METROMEDIA FIBER NETWORK OFFERS GIG-E OVER DARK FIBER
Metromedia Fiber Network announced a metropolitan area Gigabit Ethernet transport service for dedicated dark fiber infrastructure in major US cities. The Metro Gig-E Optical Network will use Cisco Systems' Catalyst optical switches to extend corporate LANs over unshared MANs. The company said its Metro Gig-E service would guarantee a throughput rate of up to 1000 Mbps without needing protocol conversions to ATM or SONET. http://www.mmfn.com/index_new.html 
Metromedia Fiber Network, September 13, 1999

Last month, Metromedia announced a deal to integrate Nortel Networks' OPTera DWDM system in MANs for large enterprises. Metromedia has also previously disclosed an alliance with Williams Communications, giving it access to cross country fiber.

CISCO UNVEILS ITS ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE FOR VOICE, VIDEO AND INTEGRATED DATA (AVVIS)
Cisco Systems announced new Call Manager software, two Digital IP Telephony Gateways, a new IP telephone set and a new Media Convergence Server as part of its Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data (AVVID) over corporate networks. Cisco's AVVID strategy is comprised of four components: 

* IP infrastructure systems, such as multilayer intelligent switches, routers and gateways, with QoS, security and management features. These include its Catalyst LAN switches * Call processing platforms and solutions

* Intelligent IP-enabled clients including IP telephones and software- based phones, video clients, etc.

WINDOWS DNA 2000 INTEGRATES XML FOR WEB APPLICATIONS
Microsoft plans to build eXtensible Markup Language (XML) features as the foundation for Windows Distributed interNet Architecture (Windows DNA) 2000, its solution for creating Internet-based Web services. Plans include several new products as extensions to Windows NT: 

* a "BizTalk Server" for exchanging XML-formatted business documents across the Internet;

* a "Babylon" Integration Server for providing bidirectional network, data and application integration with a variety of legacy hosts;

* an "AppCenter" for managing Windows DNA-based applications in high availability server farms.

Microsoft said its Windows DNA 2000 would lead to more personalized and more proactive Web services. Microsoft will submit an Internet draft specification to the IETF for a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), an XML-based mechanism that bridges different object models over the Internet. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1999/Sept99/umbrellaPR.htm
Microsoft, September 13, 1999

REDBACK ANNOUNCES SERVICE PROVISIONING ROAD MAP
Redback Networks plans to scale its broadband service provisioning systems beyond the access level to more lucrative, value-added services, such as pay-per-view content management. In the next evolutionary phase, Redback's subscriber systems will be enhanced with a Director management system that interfaces directly with a carrier's existing Operations Support Systems (OSS) and Network Management Systems (NMS). This will enable flow-through provisioning of all the network elements required to deliver broadband access to large numbers of subscribers. The Director management system will allow carriers and ISPs to automatically provision an end-to-end data path for new subscribers through a Redback SMS and integrate new users electronically into existing billing and customer-care systems. Redback believes service providers eventually will shift their focus from connectivity to value-added services. The service platform will need to be logically linked to "pay-to-play" services. http://www.redback.com/
Redback Networks, September 13, 1999

ALCATEL INTRODUCES ITS SUBSCRIBER MANAGEMENT SOLUTION
Alcatel unveiled its carrier-class centralized software solution for provisioning and managing wholesale access services over remote access infrastructure. Network operators to resell DSL and voice over IP services through other ISPs could use the Alcatel A1135 SMC Service Management Center. Alcatel's SMC scales to manage hundreds of dial and broadband remote access servers; allows multiple virtual remote access networks to be provisioned; and acts as a full-featured proxy RADIUS or RADIUS server that routes user connections (dial, DSL, or voice over IP/fax over IP) to customer networks for authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) services. http://www.usa.alcatel.com/press/99press/pr091399.htm 
Alcatel, September 13, 1999

COSINE RAISES $58 MILLION IN 4TH ROUND VENTURE FUNDING FOR IP VPNS
CoSine Communications, a start-up developing an IP Service Delivery architecture for business class VPNs, received secured $58 million in a fourth round of financing, bringing the total amount raised by the company to $92.5 million. CoSine's architecture will create a service-processing layer between the access concentration edge of service provider networks and their high-speed cores. The company's product set will include an IPSX 9000 service processing switch with a 22 Gbps midplane (11 Gbps with protection), hot- swappable Services Blades, automatic failover and redundant power systems. Each CoSine Processor Blade includes multiple RISC-based CPUs and built-in memory to power future services. Services planned for the IPSX 9000 include IPSec (dedicated and dial), Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), Point-to-Point Protocol (PPTP), application proxy firewall, key management, bandwidth management, packet filtering, MPLS and Network Address Translation (NAT). The platform connects to enterprise routers via Frame Relay or private- line connections; uplinks to the service provider's core routers and switches use 10/100 Ethernet, DS-3, OC-3c ATM or OC-3c Packet-Over-SONET links.
http://www.cosinecom.com
CoSine Communications, September 13, 1999

ENNOVATE NETWORKS CLOSES THIRD ROUND OF FUNDING FOR IP VPNS
Ennovate Networks, a start-up developing carrier-class IP service provisioning products, closed a third round of venture funding, bringing total investment in the firm to $22.5 million. Ennovate is developing an IP Services Switch and Service Provisioning System Software supporting business-critical services, such as Network-based IP VPNs. Ennovate's Envoy 1600 switch uses a "High Touch Routing" ASIC to classify and mark IP traffic for differentiated service delivery. The High Touch Routing looks at all elements of the IP and TCP/UDP headers, then classifies and marks traffic based on one or several parameters. The multiservice edge switch also provides a combination of circuit/packet capabilities for grooming and concentrating traffic at the edge of carrier networks. The company is based in Boxborough, Mass. http://www.ennovatenetworks.com
Ennovate Networks, September 13, 1999

ALTEON WEBSYSTEMS ADDS SSL AND URL-BASED TRAFFIC FEATURES TO ITS WEB SWITCHES
Alteon WebSystems added new Layer-7 content-aware switching capabilities to its Web switches, including Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) switching and high performance URL-based traffic redirection and load balancing. 

The SSL session ID-based load balancing tags multi-client SSL traffic with a unique client session ID so that the traffic can be distributed to multiple SSL servers for simultaneous processing, thereby speeding up eCommerce applications. The Alteon Web switch also supports persistent connections based on SSL session-ID, allowing successive connections from the same client to be forwarded to the same server, based on the client's unique session ID. The URL-based server load balancing and redirection features sends requests to designated servers based on all or part of the URL(s) embedded in the body of the requests. The Web switch parses each URL or URL sub-string in an HTTP 1.0 or HTTP 1.1 request and binds the new session to the best server in the designated server group that hosts the URL.

 Alteon WebSystems said the new capabilities enabled its ACEdirector 3 Web switch to set a new record for URL-based server load balancing: the ability to load balance 37,600 URLs per second from 300 clients across 7 servers using the WebBench 3.0 tool. http://www.alteon.com/press/index.cgi?page=press.html
Alteon WebSystems, September 13, 1999

T-MOBIL AWARDS $250 MILLION GPRS CONTRACT TO LUCENT
T-Mobil, the German operator, awarded a $250 million contract to Lucent Technologies to expand and upgrade its T-D1 network for General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). GPRS is an interim step in the migration of GSM networks toward 3G. T-Mobil plans to introduce its GPRS service across Germany in mid-2000. http://www.lucent.com/press/0999/990913.coa.html
Lucent, September 13, 1999

RACAL OFFERS ATM DATACRYPTOR TO OC-12C
Racal introduced its Datacryptor 2000 ATM product line, providing Triple DES encryption for ATM networks with modes operating at T1/E1, T3/E3, OC-3c/STM-1 and OC-12c/STM-4 speeds. The product has been designed to comply with FIPS 140-1. The system encrypts only the payload of ATM cells. http://www.racalitsec.com/ 
Racal, September 13, 1999

MOTOROLA DEVELOPS STARCORE DSP OPTIMIZES ATM, ETHERNET, TDM
Motorola is developing a 300 MHz, digital signal processor (DSP) optimized for the "packetized" world, supporting ATM, Fast-Ethernet and fast TDM. The MSC8101 is the first DSP manufactured using Motorola's new 0.13 micron copper interconnect process technology. The programmable 32-bit RISC CPM, runs the networking protocol layers, thereby enabling the DSP to link directly to packetized backbones, such as ATM and Fast Ethernet, as well as PCM highways such as E1/T1 and E3/T3. Sampling is expected in Q2 2000. http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=mot&script=410&layout=7&item_id=51223
Motorola, September 13, 1999

QWEST COMPLETES NATIONWIDE FIBER, SHIFTS CONSTRUCTION TO LOCAL NETWORKS
Qwest Communications completed construction of its 18,500 miles, cross-country US network. The core infrastructure uses 48 fiber strands. Construction, which began in 1995, was completed ahead of schedule and under budget. Qwest will now focus its resources on building 25 local fiber networks in major US cities. http://www.qwest.com/press/story.asp?id=149 
Qwest, September 13, 1999

A Daily Journal For Broadband Networking
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