in Maiden, North Carolina.
http://www.bendbulletin.com/

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Marvell's Revenue Rises 2% Sequentially to $816 Million

Marvell Technology Group reported revenue of $816 million for the second quarter of its fiscal 2013, a 2 percent sequential increase from $796 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2013, ended April 28, 2012, and a decrease of 9 percent from $898 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2012, ended July 30, 2011.



GAAP net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 was $93 million, or $0.16 per share (diluted), compared with GAAP net income of $95 million, or $0.16 per share (diluted), for the first quarter of fiscal 2013, and $192 million, or $0.31 per share (diluted), for the second quarter of fiscal 2012.

"Our results in the second quarter were affected primarily by the slowdown in the macro-economic environment that impacted our storage and mobile end markets. However, our SSD, 500 gigabyte per platter HDD and wireless connectivity products grew double digits sequentially and our networking end market continued to outperform on the strength of new products and share gains," said Dr. Sehat Sutardja, Marvell's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Despite the soft near-term demand environment, we are maintaining good profitability and continue to deliver shareholder value through our share repurchase and dividend programs."
http://www.marvell.com

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PICMG Adopts 40 Gbps AdvancedTCA Spec

The PICMG standards organization officially adopted the AdvancedTCA 3.1R2 specification, which quadruples the system bandwidth that can be achieved in AdvancedTCA systems to 40 Gbps.



The new specification allows a single chassis to handle data transfers up to 10 terabits per second for full mesh designs.


"The 40-gigabit fabric interface defined in PICMG 3.1R2.0 is the natural evolution for AdvancedTCA platforms," said Doug Sandy, Chairman of the PICMG 3.1R2.0 committee and CTO of the Embedded Computing business of Emerson Network Power. “It guarantees backward compatibility and interoperability, and offers a significant bandwidth improvement for next-generation data-hungry applications."

The new specification is available in print and electronic formats.
http://www.picmg.org

 

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