YAHOO! NAMES LEVEL3 AS A PRIMARY BANDWIDTH PROVIDER
Yahoo! signed a multiyear, multimillion-dollar agreement making Level3 one of its primary bandwidth providers  for delivery of its digital content and streaming applications. This includes the core Yahoo! services, Yahoo! Broadcast, and Yahoo! Finance Vision, which will be carried using Level3’s CrossRoads Internet access service.   http://www.level3.com/us/news/newsreleases/0,1345,2001Apr09-5386,00.html
Level3, April 9, 2001

• Level3’s CrossRoads IP service features Destination Sensitive Billing (DSB), with pricing based on the destination of Internet traffic rather than a traditional flat rate.  The service essentially would reward customers for bringing traffic, and exchanging traffic, on the Level3 network.  Lower rates would apply to intra-city traffic.  The billing system would track the destination and monitor the bandwidth usage of IP packets traveling off the Level 3 fiber.  In February, Level3 said it had signed up more than 1,200 customers globally for CrossRoads, including Digital Island and Advanced Radio Telecom in the US, and Vizzavi, Dedigate, Infonie, BIS, Liberty Surf Telecom, WISH-NOKNOK, Eutelest, SURFnet, Free, and NL.tree in Europe.
• Last week, Level 3 announced plans to trim its workforce by 325 people, or approximately 6%, saying it is increasingly focused on leveraging the infrastructure already deployed over the past 36 months.

TIME WARNER TELECOM BEGINS TRAFFIC FLOW ON SONUS/RIVERSTONE EQUIPMENT
Time Warner Telecom is now delivering commercial services in eight US markets using Sonus Networks’ GSX9000 Open Services Switch, PSX6000 SoftSwitch and SGX2000 SS7 Signaling Gateway, as well as Riverstone Networks' RS series of switch routers.  The packet telephony architecture is initially being used to augment Time Warner Telecom’s existing Class 5 circuit switches and offload modem-generated Internet traffic from its voice network.  Time Warner Telecom also plans to use the Sonus infrastructure to deliver traditional local and long-distance services, as well as new voice over IP-based services such as unified communications, single number service, call centers, and more.  http://www.sonusnet.com/
Sonus Networks, April 9, 2001

AMCC UNVEILS ITS SILICON SOLUTION FOR INTELLIGENT OPTICAL EDGE PLATFORMS
Applied Micro Circuits Corporation’s (AMCC) silicon plans for intelligent optical edge platforms will include a single-chip, fully programmable network processor capable of wire-speed, single-stream, full-duplex OC-48c for both packets and cells; a 10 Gbps traffic management chip; a 320 Gbps (160 Gbps full-duplex) switch fabric with scalability to 1.2 Tbps; and a system-oriented software environment that addresses inter-processor messaging and other systems issues.  The new network processor, traffic management chipset and switch fabric solution were developed by MMC Networks, a subsidiary of AMCC.  In addition to full duplex OC-48c streams, the network processor also supports 4xOC-12, 16xOC-3, and 2xGigabit Ethernet connections.  The switch fabric scales to support up to 16 full-duplex OC-192c Packet Over SONET (POS), ATM, or 10G Ethernet interfaces.  AMCC said its combined platform has been architected to mesh seamlessly, allowing network equipment vendors to minimize time to market.  http://www.amcc.com/Compinfo/PressReleases/np7250.htm
AMCC, April 9, 2001

XILINX ANNOUNCES ITS FASTEST FPGA SOFT PROCESSOR
Xilinx introduced its latest generation MicroBlaze field programmable gate array (FPGA) processor offering performance comparable to ASICs.  The device runs at twice the speed (125 MHz) of previous FPGAs and delivers a 32-bit instruction and data bus critical for networking, embedded and consumer platforms.  Several networking and telecommunications equipment manufacturers are currently beta testing the processor.  http://www.xilinx.com
Xilinx, April 9, 2001

EQUIPE UNVEILS ITS MULTI-LAYER OPTICAL ON-RAMP
Equipe Communications, a start-up based in Acton, Massachusetts, introduced its flagship Multi-Layer Optical On-Ramp (E3200), a core networking platform designed for transitioning carriers from ATM to IP/MPLS architectures.  Equipe’s platform will provide IP/MPLS, ATM and SONET/SDH optical cross connect functionality in a modular, distributed architecture that scales to 320 Gbps.  Services would be groomed and multiplexed by the cross connect and then transported across optical networks utilizing optical signaling.  Equipe will also feature high-availability software based on a microkernel design.  Beta testing is scheduled for June.  List pricing for a base system is $140,000.  http://www.equipecom.com
Equipe Communications, April 9, 2001

• Equipe estimates service providers have invested approximately $17 billion in ATM infrastructure worldwide since 1997.
• 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).

LUXN RAISES $55 MILLION IN NEW FUNDING
LuxN, a start-up based in Sunnyvale, California, secured in excess of $55 million in debt and equity financing for its metropolitan optical access platform.  The funds will be used to expand LuxN's optical product offerings and to increase the company's penetration in international markets.  Including this fourth round, LuxN has raised over $150 million to date.  Investors include Firsthand Capital Management, Wheatley Partners, Berger Funds, Sands Brothers GE Capital, New Enterprise Associates, U.S. Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, Credit Suisse First Boston, Azure Capital, Thomas Weisel Partners, WR Hambrecht, Mitsubishi, Mitsui and Siemens.  http://www.luxn.com/pr_4thRoundFunding4_9.shtml
LuxN, April 9, 2001

• The LuxN WavSystem platform supports metropolitan Gigabit Ethernet or Fibre Channel over point-to-point, cascaded multi-drop, access ring, and redundant star network configurations.  The system extends to 70 km without amplification and supports 16-channel WDM, fixed optical add/drop multiplexing, optical path protection switching, enhanced remote provisioning and graphical interfaces for element management.
• In November, LuxN announced a contract to supply its products to Metromedia Fiber Network (MFN) for a new Virtual ISX service delivering enterprise Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.

WORLD WIDE PACKETS ANNOUNCES GIGABIT ETHERNET BUILDING CONCENTRATOR
World Wide Packets introduced its LightningEdge Ethernet to the Subscriber MxU concentrator for delivering one Gigabit to the building and up to 100 Mbps to each unit over existing in-building copper wiring infrastructure. Multi-port link aggregation groups can be configured to increase subscriber connectivity up to 400 Mbps and the uplink capacity of a forwarding group up to two Gigabits.  A customer premise Access Portal offers seven switched Ethernet ports and, on select models, two Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) ports.  Field trials are planned for Q2.  http://www.wwp.com
World Wide Packets, April 9, 2001

QWEST DEPLOYS SPIRENT’S CENTRAL OFFICE AND RT DSL TEST PROBES
Qwest will deploy a combination of DSL hardware and software service assurance solutions from Spirent's Hekimian business unit across its 14-state territory.  The equipment, which encompasses both Central Office and remote terminal-based test probes, will help Qwest instantly assess the complete, end-to-end status of its network.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  http://www.spirent.com
Spirent, April 9, 2001

CISCO OUTLINES ITS STORAGE NETWORKING INITIATIVE
Cisco Systems has formed close working relationships with Alacritech, Brocade, EMC, Emulex, IBM, Intel, Network Appliance, and VERITAS as part of its storage strategy for its Cisco AVVID (Architecture for Voice, Video, and Integrated Data) product set.  As part of the initiative, Cisco announced support for the iSCSI protocol, which is currently in draft-standard status in the IETF.  Cisco is also working with Brocade to help drive ratification of the proposed FCIP (Fibre Channel over IP) IETF standard.  Cisco also introduced an iSCSI-based networking platform (the Cisco SN 5420 Storage Router) for storage consolidation, remote data backup, and archiving to tape applications.  Several vendors, including Alacritech, Emulex and Intel are developing TCP-accelerated and iSCSI-compatible NICs (network interface cards).  http://www.cisco.com
Cisco Systems, April 9, 2001

BROCADE PREVIEWS NEXT GEN STORAGE SWITCH FOR IP, INFINIBAND AND 10 GBPS FIBRE CHANNEL
Brocade Communications introduced a multi-protocol core fabric switch designed for next generation IP and Infiniband storage networking.  The new Brocade SilkWorm 12000 Core Fabric Switch, available in 64-port and 128-port configurations, will offer 2 Gbps Fibre Channel interfaces (Q4 2000) and later 10 Gbps Fibre Channel.   Extensions to Brocade’s Fabric OS introduce new security features that support secure storage networks that scale to support thousands of interconnected server and storage devices.  http://www.brocade.com/
Brocade, April 9, 2001

CORRENT TARGETS GIGABIT SPEED INTERNET SECURITY CHIPS
Corrent, a semiconductor start-up based in Tempe, Arizona, announced plans for high-performance security processors designed specifically for securing the exchange of private Internet information in next-generation optical network systems.  The chips will be optimized for line-rate performance with the capacity to encrypt and decrypt up to 10 million packets per second.  http://www.corrent.com/
Corrent, April 9, 2001

• Corrent was co-founded by Richard Takahashi, formerly a Director with Intel, and Satish Anand, previously a principal design engineer in the Internet and Secure Products group at Philips Semiconductors.

AGERE SUPPLIES CORE SILICON FOR METRO-OPTIX’S BANDWIDTH MANAGEMENT PLATFORM
Agere Systems is supplying the networking integrated circuits (IC), systems-on-chip (SoC) and optoelectronic components for Metro-Optix's forthcoming CityStream platform, a "protocol-agile" bandwidth management product for transitioning of circuit-based networks to cell- and packet-based services over optical networks.  http://www.agere.com
Agere, April 9, 2001

• Metro-Optix's CityStream bandwidth manager will integrate ATM, IP, and SONET traffic in a single system.  The Metro-Optix platform's core switching fabric is designed to scale from 100 Gbps to 400 Gbps.  Applications could include ring aggregation, point-of-presence bandwidth management, service access multiplexing, DSLAM aggregation, ATM edge switching, and IP routing.
• Metro-Optix is led by Arun Bellary, who previously served as General Manager of Ericsson's broadband access products unit.  The company is based in Santa Clara, CA, and Allen, TX.
• Since its founding as a spin-off of Ericsson in December 1999, Metro-Optix has raised $83 million in two rounds of financing.

QUSION SECURES $9.25 MILLION FOR INP OPTICAL COMPONENTS
Qusion Technologies, a start-up based in Princeton, New Jersey, raised $9.25 million in first round funding for development of its integrated components fabricated using Indium Phosphide and other advanced manufacturing techniques and materials.  The company said its advanced manufacturing techniques and materials will provide high yields of integrated optical devices for 40 Gbps systems.  Investors include VantagePoint Venture Partners, independent investor Cathy Lego, Wasserstein Ventures and WR Hambrecht + Co.  http://www.qusiontech.com
Qusion Technologies, April 9, 2001