Bell Canada to deactivate CDMA at end of the month

Bell confirmed that it will proceed with previously announced plans to deactivate its legacy CDMA network on April 30th.

Customers in remaining CDMA coverage areas in Manitoba, Ontario, Québec and the Atlantic provinces have been notified that they will transition to Bell LTE by April 30.

"Bell is proud to welcome our CDMA customers to Canada's best national mobile network. The Bell LTE network always sets the standard in wireless speed, capacity and quality and will continue to evolve as we prepare for the introduction of 5G wireless," said Stephen Howe, Bell's Chief Technology Officer. "Our Network team looks forward to leveraging efficiencies from our CDMA shutdown, including repurposing existing site structures, fibre connections and power systems, to further enhance our industry-leading LTE network."

http://www.Bell.ca/CDMAnetwork

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Corning opens software R&D center in Montreal

Corning opened an R&D center in Montreal, Canada, focused on discovering and developing software solutions for the telecommunications industry.

The Corning Technology Center Montreal will serve as Corning's global center of software innovation to support emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, cloud computing, and data analytics, as well as software solutions for optical-wireless networks. Software engineers from Corning's Research, Development and Engineering organization will collaborate with developers from iBwave Solutions, the Montreal-based provider of networking software solutions that Corning acquired in 2015.

The Montreal site joins Corning's network of research and development laboratories throughout North America, Europe and Asia, anchored by the company's Sullivan Park innovation center in Corning, N.Y. Over the next three to five years, Corning intends to hire software engineers, development team managers, and data analysts at the Montreal center.

"The combination of transformative technologies and applications such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things depends on the optical connectivity solutions made possible by Corning's innovations," said Claudio Mazzali, senior vice president of technology for Corning's Optical Communications business segment. "The work that will take place here in our Montreal technology center will extend Corning's innovation capabilities beyond optical transport and connectivity, all the way to the intelligence required to deploy and enable those applications. Montreal is emerging as a major center of software innovation, and Corning is glad to be part of it."

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Shaw optimizes fiber backbone with Fujitsu

Shaw Communications has optimized its fiber-optic network with the Fujitsu Network Communications' 1FINITY platform and Virtuora software.

The Fujitsu 1FINITY T310 Transport and 1FINITY L100 Lambda series blades combined with the Virtuora Network Control Solution provided Shaw with a modular, programmable, optical networking solution to enhance network utilization, capacity and performance, and were well suited to help Shaw achieve its connectivity goals. The Virtuora solution offers software-defined network control capability, network planning and design, network management, as well as service fulfillment and assurance functions.

“Everything we do is driven by our customers, and we are committed to enhancing our network with new technologies to meet their growing need for connectivity,” said Damian Poltz, Vice President, Technology, Strategy & Network, Shaw Communications. “Fujitsu has helped make our network more agile and scalable, especially in urban areas — which will allow us to continue delivering a seamless connectivity experience.”

"Combining our technology with Shaw’s infrastructure has allowed us to enable a virtualized, programmable network with automated applications and faster service provisioning,” said Paul Fagan, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. “Fujitsu’s integrated 1FINITY and Virtuora platforms allows operators to meet their customers’ needs today and well into the future, in a cost-efficient way."

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Oracle opens Toronto data center

Oracle inaugurated a Toronto data center to support in-region customer demand for its public Oracle Cloud Infrastructure service.

Oracle plans to open additional regions in Australia, Europe, Japan, South Korea, India, Brazil, the Middle East, and the United States, including Virginia, Arizona, and Illinois to support public sector and Department of Defense customers. This expansion complements an existing Edge network consisting of more than 30 global locations and 300 plus sensors, providing Oracle customers with a comprehensive Internet performance data set, and deep edge services capabilities.

“Enterprises in the region still have limited ability to run mission-critical applications in the cloud and are struggling to attain the level of performance they have on-premises without a major overhaul,“ said Don Johnson, executive vice president, product development, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. “With this new location Oracle is delivering on its promise to deliver even more customers with consistent high performance, low predictable pricing and the flexibility our cloud brings to the table.“

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NTT Com activates Global IP PoP in Toronto

NTT Communications (NTT Com) has expanded its tier-1 Global IP Network with a new Point-of-Presence (PoP) in Toronto, Canada.

NTT Com customers will be able to connect at numerous capacity levels including 100G ports with confirmed diversity and direct connections to multiple points in the Global IP Network to ensure the highest reliability and the lowest latency in the IP services.

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NTT DATA acquires Canada's Sierra Systems for IT consulting

NTT DATA Services, the global technology services arm of the NTT Group, agreed to acquire Sierra Systems Group, Inc., the Canadian subsidiary of The Sierra-Cedar Group, Inc. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sierra Systems is a leading IT services and consulting firm offering a full range of IT consulting, systems integration, and application managed services across Canada.

In addition to industry and geographical expansion, Sierra Systems will expand NTT DATA’s digital services capabilities and bolster its talent in core areas, such as Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle and ServiceNow. Through its global capabilities and strength in infrastructure, application and digital services, NTT DATA will bring a broader portfolio of services to Sierra Systems’ existing clients as well as other Canadian companies.

“Sierra Systems’ reputation as a trusted advisor in Canada is evidenced by the strength of their client relationships, many of which have spanned decades,” said Bob Pryor, CEO, NTT DATA Services. “With the addition of Sierra Systems’ talented team, we’ll expand our ability to deliver innovation and business outcomes to clients in Canada and extend our North American delivery capabilities. Growth prospects are very strong in Canada, so this is an attractive market as we continue to grow globally.”

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Bell Canada launches Virtual Network Services platform

Bell launched its new Virtual Network Services (VNS) platform, offering enterprise customers across Canada a catalogue of on-demand network functions that reside securely in Bell's private cloud.

Bell also announced it will be the first Canadian service provider to offer a managed SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) solution powered by Cisco Viptela, the first Virtual Network Function offered on the Bell VNS platform.

"Bell VNS is a revolutionary way for business customers to adapt their networks quickly and efficiently while reducing their hardware expenses," said Tom Little, President of Bell Business Markets. "The Bell VNS service experience offers a new level of control, flexibility and automation through software-driven networks."

http://Bell.ca/VNS

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Rogers ready to light up LTE-M in Ontario

Rogers is preparing to launch its LTE Cat M1 network (LTE-M) in Ontario before the end of the year.  Nationwide coverage will follow in 2019/2020.

to help businesses connect and track their assets in real time – using solutions such as logistics tracking, alarm monitoring, and smart metering.

LTE-M will connect fixed and mobile low-power IoT devices over long distances, with longer battery life and better network coverage in hard to reach areas than regular 2G3G/4G.

“As leaders in IoT, we are committed to supporting our customers as they explore the capabilities and benefits available through Rogers rapidly growing IoT ecosystem,” said Dean Prevost, President, Enterprise, Rogers Communications. “With the launch of LTE-M, we are empowering the adoption of reliable, low cost, and secure IoT solutions that support a variety of use cases such as asset tracking, smart cities, utilities, transportation, and supply chain management.”

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Digital Realty opens 46 Megawatt Data Center in Toronto

Digital Realty had opened its third data center in Toronto at the site of the former Toronto Star printing plant.

The facility will provide up to 46 megawatts of critical power capacity. It spans over 66,000 square meters (711,000 square feet).

Some highlights

• The new facility is engineered to deliver a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.25 annualized at full capacity and will be one of Canada's most efficient and reliable data centers.
• With 23 computer rooms ranging from 800 to 1,200 square meters (approximately 8,600 to 13,000 square feet), it can accommodate power capacities from one to three megawatts per room.
• Resiliencies range from n to 2n with a power density range of 1,000 to more than 4,000 watts per square meter (approximately 100 to 300 watts per square foot).
• The facility is adjacent to a utility sub-station, providing direct access to low-cost power.
• Proximity to downtown Toronto, major highways, and an international airport makes for easy accessibility.

"Toronto is home to a booming financial services industry and a burgeoning roster of large technology companies and emerging tech startups for whom digital transformation is driving enterprise initiatives," said Digital Realty Chief Executive Officer A. William Stein. "We are very excited to be converting the iconic Toronto Star building into a revolutionary new data center, ideal for cloud providers, financial services companies and enterprises of all sizes. The grand opening is another important milestone in achieving our strategic goal of building an unparalleled global network of top-tier data centers in major cities and interconnection hubs around the world."

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Private investors to acquire Mitel

An investor group led by affiliates of Searchlight Capital Partners has agreed to acquire Mitel for approximately $2.0 billion in cash, including Mitel’s net debt.

Mitel shareholders will receive $11.15 per common share in cash, representing a premium of approximately 24% to the 90-calendar-day volume-weighted average price of Mitel common shares through April 23, 2018. 

Upon completion of the transaction, Mitel will become a privately held company.

Terry Matthews, Mitel Co-founder and Chairman, said, “Mitel has succeeded for 45 years because of persistent innovation and relentless focus on delivering shareholder value. Our Board determined that this transaction, upon closing, will deliver immediate, significant and certain cash value to our shareholders. It also affirms the tremendous value and market leadership of Mitel. We believe this transaction will provide Mitel with additional flexibility as a private company to pursue the company’s move-to-the-cloud strategy.”

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Zayo to provide dark fiber ring in the Montreal for cloud company

Zayo will build a high-capacity dark fiber ring in the Montreal metro area to a global cloud provider. The project involves the extension of Zayo's existing dense network in Montreal and building a 60-kilometer ring for the anchor tenant along the South Shore, the city’s growing technology and data center hub. The name of the anchor tenant was not disclosed.

“This project enables us to further expand our Canadian footprint and deliver the high-performance communications infrastructure that this long-standing customer merits,” said Jack Waters, CTO and president of Fiber Solutions at Zayo. “We expect to capture the benefits of scale leveraging our dense Montreal footprint and these new success-based routes.”

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Huawei launches urban 5G “Wireless to the Home” CPE trial with TELUS

Huawei launched an end-to-end user trial for “Wireless to the Home” (WTTx) 5G service using a specially-designed 5G CPE (Customer Premise Equipment) unit in downtown Vancouver..

The trial is being conducted as a “5G Living Lab” in collaboration with TELUS. Initially, the 5G fixed service is being delivered to the home of TELUS employees.

In addition to the unique 5G in-home equipment, the network utilizes the 5G gNodeB and related elements built as part of the TELUS/Huawei 5G Living Lab. The trial system operates on the 28GHz mmwave band with 800 MHz of bandwidth and includes many 3GPP key technologies, such as Massive MIMO, F-OFDM, and Polar Code.

"mmWave technology will be an important tool in ensuring widespread deployment of 5G technology in Canada. Huawei’s 5G solutions and terminals will enable 5G coverage over a neighbourhood or small community cost effectively, while providing more convenient and high-speed home broadband Internet access services." said Dr. Wen Tong, Huawei Fellow, and CTO Huawei Wireless, "This friendly user trial will drive the global 3GPP unified 5G standard and build a solid foundation for the 5G early commercialization."

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Bell Canada acquires a home security company

BCE (Bell) has acquired AlarmForce Industries, a Canadian home security and monitoring company, for approximately $182 million paid in a combination of cash and BCE common shares to shareholders of AlarmForce.

AlarmForce currently serves more than 100,000 subscribers across the country with intrusion, smoke, flood and carbon monoxide detection services; automation services including lighting, climate and lock control systems; and in-home and mobile medical alert systems.

Bell provides security and monitoring services from Bell Aliant NextGen Home Security in Atlantic Canada and from AAA Security, a Bell MTS company, in Manitoba.

Bell also announced an agreement to sell AlarmForce's approximately 39,000 customer accounts in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan to TELUS Corporation for approximately $66.5 million, an amount per subscriber equivalent to that paid by Bell.

"Bell welcomes AlarmForce as we build on our position as Canada's most trusted name in residential communications with an accelerated focus on Connected Home technology and services," said Rizwan Jamal, President of Bell Residential and Small Business. "Building on our leadership and scale in broadband networks and residential services distribution, installation and customer services, Bell looks forward to delivering new and innovative smart home solutions to residential customers throughout Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic region and Manitoba."

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TELoIP names Roger Davis as CEO

TELoIP, which offers SD-WAN solutions through a network of channel partners, named Roger Davis as its new CEO.

Davis previously was a senior executive with AT&T, serving as Vice President and Controller of the Corporation; Vice President & CFO of the Networks Services Group, the company's largest operating division; and Vice President & CFO of the International Group.

TELoIP, which is known for its Virtual Intelligent Network Overlay (VINO) technology and portfolio of managed service provider partners, was founded in 2002 and is based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

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TELUS picks Ericsson's MediaFirst TV Platform

TELUS has selected Ericsson's MediaFirst TV Platform to power its next-generation TV service. The carrier recently launched its new Optik TV app to almost one million customers in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The Ericsson MediaFirst TV Platform leverages a cloud architecture for the creation, management, and delivery of next-generation Pay TV. It includes advanced analytics tools which enable operators to target relevant content and promotions to viewers, increasing revenue opportunities and helping to reduce churn.

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EXFO to acquire Astellia for mobile subscriber awareness

EXFO has launched an all-cash voluntary tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Astellia, a provider of network and subscriber intelligence solutions for mobile operators. EXFO already holds 33.1% of Astellia's equity.

The offer is proposed at a price of EUR 10 per Astellia share, valuing the entirety of Astellia's equity (on a fully diluted basis) at approximately €25.9 million.

Astellia's real-time monitoring and troubleshooting solution optimizes networks end-to-end, from radio to core.  The company is based in France with significant operations in Spain and a strong presence in Canada, Lebanon, Morocco and South Africa.

"We aim to combine the two companies and create a global leader in the service assurance and analytics industry", said Germain Lamonde, EXFO's founder and Executive Chairman of the Board. "Combining our complementary base of customers, technologies and competencies, as well as our similar corporate cultures, will enable the development of game-changing solutions and services within a large market in rapid transition—all this in the best interests of our customers, employees and shareholders."

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Bell Canada deploys open source ONAP

Bell, Canada’s largest communications company, is deploying the open source version of the Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) in its production network -- the first carrier to do so. The installation is part of the Bell's Network 3.0 transformation initiative.

The open source ONAP platform initially is being used by Bell to automate its data center tenant network provisioning. There are plans to use ONAP as a common platform across Bell’s networks on its journey towards a multi-partner DevOps model.

“Bell has been engaged in the ONAP journey from day one and committed to get it to production to demonstrate its value,” said Tamer Shenouda, Director of Network Transformation for Bell. “This demonstration will encourage other partners to take a similar incremental approach in delivery and operations of the platform, and we look forward to other telecoms launching ONAP to production.”

“We’re very proud to be the first member of the ONAP Project to demonstrate the viability of the platform live on our network,” said Petri Lyytikainen, Bell’s Vice President, Network Strategy, Services and Management. “The evolution of our advanced software-defined networks will enable us to respond even faster to the unique needs of our customers.”

Bell is a founding Platinum Member of ONAP. Platinum members include: Amdocs, AT&T, China Mobile, China Telecom, Cisco, Cloudify, Ericsson, Huawei, IBM, Intel, Jio, Nokia, Orange, Tech Mahindra, Türk Telekom, Vmware, Vodafone, and ZTE.

What is ONAP?

The Open Network Automation Platform is a project hosted by The Linux Foundation that aims to automate the entire network.

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Trend Micro acquires Immunio and for hybrid cloud security

Trend Micro announced the acquisition of Montréal, Canada-based Immunio, a pioneer in real-time web application security (RASP), providing automatic detection and protection against application security vulnerabilities. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Immunio's mission is to make truly effective real-time web protection technology easily available and widely deployed, and by doing so, stop the biggest source of breached data records.

“We are excited to acquire Immunio’s application protection technology, their team of application security experts and their customers,” said Bill McGee, SVP and GM of Hybrid Cloud Security at Trend Micro. “Technology changes, like cloud computing and container platforms, are enabling faster application development. Immunio’s run-time application security allows our customers to increase protection against software vulnerabilities within the applications they are building.”

Trend Micro is also enhancing its container-specific security capabilities, by supporting container image scanning, which allows security issues to be identified and resolved prior to production release. Customers will be able to scan images in the container registry so that development teams can fix issues prior to deployment and apply run-time protection capabilities based on findings from the imaging.

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Private equity firm acquires AVST, a developer of Unified Communications software

StoneCalibre, a privately funded investment firm based in Los Angeles, has acquired Applied Voice & Speech Technologies (AVST), a developer of software-based Unified Communications (UC) solutions for businesses.

AVST has now been merged with XMedius Solutions Inc. The new company, which will have its headquarters in Montreal, will focus on communication tools that leverage voice and data through IP networks using different types of enterprise-grade solutions, either on-premises or in the cloud. AVST designs, delivers and supports software-based UC voice solutions. XMedius provides secure file exchange software solutions. Together, AVST and XMedius have over 500 partners and nearly 4,500 active customers worldwide.

"We are extremely pleased to announce this compelling transaction, as it brings together two highly complementary companies as part of the StoneCalibre family", said Brian Wall, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of StoneCalibre. "Both have long track records of innovation and commitment to helping their customers build cutting-edge solutions for today's business environments. And, while AVST focuses on improving the productivity of its customers' communications, XMedius enables those communications to be secure."

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DragonWave acquired by Transform-X

DragonWave, which a global supplier of packet microwave radio systems for mobile and access networks and which is bases in Ottawa, Canada, has been acquired by Transform-X, a private equity firm based in Tucson, Arizona.  Financial terms were not disclosed.

DragonWave’s carrier-grade point-to-point packet microwave systems transmit broadband voice, video and data, enabling service providers, government agencies, enterprises and other organizations to meet their increasing bandwidth requirement. The principal application of DragonWave’s portfolio is wireless network backhaul, including for small cell networks. The new company will operate under the name of DragonWave-X.

In addition, DragonWave announced the appointment of Hans B. Amell as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer. Amell’s background includes leading major transformations in Global Industry leading companies such as Unisys, Dun and Bradstreet, AlliedSignal/Honeywell and Ericsson. He started his career as a management consultant at McKinsey.

"The DragonWave-X acquisition is a crucial part of Transform-X's strategic goal to acquire and integrate best-in-class 5G+ communications technologies, manufacturers and service companies that will compete and excel in the market for 5G+, small cell densification and RAN solutions to modern data demands." said Dan Hodges, Transform-X CEO.

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