ASIA GLOBAL CROSSING OFFERS GIGABIT ETHERNET INTERNET ACCESS IN JAPAN
Asia Global Crossing began offering Gigabit Ethernet (GbE)-based IP Transit service to Internet Service Providers in Japan, including @Home Japan Co. and ASAHI Net.  The GbE service provides access to Asia Global Crossing's IP gateway in Tokyo, which then connects to Asia Global Crossing's broadband Internet backbone via the Pacific Crossing cable to the US.  Asia Global Crossing currently has 2.5 Gbps bandwidth capacity across the Pacific and plans to scale capacity in proportion to future traffic needs.  http://www.asiaglobalcrossing.com
Asia Global Crossing, January 30, 2001

AT&T ANNOUNCES ENTERPRISE VOIP SERVICES
AT&T will add VoIP to its entire portfolio of managed network services over the coming year.  The service will use Cisco Systems' 2600 and 3600 routers and the H.323 protocol with Fast Connect capability.  Support for Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) standard is planned for an upcoming release.  AT&T also began offering Virtual Communication Services (VCS) for the Virtual Office, which lets telecommuters use their corporate PBX via the Internet.  The application uses an IP-VPN secure tunnel to connect to the corporate PBX and an onscreen “soft phone” to provide office phone features.  AT&T is tightening SLA commitments for its managed Internet services to include at least 99.99% network availability; no more than 60-millisecond round-trip domestic latency; no more than 120-millisecond transatlantic latency, and no more than 0.7% packet loss per month.  AT&T also promises service provisioning guarantees of 32 business days for T-1 access, 42 business days for T-3 access, and 63 business days for OC-3 access.  http://www.att.com/news/
AT&T, January 30, 2001

SPRINT DEBUTS VOICE OVER ATM SERVICE
Sprint introduced voice over ATM capabilities, enabling its ATM service customers to use a single network connection for voice and data services while continuing to use voice features such as dedicated inbound, outbound, and VPN services.  The enhancement is made possible by ATM-to-PSTN gateways.   http://www3.sprint.com/PR/CDA/PR_CDA_Press_Releases_Detail/1,1694,2204,00.html
Sprint, January 30, 2001

iBASIS INTERNET TELEPHONY TRAFFIC GROWS 35% OVER Q3
During Q4, Internet telephony traffic carried by iBasis grew to 227 million minutes, up 35% over the previous quarter.  For the full year 2000, iBasis carried more than 600 million minutes of voice traffic during 2000, up from 156 Million Minutes in 1999.  More than 80% of iBasis traffic originates in the US and terminates overseas.  Revenues for Q4 increased from $7.6 million in 1999 to $20.7 million in 2000.  iBasis’ net loss in Q4 2000 was $20.8 million.  iBasis confirmed its financial guidance for 2001, anticipating revenue of $150-160 million and a loss of $73-80 million.  http://www.ibasis.net/news/pr01302001.htm
iBasis, January 30, 2001

• The iBasis network currently encompasses 426 POPs in 45 countries.  Total overseas lines were 11,500 at year-end, up from 3,220 one year ago.  By the end of 2000, tier one carriers were generating more than 30% of all traffic routed over the iBasis Network.  
  
• iBasis customers include Worldcom, Cable & Wireless, NTT, Concert, China Unicom, China Mobile and Telstra.
  
• In December, iBasis agreed to acquire PriceInteractive, a Speech Application Service Provider (ASP), for approximately $125 million in stock and cash. 

SPIRENT ANNOUNCES CORE NETWORK MONITORING AND ANALYSIS FOR IP NETWORKS
Spirent Communications added Layer 3 IP support to its SLAM (Service Level Agreement Monitor) system, which is a high-performance monitoring and analysis probe for verifying service levels and performance contracts over carrier-class networks. Spirent's SLAM IP uses the Adtech AX/4000 Broadband Test System in the customer premise as a probe for injecting test cells into the network and then logging trip delay and other SLA parameters.  Data is gathered continuously and reported regularly to a centralized server.  The system monitors Layer 2 traffic sources such as ATM and Frame Relay in addition to Layer 3 IP traffic sources.  Reports can be posted to a secure Web portal allowing customers and test engineers to check network performance.
http://www.spirentcom.com/news/pressreleases/N045-SlamIP.asp
Spirent Communications, January 30, 2001

TIME WARNER TELECOM SELECTS UNISPHERE NETWORKS FOR VOICE-DATA SWITCHING
Unisphere won a three year contract from Time Warner Telecom for the deployment of packet telephony products, including its SMX-2100 Service Mediation Switch and related Voice over IP products.  Financial details were not disclosed.  Unisphere Networks’ Service Mediation Switch (SMX) product family works with wireline and wireless networks, and allows service providers and carriers to direct IP, ATM, and TDM traffic between voice and data networks and bundle voice and data services for subscribers. http://www.unispherenetworks.com/index/home/news/press_releases/pr_01302001_1.html  
Unisphere Networks, January 30, 2001

CATENA INTRODUCES ITS POTS+DSL ACCESS ARCHITECTURE
Catena Networks, a start-up based in Redwood Shores, California with R&D in Kanata, Canada, introduced a converged access architecture that integrates POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) and DSL on every access line via a single access termination point.  Catena's local loop design would provide every subscriber line with lifeline telephone service and make it DSL-ready --  all DSL service requests would be handled through remote provisioning from the network operations center.  The architecture further supports optional voice packetization, on a per-line basis, at the line termination point.  Catena's first product is a linecard for upgrading Lucent's SLC Series 5 (SLC-5) Digital Loop Carrier (DLC) for delivering POTS and ADSL services on any copper pair.  The card-for-card upgrade eliminates the need for POTS splitters, cross-connects, external cabling, mini-RAMs, and additional pads and cabinets.  It consists of an integrated 2 POTS and 2 DSL port channel unit, an ATM multiplexer card, and the CatenaView Element Management System.  Further product announcements from Catena are expected.   http://www.catenanet.com
Catena Networks, January 30, 2001

• In December, Catena raised $60 million in new funding for development of its New Access Architecture, bringing its total funding to more than $100 million.  Investors include Goldman Sachs, Berkeley International Capital, Attractor Investment Management, Morgenthaler Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Chase Capital Partners, Worldview Technology Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners and BCE Capital.  
  
• Catena is led by Bob Machlin, former Vice President of Marketing for Cascade Communications.  Other founders previously developed Nortel Networks’ mass-market, copper-loop solutions.

EXTREME NETWORKS ADDS VDSL AND T-1 ETHERNET WAN MODULES
Extreme Networks introduced a WAN module that provides Ethernet access over T-1/E-1/J-1 copper infrastructure where metro fiber is not available. The module has four T1/E-1/J-1 and two 10/100 BASE-T ports, allowing for up to 32 T-1/E-1/J-1 ports within a single Extreme Alpline switching chassis.  Extreme Networks also introduced a VDSL module for extending Ethernet connections with up to 10Mbps symmetric bandwidth over voice-grade in-building infrastructure cabling as well as short-run phone cabling in the first mile.  The new module includes 8 Ethernet VDSL ports, and can accommodate up to 64 Ethernet VDSL ports per chassis.  http://www.extremenetworks.com/corporate/pressroom/news/pr01_30_01.asp
Extreme Networks, January 30, 2001

GENUITY PLANS FOUR NEW INTERNET DATA CENTERS IN EUROPE
Genuity will open new Internet data center in Amsterdam by mid-year and plans to open three more data centers in Europe within the next 18 months.  The new facilities will be tied into the company's IP/DWDM network.  http://www.genuity.com/
Genuity, January 30, 2001

FUJITSU SUPPLIES 10 GBPS DWDM FOR 360NETWORKS IN EUROPE
360networks is installing Fujitsu Network Communications FLASHWAVE 320G DWDM system and FLASH 192 fiber-optic multiplexer on its fiber optic mesh network in Europe.  The 10-Gbps-capable system will link more than 20 cities in the UK, Germany, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Holland and Denmark.  Fujitsu's FLASHWAVE 320G transmits up to 32 10 Gbps wavelengths per fiber, and in-service upgrades are possible up to 120 x 10 Gbps channels.  The system can transmit signals up to 600 km without regeneration, using in-line amplifiers to refine the signals between sites.  The contract was valued at approximately US$50 million.  http://www.fnc.fujitsu.com/news/view_1696.html
Fujitsu Network Communications, January 30, 2001

• Earlier this month, Fujitsu Network Communications began commercial installations of its highest capacity FLASHWAVE OADX optical add/drop platform, which is capable of delivering 1.76 Tbps and features Fujitsu's tunable lasers as standard equipment.  The system can carry a total of 176 channels in the C band and the L band.  It uses a spacing of 50 GHz between channels, and can transmit at up to 10 Gbps per channel.

NTT COMMUNICATIONS DEPLOYS LUCENT'S C+L-BAND DWDM
NTT Communications has deployed the Lucent Technologies WaveStar OLS 400GL, using DWDM through the conventional C-Band wavelength range as well as a new L-Band optical amplifier, opening up previously untapped wavelength bands.  The Lucent L-Band amplifier will allow NTT Communications to simultaneously transmit up to 40 10 Gbps wavelengths.  It is Lucent's first commercial deployment of a C+L band system.  http://www.lucent.com/press/0101/010130.nsb.html
Lucent Technologies, January 30, 2001

LUCENT FUNDS INPHASE TECHNOLOGIES, TARGETING HOLOGRAPHIC DATA STORAGE
Lucent Technologies announced a new venture, called InPhase Technologies, to commercialize high-performance holographic data storage media developed at Bell Laboratories.  InPhase Technologies will design holographic systems that combine high storage density with high-speed access and fast parallel transfer rates.  The holographic technology promises much higher transfer rates because the data is stored and recalled in "page format," which can be accessed one million bits at a time.  Additional investors in the new company include Signal Lake, Madison Dearborn Partners, Newton Technology Partners, and Imation Corporation.  InPhase will be based in Longmont, Colorado.  http://www.lucent.com/press/0101/010130.bla.html
http://www.inphase-technologies.com
Lucent Technologies, January 30, 2001

• InPhase said a holographic disc the size of a DVD could hold 50 movies instead of one.  The company has not yet released a proposed size or format for its forthcoming products.

AGILENT ACQUIRES ITALY'S SILICON MICROSYSTEM FOR OPTICAL COMPONENT TESTING
Agilent Technologies will acquire Gefran Silicon Microsystem S.r.l., a fiber-optic-technology laboratory based in Provaglio d'Iseo, Italy, for approximately US$55 million in cash.  Agilent said the acquisition would provide time-to-market advantages in its expanding fiber-optic-component offerings.  http://www.agilent.com/about/newsroom/presrel/2001/29jan2001b.html
Agilent Technologies, January 29, 2001

CHORUM TECHNOLOGIES TO ACQUIRE POLYTRONIX, AN LCD MANUFACTURER
Chorum Technologies, a start-up developing all-optical processors and subsystems, agreed to acquire Polytronix, a leading manufacturer of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technologies.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  Chorum said the acquisition would help it to reduce product design and manufacturing cycles through improved supply chain management and high-volume production processes.  http://www.chorumtech.com/
Chorum Technologies, January 30, 2001  

• Chorum has announced three optical devices based on liquid-crystal technologies: a non-mechanical, all-optical, Fast Add/Drop switch; an optical switch designed for optical restoration, protection, test, and provisioning applications; and a voltage-controlled solid-state optical variable attenuator for broadband or single-channel applications.  The company is also developing "Optical Slicers", which are ultra dense optical interleave filters for use in either long-haul or metro networks. Chorum’s DWDM router components, which will use the Optical Slicers, are being designed for passive optical multiplexing and demultiplexing systems that support hundreds of channels at data rates of 10 Gbps and higher.    
  
• In November, Chorum filed SEC papers for a proposed IPO.

CPLANE RAISES $25 MILLION FOR ITS NETWORK CONTROL SOFTWARE
CPlane has raised $25 million in third round funding for development of its policy-based IP network control software.  The company’s Service Control Platform (SCP) will form a distributed, real-time control layer on top of network elements from multiple vendors, creating a service-aware control layer that manages the delivery of a service, end-to-end.  Investors include Pequot Private Equity, Amerindo Investments, the Woodside Fund, CMEA Ventures and ONSET Ventures.  http://www.cplane.com/pr1.html
CPlane, January 25, 2001

• CPlane was founded in 1998 by Simon Crosby, previously of the University of Cambridge and Ian Leslie, who was a professor at Cambridge University.  President & CEO Nelu Mihai joined CPlane from AT&T Labs.   CPlane is based in Los Altos, California and has offices in Ottawa and Montreal.