CINTA PREVIEWS WAVELENGTH NETWORKING ARCHITECTURE
Cinta Networks, a start-up based in San Jose, California, introduced its WaveJunction architecture for integrating transport and switching elements in next generation optical networks. Cinta's product set will incorporate optical and electronic cross connect capabilities, thereby enabling non-blocking switching of any wavelength to any fiber.  The platform will also feature signal integrity monitoring, bit-rate independence and low per-port costs.  Cinta's centerpiece will be a Lambda Switch that uses tunable transponders.  Its design could also accommodate other optical switching technologies (e.g., MEMs) as they prove to be reliable and more cost-effective.  Cinta said its optical switching/transport platform would offer ultra-high scalability with up to 4,096 ports per node, each operating at line rates from 2.5 Gbps to 40 Gbps.  The WaveJunction product family will also encompass add/drop, amplification and advanced network management and planning software components. Cinta expects its products to enter lab trials within the next 30 days.  http://www.cintanetworks.com/index.html
Cinta Networks, March 14, 2001

• Cinta was founded by Dr. Chien-Yu Kuo, formerly with AT&T Bell Labs.  The company is led by John E. Vaughan (formerly president of Tellabs Global Sales and Service).  Wu-Fu Chen serves as chairman of the board.
  
• In November, Cinta raised $36 million in second round financing.  Investors include ADC Telecommunications, Corning, Enron Broadband Services, Comdisco Ventures, Battery Ventures and Sequoia Capital.

WHITE ROCK NETWORKS UNVEILS SMALLEST SONET OC-48 ADD-DROP MUX
White Rock Networks, a start-up based in Dallas, Texas, unveiled its first product: a SONET OC-48 add-drop multiplexer measuring just one rack unit (1.75") high.  White Rock Networks said that while many vendors are trying to integrate multiple metro service delivery applications (such as SONET, DWDM, packet processing and more) into a single hardware platform, its strategy is to provide a lower-cost SONET transport solution by packaging each application into separate stackable "building blocks."  Its forthcoming products will include SONET OC-192, DWDM and Gigabit Ethernet technologies.  http://www.whiterocknetworks.com/news/
White Rock Networks, March 13, 2001

• White Rock Networks was founded in November 1999 by Lonnie Martin (previously President of ADC’s Business Broadband Group), Tony Masella (previously Vice President & General Manager of ADC’s Transport Systems Division) and Greg Lowe (previously Vice President of Engineering for ADC’s Transport Systems Group).

SUN RELEASES JAVA MEDIA FRAMEWORK API FOR STREAMING AND ENCODING
Sun Microsystems released a Java Media Framework API that provides a unified architecture for the capture, playback, streaming and transcoding of audio and video content across most major operating systems.  The API supports media capture, compression, streaming, playback and support for important media types and codecs such as M-JPEG, H.263, MP3, Real-time Transport Protocol and Real-time Streaming Protocol (RTP/RTSP), Macromedia's Flash, IBM's HotMedia, and Beatnik's Rich Media Format (RMF).  JMF 2.1.1 also supports QuickTime, Microsoft's AVI format and MPEG-1.  The source code is available for free under the Sun Community Source Licensing program. 
http://java.sun.com/products/java-media/jmf
Sun Microsystems, March 14, 2001

MICROSOFT'S APPLICATION CENTER PROVIDES SOFTWARE SCALING VIA WEB SERVER CLUSTERS
Microsoft released a new Application Center 2000 management tool that enables the use of clusters of servers, rather than a single "big iron" server, to scale Web-based applications.  The software uses network load balancing and component load balancing technologies to create clusters of Microsoft Windows 2000 Server-based computers.  Microsoft claims the design will provide 99.999% uptime. 
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2001/Mar01/03-14AppCenterPR.asp
Microsoft, March 14, 2001

AKAMAI ADDS IP ADDRESS GEO-LOCATION TRACKING TO CONTENT DELIVERY
Akamai will offer geo-location tracking with its content delivery service, giving its media customers data on measured throughput and city-level location of individual IP addresses.  Akamai said its service would allow advertisers to do targeting based on MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) by correlating geographic and network information to IP addresses without compromising end user privacy.  http://www.akamai.com/html/en/nr/press/press223.html
Akamai, March 14, 2001

MFN TO PROVIDE CITY FIBER FOR FRANCE TELECOM'S NORTH AMERICAN NETWORK
Metromedia Fiber Network (MFN) will provide France Telecom with fiber in eight US markets, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington, D.C.  France Telecom will use the facilities to provide advanced service through its Global One unit.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  http://www.mmfn.com
MFN, March 14, 2001

• In September, France Telecom selected Alcatel to design, build, install and maintain a DWDM network across North America.  Nortel Networks was selected to supply its 10 Gbps SONET transmission platforms.  Level 3 Communications will provide 15,000 route miles of long-haul fiber.  The network will cover 28 points of presence and 270 intermediary sites across the continent.  Commercial services over the backbone will be offered under the Global One organization.

WORLDCOM EXPANDS ITS WEB HOSTING SERVICES
WorldCom expanded its Web hosting solutions to include 18 different packages, ranging from a basic Web site to a high-end, high availability e-commerce site.  Throughout 2001, the company will complete its $1.2 billion build-out of its global data center footprint.
http://www.worldcom.com/about_the_company/press_releases/display.phtml?cr/20010314-2
WorldCom, March 14, 2001

K2 OPTRONICS ATTRACTS $29 MILLION FOR TUNABLE LASER COMPONENTS
K2 Optronics, a start-up based in Sunnyvale, California, received $29 million in second round funding for its development of integrated active and passive optical components and subsystems.  The company's first product will be a directly modulated, 2.5 Gbps external cavity laser diode that enables provisioning and switching of wavelengths.  Investors include Bessemer Venture Partners, Global Technology Group, Intel Capital, Alloy Ventures, Sutter Hill Ventures, JAFCO American Technology Fund, The Photonics Fund, and Advent Ventures (UK).  http://www.k2optronics.com/
K2 Optronics, March 14, 2001

LUMERA DEVELOPS HIGH-SPEED COMPONENTS WITH ELECTRO-OPTIC POLYMERS
Lumera, a subsidiary of Microvision, will complete a $24 million round of financing led by Cisco Systems.  The company is developing active and passive optical components based on proprietary electro-optic polymer materials pioneered at the University of Washington. The material is being used in a new electro-optic modulator capable of 100 Gbps.  The company believes the material could open the way for optical integrated circuits.   Additional investors include The Barksdale Group, Acorn Ventures, WRF Capital, former CEO of XO Communications and Lumera board member Wayne Perry, Qualcomm co-founder and former Vice Chairman Andrew Viterbi, Microvision board member Margaret Elardi, and a group of prominent Northwest angel investors.  http://www.mvis.com
Lumera, March 14, 2001

CHORUM TECHNOLOGIES INTRODUCES LCD-BASED DYNAMIC OPTICAL EQUALIZERS
Chorum Technologies, a start-up based in Richardson, Texas, introduced a liquid-crystal based Optical Harmonic Equalizer (OHE) that dynamically adjusts the gain profile of an optical amplifier to ensure that the power levels of DWDM optical signals are equalized without requiring a conversion from optical-to-electrical-to-optical.  The all-optical dynamic signal processing technique of Chorum's OHE provides rapid optical signal power equalization with excellent wide-band spectral flatness and low optical loss in a compact package. Alternative equalization options are either fixed or are not dynamic, or require all channels to be de-multiplexed, individually attenuated, then re-multiplexed together.  Chorum also introduced a liquid crystal based Dynamic Variable Attenuator (DVA) Array that regulates the power of optical signals to maintain consistent high signal quality during optical transmission. The device could be used to extend the distance an optical signal can travel before requiring a boost from an optical amplifier.  http://www.chorumtech.com/
Chorum Technologies, March 14, 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 January, Chorum agreed to acquire Polytronix, a leading manufacturer of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technologies, for an undisclosed sum.  
  
• In November, Chorum filed SEC papers for a proposed IPO.

ARRAYCOMM ACHIEVES WIRELESS DATA RATES IN EXCESS OF 1 MBPS
ArrayComm, a start-up developing a unique portable, wireless broadband access system, reported that its technical trials underway in San Diego have gone well and that it is preparing for a commercial launch later this year.  The company's i-BURST technology is delivering in excess of 1 Mbps per user by maximizing spectral efficiency through the use of "smart antennas."  ArrayComm claims its system will deliver broadband data to thousands of users per cell while operating on as little as 5 MHz of unpaired spectrum.  http://www.arraycomm.com/Company/pr_detail.html?id=51
ArrayComm, March 14, 2001

• ArrayComm's i-BURST technology uses spatial processing software to significantly increase radio spectrum efficiency.  The technology uses adaptive smart antennas to deliver data rates of up to 40 Mbps per cell, which could be shared between many simultaneous users at user data rates in excess of 1 Mbps in a fully loaded system.  
  
• Last September, ArrayComm received $34 million in venture funding from Nomura International plc, Cornerstone Equity Investors and American Century.  Sony has also invested $8 million in the San Jose, California-based firm.  Marconi Mobile SpA has announced an equity investment and long-term agreement with ArrayComm to develop Third-Generation (W-CDMA) wireless infrastructure for UMTS.