ADC TO ACQUIRE CENTIGRAM COMMUNICATIONS
ADC will acquire Centigram Communications, a developer of unified communications, Internet-enabled call management and wireless access protocol (WAP)-based messaging solutions, for $200 million in cash.  Centigram's carrier software applications include a Unified Inbox; a Mailbox On Demand, VoiceMemo, FaxMemo, PageMemo, SmartForwarding system, Prepaid calling server; Internet Call Manager and software for Short Message Services.  The company is based in San Jose, California.  ADC's telecom management portfolio includes its Singularit.e suite of OSS applications and the NewNet line of enhanced services solutions, including short messaging and over-the-air provisioning of wireless applications, signaling (SS7) platforms for call set up and transactions, and lawful intercept platforms for Internet, wireless and wireline service providers that complies with the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA).  ADC said the acquisition would further its strategy to be a leading global supplier of communications software for operations support systems (OSS) and enhanced services applications.  http://www.adc.com
http://www.centigram.com/
ADC, June 9, 2000

• The deal marks ADC's fourth communications software acquisition in the last four years. Its other acquisitions include Metrica Systems (1996), a developer of network performance and service assurance software; NewNet (1997), a developer of SS7-based enhanced services software; and Saville Systems (1999), a developer of convergent billing and customer care software.

LUCENT DEVELOPS PLASTIC FIBER FOR SHORT REACH APPLICATIONS
Lucent Technologies and Asahi Glass Company of Japan are developing a new line of graded index plastic optical fiber (GI-POF) products for short-distance specialty fiber applications requiring fiber links shorter than 100 meters.  Lucent said the 120 micron core of the graded index plastic optical fiber would ease connector alignment and facilitate low cost transmitters using wavelengths from 850 nm to 1300 nm.  http://www.lucent.com/press/0600/000609.bla.html
Lucent Technologies, June 9, 2000

TELLIUM'S NEXT OPTICAL SWITCH TO COMBINE ALL-OPTICAL AND OPTOELECTRONIC FEATURES
Tellium announced plans for its third generation optical crossconnect platform.  The Aurora Full-Spectrum (Aurora/FS), which is will ship in 2001, will integrate the company's current opto-electronic-fabric-based optical-layer crossconnect with all-optical switching.  The all-optical capabilities of the MEMS-based switching platform will allow for bit-rate and protocol independence.  Opto-electronics will be used for network-manageability including performance monitoring, connection-verification, fault-isolation, automatic topology-discovery, multicast capabilities, sub-rate grooming and in-band signaling.  Tellium said the platform is being designed to be OC-768-ready.  http://www.tellium.com/supercomm_main.html
Tellium, June 6, 2000

• Tellium’s existing Aurora optical switch allows service providers to cross-connect optical signals at up to OC-48 while bypassing the SONET/DCS layer.  In December, Lucent Technologies signed a two-year OEM agreement to resell Tellium's optical switching products, StarNet Restoration Software, and other software modules.  In January, Tellium named Harry J. Carr as its new Chairman and CEO.  Carr most recently served as President of Lucent's Broadband Carrier Networks unit and was previously President and COO of Yurie Systems. 

OPTICAL MICRO-MACHINES RAISES $75 MILLION FOR ITS MEMS-BASED SWITCHING
Optical Micro-Machines (OMM), a start-up based in San Diego, California, received an additional $75 million in venture financing, bringing its total raised to date to $120 million.   The company is developing MEMS-based optical switching subsystems with integrated drive electronics or subsystems that incorporate board level electronics and related optoelectronic components.  In March, OMM announced that the Company's new line of rack-mounted all-optical switch subsystems had been routing live traffic for over one month in an unmanned central office in Oakland, California.   Investors include Weston Presidio Capital, Atlas Venture, Bessemer Venture Partners, Rho Management and Sevin Rosen Venture Partners.   http://www.omminc.com/news/press/6600.htm
OMM, June 6, 2000

VCITIES BUILDS NEW NATIONWIDE NETWORK WITH LUCENT'S NEXABIT TERABIT ROUTER
VCities, a venture backed service provider based in Dallas, Texas, launched a nationwide, facilities-based terabit router and server farm network based on Lucent Technologies' networking products, including its NX 64000 Multi-Terabit Router, CBX 500 ATM switches and MAX TNT WAN access switches.  VCities aims to provide local broadband access aggregation and facilities capable of delivering high-bit content "end-to-end" within a specific region or nationwide.  Equipment is already deployed in 17 cities and the company plans to enter 50 markets by year-end and 87 by Q2 2001, including international POPs.   http://www.vccities.com
VCities, June 8, 2000

QWEST TESTS NORTEL'S OC-768 (40 GBPS)
Qwest Communications began testing Nortel Networks' OC-768 (40 Gbps line rate) optical networking systems.  The trial spanned 700 km (435 miles) and combined four, 40 Gbps signals using DWDM for a capacity of 160 Gbps.  Nortel Networks' scalable 40 to 80Gbps platform is expected to be commercial availability in 2001.  http://www.qwest.com/about/media/story.asp?id=288
Qwest Communications, June 6, 2000

TDSOFT ANNOUNCES PARTNERS FOR ITS VOICE OVER NEXT GENERATION ACCESS
TdSoft, a venture-backed start-up developing a voice access gateway, announced a series of agreements with Alcatel, Fujitsu, Efficient Networks and 2Wire targeting Voice over Next Generation Access (VoNGA) solutions.  TdSoft's voice access gateway supports any combination of PSTN switch interfaces, including standard V5.2, GR-303, TR 008, CAS or proprietary signaling interfaces.  The platform supports ATM and IP access technologies.  Alcatel, SingTel and TdSoft are conducting the first Voice over DSL (Digital Subscriber Loop) trial service in Singapore.  Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe (FTEL) and TdSoft agreed to offer a joint VoDSL solution to the international market based on TdSoft's VoNGATE Voice Access Gateway with a V5.2 interface and Fujitsu's SuperVision DSLAM system.  2Wire, another start-up building residential gateways, also agreed to offer international solutions with TdSoft.  Efficient Networks also joined TdSoft's Voice over Next Generation Access (VoNGA) Partner Program with the intention to offer end-to-end VoDSL solutions for incumbent and emerging carriers and service providers.  http://www.tdsoft.com
TdSoft, June 6, 2000

THREE CLECS CONSOLIDATE TO BUILD SUPER-REGIONAL NETWORK
Cavalier Telephone, Conversent Communications, and Florida Digital Network, three Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs), will merge to form elantic Communications.  The new company will have eight active voice switches, 67,000 local access lines, 1,500 miles of fiber, and 140 co-locations in 16 markets in the eastern US.  The combined companies currently have a revenue run rate of $47 million.  http://www.elantic.com/news.html
Elantic, June 9, 2000