Meriton Networks | Press Releases

Meriton Networks | Press Releases http://www.meriton.com/news/index.php Press Releases en-ca Copyright Meriton Networks Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:03:33 -0400 Xtera Communications Acquires Meriton Networks Xtera Communications today announced the acquisition of Meriton Networks. With the addition of Meriton's award-winning Metro Optical Networking portfolio, which addresses both the Packet Optical Edge/Metro and Metro/Regional ROADM market, Xtera now offers network operators a new solution partner for end-to-end next generation optical networking solutions. Xtera Communications is a privately-held company that supplies Optical, IP performance and service solutions to terrestrial and sub-sea global service providers with development, sales and support offices around the world. Xtera has been strategically extending both its product portfolio and global reach to complement its existing core business with a number of previously announced acquisitions. The acquisition of Meriton is the latest move in the company's announced growth strategy of strengthening its global position in the converged IP and optical communication market and provides the company with: <ul> <li>A carrier class metro transport portfolio that delivers both cross-connect and ROADM switching, together with sub-wavelength grooming capabilities </li> <li>Proven R&D expertise in innovative Packet Optical Networking/Carrier Ethernet Transport and ROADM technology </li> <li>A global Tier 1 and Tier 2 service provider customer base </li> <li>Increased global footprint in the areas of R&D, sales and support</li> </ul> Xtera is now uniquely positioned to help network operators meet the explosive growth in Ethernet and IP traffic. The resulting portfolio greatly enhances the company's ability to provide an agile end-to-end optical network while allowing service providers to realize the promise of lower operating costs and increased management efficiencies. "As with our previous acquisitions, Meriton brings advanced technologies, additional customers, and geographical diversity, along with improved economies of scale, across our business," said Xtera CEO Jon Hopper. "With this acquisition, Xtera Communications has moved significantly closer toward our goal of being a leading provider of converged Ethernet/IP and Optical Transport solutions." "Optical networking is showing significant growth in all markets across the globe," said Michael Howard, Principal Analyst at Infonetics. "The continuing traffic demands for increased capacity are driving the need for new platforms that converge packet and optical layers to reduce cost and complexity in next generation transport networks. Xtera's acquisition of Meriton Networks creates a wide product portfolio that provides reach from the metro access edge through the ultra long haul." About Xtera Communications Xtera Communications provides network solutions enabling communications companies to profitably deliver high-bandwidth tailored services at the lowest sustainable cost per bit. Xtera delivers value by combining sound business practice with compelling advantages in capacity, reach, simplicity and service. Further information is available online at <a href="http://www.xtera.com">www.xtera.com</a>. http://www.meriton.com/news/press-details.php?pid=89 Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:01:00 -0400 Blink Communications deploys One Connection for Infinite possibilities Blink Communications, a facilities-based data communications carrier today announced that it has launched a distributed dedicated wavelength service as part of its suite of managed data transport services. Strategic focus on the service layer and network optimization has afforded Blink's end customers the ability to continually consolidate and scale their data and network services into a single cohesive architecture. Blink's wavelength services will allow for dedicated carrier grade Ethernet up to 10GE, available in point-to-point and multiple point-to-point configurations. The service will augment Blink's existing high bandwidth capabilities, effectively accommodating and cost effectively scaling new data, Internet, voice and video applications as required. Most companies use this technology to interconnect their Storage Area Networks. Blink has, over the years, built its own diverse fibre facilities into most of the major big-name data centres throughout the greater Toronto area (GTA), interconnecting SAN environments for companies of all sizes as custom network solutions. A service and related experience that has lead Blink to create a more accessible distributed cost effective model for the general business market. The service has been deployed over an innovative new 400Gbit/s Dense Wave Division Multiplexing network (DWDM), utilizing Meriton Networks' 3300 OSM (Optical Services Multiplexer) for its flexibility, scalability, efficiency, and simplicity of operation. "Blink Communications' insightful approach to data communications actively anticipates the needs of businesses of all sizes and allows them to leverage the latest voice, video and data service advancements - as they need them. Meriton's Agile Optical Networking solutions were developed with these requirements in mind, and we look forward to supporting Blink as it continues to expand its customer base and service portfolio," said Mike Pascoe, president and CEO for Meriton Networks. He goes on to say, "Our Agile Optical Networking solutions are a good match for innovative carriers like Blink Communications, who need flexible, scalable options that allow them to customize their services to win customers in a highly competitive market." Blink has gained recognition over the last couple of years for its "grow as you go - One Connection, Infinite possibilities" strategic approach to the market. A concept that has catapulted Blink as the data provider of choice for some of North America's largest organizations. "This launch was a natural progression for Blink. We have seen a trend over the past couple of years towards a more responsive and focused provider. We have always excelled in providing our customers with innovative networking solutions and support. Creating a distributed model was in line with our core strategy and would cost effectively allow our customers to use a technology that was once reserved for carrier backbone applications," said Troy Hare, President and COO of Blink Communications. He continues, "This introduction was primarily at the request of our customers." About Blink Communications Inc. A subsidiary of Oakville Hydro in Ontario, Blink Communications is a facilities based data communications service provider that delivers cost-effective, fiber-based high bandwidth services for applications that range from wide-area corporate networks and Internet, file transfer and multipoint interconnections to consolidated IP data, voice and multimedia transport and high-capacity disaster recovery and business continuity. With over 1000 KM of routed fiber, Blink Communications' optical network is fully diverse from that of other carriers. Designed to deliver the utmost in flexibility and scalability, the network allows fast, simple bandwidth changes that grow along with end user requirements and delivers optimal uptime for mission-critical applications. Blink's purchase of Mississauga Hydro's telecom assets in mid 2006 has enabled the organization to scale and realize efficiencies in its market based approach. For more information please visit - <a href="http://www.blink.ca">http://www.blink.ca</a>. About Meriton Networks Inc. Meriton Networks Inc. has developed the industry's first unified end-to-end Agile Optical Networking (AON) architecture, a carrier-grade solution for service provider migration to next-generation IP services architectures. A key pillar of AON is the integration of Ethernet aggregation and switching with optical WDM transport to enable Carrier Ethernet Transport (CET). With metro access, metro core and regional extension products, all fully managed by a best-in-class suite of network planning and management tools, Meriton Networks gives network operators a single source for the rapid, cost-effective delivery of high-speed services. For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.meriton.com">http://www.meriton.com</a>. http://www.meriton.com/news/press-details.php?pid=88 Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:01:00 -0500 MERITON NETWORKS WINS IEC INFOVISION AWARD FOR METRO NETWORK TECHNOLOGIES & SERVICES Meriton Networks Inc., a leader in emerging Carrier Ethernet Transport (CET) solutions, today announced that its 7200 Optical Switching Platform (OSP) has won the prestigious IEC InfoVision Award for Metro Network Technologies and Services. A committee of senior industry experts drawn from vendor companies, international service providers and industry associations drove the judging process for the award, which was presented at the IEC Broadband World Forum Europe conference in Berlin, Germany. The awards are intended to recognize the technologies, applications, products, advances and services judged as the most unique and beneficial to the information and communications technologies (ICT) industry. "We are honored to receive this important industry award, as it affirms growing market recognition of the tremendous value our Carrier Ethernet Transport solutions give to service providers," said Ken Davison, vice president of Marketing and Business Development, Meriton Networks. "The CET capabilities of the 7200 OSP, which separate the service layer from the underlying transport topology, are resonating with service providers across the globe as they seek NGN architectural models that effectively support the explosive growth in Ethernet and IP traffic while allowing them to realize the promise of lower operating costs and increased management efficiencies." The Meriton CET Capability and Feature-Set, as implemented on the 7200 OSP, is a breakthrough architectural approach to building scalable transport infrastructure for supporting Ethernet and the evolution to Next Generation Networks (NGNs). CET combines the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of native Ethernet with the reliability and power of WDM to deliver unparalleled flexibility, efficiency and cost savings - particularly for interconnecting Gigabit Ethernet. Meriton's leading CET technology delivers key networking capabilities that allow carriers to meet the growth demands of the 'Ethernet Explosion' while strengthening their networks to handle future, as-yet-unknown, traffic demands. "We'd like to congratulate Meriton Networks for its CET on the 7200 Optical Switching Platform chosen for this highly-competitive, prestigious InfoVision Award," commented IEC Vice President of Conference Development Tom Costello. "I'm sure these innovative products and services will have a long-lasting positive impact on the industry and we look forward to customers enjoying the benefits of these innovations." For more information on the Meriton Networks 7200 OSP (Optical Switching Platform), please <a href="http://www.meriton.com/products/7200.php">click here</a>. To learn more on Carrier Ethernet Transport for Next-Generation Networks, please <a href="http://www.meriton.com/cet_whitepaper.php">click here</a> to download the CET white paper. http://www.meriton.com/news/press-details.php?pid=87 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 00:01:00 -0400 Meriton Networks named FINALIST in INFOVISION AWARDS Meriton Networks Inc., a leader in emerging Carrier Ethernet Transport (CET) solutions, today announced that its 7200 Optical Switching Platform (OSP) has been named a finalist for the prestigious IEC InfoVision Award for Metro Network Technologies and Services. The InfoVision Awards, which will be presented at the IEC Broadband World Forum Europe conference in Berlin, Germany, recognize the technologies, applications, products, advances and services judged as the most unique and beneficial to the information and communications technologies (ICT) industry. The finalists were selected as top innovations by a panel of judges chosen from the Broadband World Forum Europe 2007 Technical Program Committee, which consists of industry experts from vendor companies, service providers and industry associations. The Meriton CET Capability and Feature-Set, as implemented on the 7200 OSP, is a breakthrough architectural approach to building scalable transport infrastructure for supporting Ethernet and the evolution to Next Generation Networks (NGNs). CET combines the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of native Ethernet with the reliability and power of WDM to deliver unparalleled flexibility, efficiency and cost savings - particularly for interconnecting Gigabit Ethernet. Meriton's leading CET technology delivers key networking capabilities that allow carriers to meet the growth demands of the 'Ethernet Explosion' while strengthening their networks to handle future, as-yet-unknown, traffic demands. "Being named an InfoVision Award finalist is another positive endorsement of our CET solutions approach, recognizing the breakthroughs that the 7200 platform represents to carriers wishing to integrate intelligent WDM (i.e. the ability to do multi-degree switching at wavelength and sub-wavelength levels) with Ethernet tunnels, such as PBB-TE and T-MPLS," said Ken Davison, vice president of Marketing and Business Development, Meriton Networks. "The 7200 OSP is already deployed in several carrier networks combining OADM and OSX functionality to remove Optical Transport layer complexity. Leveraging new CET networking capabilities, the 7200 separates the service delivery architecture from the underlying transport architecture, making the transport network transparent for service creation and modification. Optimized hand-off of Ethernet traffic also enables far less 'hairpinning' of layer 2 switches, resulting in increased efficiency and cost-savings." "The IEC's InfoVision Awards give tribute to the top broadband technologies in deployment today. We're pleased to recognize Meriton Networks for its 7200 Optical Switching Platform in the Metro Network Technologies and Services category," commented IEC President John Janowiak. For more information on the Meriton Networks 7200 OSP (Optical Switching Platform), please <a href="http://www.meriton.com/products/7200.php">click here</a>. To learn more on Carrier Ethernet Transport for Next-Generation Networks, please <a href="http://www.meriton.com/cet_whitepaper.php">click here</a> to download the CET white paper. http://www.meriton.com/news/press-details.php?pid=86 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:01:00 -0400 Meriton Networks Joins Carrier Ethernet Ecosystem Meriton Networks, a leader in emerging Carrier Ethernet Transport (CET) solutions, today announced that it has joined the new Carrier Ethernet Ecosystem. Initiated by Nortel and comprising eight charter members including Meriton, the ecosystem is a partnering framework designed to ensure the interoperability of Provider Backbone Transport (PBT)-enabled Carrier Ethernet solutions worldwide, thereby helping reduce the costs and complexity of carriers' next-generation communications infrastructures. In February of this year, Meriton announced its innovative CET strategy, which integrates three networking capabilities (Wavelength, Sub-Wavelength and PBT Tunnel Switching) to enable a converged optical-Ethernet transport solution. CET combines the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of native Ethernet with the reliability and power of WDM to deliver unparalleled flexibility, efficiency and cost savings -- particularly for interconnecting Gigabit Ethernet. "The interest in PBT has shifted from widespread curiosity to serious evaluation among innovative network operators worldwide," said Ken Davison, vice president of marketing and business development for Meriton Networks. "As carriers develop their networks to best support advanced, high-bandwidth services, the transport infrastructure must be given key consideration. Given our strong heritage in optical transport and data networking systems, we look forward to working with Nortel and other Ecosystem members to achieve interoperability at the PBT level. We believe that CET is the best transport architecture for IP-based next-generation networks, and PBT is an important component of CET." "The Carrier Ethernet Ecosystem promises to fast-track the acceptance of PBT-enabled network deployments, and we look forward to leveraging Meriton's distinctive expertise in transport infrastructure as we pursue the Ecosystem's mission," said Michael Adams, vice president, Metro Ethernet architecture, Nortel. As part of the ecosystem, member partners will develop and pre-test solutions, culminating in certification that their respective solutions meet compatibility and interoperability standards for PBT-based networks. http://www.meriton.com/news/press-details.php?pid=85 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 09:00:00 -0400 Meriton Networks Enters Emerging Carrier Ethernet Transport Market Meriton Networks today announced that it will leverage its strengths in Agile Optical Networking to support converged Optical-Ethernet capabilities and enter the emerging Carrier Ethernet Transport (CET) market. CET combines the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of native Ethernet with the reliability and power of WDM to deliver unparalleled flexibility, efficiency and cost savings - particularly for interconnecting Gigabit Ethernet. Meriton Networks is announcing a multi-phase CET product delivery strategy that will extend its wavelength networking capabilities to more effectively deliver Ethernet transport bandwidth. These new capabilities are being added to Meriton's 7200 OSP (Optical Switching Platform), an integrated switching and transport system. Phase one of Meriton's CET capabilities enables carriers to support high-density Gig E networking within the metro using sub-wavelength switching (SWS) and grooming of nine Gigabit Ethernet streams onto a 10 Gb/s wavelength. The capability of switching a Gig E path within the optical transport layer and maintaining the path throughout the entire network and assuring it with a Service Level Agreement (SLA) makes it ideal for wholesale interconnect services. Phase two will introduce support for Carrier Ethernet Tunnel switching and aggregation for local handoff. The first Ethernet tunnel technology to be supported by Meriton will be Provider Backbone Transport (PBT), which is currently undergoing ratification within the IEEE, under the proposed name of Provider Backbone Bridging - Traffic Engineering (PBB-TE). Meriton's CET solutions deliver the following networking capabilities, which allow carriers to cost-effectively and rapidly meet the growth demands of the 'Ethernet explosion' while strengthening their networks to handle future, as-yet-unknown, traffic demands: <ul> <li>With the growth in endpoints driving GigEs to increasingly disparate destinations, there is a need to switch traffic, end-to-end, across the entire network. CET embeds key any-port-to-any-port network switching capabilities: Wavelength Switching, Sub-wavelength (typically Gig E) Switching, and Carrier Ethernet Tunnel Switching </li> <li>Separation of the service delivery architecture from the underlying transport architecture. By doing so, the transport network is transparent for service creation and modification (e.g. adds, moves and changes) </li> <li>Reliable, deterministic, end-to-end connections that can support guaranteed SLAs </li> <li>Optimized hand-off of Ethernet traffic so there is less "hairpinning" of traffic to layer 2 switches and the resulting unnecessary consumption of ports on these switches</li> </ul> As carriers worldwide migrate to next-generation networks (NGNs) to reduce their costs and improve their ability to support high bandwidth-intensive services with guaranteed SLAs, they need a flexible, scalable optical transport infrastructure - especially in the metro network - that efficiently supports Ethernet and minimizes operational complexities. Recognizing the inherent cost and manageability advantages of a "circuit oriented" approach to carrier-scale transport, CET is an architectural design that integrates Ethernet Gateways/Tunnels, such as PBB-TE and T-MPLS, with intelligent WDM to allow carriers to use Ethernet as a "Tunnel Support" protocol, creating end-to-end Ethernet tunnels. Meriton's CET solutions will enable carriers to significantly reduce metro "head-end" (GigE) port consumption, and reduce the requirement for a separate layer 2 aggregation platform between the optical and packet layers. By keeping the switching in the optical domain, carriers can achieve a deterministic QoS, low latency, low jitter approach for switching Carrier Ethernet traffic. Additionally, keeping traffic in the optical transport domain wherever possible minimizes tributary handoff and the number of layer 2/layer 3 hops. CET enables end-to-end path management of individual GigE optical paths, with point-and-click provisioning, protection, and bridge-and-roll functionality, while optimizing fiber usage. "We have listened closely to the requirements of our major carrier customers, and we agree that there are powerful advantages to keeping a Gig E path in the sub-wavelength domain across the optical transport network and opting for tunnel processing only when necessary," said Bill Gartner, chief operating officer for Meriton Networks. "The advantage is a simpler network, delivering better performance since fewer layer 2 queues are traversed. A key benefit to the Meriton 7200 OSP is its ability to scale to 320 Gb/s in a single shelf platform. With the pending explosion of video services, this scale quickly becomes an essential part of any metro node implementation." "Industry analysts estimate that CET equipment sales will reach approximately $1.3 billion by 2009, displacing sales of (amongst others) Ethernet switches, traditional routers, Carrier Ethernet switches and SONET/SDH equipment," said Ken Davison, vice -president of marketing and business development . "We're proud that Meriton is the first AON vendor to announce support for CET on its WDM platforms." "It is a natural evolution of the Carrier Ethernet market to subdivide into segments for Carrier Ethernet Transport and Carrier Ethernet Services," said Scott Clavenna, Chief analyst with Heavy Reading. "With operators worldwide looking to embrace Ethernet as a universal networking technology, the transport network must evolve while maintaining itsreliability and robustness, extending its connection-oriented approach to networking up into the Ethernet layer." Phases 1 and 2 of Meriton's Carrier Ethernet Transport functionality on the 7200 OSP will be available in the second half of 2007. For more information on the Meriton Networks 7200 OSP (Optical Switching Platform) being selected "Product of the Month" by Telecommunication Magazine, please <a href="http://www.telecommagazine.com/search/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_2976&SearchWord=meriton+networks+blazes" target="_blank">click here</a>. http://www.meriton.com/news/press-details.php?pid=83 Mon, 05 Feb 2007 00:01:00 -0500 Meriton Networks Teams with TPACK to Deliver Tunnel Switching Capability For Carrier Ethernet Transport Meriton Networks, specialists in Agile Optical Networking, today announced that it has teamed with TPACK, a leading provider of Carrier Ethernet technologies, to build advanced packet gateway products that will be integrated into the Meriton Carrier Ethernet Transport (CET) solution. In a separate announcement today, Meriton articulated its multi-phase strategy for entering this emerging market category. TPACK and Meriton are collaborating to add Carrier Ethernet Tunnel Switching to the Meriton 7200 OSP (Optical Switching Platform) - a highly scalable 320 Gb/s system. Together, the companies are developing an Intelligent Ethernet Gateway (IEG) that will be an optional component of the 7200 OSP. With Meriton's CET strategy, the 7200 OSP becomes the first integrated switching and transport system optimized to transport Ethernet services. The key networking capabilities provided by the 7200 OSP include the following: <ul> <li>Embeds key "any port to any port" network switching capabilities. With the growth in endpoints driving GigEs to increasingly disparate destinations, there is a need to switch traffic, end-to-end, across the entire network. CET embeds wavelength switching, sub-wavelength switching, and Carrier Ethernet Tunnel switching capabilities. </li> <li>Separation of the service delivery architecture from the underlying transport architecture. By doing so, the transport network is transparent for service creation and modification </li> <li>Reliable, deterministic end-to-end connections that can support guaranteed Service Level Agreements (SLAs) </li> <li>Optimized hand-off of Ethernet traffic so there is less "hairpinning" of traffic to layer 2 switches</li> </ul> The first Ethernet tunnel technology to be supported by Meriton and TPACK will be Provider Backbone Transport (PBT), which is currently undergoing ratification within the IEEE under the name of Provider Bridging Backbone - Traffic Engineering or PBB-TE. The Ethernet Tunnel Switching technology that TPACK is providing is also available in a T-MPLS variant, although the Meriton IEG will be initially optimized to support PBB-TE. "TPACK is a recognized leader in Carrier Ethernet Tunnel Switching," said Bill Gartner, chief operating officer for Meriton Networks. "Working with TPACK to develop our CET products ensures that we set a new benchmark in the industry for optical-Ethernet converged capabilities." "We are excited to be part of this project, which makes optimal use of TPACK's technology and core competency ," said Peter Viereck, chief executive officer for TPACK. "It further confirms our leadership in connection-oriented packet transport solutions, such as PBB-TE." Meriton's CET functionality on the 7200 OSP will be available in the second half of 2007. <hr /> About TPACK TPACK is a leading provider of linecard solutions for packet data transport and switching. This includes Ethernet/MPLS over NG-SONET/SDH and Carrier Ethernet, including PBT and T-MPLS. TPACK solutions are based on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices that allow rapid development and customization. This allows TPACK to meet customer specific needs without sacrificing time-to-market. TPACK's customer base includes Tier 1 equipment providers who account for more than 50% of the optical transport equipment market. TPACK is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark . For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.tpack.com">http://www.tpack.com</a> http://www.meriton.com/news/press-details.php?pid=84 Mon, 05 Feb 2007 00:01:00 -0500 Meriton Networks Joins IPSphere Forum Meriton Networks Inc., a leader in emerging Carrier Ethernet Transport (CET) solutions, today announced that its 7200 Optical Switching Platform (OSP) has been named a finalist for the prestigious IEC InfoVision Award for Metro Network Technologies and Services. The InfoVision Awards, which will be presented at the IEC Broadband World Forum Europe conference in Berlin, Germany, recognize the technologies, applications, products, advances and services judged as the most unique and beneficial to the information and communications technologies (ICT) industry. The finalists were selected as top innovations by a panel of judges chosen from the Broadband World Forum Europe 2007 Technical Program Committee, which consists of industry experts from vendor companies, service providers and industry associations. The Meriton CET Capability and Feature-Set, as implemented on the 7200 OSP, is a breakthrough architectural approach to building scalable transport infrastructure for supporting Ethernet and the evolution to Next Generation Networks (NGNs). CET combines the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of native Ethernet with the reliability and power of WDM to deliver unparalleled flexibility, efficiency and cost savings - particularly for interconnecting Gigabit Ethernet. Meriton's leading CET technology delivers key networking capabilities that allow carriers to meet the growth demands of the 'Ethernet Explosion' while strengthening their networks to handle future, as-yet-unknown, traffic demands. "Being named an InfoVision Award finalist is another positive endorsement of our CET solutions approach, recognizing the breakthroughs that the 7200 platform represents to carriers wishing to integrate intelligent WDM (i.e. the ability to do multi-degree switching at wavelength and sub-wavelength levels) with Ethernet tunnels, such as PBB-TE and T-MPLS," said Ken Davison, vice president of Marketing and Business Development, Meriton Networks. "The 7200 OSP is already deployed in several carrier networks combining OADM and OSX functionality to remove Optical Transport layer complexity. Leveraging new CET networking capabilities, the 7200 separates the service delivery architecture from the underlying transport architecture, making the transport network transparent for service creation and modification. Optimized hand-off of Ethernet traffic also enables far less 'hairpinning' of layer 2 switches, resulting in increased efficiency and cost-savings." "The IEC's InfoVision Awards give tribute to the top broadband technologies in deployment today. We're pleased to recognize Meriton Networks for its 7200 Optical Switching Platform in the Metro Network Technologies and Services category," commented IEC President John Janowiak. http://www.meriton.com/news/press-details.php?pid=82 Tue, 16 Jan 2007 08:01:00 -0500 Meriton Networks 6400 Optical Transport Platform Receives Rural Development Utilities Program Acceptance Meriton Networks, specialists in Agile Optical Networking, today announced that the Rural Development Utilities Program (RDUP), a division of the United States Department of Agriculture, has accepted the Meriton 6400 OTP (Optical Transport Platform) for inclusion in the RDUP List of Materials. This acceptance enables independent telephone and utility companies to purchase Meriton Networks equipment with the assistance of funds from RDUP grants and loans. The RDUP provides technical guidance and financial assistance to Independent Operating Companies (IOCs), Rural Local Exchange Carriers (RLECs) and utilities wanting to deliver technological advances to rural communities, with the goal of increasing the rate of broadband deployment. With the RDUP acceptance of the 6400 OTP, independent telephone and utility companies serving rural communities now have access to the flexibility, performance and cost benefits that the 6400 OTP delivers to network operators developing and deploying next-generation broadband networks. The 6400 OTP gives network operators: <ul> <li>Network Efficiency: the ability to aggregate multiple Gigabit Ethernet wavelengths onto a 10 Gb/s wavelength</li> <li>Service Flexibility: the use of pluggable optics and multi-service/multi-rate line cards provides per-port service flexibility with minimal line card investment. </li> <li>Simplified, Dynamic Provisioning: the ability to realize operational savings through automated remote provisioning of wavelengths that are as easily provisioned as SONET circuits</li> <li>One-time Engineering: the ability to add capacity, wavelengths and even additional nodes to the network without having to re-engineer the entire optical ring</li> <li>World-class Support and Service</li> </ul> "Its acceptance onto the RDUP List of Materials is another validation of the high performance, flexibility and cost savings that the 6400 OTP delivers to network operators embarking on broadband network deployments," said Bill Gartner, chief operating officer of Meriton Networks. "With the market-proven 6400 OTP, independent telephone and utility companies can offer new voice, video and data services quickly, reliably and with low operational costs." The Meriton 6400 OTP has a fully automated optical layer that dramatically simplifies installation, management, provisioning and maintenance in any optical network. And, unlike other ROADM systems on the market today, the 6400 OTP has an optical backplane that for the first time enables jumper-free installation and provisioning, greatly reducing time-to-service, operational expenses and provisioning mistakes. http://www.meriton.com/news/press-details.php?pid=81 Wed, 13 Dec 2006 08:00:00 -0500 Critical Link to the Internet2 Network Goes Live with Meriton Networks Optical Switching Platform Meriton Networks, specialists in Agile Optical Networking, today announced that Internet2 has deployed an important new high-speed network link based on Meriton's advanced wavelength networking systems . To fulfill the continually expanding - and unpredictable - bandwidth needs of its more than 300 members in the research and education community and to enable increasingly complex and sophisticated communications services, Internet2 needed to add capacity and additional flexibility to enable the best connectivity to its nationwide infrastructure. The new link to the Internet2 network provides strategic connectivity between Internet2's head office in Ann Arbor , Michigan , Level 3 Communications Point of Presence in Chicago and the StarLight international exchange point site in Chicago . The installation of this network was a collaborative initiative between Internet2, Meriton, Merit (the research and education network connecting Michigan 's public universities) and CANARIE ( Canada 's advanced Internet development organization). The link will enable regional and international network connectivity to Internet2's new nationwide backbone network that is expected to be fully operational on the Level 3 infrastructure in mid-2007. Today, Internet2's members can leverage this connection for current collaborations and projects that are helping to advance the development of new Internet infrastructure and applications. For instance, it will provide critical access between Internet2's headquarters facility and the Hybrid Optical Packet Infrastructure (HOPI) project, a national scale network testbed used by the Internet2 community to investigate next-generation hybrid network architectures. By extending GMPLS capabilities to provide high-speed circuits, the Meriton equipment can provide network researchers participating in the HOPI project the on-demand bandwidth capabilities needed to understand and analyze this new dynamic infrastructure. Internet2 deployed the Meriton 7200 OSP (Optical Switching Platform) because it meets the organization's stringent technical and business requirements. These requirements included: <ul> <li>Scalable, cost-effective 10 Gb/s transport - the 7200 OSP is designed for "high value without high costs," and the use of XFP pluggable optics provides an affordable "pay as you grow" approach</li> <li>Multi-degree switching - the 7200 OSP is the only networking system that offers up to 16 degrees of switching, made possible through its patented switching architecture. As a result, the 7200 OSP fully supports ring interconnection and enables the migration to mesh networking</li> <li>Future-proof investment protection - since the 7200 OSP is bit-rate and protocol independent, Internet2 can easily add new services in the future. With its transparent interfaces, the 7200 OSP is the strongest platform in the industry for interoperability as a result of its inherent ability to transport existing and future protocols across the network</li> <li>Excellent visibility - the architecture of the 7200 OSP provides comprehensive performance monitoring statistics at every node in the network, not just the end points</li> <li>Management simplicity - the advanced network planning and management systems that complement the 7200 OSP allow networks to be rapidly planned, deployed, operated and maintained</li> </ul> "The Internet2 community requires advanced networking gear that is both economical and flexible, which the Meriton 7200 OSP provides. Meriton's technical roadmap aligns well with the Internet2 community's near-future networking needs for flexible provisioning and enhanced bandwidth capabilities," said Steve Cotter, director of network services for Internet2. "With the excellent cooperation of all the organizations involved, the deployment of the network link promises to be a valuable resource for our community as we continue to lead the discovery of new Internet innovations." "Internet2 is one of the pre-eminent experts in high-speed networking, and we are thrilled to have been selected and deployed for this mission-critical connection," said Bill Gartner, chief operating officer of Meriton Networks. "We look forward to working with Internet2 to offer our unique capabilities to the rest of its research and education membership, and to enabling the fulfillment of Internet2's goal of accelerating the creation of tomorrow's Internet." http://www.meriton.com/news/press-details.php?pid=78 Thu, 16 Nov 2006 00:01:00 -0500