LUCENT AND SUN ANNOUNCE ALLIANCE COVERING SOFTSWITCH SERVERS
Lucent Technologies and Sun Microsystems announced an alliance under which Lucent will use up to $500 million of Sun's carrier-grade Netra servers over seven years as the platform for Lucent's new Flexent GSM and UMTS wireless network architecture.  The resulting compact PCI-based Netra systems will enable network operators to use standard IP applications. Lucent's will deliver its Softswitch technology and 7R/E feature servers on a range of Sun servers.  The companies also agree to jointly investigate optical interconnects for Sun's servers using Lucent's new OptiStar interfaces.  http://www.lucent.com/press/1299/991201.nsc.html
Lucent Technologies, December 1, 1999

NARUS INTEGRATES LUCENT'S OC48 OPTICAL INTERFACES INTO IP SEMANTICS SOLUTION
Narus will integrate Lucent's OptiStar OC48 network adapter cards into its IP Semantic Traffic Analysis platform.  Narus is developing a billing mediation solution that measures usage of IP services in real time and then integrates the data into new third party IP billing applications.  NARUS Semantics Analyzers are unique hardware appliances that install in any network and capture application-level usage information in real time directly from the network. The Analyzers pass data to NARUS Semantics Logic Servers, which process the data using the NARUS Billing Mediation System and other applications from third parties, including fraud detection, churn management and service planning.  Lucent's new OC48-interfaces will allow service providers using optical networks to have real-time access to customer usage information.
http://www.narus.com/press/lucent.html
Narus, December 1, 1999

TELCORDIA DELIVERS CALL AGENT SOFTWARE FOR SPRINT ION
Telcordia Technologies delivered Call Agent software for beta testing on Sprint ION.  The software is initially targeted to act like a local office "virtual" switch where the intelligence resides for call control features and functions. The Call Agent software supports SS7 and existing features such as E-911, 411, local number portability (LNP) and toll-free services. Telcordia's product uses an open architecture supporting numerous physical elements, including routers or ATM switches. http://www.telcordia.com/newsroom/pressreleases/991201sprint.html
Telcordia, December 1, 1999

DTI NETWORKS REACHES MAJOR MILESTONE FOR ITS WEB-BASED TELECOM FEATURE CREATION
DTI Networks (formerly Digital Telecommunication, Inc) announced the first deployment of its Web-based architecture for telecom feature creation in a revenue-generating network.  ALEC, a CLEC based in Kentucky, is using DTI's Extensible Service Policy (ESP) architecture for processing calls under a real world load of 120 T1s.  In the ESP architecture, a call policy server consults an individual subscriber's Web page, written in Call Policy Markup Language (CPML), to determine the call behavior for each call.  These CPML pages contain XML scripts which define how a call should be handled, including functions such as routing specifications, selection of long distance carrier for the call, and forwarding instructions to another number (based on the calling number, time-of-day or other parameters).  The call policy server provides ALEC with flexibility in originating, terminating and routing call policy management on both a switch-wide and individual subscriber basis. The call processing software runs on an open platform server over the DTI DXC switch.  http://www.dtinetworks.com/
DTI Networks, December 1, 1999

ALCATEL APPOINTS GLENN ESTES VICE PRESIDENT OF NETWORK STRATEGY WORLDWIDE
Alcatel named Glenn Estes to the position of Vice President of Network Strategy.  Estes formerly served as vice president-technology and chief scientist for SBC Communications, where he was responsible for launching Pacific Telesis' corporate initiatives for Internet, ADSL, wireless video, electronic commerce and integrated messaging.  Estes also established and chaired the first US standards group for broadband technology and he authored the first U.S. contribution to the International Telecommunications Union, proposing the adoption of SONET. He chaired the national and international standards group that wrote the Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) protocol.  http://www.alcatel.com/press/current/1999/12_01.htm
Alcatel, December 1, 1999

MOTOROLA AND CISCO ANNOUNCE INVISIX TEST CENTRE FOR WIRELESS IP
Motorola and Cisco Systems announced the opening of Invisix, a joint venture that will focus on the GSM digital standard for voice and data communications.  Invisix, which is located near Heathrow Airport in the UK, will be one of four test facilities to be built as part of the $1 billion Motorola-Cisco alliance announced in February. Further Invisix centers will open in Fort Worth, Texas, San Jose, California, and Tokyo in the coming months.  http://www.invisix-now.com/
Invisix, December 1, 1999

NETWORK PLUS ACQUIRES MANHATTAN ISP
Network Plus, which is deploying Voice over DSL services in NYC, acquired InfoHouse, Inc., an ISP with approximately 1,000 business accounts in Manhattan and surrounding New York City area.  The total cost of the cash and stock purchase is approximately $3 million.

Network Plus announced the installation of its first Voice over DSL customer line last month, with an initial pilot program of 20 customer sites planned for this quarter.  The company also recently activated three metro fiber rings around New York City using dark fiber from Metromedia Fiber Network. The fiber rings provide access to 12 more co-locations facilities from which Network Plus will launch its services.  http://www.nwp.com
Network Plus, December 1, 1999

METRICOM TO EXPAND ITS MOBILE DATA SERVICE TO 9 ADDITIONAL MARKETS
Metricom, which recently received a $600 million financial commitment from MCI WorldCom and Vulcan Ventures, announced plans to expand its 128 kbps wireless mobile network to nine additional US cities, including Baltimore, Boston, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Miami, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Salt Lake City. Metricom uses a unique network architecture based on a digital packet-switched network and spread-spectrum radio frequency transmission.  The meshed frequency-hopping network use micro cell radio transmitters hung on streetlight and utility poles. The self-configuring "poletop" radios allow users to send and receive data from Ricochet wireless data modems anywhere in coverage areas. Ricochet WAPs collect RF data packets from the poletop radios and convert them for transmission over the local wireline and national Internet backbone networks. http://www.metricom.com/
Metricom, December 1, 1999

MARCONI TO ACQUIRE BOSCH TELECOM
Marconi plc. (the former General Electric Company) will acquire Bosch Telecom GmbH for approximately Euro 148 million (US$149 million).  Bosch Public Networks is a major German supplier of public telecom network equipment and has some 3,900 employees, 250 of them working outside of Germany. Sales total approximately DM 1.2 billion, 75% occurring in Germany.  Principal customers include Deutsche Telekom, Mannesmann and VIAG.  Bosch's product portfolio includes fiber and microwave transmission systems for transport and access networks, active and passive optical access systems, digital point-to-multipoint radio broadband access systems and network termination products.   The group is presently not profitable, but Marconi hopes to restore it to profitability within 12 months of acquisition completion by selling its own product line in the German market, selling Bosch's radio products outside Germany, eliminating older product lines and reducing the workforce.   http://www.marconi.com/b87.htm
http://www.bosch.de/uc/ueberblick/zahlen01_e.htm
Marconi, November 25, 1999

SIARA SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES FIRST CONTRACT FOR IP/SONET PLATFORM
Siara Systems signed a $40 million contract for its forthcoming IP/SONET access platform with Broadband Office, a start-up planning to offer broadband connectivity to multi-tenant buildings nationwide. Siara expects deployments to begin in the first half of next year.  http://www.siara.com/
Siara Systems, December 1, 1999

Earlier this week, Redback Networks announced plans to acquire privately-held Siara Systems in a merger aimed at combining advanced subscriber services with next generation IP/SONET access for metropolitan fiber networks. 

A Daily Journal For Broadband Networking
Copyright 1999 ATM News Inc.
All Rights Reserved. ISSN 1084-2438
News sources are listed for your reference.