• Sigma Networks is a start-up service provider launched in February 2000 by former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt and Concentric Networks co-founder John Peters.  The company is backed by Benchmark Capital, Marc Andreessen, Cisco Systems and numerous other venture capital firms.  The company is building what it calls “a free trade zone between network providers and bandwidth purchasers.”  Sigma Networks plans to offer wholesale optical links interconnecting Internet backbones, data centers, traffic aggregation points, and last mile broadband service providers within metropolitan markets.  The new company has raised $435 million in equity and debt financing.  Sigma Networks is based in San Jose, California.

HONG KONG’S HUTCHISON GLOBAL CROSSING SELECTS RIVERSTONE FOR METRO MPLS ETHERNET NET
Hong Kong-based Hutchison Global Crossing (HGC) selected Riverstone's routers for a metropolitan MPLS-Ethernet backbone that is being developed to support one million last-mile Ethernet connections.  The new Hutchison Global Crossing network will rely on MPLS for provisioning its services.  Riverstone will supply HGC with several hundred metro aggregation routers from the metro core to the access edge, including numerous RS 38000 optical metro backbone routers, which feature service-creation tools and dynamic bandwidth provisioning capabilities.  In addition to using RS 38000 routers in the metro core, HGC will incorporate RS 8600 multi-service metro routers for Point-of-Presence (POP) aggregation purposes, and RS 3000 metro access routers in building access applications.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  http://www.riverstonenet.com/news/press/20010820.shtml
Riverstone, August 20, 2001

FLAG TELECOM CLOSES $300 MILLION FOR ITS ASIAN NETWORK
FLAG Telecom secured up to $300 million in financing for the rollout of its FLAG North Asian Loop network, a six fiber pair, multi-terabit, intra-Asian system being developed in association with Level3 Communications.  The Eastern leg of the system, linking Hong Kong to Japan, was developed by Level3 and was commissioned in June. City-to-city services between Hong Kong and Tokyo were initiated this month and the Taiwan spur on this leg is progressing according to schedule.  FLAG Telecom and Level3 will each have three fiber pairs on the network.  The financing was arranged by Westdeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale and syndicated to other international banks.  http://www.flagtelecom.com/index_e1.htm
FLAG Telecom, August 20, 2001

PROXIM ACQUIRES CARD ACCESS FOR IEEE 802.11 A EXPERTISE
Proxim has acquired privately held Card Access Inc., a privately held developer of IEEE 802.11a wireless networking products, for approximately $4 million in stock (400,000 shares) and the assumption of $500,000 in debt.  Performance incentives could increase the total consideration to 600,000 shares.  Proxim said the acquisition would further its anticipated rollout of 802.11a solutions.  The IEEE 802.11a specification supports data rates up to 54 Mbps.  Additionally, Proxim plans to incorporate technology that will enable speeds up to 100Mbps.  Card Access is based in American Fork, Utah.  http://www.proxim.com
Proxim, August 20, 2001

• In May, Proxim announced plans to incorporate both the 11 Mbps 802.11b wireless LAN standard and the 802.11a standard into its Harmony wireless LAN product family of access points and PC cards.  Dual standard support would allow enterprises to deploy 802.11b wireless networking solutions today, and migrate to 802.11a as products become available.  Proxim said that the 802.11a standard enables more simultaneous wireless users and new mobile multimedia applications such as streaming video, while experiencing fewer interference problems than 802.11b.

SONY INTRODUCES CAMCORDER WITH BLUETOOTH IP INTERFACE
Sony introduced a new compact, Bluetooth-connected camcorder that can send video over the Internet using either a Bluetooth compatible modem adaptor (sold separately) or a Bluetooth compatible mobile phone instead of a PC.  The new "Network Handycam IP" uses a new video encoding format named "MICROMV" that is based on MPEG2 compression.   Sony said picture and sound quality would be equivalent to the DV format currently used in its digital camcorders.  The camcorder will be launched in the Japanese and European markets this fall, and gradually expanded to other regions later.  http://www.sony.co.jp/en/SonyInfo/News/Press/200108/01-043E/
Sony, August 20, 2001

SANTERA SECURES $110 MILLION IN NEW FUNDING FOR ITS SUPERCLASS SWITCH
Santera Systems, a start-up based in Dallas, Texas, secured more than $110 million in its third round of funding for its integrated voice/data switching platforms.  The company has now raised approximately $200 million to date.  Santera offers a carrier class, next-generation switch with both trunk and line functionality, enabling circuit to packet migration.  The new funding was led by Redpoint Ventures and included Austin Ventures, Institutional Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital.  International and domestic service providers, as well as financial partners, participated as strategic investors.  http://www.santera.com
Santera Systems, August 20, 2001

• Santera’s SuperClass Switching platform is designed as an integrated packet/cell Class 5 replacement for delivering high-revenue generating Voice Over Broadband (VoB) services.  The SanteraOne consists of a MultiService Controller (MSC), which includes a media gateway controller, signaling gateway and an applications server; a MultiService Fabric (MSF), which is a high-density media gateway; and the SanteraOne Element Management System (EMS) delivering common GUI-based management of the complete system.  The platform uses a dual switching fabric -- supporting both TDM and packet/cell switching.  The architecture allows for either a centralized or distributed network design.  Base features include integrated announcements, echo cancellation, GR303, LNP, E911, CALEA and custom calling/business features such as CLASS and CENTREX.  The product is also designed for Megaco/H.248 and next generation protocols.
• In May, Santera began shipping its first integrated voice/data switching platforms to several unnamed customers.
• Santera Systems was co-founded in 1998 by Wu-Fu Chen (Cascade Communications, Ardent, Shasta Networks, ANDA Networks, Astral Point, Cinta, Geyser, OptiMight, RapidStream, ZettaCom, etc) and San-qi Li, who is known for his work on ATM Traffic Management and Network Control.  Santera is headed by David Heard, who previously served as vice president of the access systems division at Lucent Technologies.

SALIRA RAISES $17 MILLION FOR GIGABIT ETHERNET PONS
Salira Optical Network Systems, a start-up based in San Jose, California, raised $17 million in Series B funding for its development of IP/Ethernet broadband access systems.  Softbank Venture Capital (SBVC) led the round.  Additional investors include Vertex Management and WI Harper.  Salira expects to be in customer trials with carriers and enterprise customers early next year.  http://www.salira.com
Salira Optical Network Systems, August 20, 2001

• In May, Salira announced its plans to extend passive optical networking technology to Gigabit Ethernet speeds.  The company said its IP/Ethernet optical system would add intelligence at both the customer and service provider ends, while reducing equipment costs to less than $500 per user.  The system would leverage a distributed network processor architecture and offer software to deliver value-added services on a per-port basis, enabling personalization of bandwidth and services to individual customers.
• Salira’s management team includes Dave House (chairman); Herbert Martin (CEO), and Wei Gao (CTO), who is credited with being one of the developers of Nortel Networks’ first OC-192/SONET products.  The company’s technical team also includes Dr. Jian Song, formerly with Nortel's Bell Northern Research unit, and Rick Li, formerly a key architect of Cisco’s MGX8850 ATM platform.

ARAVOX RAISES $14 MILLION FOR VOIP PLATFORM
Aravox Technologies, a start-up based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, secured $14 million in second round funding for its development of a network services platform that enables secure, real-time communications for carriers, access providers, and managed service providers deploying VoIP.  The Aravox platforms are designed to provide access control, dynamic IP address/port management, and “packet steering” capabilities.  Investors include Global Crossing Ventures, SAIC Venture Capital Corporation and St. Paul Venture Capital.  http://www.aravox.com 
Aravox, August 20, 2001

INFINEON AND WIDCOMM OFFER TURN-KEY BLUETOOTH SYSTEM
Infineon Technologies and WIDCOMM announced a turn-key Bluetooth system solution targeting portable computers, hand held devices, cellular telephones, and wireless networking applications.  Infineon supplies its BlueMoon chipset and WIDCOMM provides software for the Windows 98SE, Windows Me, and Windows 2000 environments.  http://www.Infineon.com/Bluetooth
Infineon, August 20, 2001

ADVA & EXTREME NETWORKS PARTNER FOR IP-OVER-OPTICAL SOLUTIONS
ADVA Optical Networking and Extreme Networks announced a marketing partnership combining their respective products.  http://www.extremenetworks.com/go/purple.htm
Extreme Networks, August 20, 2001

CHINA’S SHANDONG UNICOM DEPLOYS UNISPHERE’S EDGE ROUTERS
Shandong Unicom, one of the largest branches of China Unicom, selected Unisphere Networks' ERX-1400 Edge Router to build out phase one of its IP city network.  The Unisphere platforms will be used within this network as a Broadband Remote Access Server connected to Ethernet Layer 2 switches for residential customers and as an edge routing aggregator for business customers.  The edge router connects to an MPLS core backbone and provides scalable access capacity for tens of thousands of users.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  http://www.unispherenetworks.com
Unisphere Networks, August 20, 2001