LUCENT ACQUIRES HERMANN TECH. FOR DWDM FILTERS
Lucent Technologies Microelectronics Group has acquired Herrmann Technology, a developer of thin-film process technology for passive optical filters, for $438 million (7.3 million LU sharers).  Thin-film filters prevent interference between different wavelength channels in DWDM systems.  Herrmann Technology is already shipping 100 gigahertz (GHz) filters for next-generation systems.  The company employs 65 people and is based in Dallas, Texas.  Lucent said the acquisition complements its recently announced joint venture with DiCon Fiberoptics to produce passive optical components.  http://www.lucent.com/micro/NEWS/PRESS2000/061900a.html
Lucent Technologies, June 19, 2000

NORTEL NETWORKS PROMOTES "WINGS OF LIGHT" CAMPAIGN

Nortel Networks sketched out its "Wings Of Light" strategic vision for unifying IP, optical and wireless networks.  Plans for wireless access include a new eMobility Internet Base Station supporting all major 2G and 3G standards.  Products for the unified, packet IP core network include Nortel's existing Optera, Passport and Contivity platforms.  http://www.nortelnetworks.com/products/announcements/wings/index.html
Nortel Networks, June 19, 2000

• Separately, Nortel Networks and Hewlett-Packard (HP) formed a strategic alliance to develop mobile portal solutions, wireless devices and networking solutions.

INTO NETWORKS AND US WEST OFFER SOFTWARE ONDEMAND TO DSL SUBSCRIBERS
US West introduced a broadband portal for its DSL customers featuring a consumer software service called PlayNow.com.  Several hundred software titles are grouped into three channels: Kids, Games and Lifestyle, which includes hobbies, home improvement, small business and reference programs. Into Networks will deploy its content servers in U S WEST's network to provide the software-on-demand service.  The software is run in real-time on the IntoNet server.  Users can try software titles for free before they purchase, rent a single title for a few days, or subscribe to channels of content on a monthly basis.  http://www.uswest.com/about/news/nc/releases/2000/061900b.html
US West, June 19, 2000

INTO NETWORKS RAISES $36 MILLION FOR ITS ONDEMAND SOFTWARE SITE
Into Networks, which is a start-up based in Cambridge, MA., raised $36.6 million from strategic partners backing its on-demand software distribution system.  The company operates the PlayNow.com site, which brings together software publishers and broadband service providers.  The IntoNet platform streams the software's executable files from a remote server located in the local broadband network.  Investors include Cisco Systems, Inktomi, Intel, MediaOne, Motorola, Cox Communications, NTL, Adelphia and others.  http://www.intonet.com
Into Networks, June 19, 2000

US WEST PASSES 150K DSL CUSTOMER MILESTONE, EXPANDS DEPLOYMENT
US West now has more than 150,000 DSL subscribers online from more than 250 Central Offices -- the highest density of any US service provider, according to the company.  US West also announced plans to expand availability of DSL to 30 new markets, almost doubling the number of cities it serves in its 14-state region. http://www.uswest.com/about/news/nc/releases/2000/061900.html
US West, June 19, 2000

ALCATEL TO TRIPLE ITS FIBER PRODUCTION CAPACITY
Alcatel intends to triple capacity at its fiber optics production plants within two years.  The company reports phenomenal demand for its latest TeraLight fiber for long-haul applications, which supports more than 240 user channels in the C, L and S bands at up 10 Gbps each.  Alcatel currently has six fiber manufacturing facilities around the world.  New capacity will be added mainly on the major production plants in Europe and in the US.  http://www.alcatel.com
Alcatel, June 19, 2000

CORNING TO INCREASE FIBER MANUFACTURING
Corning Cable Systems will open a new 250,000 square foot facility to increase its production of fiber cable.  The facility will produce flame retardant fiber cables, which are now required in many locations to meet building life safety codes for limiting flame propagation and smoke production in the event of a fire.  http://www.corning.com/news/news_update2/index.html
Corning, June 19, 2000

ASTRAL POINT ANNOUNCES FIRST CUSTOMER FOR ITS SONET-LIKE OPTICAL PLATFORM
Lighthouse Communications, a CLEC based in Iowa, will employ Astral Point's ON 5000 platform in its metro networks and regional footprint for high density ATM and SONET concentration.  The Astral Point ON 5000 platform integrates SONET protection, frame and cell switching and optical ADM functionality.  Astral Point also features a fully distributed, mesh network topology discovery and bandwidth-management system.  Lighthouse will use the platform to concentrate large numbers of DS1 and DS3 lines and backhaul them into its ATM core network.
http://www.astralpoint.com/
Astral Point, June 19, 2000

• Earlier this month, Astral Point completed a $40 million round of financing, bringing total equity funding since its inception in October 1998 to $73 million.  Investors include Bowman Capital, Essex Investment Management. The Sprout Group, New Enterprises Associates and One Liberty Ventures.  Astral Point was founded by Raj Shanmugaraj (formerly PictureTel), Bill Mitchell (Cascade Communications), Bruce Miller (Bay Networks) and Steve Sherry.

EQUIPE COMMUNICATIONS PREVIEWS ITS OPTICAL SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE
Equipe Communications, a start-up based in Acton, MA., outlined its software architecture for a new class of optical access equipment.  Equipe's Evail software is being developed to meet very high availability requirements by monitoring, protecting and minimizing the scope of failures while simplifying and reducing troubleshooting times to minutes.  The software offers automated fault detection and recovery, as well as automated updating features. The company has filed over 22 patent applications related to the software.  Equipe plans to introduce a multilayer platform later this year.  http://www.equipecom.com/press061900.html
Equipe, June 19, 2000

• Equipe is led by Dennis Rainville, who formerly served as VP of Hardware Engineering at Lucent/Ascend Communications/Cascade Communications. Equipe's engineering group includes Chris Noel (Ascend), Terry Pearson (Nortel/Bay/Wellfleet), and Joe Whitehouse (Ascend).

GERMANY'S TESION BUILDS NATIONAL OPTICAL NETWORK
tesion Communikationsnetze Südwest GmbH, which is a 50/50 venture by ENPW (a German utility company) and Swisscomm AG, selected Alcatel's SDH/DWDM platform to build a new fiber backbone linking 14 major cities in Germany, including Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne, Munich and Hamburg.  The network will use Alcatel's Optinex multiservice nodes and Optinex 32-channel DWDM system.  http://www.alcatel.com/vpr/index.htm?body=/latestnews/19062000uk
Alcatel, June 19, 2000

NETERGY NETWORKS INKS VODSL AGREEMENT WITH ALCATEL
Alcatel and Netergy Networks agreed to jointly develop integrated voice over digital subscriber line (VoDSL) chipsets and reference designs for OEMs of DSL based integrated access devices (IADs).  The initial solution would be based on the Alcatel DynaMiTe MTK-20150 DSL chipset and the Netergy Audacity-T2 Processor, which will run Netergy's voice -over-packet call protocol stacks and audio codecs.  Protocols supported include H.323v2, MGCP and SIP. The Stacks include a complete range of ITU vocoders, including G.711, G.723.1, G.726, G.729A/B and G.729E.  In the second phase of the collaboration, Netergy Networks will build a version of the Audacity-T2 processor that connects directly to the DynaMiTe chipset.  http://www.alcatel.com/vpr/index.htm?body=/latestnews/19062000_1uk
http://www.netergynet.com
Alcatel, June 19, 2000

• Netergy Networks was formerly known as 8x8.

ECI TELECOM ACQUIRES WINNET FOR FIXED WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY
ECI Telecom will acquire WinNet Metropolitan Communications Systems Inc., a start-up developing broadband wireless products operating in the high frequency bands (20GHz - 38GHz, for between $40 to $60 million in cash, depending on R&D performance objectives.  WinNet's technology supports wireless 155 Mbps rates for IP or SONET.  The company is based in Sunnyvale, California.  http://www.ecitele.com/r4339.htm
http://www.winnetmcs.com
ECI Telecom, June 19, 2000

NASA TO DOUBLE BANDWIDTH ACCESS TO SPACE SHUTTLES
Three new Hughes 601 satellites, the first of which will be launched on June 29 from Cape Canaveral, will double NASA's data transmission capacities between Earth and Space Shuttles and other orbiting spacecraft.  The new Tracking and Data Relay Satellites offer Ka-band receive rates of up to 800 Mbps. Transmit data rates are 25 Mbps for Ku- and Ka-band, and 300 Kbps for S-band. In addition, S-band phased array antenna can receive signals from five spacecraft at once, while transmitting to one.  The second and third satellites will launch in 2002 and 2003.  http://www.hughespace.com/hsc_pressreleases/00_06_19_upgrade.html
Hughes Space, June 19, 2000

GADZOOX TO MISS EARNINGS EXPECTATIONS
Gadzoox Networks said revenues for the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2000 may be as much as 1/3 below revenues for the prior quarter.  The company forecast a continuing shortfall due to lower than expected movement of inventory through its distribution channel.  http://www.gadzoox.com/
Gadzoox Networks, June 19, 2000

• Gadzoox recently announced a new networked storage pooling product, a Fibre Channel to SCSI router product, and an alliance with Alidian Networks.