CUPERTINO, Ralink Technology Corp., a leading developer of high performance wired and wireless networking solutions, announced its entry into the mobile Wi-Fi market with the introduction of the RT8180 for cellular phones and the RT3180 and RT3680 for portable consumer electronics products.
Complementing Ralink’s existing product lines for the PC OEM, Retail, Broadband and Stationary Consumer Electronics market segments, Ralink’s new mobile offerings complete the company’s portfolio of Wi-Fi solutions which now cover all major market segments for Wi-Fi semiconductors.
“Ralink is a well established supplier of WLAN solutions into the computer and networking markets with a strong track record of performance, innovation and value,” said Jagdish Rebello, principal analyst for iSuppli.
“With WLAN becoming increasingly integrated into smartphones and high end feature phones, the mobile handset market presents an attractive opportunity for Ralink to expand their WLAN market share. With the introduction of RT8180, Ralink now has the capability to compete in that market.”
The RT3180 and RT3680 are highly integrated 2.4GHz and dual-band 802.11n WLAN chips for high performance portable consumer electronics wireless applications that require mobility, connectivity and range.
The RT3180 and RT3680 integrate a host of mobile specific functionality including high-performance power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers, and various other front-end components that enable low-cost and small form-factor designs for portable consumer electronics applications such as digital camcorders, digital cameras, mobile gaming platforms, and tablet PCs.
An integrated power management unit further reduces external component count while enabling support for advanced low power states, making these solutions ideal for compact battery-powered mobile devices.
Embedded processors offload all 802.11n related functions including support for Wake on Wireless LAN. The RT3180 and RT3680 also feature 2, 3, and 4 wire Bluetooth coexistence mechanisms, and a rich set of interfaces including USB 2.0, SDIO 2.0, GSPI, UART, SPI, and I2C, creating an ideal feature set for ultra-connected mobile devices.
The RT8180 is a low cost, single chip Wi-Fi solution architected specifically for mobile phone applications. This device contains a 150Mbps 802.11n media access controller (MAC) and baseband, a high-performance 19dBm 2.4GHz radio and power amplifier, a low noise amplifier, an integrated transmit/receive switch with support for 2-antenna diversity that improves range and reliability, a mobile-centric SDIO 2.0 interface, integrated RAM and ROM memory, and an embedded power management unit.
Featuring 100 percent host CPU offload capability, per-packet antenna diversity technology, power management optimizations, support for Wake on Wireless LAN, and other radio/baseband enhancements to increase range and reliability, the RT8180 delivers best-in-class Wi-Fi performance for mobile phones at competitive price points.
“Many of today’s consumer electronics products such as camcorders, cameras and mobile gaming consoles are ‘connected hubs’ in a multi faceted, networking-focused ecosystem. Add smartphones to the mix and you have an unprecedented market opportunity as all manner of consumer electronics devices become connected -- with 802.11n Wi-Fi as the high speed connectivity technology of choice,” said David Borison, vice president of marketing at Ralink Technology.
“Ralink’s deep portfolio of market-leading semiconductors, along with our technology innovations in size, power consumption and performance are a perfect fit for today’s ultra-compact and high-performance mobile devices.”
The Ralink RT3180 and RT3680 are now sampling to mobile consumer electronics manufacturers, and will be followed by samples of the RT8180 to handset manufacturers in the first quarter of 2011.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Two billion covered by 3G and 4G data services
SINGAPORE: Latest figures from ABI Research indicates that there are currently more than 500 3G network commitments, and over 300 WiMAX and LTE announcements worldwide. This equates to more than two billion of the world’s population being covered by high-speed data networks. The demand for speedy data networks continues to rise across the globe.
“While many networks in US and Europe are working towards complete coverage for 3G services, some mobile operators in other regions find themselves tangled up with government bureaucracy, which impedes progress in upgrading the network technology,” comments ABI Research mobile services research practice director Neil Strother.
“India has at last concluded its 3G spectrum auction after repeated delays; Thailand’s attempt to catch up with 3G licensing has once again stalled due to reorganization of the telecoms regulator.”
ABI Research estimates that nearly 82 percent of the population in Western Europe is currently covered by 3G networks, while only about 12 percent of Asia-Pacific’s population has access to 3G services. “3G coverage in the Asia-Pacific region is set to rise dramatically in the next few years as Chinese and Indian operators such as China Unicom and Bharti Airtel begin actively rolling out new data networks,” notes ABI research associate Fei Feng Seet.
Network sharing has became more common in a number of mature markets. For example, French mobile operator SFR will be sharing the rural build-out of its UMTS network with domestic rivals Orange France and Bouygues Telecom. Meanwhile, T-mobile and Orange UK have formed a new joint venture called “Everything Everywhere” in a bid to share costs and spectrum.
“While many networks in US and Europe are working towards complete coverage for 3G services, some mobile operators in other regions find themselves tangled up with government bureaucracy, which impedes progress in upgrading the network technology,” comments ABI Research mobile services research practice director Neil Strother.
“India has at last concluded its 3G spectrum auction after repeated delays; Thailand’s attempt to catch up with 3G licensing has once again stalled due to reorganization of the telecoms regulator.”
ABI Research estimates that nearly 82 percent of the population in Western Europe is currently covered by 3G networks, while only about 12 percent of Asia-Pacific’s population has access to 3G services. “3G coverage in the Asia-Pacific region is set to rise dramatically in the next few years as Chinese and Indian operators such as China Unicom and Bharti Airtel begin actively rolling out new data networks,” notes ABI research associate Fei Feng Seet.
Network sharing has became more common in a number of mature markets. For example, French mobile operator SFR will be sharing the rural build-out of its UMTS network with domestic rivals Orange France and Bouygues Telecom. Meanwhile, T-mobile and Orange UK have formed a new joint venture called “Everything Everywhere” in a bid to share costs and spectrum.
Movial sees increased SI and design demand as operators, device and CE manufacturers launch competitive services and devices on Android
HELSINKI, FINLAND: Movial, the company that inspires rich and intuitive Internet experiences, announced that it is seeing increased interest in its SI (Systems Integration) and User Experience Design services as global operators, as well as device and CE (Consumer Electronics) manufacturers look to launch differentiated services and devices on Android.
The company also announced it is ramping up staffing in Taiwan to help meet its growing client demands.
“Android has been well received by the market and in some geographies it is becoming a sought-after consumer brand,” said Canalys senior analyst, Pete Cunningham. “It has rapidly become the platform to watch, and its growing volumes will help to entice developers, ensuring consumers have access to an increasingly rich and vibrant mobile content and application ecosystem.”
Movial’s Android Services are being tapped by operators and device and CE manufacturers around the world as they look to port value-added applications to Android and shorten their delivery time to market of highly usable and differentiated services and devices.
“Operators want to have their own unique services, not just Google’s services and device and CE manufacturers want to be able to launch competitive services and devices on Android,” said Tomi Rauste, president, Movial Creative Technologies.
“Movial has a proven track record in enabling innovative value added services on top of Android that go well beyond “vanilla.” Movial design experts partner with our customers’ engineering and marketing teams to deliver immediate competitive differentiators.”
The company also announced it is ramping up staffing in Taiwan to help meet its growing client demands.
“Android has been well received by the market and in some geographies it is becoming a sought-after consumer brand,” said Canalys senior analyst, Pete Cunningham. “It has rapidly become the platform to watch, and its growing volumes will help to entice developers, ensuring consumers have access to an increasingly rich and vibrant mobile content and application ecosystem.”
Movial’s Android Services are being tapped by operators and device and CE manufacturers around the world as they look to port value-added applications to Android and shorten their delivery time to market of highly usable and differentiated services and devices.
“Operators want to have their own unique services, not just Google’s services and device and CE manufacturers want to be able to launch competitive services and devices on Android,” said Tomi Rauste, president, Movial Creative Technologies.
“Movial has a proven track record in enabling innovative value added services on top of Android that go well beyond “vanilla.” Movial design experts partner with our customers’ engineering and marketing teams to deliver immediate competitive differentiators.”
Westman selects Calix E7 to bring advanced fibre access services to Brandon, Manitoba
BRANDON, CANADA & PETALUMA, USA: Westman Communications Group (Westman) and Calix, Inc. announced that the Calix E7 Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP) and 725GX optical network terminals (ONTs) will be deployed to residents in Brandon, Manitoba – bringing advanced fibre-based services to Manitoba’s second largest city and marking the first fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) deployment in western Manitoba.
By extending a fibre-optic connection from Westman’s headend all the way to the residential subscriber premises, FTTH enables a variety of ultra-high capacity broadband services, including high-speed data, voice, and interactive radio frequency over glass (RFOG) video services.
Westman’s FTTH subscribers, initially located in the new subdivision of Oakridge Estates but with future regional expansion plans, will receive these advanced services via gigabit passive optical network (GPON) technology, which is capable of delivering broadband speeds of up to one gigabit per second (Gbps).
“Westman takes pride in being an innovative communications service provider that provides superior communication services to the residents of our communities,” said Dave Baxter, president and CEO of Westman. “As technology evolves, we must meet the changing needs of our customers and fibre-to-the-home ensures that we remain at the forefront in providing the most advanced video entertainment and the fastest, most reliable high-speed Internet.”
The deployment by Westman represents another milestone in the adoption of fibre access technology in Canada. Westman will deploy the modular, EXA Powered Calix E7-2, the fastest adopted access platforms in Calix history having been deployed by over 150 communications service providers across North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean after just three quarters of availability.
Calix 725GX ONTs, which combine industry standard GPON with the new Society for Cable Technology Engineers (SCTE) RFOG standards, will be deployed at subscribers’ homes, enabling the MSO to deliver both legacy and advanced new services over a single, fibre-based architecture.
By extending a fibre-optic connection from Westman’s headend all the way to the residential subscriber premises, FTTH enables a variety of ultra-high capacity broadband services, including high-speed data, voice, and interactive radio frequency over glass (RFOG) video services.
Westman’s FTTH subscribers, initially located in the new subdivision of Oakridge Estates but with future regional expansion plans, will receive these advanced services via gigabit passive optical network (GPON) technology, which is capable of delivering broadband speeds of up to one gigabit per second (Gbps).
“Westman takes pride in being an innovative communications service provider that provides superior communication services to the residents of our communities,” said Dave Baxter, president and CEO of Westman. “As technology evolves, we must meet the changing needs of our customers and fibre-to-the-home ensures that we remain at the forefront in providing the most advanced video entertainment and the fastest, most reliable high-speed Internet.”
The deployment by Westman represents another milestone in the adoption of fibre access technology in Canada. Westman will deploy the modular, EXA Powered Calix E7-2, the fastest adopted access platforms in Calix history having been deployed by over 150 communications service providers across North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean after just three quarters of availability.
Calix 725GX ONTs, which combine industry standard GPON with the new Society for Cable Technology Engineers (SCTE) RFOG standards, will be deployed at subscribers’ homes, enabling the MSO to deliver both legacy and advanced new services over a single, fibre-based architecture.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Lemon Mobiles launches India’s most economical 3G handset
NEW DELHI, INDIA: Lemon Mobiles, the value for money mobile brand promoted by Fastrack Communications Pvt. Ltd, has launched its much awaited affordable 3G enabled handset for the Indian masses.
Named the W100 3G phone is a GSM phone, it is available in two different colors Vibrant Red and Stylish Blue. The SIM slot will support GSM or WCDMA(3G) card. W100 3G is available at an affordable INR 3,500 and comes with a pre loaded Lemon LiveTV application.
The Lemon LiveTV provides access to most popular TV channels and uses the underlying 3G services available from the network provider. W100 3G comes with a one month free subscription for LiveTV .
The W100 3G is a complete entertainment package and can be used to make video calls, watch live TV, access the high speed internet, receive emails and download music tracks on compatible 3G networks. The 3G handset is available pan India and the company would like to drive the 3G penetration across its customer base with the launch W100 3G.
Source: Lemon Mobiles.
Key features of W100 3G
Video Call: W100 3G has a dual camera with 1.3 MP main camera and 0.3 MP (VGA) front camera which can be used for Video calling.
Video Streaming: Lemon W100 3G allows users to watch streaming videos from websites like Youtube, etc. without downloading them onto the device.
Multi format Music player and recorder: Supports MP3, WAV, MIDI, AAC, AMR, AAC+ formats.
Multi format Video player and Video recorder: The phone supports Video player and recorder that plays video in popular formats like 3GP and MP4 (QCIF resolution).
Named the W100 3G phone is a GSM phone, it is available in two different colors Vibrant Red and Stylish Blue. The SIM slot will support GSM or WCDMA(3G) card. W100 3G is available at an affordable INR 3,500 and comes with a pre loaded Lemon LiveTV application.
The Lemon LiveTV provides access to most popular TV channels and uses the underlying 3G services available from the network provider. W100 3G comes with a one month free subscription for LiveTV .
The W100 3G is a complete entertainment package and can be used to make video calls, watch live TV, access the high speed internet, receive emails and download music tracks on compatible 3G networks. The 3G handset is available pan India and the company would like to drive the 3G penetration across its customer base with the launch W100 3G.
Source: Lemon Mobiles.Key features of W100 3G
Video Call: W100 3G has a dual camera with 1.3 MP main camera and 0.3 MP (VGA) front camera which can be used for Video calling.
Video Streaming: Lemon W100 3G allows users to watch streaming videos from websites like Youtube, etc. without downloading them onto the device.
Multi format Music player and recorder: Supports MP3, WAV, MIDI, AAC, AMR, AAC+ formats.
Multi format Video player and Video recorder: The phone supports Video player and recorder that plays video in popular formats like 3GP and MP4 (QCIF resolution).
Epsilon launches DREAMmail productivity app for iPad
MUMBAI, INDIA: Epsilon, the industry’s leading marketing services firm, recently launched DREAMmail for iPad.
Following on from the company’s first mobile solution for business email marketers that was developed for the iPhone earlier this year, DREAMmail for iPad provides marketers with even more capabilities to manage their marketing campaigns on the road.
This latest release for the iPad delivers on Epsilon’s strategy to drive innovative marketing solutions and applications that provide marketers with greater freedom and flexibility.
Currently available in Asia Pacific, where the need for mobility and the lines between work and personal life often meld, DREAMmail for iPad enables users to enjoy building, trafficking and monitoring email campaigns anytime, anywhere with a WiFi or 3G connection. It not only provides on-the-road marketers with the ability to download email campaign data and templates, but also to efficiently review, edit and monitor campaigns.
“We designed DREAMmail for iPad with today’s increasingly mobile and device-savvy marketers in mind.” said Dominic Powers, senior VP, Asia Pacific, Epsilon International. “By giving users the ability to manage a campaign on the go, or to tap into their report data while at home, we hope to not only give marketers more flexibility, but also to empower them with real-time access to information that drive decisions around their customer communications.”
DREAMmail for iPad supports multiple languages including Japanese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Western European languages and other UTF-8 character sets, the most commonly used language set denominator, providing users with the ability to import and export messages in the language layout that best suits their needs.
Like its sister application DREAMmail for iPhone the user interface is also available in English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Japanese.
Epsilon plans to extend the availability of DREAMmail for iPad to other regions soon. Future releases will also enhance capabilities with a complete mailing list filter manager.
Following on from the company’s first mobile solution for business email marketers that was developed for the iPhone earlier this year, DREAMmail for iPad provides marketers with even more capabilities to manage their marketing campaigns on the road.
This latest release for the iPad delivers on Epsilon’s strategy to drive innovative marketing solutions and applications that provide marketers with greater freedom and flexibility.
Currently available in Asia Pacific, where the need for mobility and the lines between work and personal life often meld, DREAMmail for iPad enables users to enjoy building, trafficking and monitoring email campaigns anytime, anywhere with a WiFi or 3G connection. It not only provides on-the-road marketers with the ability to download email campaign data and templates, but also to efficiently review, edit and monitor campaigns.
“We designed DREAMmail for iPad with today’s increasingly mobile and device-savvy marketers in mind.” said Dominic Powers, senior VP, Asia Pacific, Epsilon International. “By giving users the ability to manage a campaign on the go, or to tap into their report data while at home, we hope to not only give marketers more flexibility, but also to empower them with real-time access to information that drive decisions around their customer communications.”
DREAMmail for iPad supports multiple languages including Japanese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Western European languages and other UTF-8 character sets, the most commonly used language set denominator, providing users with the ability to import and export messages in the language layout that best suits their needs.
Like its sister application DREAMmail for iPhone the user interface is also available in English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Japanese.
Epsilon plans to extend the availability of DREAMmail for iPad to other regions soon. Future releases will also enhance capabilities with a complete mailing list filter manager.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Vimicro extends positioning in TD-SCDMA market
BEIJING, CHINA: Vimicro International Corp., a leading multimedia semiconductor and solution provider, announced that, through a major OEM customer, it provides the mobile multimedia co-processor for three of the selected handset models in the recent TD-SCDMA handset tender from China Mobile.
Vimicro mobile multimedia co-processors offer a rich suite of multimedia features including support for China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting (CMMB) functionality and video conference capabilities.
"We are pleased that Vimicro's OEM customer won the largest share of China Mobile's recent TD-SCDMA handset procurement. We are committed to providing the most advanced technology at low cost to our OEM customers. It will help promote end users' adoption of the TD-SCDMA 3G services offered by China Mobile among cost conscious consumers," said Dr. John Deng, Vimicro's chairman and CEO.
Vimicro mobile multimedia co-processors offer a rich suite of multimedia features including support for China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting (CMMB) functionality and video conference capabilities.
"We are pleased that Vimicro's OEM customer won the largest share of China Mobile's recent TD-SCDMA handset procurement. We are committed to providing the most advanced technology at low cost to our OEM customers. It will help promote end users' adoption of the TD-SCDMA 3G services offered by China Mobile among cost conscious consumers," said Dr. John Deng, Vimicro's chairman and CEO.
Friday, November 26, 2010
ZTE and ChinaTel’s subsidiary Perusat sign contract for supply of wireless broadband equipment and services
SAN DIEGO, USA & SHENZHEN, CHINA: ChinaTel Group Inc. (ChinaTel) announced that its subsidiary Perusat S.A (Perusat) has finalized a contract for ZTE Corp. (ZTE) to provide Perusat equipment and services for its deployment of a wireless broadband telecommunications network in Peru.
Perusat has contracted ZTE to become its exclusive supplier of infrastructure equipment, consumer terminals, and engineering and management services for the wireless broadband network Perusat is deploying in Peru. The total value of the contract is expected to be approximately $48 million over the next seven years.
The purchase orders for the first phase have a value of $6.98 million. ZTE is financing 85 percent of the cost of infrastructure equipment covered in the phase one purchase orders. National banks in China with whom ZTE has relationships are expected to finance future equipment orders, also at 85 percent.
“We are excited about our partnership with ZTE and its ability to fully deliver broadband equipment and end-to-end network solutions,” said ChinaTel’s CEO George Alvarez. “ZTE has the foresight to create equipment solutions that will migrate from the current WiMAX 802.16e protocol to 802.16m, to TD-LTE, or dual band 16m and LTE.”
ChinaTel’s president, Colin Tay, added: “Our relationship with ZTE strengthens our plan to be at the forefront of delivering advanced internet technologies across the globe as we continue to build our infrastructure in emerging markets like China and Peru.”
The first phase of deployment (initial geographic coverage in seven cities) is scheduled to be completed by approximately May 2011. Perusat’s sales and marketing effort will go hand in hand with deployment, and ChinaTel expects to have subscribers enrolled such that the technical and commercial launch of the network will occur simultaneously.
Perusat will expand capacity in each market as subscriber demand dictates. By virtue of Perusat’s status as a 95 percent subsidiary, the results of operations and subscriber revenues generated by the Perusat network will be reflected on ChinaTel’s consolidated financial statements.
Perusat has contracted ZTE to become its exclusive supplier of infrastructure equipment, consumer terminals, and engineering and management services for the wireless broadband network Perusat is deploying in Peru. The total value of the contract is expected to be approximately $48 million over the next seven years.
The purchase orders for the first phase have a value of $6.98 million. ZTE is financing 85 percent of the cost of infrastructure equipment covered in the phase one purchase orders. National banks in China with whom ZTE has relationships are expected to finance future equipment orders, also at 85 percent.
“We are excited about our partnership with ZTE and its ability to fully deliver broadband equipment and end-to-end network solutions,” said ChinaTel’s CEO George Alvarez. “ZTE has the foresight to create equipment solutions that will migrate from the current WiMAX 802.16e protocol to 802.16m, to TD-LTE, or dual band 16m and LTE.”
ChinaTel’s president, Colin Tay, added: “Our relationship with ZTE strengthens our plan to be at the forefront of delivering advanced internet technologies across the globe as we continue to build our infrastructure in emerging markets like China and Peru.”
The first phase of deployment (initial geographic coverage in seven cities) is scheduled to be completed by approximately May 2011. Perusat’s sales and marketing effort will go hand in hand with deployment, and ChinaTel expects to have subscribers enrolled such that the technical and commercial launch of the network will occur simultaneously.
Perusat will expand capacity in each market as subscriber demand dictates. By virtue of Perusat’s status as a 95 percent subsidiary, the results of operations and subscriber revenues generated by the Perusat network will be reflected on ChinaTel’s consolidated financial statements.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
iBuzz mobiles now in India
NEW DELHI, INDIA: Vertex Management Solutions Pvt Ltd has launched iBuzz Mobiles by introducing five mobile devices across six states in India.
iBuzz mobiles will be available across key states like Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
Sutikshan Naithani, director and CEO Vertex Management Solutions said: “The idea for starting iBuzz came after an extensive research on the current mobile industry in India. There is a definite demand for professional mobile companies providing functionality in mobile devices at affordable prices. We will be introducing 5 variants as part of our first phase and will be expanding our reach and portfolio in the coming year."
The five models currently being launched are the i1800 (Big Buzz), i2200 (Picture Buzz), i3300 (Multi Buzz), i4400 (Music Buzz) and i4 (Slim Buzz), at a price range varying from Rs. 2200 to Rs. 4000.
All phones support key features like Dual SIM capability, color screens, multi language support and music players. Other features include security measures like phone trackers, panic button, and support for popular social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Nimbuzz.
While most features are standard across all models, every product subcategory comes with certain key features including Dual Memory card slots in the Multi Buzz range, 30-day standby and 15 hour talk time in the Big Buzz and Picture Buzz, 40mm speaker with woofer in the Music Buzz and Java Support and opera mini browser in the Slim Buzz.
All five models of iBuzz Mobile will be hitting the market soon and will be available across leading mobile shops and retail outlets.
iBuzz mobiles will be available across key states like Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
Sutikshan Naithani, director and CEO Vertex Management Solutions said: “The idea for starting iBuzz came after an extensive research on the current mobile industry in India. There is a definite demand for professional mobile companies providing functionality in mobile devices at affordable prices. We will be introducing 5 variants as part of our first phase and will be expanding our reach and portfolio in the coming year."
The five models currently being launched are the i1800 (Big Buzz), i2200 (Picture Buzz), i3300 (Multi Buzz), i4400 (Music Buzz) and i4 (Slim Buzz), at a price range varying from Rs. 2200 to Rs. 4000.
All phones support key features like Dual SIM capability, color screens, multi language support and music players. Other features include security measures like phone trackers, panic button, and support for popular social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Nimbuzz.
While most features are standard across all models, every product subcategory comes with certain key features including Dual Memory card slots in the Multi Buzz range, 30-day standby and 15 hour talk time in the Big Buzz and Picture Buzz, 40mm speaker with woofer in the Music Buzz and Java Support and opera mini browser in the Slim Buzz.
All five models of iBuzz Mobile will be hitting the market soon and will be available across leading mobile shops and retail outlets.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Icera and Rohde & Schwarz team up on LTE
BRISTOL, UK & MUNICH, GERMANY: Icera and Rohde & Schwarz are working together on Rohde & Schwarz’s LTE protocol conformance test program to enable the wireless industry to certify and deploy LTE technology successfully and more quickly. Both Icera and Rohde & Schwarz are industry leaders in the development of multimode LTE products.
The Global Certification Forum (GCF) is currently working towards introducing LTE certification by the end of 2010. This will coincide with an expected wave of LTE service and device launches. Rohde & Schwarz already supports four different frequency bands and offers more than 100 test cases for FDD.
Steve Allpress, CTO and VP Modem Software of Icera Inc., said: "Our soft modem technology is proving a real game changer for LTE. There is a great deal of talk in the industry about bolstering LTE roadmaps, but in reality there are only a handful of players with a commercially available LTE solution and Icera is one of those companies.
"Similarly, Rohde & Schwarz was the first supplier on the market with test solutions for LTE. We are delighted to be working with them on the ongoing development of their comprehensive LTE test case package which meets the industry’s need for thorough LTE device testing programs and which clearly demonstrates Icera’s LTE solution meets the industry’s rigorous certification requirements."
Anton Messmer, Director of the Mobile Radio Testers Subdivision, states: "We are the only manufacturer on the market who supports the four standards, LTE, WCDMA, GSM and CDMA2000, for protocol conformance tests in a single device. With our flexible R&S CMW500 multistandard platform, we provide a compact, stable solution for our customers. We look forward to again demonstrating its value when we team up with Icera, the innovative, multimode chipset manufacturer."
Icera maintains its leading-edge roadmap for next generation air interfaces due to its unique software-defined baseband technology, currently supporting multimode 4G (LTE), 3G (HSPA) and 2G (GSM) standards with its latest small form factor, multimode LTE platform, Espresso®410.
The Global Certification Forum (GCF) is currently working towards introducing LTE certification by the end of 2010. This will coincide with an expected wave of LTE service and device launches. Rohde & Schwarz already supports four different frequency bands and offers more than 100 test cases for FDD.
Steve Allpress, CTO and VP Modem Software of Icera Inc., said: "Our soft modem technology is proving a real game changer for LTE. There is a great deal of talk in the industry about bolstering LTE roadmaps, but in reality there are only a handful of players with a commercially available LTE solution and Icera is one of those companies.
"Similarly, Rohde & Schwarz was the first supplier on the market with test solutions for LTE. We are delighted to be working with them on the ongoing development of their comprehensive LTE test case package which meets the industry’s need for thorough LTE device testing programs and which clearly demonstrates Icera’s LTE solution meets the industry’s rigorous certification requirements."
Anton Messmer, Director of the Mobile Radio Testers Subdivision, states: "We are the only manufacturer on the market who supports the four standards, LTE, WCDMA, GSM and CDMA2000, for protocol conformance tests in a single device. With our flexible R&S CMW500 multistandard platform, we provide a compact, stable solution for our customers. We look forward to again demonstrating its value when we team up with Icera, the innovative, multimode chipset manufacturer."
Icera maintains its leading-edge roadmap for next generation air interfaces due to its unique software-defined baseband technology, currently supporting multimode 4G (LTE), 3G (HSPA) and 2G (GSM) standards with its latest small form factor, multimode LTE platform, Espresso®410.
Built-In car Wi-Fi shipments to rise to 7.2 million in 2017
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Global shipments of built-in car Wi-Fi systems are set to soar by more than fortyfold by 2017, as automakers increasingly view wireless connectivity as a key competitive differentiator, according to iSuppli Corp., now part of IHS Inc.
Worldwide automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) shipments of Wi-Fi systems will rise to 7.2 million units in 2017, up from just 174,000 in 2010, as presented in the figure.
Source: iSuppli, USA.
“Wi-Fi in the car is a hot topic these days, with major OEMs noticeably incorporating it into new-model releases,” said Stacey Oh, analyst and regional manager for Asia automotive research at iSuppli. “Whereas Wi-Fi was an aftermarket accessory in the past, OEMs now are touting it as a key offering.”
For Ford Motor Co., the company is turning its vehicles into Wi-Fi hot spots with the next generation of its Sync in-car connectivity system. MyFord is able to incorporate in-car Wi-Fi connectivity, powered by any customer’s existing USB mobile broadband modem. The solution inherently reduces cost for the consumer and the OEM, while requiring less space in the vehicle for a modem.
Further, the system is also able to integrate WLAN from a local hotspot and utilize it for downloads into the vehicle, which could in the future include anything from map updates to software patches and vehicle dynamics revisions.
Via SIM card
Meanwhile, European OEMs are taking a different route. Marvell Technology and Harman Automotive in August announced integrated Wi-Fi connectivity via Marvell Mobile Hotspot (MMH) technology, with the 2010 Audi A8 as the first vehicle on the market to feature the factory-installed mobile hotspot.
Together, Marvell and Harman Automotive have integrated MMH technology into the Audi vehicle through a built-in WLAN module, enabling high-speed online and Internet access via cellular link or Bluetooth devices.
Implementing a full-featured, WLAN access point integrated entirely on the wireless chip, the MMH technology is incorporated into Harman’s connectivity system and has a local Wi-Fi mobile hotspot within the vehicle, giving passengers access to Web-based services.
Up to eight devices can be supported, from smart phones, to tablets, to other advanced mobile devices. To activate web access, the user has to insert a SIM card—usually a duplicate—so users receive one bill) into the SIM slot, which is part of the optional Bluetooth Auto Telephone.
Marvell’s Wi-Fi software architecture, on the other hand, is optimized for low electricity consumption on battery-powered consumer electronics, enabling passengers to connect to the vehicle’s network without affecting the battery life of their connected devices.
A competitive advantage
“Wi-Fi gives OEMs a competitive advantage,” Oh observed. “Staying connected is important to users and can improve the overall in-vehicle experience. And, as Sync has elevated Ford’s image as a cutting-edge technology brand, OEMs probably want their brands to be associated with Wi-Fi to at least be relevant in this connected era.”
However, unlike Internet usage on the vehicle headunit from a telematics service, which can be tracked by automakers for information gathering or Client Relationship Management (CRM) purposes, mobile-device-based Internet usage information will not directly benefit the OEM.
However, data that can be collected via a connected in-vehicle system is accessible to the OEM. Knowing which services that drivers and passengers are using in the vehicle can give OEMs clues on what the next killer app might be. In the long run, OEMs must make sure that they maintain a constant connection to their customers, rather than just provide them with a pipe.
Source: iSuppli, USA.
Worldwide automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) shipments of Wi-Fi systems will rise to 7.2 million units in 2017, up from just 174,000 in 2010, as presented in the figure.
Source: iSuppli, USA.“Wi-Fi in the car is a hot topic these days, with major OEMs noticeably incorporating it into new-model releases,” said Stacey Oh, analyst and regional manager for Asia automotive research at iSuppli. “Whereas Wi-Fi was an aftermarket accessory in the past, OEMs now are touting it as a key offering.”
For Ford Motor Co., the company is turning its vehicles into Wi-Fi hot spots with the next generation of its Sync in-car connectivity system. MyFord is able to incorporate in-car Wi-Fi connectivity, powered by any customer’s existing USB mobile broadband modem. The solution inherently reduces cost for the consumer and the OEM, while requiring less space in the vehicle for a modem.
Further, the system is also able to integrate WLAN from a local hotspot and utilize it for downloads into the vehicle, which could in the future include anything from map updates to software patches and vehicle dynamics revisions.
Via SIM card
Meanwhile, European OEMs are taking a different route. Marvell Technology and Harman Automotive in August announced integrated Wi-Fi connectivity via Marvell Mobile Hotspot (MMH) technology, with the 2010 Audi A8 as the first vehicle on the market to feature the factory-installed mobile hotspot.
Together, Marvell and Harman Automotive have integrated MMH technology into the Audi vehicle through a built-in WLAN module, enabling high-speed online and Internet access via cellular link or Bluetooth devices.
Implementing a full-featured, WLAN access point integrated entirely on the wireless chip, the MMH technology is incorporated into Harman’s connectivity system and has a local Wi-Fi mobile hotspot within the vehicle, giving passengers access to Web-based services.
Up to eight devices can be supported, from smart phones, to tablets, to other advanced mobile devices. To activate web access, the user has to insert a SIM card—usually a duplicate—so users receive one bill) into the SIM slot, which is part of the optional Bluetooth Auto Telephone.
Marvell’s Wi-Fi software architecture, on the other hand, is optimized for low electricity consumption on battery-powered consumer electronics, enabling passengers to connect to the vehicle’s network without affecting the battery life of their connected devices.
A competitive advantage
“Wi-Fi gives OEMs a competitive advantage,” Oh observed. “Staying connected is important to users and can improve the overall in-vehicle experience. And, as Sync has elevated Ford’s image as a cutting-edge technology brand, OEMs probably want their brands to be associated with Wi-Fi to at least be relevant in this connected era.”
However, unlike Internet usage on the vehicle headunit from a telematics service, which can be tracked by automakers for information gathering or Client Relationship Management (CRM) purposes, mobile-device-based Internet usage information will not directly benefit the OEM.
However, data that can be collected via a connected in-vehicle system is accessible to the OEM. Knowing which services that drivers and passengers are using in the vehicle can give OEMs clues on what the next killer app might be. In the long run, OEMs must make sure that they maintain a constant connection to their customers, rather than just provide them with a pipe.
Source: iSuppli, USA.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Communology announces social network app for Windows Phone 7
COLOGNE, GERMANY: Communology, a company specializing in mobile application development, announced the availability of LiveMedia Mobile Mash-Up for Windows Phone 7, the company’s first solution for Microsoft’s new smartphone OS.
Like all LiveMedia solutions, it streamlines the process of developing clients with innovative features and great user interfaces.
Thanks to the new LiveMedia Mobile Mash-Up solution and the app developers at Communology, VZnet Netzwerke Ltd. was able to offer the first fully featured German social networking app for Windows Phone 7 devices. VZnet (Berlin) operates the popular networks www.schuelervz.net, www.studivz.net and www.meinvz.net, with 17.4 million users altogether.
The community client shows the advantage of Communology’s app development platform approach, which not only reduces time to market and development costs. It also increases the software quality and enables companies to offer apps for new OS from the very beginning.
”Communology has provided us with a feature-rich, user-friendly high-performance app for Windows Phone 7 and has proven to be a reliable partner in mobile software development“, said Dr. Clemens Riedl, CEO VZnet Netzwerke.
“We think Windows Phone 7 has a great market potential and are pleased to present our first solution for Microsoft’s new smartphone OS. Mobile social networking requires very demanding features that need sophisticated development skills and knowledge about the integration of device components such as the camera or GPS. With our new LiveMedia Mobile Mash-Up version, Communology provides a pre-packaged solution that enables social network operators to offer apps for Windows Phone 7 quickly”, said Thomas Kaehler, CEO of Communology.
Like all LiveMedia solutions, it streamlines the process of developing clients with innovative features and great user interfaces.
Thanks to the new LiveMedia Mobile Mash-Up solution and the app developers at Communology, VZnet Netzwerke Ltd. was able to offer the first fully featured German social networking app for Windows Phone 7 devices. VZnet (Berlin) operates the popular networks www.schuelervz.net, www.studivz.net and www.meinvz.net, with 17.4 million users altogether.
The community client shows the advantage of Communology’s app development platform approach, which not only reduces time to market and development costs. It also increases the software quality and enables companies to offer apps for new OS from the very beginning.
”Communology has provided us with a feature-rich, user-friendly high-performance app for Windows Phone 7 and has proven to be a reliable partner in mobile software development“, said Dr. Clemens Riedl, CEO VZnet Netzwerke.
“We think Windows Phone 7 has a great market potential and are pleased to present our first solution for Microsoft’s new smartphone OS. Mobile social networking requires very demanding features that need sophisticated development skills and knowledge about the integration of device components such as the camera or GPS. With our new LiveMedia Mobile Mash-Up version, Communology provides a pre-packaged solution that enables social network operators to offer apps for Windows Phone 7 quickly”, said Thomas Kaehler, CEO of Communology.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
INSIDE teams with CONNECTHINGS and SAGEM to power Smart Muse Mobile NFC project
AIX-EN-PROVENCE & PARIS, FRANCE: CONNECTHINGS, INSIDE Contactless and SAGEM Wireless announced that the Smart Muse Mobile NFC Tour guide pilot project made its debut at the Teen Gallery at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
In this project, Smart Muse enables young visitors to easily access and share location- and time-specific multimedia information on NFC Wave-Me(tm)-enabled mobile phones by simply "waving" the device over NFC tags.
"The Centre Pompidou's teen gallery is an ideal place to test a solution like Smart Muse," said Loic Hamon, vice president of products and marketing, NFC business, at INSIDE Contactless. "In addition to delivering information about exhibits, Smart Muse caters to younger consumers' enthusiastic use of social media technologies through NFC-enabled mobile handset peering to share information and their experiences."
Smart Muse launched October 9, allowing teen visitors to wave Wave-Me-enabled handsets near a corresponding Wave-Me NFC tag to access information and synchronize locations with friends in the gallery. Teens can also simply touch mobile handsets together to share information and their experiences while at the gallery. The Centre Pompidou project is one of 13 projects selected by France's Ministry of Economy, Industry and Employment to develop and deploy new services and applications based on NFC technology.
"Smart Muse deployments revolutionize the concept of guided tours and deliver another level of engagement for visitors in museums, at historic monuments, and other locations of interest," said Laetitia Gazel Anthoine, founder and CEO of CONNECTHINGS. "We believe that Wave-Me solutions create exciting new opportunities for delivering richer, more engaging visits and demonstrating the ability of NFC to go beyond just payments and transit applications."
Wave-Me technology automatically simulates a complex series of keystrokes that would be required to achieve the same level of information access using a traditional computing device. Wave-Me tags can contain relevant phone numbers or complex URLs to send SMS messages, or to send and retrieve information from web sites. Museums and cities will be able to provide Wave-Me applications to their visitors, with the possibility of using NFC tags deployed in their environment to access services.
These tags will provide quick access not only to a multimedia guide but also to added-value features like annotation, content sharing, accompanying sound or video. Smart Muse also is deployed in the City of Nice. Multilingual content was developed in conjunction with the City of Nice to be both informative and anecdotal in nature, as well as tailored to the individual's demographics. Smart Muse also provides information about nearby tourist services-shops, restaurants, hotels, city services, events, and others-and the content will be updated constantly.
Among the consortium, CONNECTHINGS delivers knowledge from its AdTag(tm) server-side contextualized content management, as well as its experience with NFC tag and mobile application life cycle management and other technologies. INSIDE provides NFC technology know-how, NFC hardware and software for the handset based upon the market-leading MicroRead(r) NFC controller, and NFC tags and other patented technology. SAGEM Wireless provides the NFC-enabled mobile phones used at the Centre Pompidou and are provided to visitors at no cost for use while inside the museum.
"We are very excited to be a part of the Smart Muse project and to help demonstrate how the Wave-Me Service Platform's innovative use of NFC technology can simplify access to information," said Thierry Buffenoir, chief executive officer of SAGEM Wireless. "We are happy to work with our consortium partners in creating successful projects that will ignite this emerging market."
In this project, Smart Muse enables young visitors to easily access and share location- and time-specific multimedia information on NFC Wave-Me(tm)-enabled mobile phones by simply "waving" the device over NFC tags.
"The Centre Pompidou's teen gallery is an ideal place to test a solution like Smart Muse," said Loic Hamon, vice president of products and marketing, NFC business, at INSIDE Contactless. "In addition to delivering information about exhibits, Smart Muse caters to younger consumers' enthusiastic use of social media technologies through NFC-enabled mobile handset peering to share information and their experiences."
Smart Muse launched October 9, allowing teen visitors to wave Wave-Me-enabled handsets near a corresponding Wave-Me NFC tag to access information and synchronize locations with friends in the gallery. Teens can also simply touch mobile handsets together to share information and their experiences while at the gallery. The Centre Pompidou project is one of 13 projects selected by France's Ministry of Economy, Industry and Employment to develop and deploy new services and applications based on NFC technology.
"Smart Muse deployments revolutionize the concept of guided tours and deliver another level of engagement for visitors in museums, at historic monuments, and other locations of interest," said Laetitia Gazel Anthoine, founder and CEO of CONNECTHINGS. "We believe that Wave-Me solutions create exciting new opportunities for delivering richer, more engaging visits and demonstrating the ability of NFC to go beyond just payments and transit applications."
Wave-Me technology automatically simulates a complex series of keystrokes that would be required to achieve the same level of information access using a traditional computing device. Wave-Me tags can contain relevant phone numbers or complex URLs to send SMS messages, or to send and retrieve information from web sites. Museums and cities will be able to provide Wave-Me applications to their visitors, with the possibility of using NFC tags deployed in their environment to access services.
These tags will provide quick access not only to a multimedia guide but also to added-value features like annotation, content sharing, accompanying sound or video. Smart Muse also is deployed in the City of Nice. Multilingual content was developed in conjunction with the City of Nice to be both informative and anecdotal in nature, as well as tailored to the individual's demographics. Smart Muse also provides information about nearby tourist services-shops, restaurants, hotels, city services, events, and others-and the content will be updated constantly.
Among the consortium, CONNECTHINGS delivers knowledge from its AdTag(tm) server-side contextualized content management, as well as its experience with NFC tag and mobile application life cycle management and other technologies. INSIDE provides NFC technology know-how, NFC hardware and software for the handset based upon the market-leading MicroRead(r) NFC controller, and NFC tags and other patented technology. SAGEM Wireless provides the NFC-enabled mobile phones used at the Centre Pompidou and are provided to visitors at no cost for use while inside the museum.
"We are very excited to be a part of the Smart Muse project and to help demonstrate how the Wave-Me Service Platform's innovative use of NFC technology can simplify access to information," said Thierry Buffenoir, chief executive officer of SAGEM Wireless. "We are happy to work with our consortium partners in creating successful projects that will ignite this emerging market."
Indian sub-continent mobile data revenues to reach $10 billion by 2015
HAMPSHIRE, UK: Operators are seeking to offset sharp decreases in voice ARPU in the Indian Sub-Continent by focusing on their mobile data strategies, creating tremendous opportunities in the Content & Application sector.
In a new study Juniper forecasts that the operator billed data revenues will increase from $4 billion in 2010 to $10 billion in 2015.
Juniper found that while mobile content service revenues are currently dominated by the Music sector, User Generated Content will in fact surpass Music to generate the highest revenue by 2015. Other entertainment categories like Infotainment will also grow significantly over the period.
According to report author Nitin Smitha, “With operators following the App store concept and launching their own App stores, the mobile content sector is set for substantial development, meaning the amount of content available to consumers will rapidly multiply; hence increased consumption and revenue.”
The new Mobile Indian Sub-Continent report also observed that growth would be further bolstered as 3G deployment gathers momentum, although noting that adoption will be significantly constrained by handset costs.
Other findings from the Juniper report include:
• The Indian Sub-Continent mobile user base is expected to rise from 814 million in 2010 to nearly 1.3 billion in 2015.
• Blended ARPU levels are expected to decline steadily across the region, although the sharp fall in voice ARPU will be partially offset by the steady increase from data services.
• India will provide the largest share of cumulative regional revenues over the forecast period, followed by Bangladesh.
In a new study Juniper forecasts that the operator billed data revenues will increase from $4 billion in 2010 to $10 billion in 2015.
Juniper found that while mobile content service revenues are currently dominated by the Music sector, User Generated Content will in fact surpass Music to generate the highest revenue by 2015. Other entertainment categories like Infotainment will also grow significantly over the period.
According to report author Nitin Smitha, “With operators following the App store concept and launching their own App stores, the mobile content sector is set for substantial development, meaning the amount of content available to consumers will rapidly multiply; hence increased consumption and revenue.”
The new Mobile Indian Sub-Continent report also observed that growth would be further bolstered as 3G deployment gathers momentum, although noting that adoption will be significantly constrained by handset costs.
Other findings from the Juniper report include:
• The Indian Sub-Continent mobile user base is expected to rise from 814 million in 2010 to nearly 1.3 billion in 2015.
• Blended ARPU levels are expected to decline steadily across the region, although the sharp fall in voice ARPU will be partially offset by the steady increase from data services.
• India will provide the largest share of cumulative regional revenues over the forecast period, followed by Bangladesh.
Nokia’s Ovi Store downloads hit 3 million a day as developer support surges
ESPOO, FINLAND: Nokia announced that its Ovi Store has reached 3 million downloads per day, a milestone spurred by overall global demand and a recent update that gives users of Nokia’s new Symbian smartphone family a friendlier look and feel as well as more popular apps and games.
The company is also gaining significant software developer momentum with more than 400,000 new developers joining Forum Nokia in the past 12 months, and 92 surpassing the million download milestone for their apps.
In related news, the Nokia Qt Software Development Toolkit (SDK) and the Qt SDK combined have been downloaded 1.5 million times as developers discover this approach can improve the speed and efficiency of creating apps for mobile devices, including smartphones such as the new Nokia N8, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01, which are shipping, and the recently announced Nokia E7.
In a strategic move last month, Nokia announced unified application development around the Qt framework to simplify creating apps for Symbian-based devices and products that will be powered by the new MeeGo operating system. Developer video testimonials for the Qt framework are available at Forum.Nokia.com.
The company is also gaining significant software developer momentum with more than 400,000 new developers joining Forum Nokia in the past 12 months, and 92 surpassing the million download milestone for their apps.
In related news, the Nokia Qt Software Development Toolkit (SDK) and the Qt SDK combined have been downloaded 1.5 million times as developers discover this approach can improve the speed and efficiency of creating apps for mobile devices, including smartphones such as the new Nokia N8, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01, which are shipping, and the recently announced Nokia E7.
In a strategic move last month, Nokia announced unified application development around the Qt framework to simplify creating apps for Symbian-based devices and products that will be powered by the new MeeGo operating system. Developer video testimonials for the Qt framework are available at Forum.Nokia.com.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Data centre threat and opportunity for telecoms carriers
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Telecoms carriers need to make major changes to their data centre strategies if they are to remain competitive in the face of strong offerings from independents, according to Ovum.
In a new report, the independent telecoms analyst states that carriers need to learn lessons from data centre independents, which are viewed by many businesses as more agile, innovative and receptive to new trends, including the fast-growing migration to cloud services.
Mike Sapien, ovum analyst and author of the new report*, believes that carriers need to up their game if they are to remain major players and become significant providers of cloud services.
He said: “Data centres have traditionally been used by carriers for basic hosting and collocation purposes. However, their role has taken on a new importance with the advent of cloud-based services and virtualisation, and has changed to address this emerging demand.
“Independent data centre operators are winning business in this market and are building expertise. They represent a formidable challenge to carriers, who will need to up their game quickly, if they are to keep pace.”
According to Sapien, the independents are impressing businesses by showcasing the newest and best technology and systems, as well as introducing them to advanced data centre features and some of the highest quality facilities.
He said: “This has become one of the critical capital and investment challenges. Carriers need more focus in this area and are losing ground to independents as a result. However if they adapt some of the strategies of the independents to have global reach they can make it back and have a place with the major data centre and cloud service providers.”
Sapien believes carriers should also capitalise on existing customer relationships and channels, as this is where they have the advantage over independents. He added, “Carriers have many more strong relationships with large multi-nationals than the independents, who find this area a major challenge and disadvantage.
“In addition the government and education sectors are traditionally strong markets for large carriers and many organisations are now considering a move to hosted and cloud services. Carriers should take advantage of existing relationships, create new ecosystems and partnerships within their data centre portfolio and show clients that they can meet their needs.”
In a new report, the independent telecoms analyst states that carriers need to learn lessons from data centre independents, which are viewed by many businesses as more agile, innovative and receptive to new trends, including the fast-growing migration to cloud services.
Mike Sapien, ovum analyst and author of the new report*, believes that carriers need to up their game if they are to remain major players and become significant providers of cloud services.
He said: “Data centres have traditionally been used by carriers for basic hosting and collocation purposes. However, their role has taken on a new importance with the advent of cloud-based services and virtualisation, and has changed to address this emerging demand.
“Independent data centre operators are winning business in this market and are building expertise. They represent a formidable challenge to carriers, who will need to up their game quickly, if they are to keep pace.”
According to Sapien, the independents are impressing businesses by showcasing the newest and best technology and systems, as well as introducing them to advanced data centre features and some of the highest quality facilities.
He said: “This has become one of the critical capital and investment challenges. Carriers need more focus in this area and are losing ground to independents as a result. However if they adapt some of the strategies of the independents to have global reach they can make it back and have a place with the major data centre and cloud service providers.”
Sapien believes carriers should also capitalise on existing customer relationships and channels, as this is where they have the advantage over independents. He added, “Carriers have many more strong relationships with large multi-nationals than the independents, who find this area a major challenge and disadvantage.
“In addition the government and education sectors are traditionally strong markets for large carriers and many organisations are now considering a move to hosted and cloud services. Carriers should take advantage of existing relationships, create new ecosystems and partnerships within their data centre portfolio and show clients that they can meet their needs.”
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Icera and Anite verify LTE conformance test cases with Icera's LTE soft modem
BRISTOL, UK: Icera Inc. and Anite, Fleet UK, are working together to help accelerate the availability of LTE protocol conformance tests required by the industry’s LTE device certification programmes.
Both Icera and Anite are at the forefront of the development of multimode LTE products and the collaboration brings together the best of breed of Anite’s Conformance Toolset with Icera’s software-defined modem.
Icera maintains its leading-edge roadmap for next generation air interfaces due to its unique software-defined baseband technology, currently supporting multimode 4G (LTE), 3G (HSPA) and 2G (GSM) standards ahead of many competitors. Working closely with Anite, Icera was the first baseband chipset company to demonstrate a dual mode LTE/HSPA modem running on a commercial USB data stick, showing LTE/HSPA handover at Mobile World Congress in February 2010.
Anite is a cutting-edge provider of test solutions for 2G, 3G and LTE technologies, and has the largest portfolio of LTE protocol tests approved by GCF and PTCRB. This breadth of experience and expertise has led to Anite test solutions being used by all of the leading global chipset and handset manufacturers.
Steve Allpress, CTO and VP Modem Software of Icera, said: "Unlike any other baseband technology, Icera executes the entire modem in software on a high performance processor, DXP. This soft modem approach provides a unique flexibility to be consistently ahead of the competition with modem innovations and early to market with multimode LTE.
"We are delighted to be working with Anite on the verification of tests from their leading LTE GCF conformance test portfolio, simultaneously showing Icera’s LTE solution meets the industry’s rigorous certification requirements.”
Mike Bonin, MD of Anite Telecoms, said: "LTE device certification is essential in ensuring that next generation LTE wireless devices meet customer expectations. Anite’s work with Icera accelerates the availability of the most comprehensive suite of LTE test cases in the market today, empowering Anite’s customers with the ability to deploy the technology quickly and with confidence.”
Both Icera and Anite are at the forefront of the development of multimode LTE products and the collaboration brings together the best of breed of Anite’s Conformance Toolset with Icera’s software-defined modem.
Icera maintains its leading-edge roadmap for next generation air interfaces due to its unique software-defined baseband technology, currently supporting multimode 4G (LTE), 3G (HSPA) and 2G (GSM) standards ahead of many competitors. Working closely with Anite, Icera was the first baseband chipset company to demonstrate a dual mode LTE/HSPA modem running on a commercial USB data stick, showing LTE/HSPA handover at Mobile World Congress in February 2010.
Anite is a cutting-edge provider of test solutions for 2G, 3G and LTE technologies, and has the largest portfolio of LTE protocol tests approved by GCF and PTCRB. This breadth of experience and expertise has led to Anite test solutions being used by all of the leading global chipset and handset manufacturers.
Steve Allpress, CTO and VP Modem Software of Icera, said: "Unlike any other baseband technology, Icera executes the entire modem in software on a high performance processor, DXP. This soft modem approach provides a unique flexibility to be consistently ahead of the competition with modem innovations and early to market with multimode LTE.
"We are delighted to be working with Anite on the verification of tests from their leading LTE GCF conformance test portfolio, simultaneously showing Icera’s LTE solution meets the industry’s rigorous certification requirements.”
Mike Bonin, MD of Anite Telecoms, said: "LTE device certification is essential in ensuring that next generation LTE wireless devices meet customer expectations. Anite’s work with Icera accelerates the availability of the most comprehensive suite of LTE test cases in the market today, empowering Anite’s customers with the ability to deploy the technology quickly and with confidence.”
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Global optical networking market to reach $20 billion by 2015
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Ovum projected an upbeat long-term forecast for sales of optical networking (ON) equipment, driven by the continuing need for bandwidth. We expect the ON market to reach $20 billion by 2015 with a 5 percent CAGR.
“Based on the research, EMEA’s results are expected to turn positive in 2011. North America and Asia-Pacific will be enough to start the global turnaround in 2010, which will gain momentum in 2011 as EMEA transitions to positive growth. Asia-Pacific is now the number one region for ON sales, driven by a mobilizing China”, said Ian Redpath, Principal Analyst.
The top six vendors generating highest sales in the APAC region are as follows:
1) Huawei with a market share of 43 percent.
2) ZTE with 16 percent.
3) Alcatel-Lucent with 9 percent.
4) NEC with 7 percent.
5) FiberHome and ECI with 4 percent each.
The big driver in the region continues to be China. Japan has completely flattened out and has been overtaken by India. In China, the mobile market is the major investment driver both for cell tower connectivity and the backbone core. Ovum expects this trend to continue for the foreseeable future.
But, can mobile networks alone continue to support the huge ON growth rates we have seen recently? Ovum’s view is that a second application wave will be needed to support high ON growth rates in the future. That second application wave for China could be enterprise Ethernet services.
China has a modest level of enterprise Ethernet penetration so far. Global corporations that have operations in China desire high-speed Ethernet connections. To accommodate them, global carriers are adding more mainland China gateway cities to their networks.
“China Telecom is currently evaluating a carrier Ethernet transport solution for its next-generation network upgrade. Enterprise Ethernet is poised to add to the bandwidth requirements of the optical network core within China”, adds Redpath, based in Canada.
Japan is overdue for a network refresh. ON funding has been subsisting at 2003 levels. The capex squeeze can only continue for so long before the bandwidth fundamentals necessitate a fresh round of network upgrading.
While Japan has stagnated, India has grown; overtaking Japan for the number two spot within Asia-Pacific. The Indian ON market has outside-in drivers from global corporations that want to do more business in India and require high-speed telecom service connections.
The global carriers are responding with expanded PoPs in India and capacity into and out of India. Domestic players BSNL, Tata, and Reliance Globalcom are also growing their internal and global profiles.
“Based on the research, EMEA’s results are expected to turn positive in 2011. North America and Asia-Pacific will be enough to start the global turnaround in 2010, which will gain momentum in 2011 as EMEA transitions to positive growth. Asia-Pacific is now the number one region for ON sales, driven by a mobilizing China”, said Ian Redpath, Principal Analyst.
The top six vendors generating highest sales in the APAC region are as follows:
1) Huawei with a market share of 43 percent.
2) ZTE with 16 percent.
3) Alcatel-Lucent with 9 percent.
4) NEC with 7 percent.
5) FiberHome and ECI with 4 percent each.
The big driver in the region continues to be China. Japan has completely flattened out and has been overtaken by India. In China, the mobile market is the major investment driver both for cell tower connectivity and the backbone core. Ovum expects this trend to continue for the foreseeable future.
But, can mobile networks alone continue to support the huge ON growth rates we have seen recently? Ovum’s view is that a second application wave will be needed to support high ON growth rates in the future. That second application wave for China could be enterprise Ethernet services.
China has a modest level of enterprise Ethernet penetration so far. Global corporations that have operations in China desire high-speed Ethernet connections. To accommodate them, global carriers are adding more mainland China gateway cities to their networks.
“China Telecom is currently evaluating a carrier Ethernet transport solution for its next-generation network upgrade. Enterprise Ethernet is poised to add to the bandwidth requirements of the optical network core within China”, adds Redpath, based in Canada.
Japan is overdue for a network refresh. ON funding has been subsisting at 2003 levels. The capex squeeze can only continue for so long before the bandwidth fundamentals necessitate a fresh round of network upgrading.
While Japan has stagnated, India has grown; overtaking Japan for the number two spot within Asia-Pacific. The Indian ON market has outside-in drivers from global corporations that want to do more business in India and require high-speed telecom service connections.
The global carriers are responding with expanded PoPs in India and capacity into and out of India. Domestic players BSNL, Tata, and Reliance Globalcom are also growing their internal and global profiles.
Sterlite and Tongguang Communication to form JVC in China to produce optical fibers
SHANGHAI, CHINA: Sterlite Technologies Ltd, a leading global provider of transmission solutions for the power and telecom industries, and Jiangsu Tongguang Communication Co. Ltd (TGCl), a leading provider of total transmission solutions for optical cable and IT industries, have agreed to form a joint venture company – Jiangsu Sterlite & Tongguang Optical Fibers Co. Ltd (STFC) in Haimen, Jiangsu Province, China to manufacture, market and distribute optical fiber used in the production of fiber optic cables.
“With the continued roll-out of 3G and FTTx, China has retained its position as the largest market for optical fibers in the world. We believe that China would continue to develop and upgrade its telecommunication infrastructure to remain globally competitive and this would ensure that the demand for optical fibers would be sustained over the long term”, said Pravin Agarwal, Wholetime Director of Sterlite Technologies.
“China is an extremely important part of the market for Sterlite Technologies and this joint venture represents a significant strategic investment in China.”
Tang Jinming, Chairman of Jiangsu Tongguang Communication, said: “As one important optical fiber and cable manufacturer of China, we have been adhering to the core values of pursuit of excellence, continued innovation, credibility and win-win result. Moreover, with the benefits of extended product lines, Jiangsu Sterlite & Tongguang Optical Fibers Co., Ltd., the joint venture between Jiangsu Tongguang Communication Co., Ltd. and Sterlite Technologies, would make it faster, easier and more cost-effective for utilities and service providers to build new age communication infrastructures.”
As part of the agreement, Sterlite brings expertise in optical fiber technology and Jiangsu Tongguang Communication brings significant fiber cable manufacturing and market expertise in the China market. The joint venture will be committed to offering high-quality and competitive optical fibers and services to customers.
“With the continued roll-out of 3G and FTTx, China has retained its position as the largest market for optical fibers in the world. We believe that China would continue to develop and upgrade its telecommunication infrastructure to remain globally competitive and this would ensure that the demand for optical fibers would be sustained over the long term”, said Pravin Agarwal, Wholetime Director of Sterlite Technologies.
“China is an extremely important part of the market for Sterlite Technologies and this joint venture represents a significant strategic investment in China.”
Tang Jinming, Chairman of Jiangsu Tongguang Communication, said: “As one important optical fiber and cable manufacturer of China, we have been adhering to the core values of pursuit of excellence, continued innovation, credibility and win-win result. Moreover, with the benefits of extended product lines, Jiangsu Sterlite & Tongguang Optical Fibers Co., Ltd., the joint venture between Jiangsu Tongguang Communication Co., Ltd. and Sterlite Technologies, would make it faster, easier and more cost-effective for utilities and service providers to build new age communication infrastructures.”
As part of the agreement, Sterlite brings expertise in optical fiber technology and Jiangsu Tongguang Communication brings significant fiber cable manufacturing and market expertise in the China market. The joint venture will be committed to offering high-quality and competitive optical fibers and services to customers.
Sequans and Gemtek partner on LTE
Mobile Asia Congress 2010, HONG KONG: 4G chipmaker Sequans and Gemtek, a leading manufacturer of broadband wireless solutions, have entered into a partnership to speed new LTE consumer devices to market.
Gemtek is developing several devices based on Sequans’ LTE UE chip, including a compact USB dongle and a desktop CPE. Gemtek and Sequans are readying these and other products for large-scale operator trials beginning in Q1 2011 and for subsequent commercial deployments.
“Gemtek has an outstanding track record in delivering high quality broadband wireless products to market and we are pleased to work with them on these new LTE devices,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. “Gemtek’s skill is evident in their sleek and compact designs and excellent execution. Our collaboration with Gemtek will yield state-of-the-art LTE consumer devices.”
The new devices are based on Sequans’ SQN3000 series SOCs, which support up to 100 Mbps throughput and 20 MHz channels, and comply with 3GPP standards.
“Sequans was one of the first providers of TD-LTE chips, and by working closely with them we will make LTE end-user devices quickly available to operators,” said James Ting, GM, Broadband Wireless Business Unit, Gemtek. “We are extremely excited about the prospects for the LTE market, and are happy to partner with Sequans, a technology leader in the 4G industry.”
Gemtek is developing several devices based on Sequans’ LTE UE chip, including a compact USB dongle and a desktop CPE. Gemtek and Sequans are readying these and other products for large-scale operator trials beginning in Q1 2011 and for subsequent commercial deployments.
“Gemtek has an outstanding track record in delivering high quality broadband wireless products to market and we are pleased to work with them on these new LTE devices,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. “Gemtek’s skill is evident in their sleek and compact designs and excellent execution. Our collaboration with Gemtek will yield state-of-the-art LTE consumer devices.”
The new devices are based on Sequans’ SQN3000 series SOCs, which support up to 100 Mbps throughput and 20 MHz channels, and comply with 3GPP standards.
“Sequans was one of the first providers of TD-LTE chips, and by working closely with them we will make LTE end-user devices quickly available to operators,” said James Ting, GM, Broadband Wireless Business Unit, Gemtek. “We are extremely excited about the prospects for the LTE market, and are happy to partner with Sequans, a technology leader in the 4G industry.”
StarChip SIM controllers bring breakthroughs in performance and cost savings
MEYREUIL, FRANCE: StarChip has announced a breakthrough generation of ultra low cost yet powerful 32bit SIM controllers for Mobile Communication and M2M applications.
The SCF family is based on Cortus APS3s enabling 25Mips@25MHz across a broad spectrum of temperatures and offering advanced low power modes. It is fully flash-based, code and data with SST SuperFlash, robust data retention (>25years) and enhanced by E3 (ECUBE) proprietary mechanisms. In addition SCM family (derivative M2M controllers) features a robust design suitable for harsh environments from -40°C to +105°C.
To pursue its strategy “Innovate to drive cost down”, StarChip designed:
* E3 (ECUBE) Enhanced Endurance Engine delivering a powerful combination of flexibility and best-in-class endurance, supporting up to 2 billion cycles which robust endurance for SIM and M2M applications.
* TurboSecure uploading system to accelerate and secure software uploading in mass production environments.
* SecureLifecycle management technology enables our customers to unlock the benefits of low cost foundries, offshore manufacturing, without compromising on IP security.
The SCF family is based on Cortus APS3s enabling 25Mips@25MHz across a broad spectrum of temperatures and offering advanced low power modes. It is fully flash-based, code and data with SST SuperFlash, robust data retention (>25years) and enhanced by E3 (ECUBE) proprietary mechanisms. In addition SCM family (derivative M2M controllers) features a robust design suitable for harsh environments from -40°C to +105°C.
To pursue its strategy “Innovate to drive cost down”, StarChip designed:
* E3 (ECUBE) Enhanced Endurance Engine delivering a powerful combination of flexibility and best-in-class endurance, supporting up to 2 billion cycles which robust endurance for SIM and M2M applications.
* TurboSecure uploading system to accelerate and secure software uploading in mass production environments.
* SecureLifecycle management technology enables our customers to unlock the benefits of low cost foundries, offshore manufacturing, without compromising on IP security.
Avago optical transceivers increase Ethernet equipment port density by 30 percent over SFP+
SC10, NEW ORLEANS, USA: Avago Technologies has announced a new form factor for fiber-optic transceivers that enables increased port density in Ethernet and storage equipment.
The new mini-SFP+ (mSFP+) pluggable modules enable 30 percent greater port density over industry-standard SFP+ transceivers, while delivering the same data-transmission performance for next-generation 10-Gbps Ethernet equipment designs and 8-Gbps Fibre Channel for storage applications.
The new mSFP+ transceivers incorporate Avago 850-nm Vertical-Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) and PIN detector technology and comply with the optical interface specification per IEEE 802.3ae 10GBASE-SR standards.
The devices are designed for low power consumption with typical dissipation of 0.6W. Avago has teamed with multiple cage and cable suppliers to provide a complete 10-Gbps Ethernet mSFP+ solution. Avago is exhibiting a high-density DCX Backbone modular switch from Brocade featuring the mSFP+ technology, in addition to demonstrating other high-speed optical fiber solutions.
“Avago is the market leader in 8- and 10-Gbps SFP+ transceivers, and our new mini-SFP+ devices integrate our proven technology in an innovative form factor that helps our world-class networking customers such as Brocade to deliver higher density networking equipment,” said Tina Ohlhaver, marketing manager for fiber optic products at Avago.
“Avago optical transceivers offer unparalleled reliability, with not a single VCSEL failure in the millions of 8- and 10-Gbps modules we have shipped to date.”
The new mini-SFP+ (mSFP+) pluggable modules enable 30 percent greater port density over industry-standard SFP+ transceivers, while delivering the same data-transmission performance for next-generation 10-Gbps Ethernet equipment designs and 8-Gbps Fibre Channel for storage applications.
The new mSFP+ transceivers incorporate Avago 850-nm Vertical-Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) and PIN detector technology and comply with the optical interface specification per IEEE 802.3ae 10GBASE-SR standards.
The devices are designed for low power consumption with typical dissipation of 0.6W. Avago has teamed with multiple cage and cable suppliers to provide a complete 10-Gbps Ethernet mSFP+ solution. Avago is exhibiting a high-density DCX Backbone modular switch from Brocade featuring the mSFP+ technology, in addition to demonstrating other high-speed optical fiber solutions.
“Avago is the market leader in 8- and 10-Gbps SFP+ transceivers, and our new mini-SFP+ devices integrate our proven technology in an innovative form factor that helps our world-class networking customers such as Brocade to deliver higher density networking equipment,” said Tina Ohlhaver, marketing manager for fiber optic products at Avago.
“Avago optical transceivers offer unparalleled reliability, with not a single VCSEL failure in the millions of 8- and 10-Gbps modules we have shipped to date.”
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
cPacket Networks technology key to monitoring high performance of NASA/NOAA collaborative 100-Gigabit demo
SC10, NEW ORLEANS, USA: NASA and NOAA are demonstrating the potential of 100 gigabit per second (Gbps) networking and its importance in delivering scientific datasets, climate analysis, environmental data, and atmospheric predictions.
Designed for SC10, a supercomputing conference taking place this week in New Orleans, the demonstration relies on cPacket Networks as the key technology to monitor network traffic and assure reliability.
“Computer simulation and modeling have become critical to our understanding of the earth’s systems,” said Paul Love of the Cherokee Services Group and a consultant to NOAA on academic and research networking. “We are increasingly dependent on high-speed networks to enable critical computations. cPacket’s technology allows us to monitor and protect our network and ensure that there are no performance or reliability issues that hinder our mission.”
The 100 Gbps demonstration was developed by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the NASA Ames Research Center in conjunction with NOAA. It highlights the networking technology necessary to meet the upcoming demands of climate modeling and space exploration (the datasets for which can be several hundred terabytes). The ability to monitor high-rate network traffic at a granular level in real-time is key to assuring performance and reliability.
“100 Gbps scalability is important for agencies like NOAA and NASA,” said Computer Science Corporation’s Dave Hartzell, a network engineer at the Ames Research Center. “cPacket’s technology allows us to measure performance, detect issues and deliver quality assurance for our complex and distributed computing infrastructure.”
cPacket is providing cVu 320 Traffic Monitoring Switches to both NASA and NOAA for the demonstration which use, among others, high quality optical transceivers provided by Finisar.
Designed for SC10, a supercomputing conference taking place this week in New Orleans, the demonstration relies on cPacket Networks as the key technology to monitor network traffic and assure reliability.
“Computer simulation and modeling have become critical to our understanding of the earth’s systems,” said Paul Love of the Cherokee Services Group and a consultant to NOAA on academic and research networking. “We are increasingly dependent on high-speed networks to enable critical computations. cPacket’s technology allows us to monitor and protect our network and ensure that there are no performance or reliability issues that hinder our mission.”
The 100 Gbps demonstration was developed by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the NASA Ames Research Center in conjunction with NOAA. It highlights the networking technology necessary to meet the upcoming demands of climate modeling and space exploration (the datasets for which can be several hundred terabytes). The ability to monitor high-rate network traffic at a granular level in real-time is key to assuring performance and reliability.
“100 Gbps scalability is important for agencies like NOAA and NASA,” said Computer Science Corporation’s Dave Hartzell, a network engineer at the Ames Research Center. “cPacket’s technology allows us to measure performance, detect issues and deliver quality assurance for our complex and distributed computing infrastructure.”
cPacket is providing cVu 320 Traffic Monitoring Switches to both NASA and NOAA for the demonstration which use, among others, high quality optical transceivers provided by Finisar.
Voltaire announces FDR InfiniBand switch development plans
SC10, NEW ORLEANS, USA: Voltaire Ltd, a leading provider of scale-out data center fabrics, announced plans to deliver FDR (fourteen data rate) InfiniBand switching platforms that adhere to the InfiniBand Trade Association’s (IBTA) specifications for next generation InfiniBand.
The new platforms will deliver an 80 percent increase in server-to-server throughput and improved scalability for faster application runtime. The switches will also have full compatibility with Voltaire’s unique portfolio of application acceleration and fabric orchestration software to enable even greater fabric performance, scalability and management.
The Voltaire switches are expected to be available in the second half of 2011, aligned with the anticipated release of next generation server platforms and PCIe 3.0. Voltaire Grid Director switches provide high-performance InfiniBand connectivity and low latency to enable high-performance applications to run on distributed server, network and storage resources.
Moreover, the switches’ power-efficient design offers low power and cooling requirements. They are used by customers worldwide in industries including financial services, manufacturing, energy, life sciences and HPC.
Voltaire switches accelerate more than half of the InfiniBand deployments on the new TOP500 list released this week — more than double the share of any other InfiniBand systems vendor.
“Voltaire is committed to the HPC market and we are aggressively developing solutions based on InfiniBand to continue to the lead the market in performance and scalability,” said Asaf Somekh, vice president of marketing, Voltaire. “FDR InfiniBand will address the needs of HPC customers who require the highest bandwidths and the utmost scalability to drive their applications.”
The new platforms will deliver an 80 percent increase in server-to-server throughput and improved scalability for faster application runtime. The switches will also have full compatibility with Voltaire’s unique portfolio of application acceleration and fabric orchestration software to enable even greater fabric performance, scalability and management.
The Voltaire switches are expected to be available in the second half of 2011, aligned with the anticipated release of next generation server platforms and PCIe 3.0. Voltaire Grid Director switches provide high-performance InfiniBand connectivity and low latency to enable high-performance applications to run on distributed server, network and storage resources.
Moreover, the switches’ power-efficient design offers low power and cooling requirements. They are used by customers worldwide in industries including financial services, manufacturing, energy, life sciences and HPC.
Voltaire switches accelerate more than half of the InfiniBand deployments on the new TOP500 list released this week — more than double the share of any other InfiniBand systems vendor.
“Voltaire is committed to the HPC market and we are aggressively developing solutions based on InfiniBand to continue to the lead the market in performance and scalability,” said Asaf Somekh, vice president of marketing, Voltaire. “FDR InfiniBand will address the needs of HPC customers who require the highest bandwidths and the utmost scalability to drive their applications.”
Monday, November 15, 2010
500 million people will be using mobile health applications in 2015
BERLIN, GERMANY: Although the potential benefits of mHealth solutions have been widely discussed for over a decade, the market never emerged from the trial phase. Smartphone applications will enable the mHealth industry to successfully reach out to 500m of a total 1.4bn smartphone users in 2015 the new “Global Mobile Health Market Report 2010-2015” by research2guidance says.
Ralf-Gordon Jahns, Head of Research at research2guidance, points out “Our findings indicate that the long-expected mobile revolution in healthcare is set to happen. Both healthcare providers and consumers are embracing smartphones as a means to improving healthcare.”
Not only are consumers taking advantage of smartphones to manage and improve their own health, a significant number (43 percent) of mHealth applications are primarily designed for healthcare professionals. These include CME (Continued Medical Education), remote monitoring and health care management applications.
Currently there are 17,000 mHealth applications in major app stores, 74 percent of them adhering to the paid business model. With more and more traditional healthcare providers joining the mobile applications market, the business models will broaden to include healthcare services, sensor, advertising and drug sales revenues.
“With the growing sophistication level of mHealth applications, only 14 percent of the total market revenue in the next 5 years will come from application download revenue” explains Egle Mikalajunaite Senior Research Analyst. “Seventy six percent of total mHealth application market revenue will come from related services and products such as sensors”.
Ralf-Gordon Jahns, Head of Research at research2guidance, points out “Our findings indicate that the long-expected mobile revolution in healthcare is set to happen. Both healthcare providers and consumers are embracing smartphones as a means to improving healthcare.”
Not only are consumers taking advantage of smartphones to manage and improve their own health, a significant number (43 percent) of mHealth applications are primarily designed for healthcare professionals. These include CME (Continued Medical Education), remote monitoring and health care management applications.
Currently there are 17,000 mHealth applications in major app stores, 74 percent of them adhering to the paid business model. With more and more traditional healthcare providers joining the mobile applications market, the business models will broaden to include healthcare services, sensor, advertising and drug sales revenues.
“With the growing sophistication level of mHealth applications, only 14 percent of the total market revenue in the next 5 years will come from application download revenue” explains Egle Mikalajunaite Senior Research Analyst. “Seventy six percent of total mHealth application market revenue will come from related services and products such as sensors”.
Ciena puts high performance networking into action
SC10, LINTHICUM, USA: Ciena Corp. announced details of its high-performance optical networking demonstrations at the SC Conference 2010 (SC10) in New Orleans, Louisiana, November 15-18. Ciena will highlight its innovations for high-capacity networks, while showcasing the real-world impact those advances bring to researchers and the broader population.
Several of Ciena’s demonstrations at SC10 involve collaboration with some of the world’s most renowned research institutions on leading technologies, including:
CANARIE (Ciena Booth #3445): Ciena welcomes and hosts CANARIE, Canada’s Advanced Research and Innovation Network, to show how high-speed research networks, based on Ciena’s ActivFlex 6500 Packet-Optical Platform, can accelerate medical discoveries in brain research and help eliminate the challenges of geography in delivering medical education to remote areas.
The content is provided by Canadian Brain Imaging Research Network (CBRAIN), which enables scientists to access, process, manipulate and analyze the massive and growing volume of 3D and 4D brain imaging and mapping data and conduct collaborative research to advance the understanding of brain development throughout life. CANARIE and Ciena recently partnered to support the first research and education network in North America to demonstrate 100G on a production network.
Internet2 (Internet2 Booth #3539): Ciena will be participating in the Internet2 100G demonstration network, a live network connecting the StarLight Communications Exchange in Chicago to the New Orleans show floor via a 100G circuit.
Within this demonstration network, Ciena will be providing 100GbE connectivity over a singular wavelength from Baton Rouge to the show floor in New Orleans over the LONI network. Institutions with traffic operating on the network to the SC10 conference include DOE ESnet, NASA, NOAA, Caltech/US LHCnet, CANARIE and the Dutch Research Consortium.
The Internet2 booth will present the showcase through the use of perfSONAR-PS network performance monitoring software, which will provide real-time traffic flow visualization on the full 100GigE circuit.
NASA/NOAA (NASA Booth #3839 and LAC/iCAIR Booth # 3521): In collaboration with NASA and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Ciena is participating in a connectivity demonstration of low cost disk-to-disk data transfer for Petascale science and supercomputing.
Ciena will be providing spectrally efficient 100G wavelength connectivity between the NASA booth and the LAC/iCAIR booth on the show floor in New Orleans, providing NASA with ten 10GbE connections for the demonstration. NASA will also originate traffic from the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, and run traffic to Chicago where it will travel on the Internet2 demonstration network.
University of Amsterdam (Ciena Booth #3445 and Dutch Research Consortium Booth #4049): Partnering with the University of Amsterdam via a 40G connection between the Dutch Research Consortium and Ciena, Ciena is demonstrating 40GbE functionality with demonstrated interoperability for distributed computing and file transfer. The University and Amsterdam and Ciena recently partnered in a similar experiment that produced a high-speed, long-haul 40GbE network showcased at the GLIF meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.
In addition, for the third year in a row, Ciena will be providing 100G optical infrastructure for SCinet, SC10’s production quality network. SCinet delivers high-bandwidth connectivity to the show floor and through research and education networks worldwide.
Several of Ciena’s demonstrations at SC10 involve collaboration with some of the world’s most renowned research institutions on leading technologies, including:
CANARIE (Ciena Booth #3445): Ciena welcomes and hosts CANARIE, Canada’s Advanced Research and Innovation Network, to show how high-speed research networks, based on Ciena’s ActivFlex 6500 Packet-Optical Platform, can accelerate medical discoveries in brain research and help eliminate the challenges of geography in delivering medical education to remote areas.
The content is provided by Canadian Brain Imaging Research Network (CBRAIN), which enables scientists to access, process, manipulate and analyze the massive and growing volume of 3D and 4D brain imaging and mapping data and conduct collaborative research to advance the understanding of brain development throughout life. CANARIE and Ciena recently partnered to support the first research and education network in North America to demonstrate 100G on a production network.
Internet2 (Internet2 Booth #3539): Ciena will be participating in the Internet2 100G demonstration network, a live network connecting the StarLight Communications Exchange in Chicago to the New Orleans show floor via a 100G circuit.
Within this demonstration network, Ciena will be providing 100GbE connectivity over a singular wavelength from Baton Rouge to the show floor in New Orleans over the LONI network. Institutions with traffic operating on the network to the SC10 conference include DOE ESnet, NASA, NOAA, Caltech/US LHCnet, CANARIE and the Dutch Research Consortium.
The Internet2 booth will present the showcase through the use of perfSONAR-PS network performance monitoring software, which will provide real-time traffic flow visualization on the full 100GigE circuit.
NASA/NOAA (NASA Booth #3839 and LAC/iCAIR Booth # 3521): In collaboration with NASA and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Ciena is participating in a connectivity demonstration of low cost disk-to-disk data transfer for Petascale science and supercomputing.
Ciena will be providing spectrally efficient 100G wavelength connectivity between the NASA booth and the LAC/iCAIR booth on the show floor in New Orleans, providing NASA with ten 10GbE connections for the demonstration. NASA will also originate traffic from the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, and run traffic to Chicago where it will travel on the Internet2 demonstration network.
University of Amsterdam (Ciena Booth #3445 and Dutch Research Consortium Booth #4049): Partnering with the University of Amsterdam via a 40G connection between the Dutch Research Consortium and Ciena, Ciena is demonstrating 40GbE functionality with demonstrated interoperability for distributed computing and file transfer. The University and Amsterdam and Ciena recently partnered in a similar experiment that produced a high-speed, long-haul 40GbE network showcased at the GLIF meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.
In addition, for the third year in a row, Ciena will be providing 100G optical infrastructure for SCinet, SC10’s production quality network. SCinet delivers high-bandwidth connectivity to the show floor and through research and education networks worldwide.
Openwave announces latest edition of Passport offering
REDWOOD CITY, USA: Openwave Systems Inc., a global software innovator delivering context-aware mediation and messaging solutions, has announced Openwave Passport: Smart Policy Edition, a key solution in its Traffic Mediation product family.
Passport is designed to enable mobile operators to successfully roll out new tiered pricing plans and rapidly adapt to changing market needs and growing demand. Passport: Smart Policy Edition incorporates a new feature set that includes advanced support for group-based pricing plans that can span multiple devices and users, as well as accumulated time plans.
As announced today, Openwave is also working in collaboration with F5 Networks Inc., a leader in Application Delivery Networking (ADN), to provide intelligent integration of the companies’ products and enable smart, dynamic policy control and enforcement with user- and service-level awareness for wireless operators worldwide.
Through the technology partnership, Openwave Passport: Smart Policy Edition and Openwave Integra, a traffic and policy management solution, will be integrated with F5 BIG-IP solutions.
“F5 is pleased to collaborate with Openwave to help enable service providers to deliver policy-based services that enhance their network operations and unlock new monetization opportunities,” said Jim Ritchings, VP of Business Development, F5.
“We believe that the combined F5 and Openwave solution will be instrumental in helping operators to rapidly adapt to the rising data growth challenges and get ahead of the demand by better managing their networks and creating new revenue streams.”
“As mobile data usage increases, new opportunities also arise to monetize these services,” said Graham Finnie, chief analyst, Heavy Reading. “Operators need new tools and streamlined business processes that enable them to become more creative and dynamic in how they define data service plans, how they target and communicate these plans to their subscribers, and how they measure the revenue impact of these plans, using business-oriented key performance indicators.”
“The all-you-can-eat data plans are all but going away and an operator’s success hinges upon their ability to deliver innovative service plans that are tailored to match a variety of online behaviors,” said John Giere, senior vice president of products and marketing, Openwave.
“Openwave Passport enables operators to create plans based on characteristics such as the data consumption patterns, type of content and nature of applications most frequently accessed by the user to effectively target price plans for every lifestyle.”
In addition to providing rich end user engagement capabilities through proactive notification (e.g. when roaming, nearing or exceeding service level quotas), targeted service discovery and rich service self-care facilities, the latest Passport offering has advanced support for group pricing plans, enabling multiple devices, members of a family or a small enterprise to share a common service plan.
Operators can also offer bundled price plans based on various traffic profiles such as browsing, email, home network versus roaming, peak versus off-peak, defining specific quotas and bandwidth allowances in each case.
In addition, Passport also supports accumulated time plans where users can buy a chunk of online time and use it at will. For example, a user could purchase 10 hours of online time and use it as he or she desires over a predetermined duration of time. Passport is deployed as part of Openwave’s IP traffic mediation solution. In cases where the operator has already deployed a network policy solution, Passport can coexist and integrate with a centralized policy controller.
Passport: Smart Policy Edition is expected to be generally available in the first quarter of calendar 2011.
Passport is designed to enable mobile operators to successfully roll out new tiered pricing plans and rapidly adapt to changing market needs and growing demand. Passport: Smart Policy Edition incorporates a new feature set that includes advanced support for group-based pricing plans that can span multiple devices and users, as well as accumulated time plans.
As announced today, Openwave is also working in collaboration with F5 Networks Inc., a leader in Application Delivery Networking (ADN), to provide intelligent integration of the companies’ products and enable smart, dynamic policy control and enforcement with user- and service-level awareness for wireless operators worldwide.
Through the technology partnership, Openwave Passport: Smart Policy Edition and Openwave Integra, a traffic and policy management solution, will be integrated with F5 BIG-IP solutions.
“F5 is pleased to collaborate with Openwave to help enable service providers to deliver policy-based services that enhance their network operations and unlock new monetization opportunities,” said Jim Ritchings, VP of Business Development, F5.
“We believe that the combined F5 and Openwave solution will be instrumental in helping operators to rapidly adapt to the rising data growth challenges and get ahead of the demand by better managing their networks and creating new revenue streams.”
“As mobile data usage increases, new opportunities also arise to monetize these services,” said Graham Finnie, chief analyst, Heavy Reading. “Operators need new tools and streamlined business processes that enable them to become more creative and dynamic in how they define data service plans, how they target and communicate these plans to their subscribers, and how they measure the revenue impact of these plans, using business-oriented key performance indicators.”
“The all-you-can-eat data plans are all but going away and an operator’s success hinges upon their ability to deliver innovative service plans that are tailored to match a variety of online behaviors,” said John Giere, senior vice president of products and marketing, Openwave.
“Openwave Passport enables operators to create plans based on characteristics such as the data consumption patterns, type of content and nature of applications most frequently accessed by the user to effectively target price plans for every lifestyle.”
In addition to providing rich end user engagement capabilities through proactive notification (e.g. when roaming, nearing or exceeding service level quotas), targeted service discovery and rich service self-care facilities, the latest Passport offering has advanced support for group pricing plans, enabling multiple devices, members of a family or a small enterprise to share a common service plan.
Operators can also offer bundled price plans based on various traffic profiles such as browsing, email, home network versus roaming, peak versus off-peak, defining specific quotas and bandwidth allowances in each case.
In addition, Passport also supports accumulated time plans where users can buy a chunk of online time and use it at will. For example, a user could purchase 10 hours of online time and use it as he or she desires over a predetermined duration of time. Passport is deployed as part of Openwave’s IP traffic mediation solution. In cases where the operator has already deployed a network policy solution, Passport can coexist and integrate with a centralized policy controller.
Passport: Smart Policy Edition is expected to be generally available in the first quarter of calendar 2011.
Alvarion ranked #1 supplier in Europe for wireless infrastructure equipment used in video surveillance
WASHINGTON, USA: Alvarion Ltd, a leading provider of 4G networks in the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) market, has been ranked the number one supplier of wireless infrastructure equipment used in video surveillance in Europe by IMS Research in its latest report “The EMEA Market for Wireless Infrastructure Used in Video Surveillance” (published August 2010).
“The main advantage of wireless infrastructure over wired systems is the cost savings associated with not trenching and laying cable. This means wireless infrastructure is well suited to video surveillance systems where cameras are required across a large area that has no existing network,” comments Niall Jenkins, senior analyst at IMS Research.
“The video surveillance market, and in particular IP video surveillance, is fast growing and as wireless networking increases its penetration into this market, the opportunity for wireless infrastructure equipment vendors will continue to grow.”
Alvarion’s video surveillance portfolio offers a carrier-class, robust, secure and reliable solution which is field proven in municipalities, enterprises and industrial markets around the world.
Alvarion’s complete portfolio includes the market leading 4G WiMAX 802.16e solution, BreezeMAX Extreme for the 4.9 GHz and 5 GHz frequency range, BreezeACCESS VL and BreezeNET B which are optimized for wireless video surveillance applications.
“IMS Research’s latest video surveillance ranking proves our innovation in bringing cost-effective wireless broadband solutions for security applications,” said Ofer Karp, president of the Wireless Business Division at Alvarion.
“Video surveillance is a routine issue in security planning and there is a constant search for innovative and intelligent technologies to improve security, particularly over several remote sites. Our fixed and mobile solutions support a wide range of frequency bands and provide a very attractive business case for video surveillance deployments.”
Alvarion has established partnerships with leading suppliers of security and video surveillance solutions around the world. Through the wide network of partners, Alvarion can offer its customers end-to-end solutions providing a range of benefits, including quick and easy integration and interoperability with many cameras and applications.
“The main advantage of wireless infrastructure over wired systems is the cost savings associated with not trenching and laying cable. This means wireless infrastructure is well suited to video surveillance systems where cameras are required across a large area that has no existing network,” comments Niall Jenkins, senior analyst at IMS Research.
“The video surveillance market, and in particular IP video surveillance, is fast growing and as wireless networking increases its penetration into this market, the opportunity for wireless infrastructure equipment vendors will continue to grow.”
Alvarion’s video surveillance portfolio offers a carrier-class, robust, secure and reliable solution which is field proven in municipalities, enterprises and industrial markets around the world.
Alvarion’s complete portfolio includes the market leading 4G WiMAX 802.16e solution, BreezeMAX Extreme for the 4.9 GHz and 5 GHz frequency range, BreezeACCESS VL and BreezeNET B which are optimized for wireless video surveillance applications.
“IMS Research’s latest video surveillance ranking proves our innovation in bringing cost-effective wireless broadband solutions for security applications,” said Ofer Karp, president of the Wireless Business Division at Alvarion.
“Video surveillance is a routine issue in security planning and there is a constant search for innovative and intelligent technologies to improve security, particularly over several remote sites. Our fixed and mobile solutions support a wide range of frequency bands and provide a very attractive business case for video surveillance deployments.”
Alvarion has established partnerships with leading suppliers of security and video surveillance solutions around the world. Through the wide network of partners, Alvarion can offer its customers end-to-end solutions providing a range of benefits, including quick and easy integration and interoperability with many cameras and applications.
Tilgin receives follow-up order for FTTx deployment in South Eastern Europe
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: Tilgin, a leading provider of Home gateway solutions for multiplay and next-generation broadband access, has announced a second order from a large systems integrator in South Eastern Europe. This is a follow-up order to the order announced on October 13 this year, and refers to a leading operator in the region.
The operator and Tilgin’s systems integrator partner have commenced their deployment of Tilgin's Home Gateway solutions for fiber connectivity (FTTx) and Tilgin's VCM software for service and device management. Order value is approximately 5 MSEK.
Tilgin has a positive view on the possibilities of receiving continued orders, as the deployment is progressing.
Full triple play services and beyond The operator is implementing a so-called Fiber-to-the-Building solution with a 100 Mbit/s Ethernet connection to the customers through the Tilgin Home Gateway leveraging on Tilgin’s gateway management software HGA, connecting the households’ telephones, computers and TVs.
Tilgin’s HG1300 and HG1500 Home Gateway families are designed to be used both in Ethernet and in point-to-point fiber networks. The chosen set of Home Gateways are built on a high performance platform with wire speed routing enabling the operator to deliver an extended portfolio of new revenue-generating and service-rich broadband services and applications to their end-users’ homes.
Tilgin’s VCM software for service and device management enables operators to easily deploy new services while also reducing operational and support costs. VCM is based on the open TR-069 standard. Initially a set of full triple play services will be made available including high-speed broadband connectivity, IP-telephony and IPTV.
Only the beginning According to market researcher Infonetics, the market for deep fiber access solutions FTTH/FTTB (fiber to the home/building) will expand rapidly over the next years, confirming the operator’s choice of technology and decision to invest in next generation access technologies.
The operator and Tilgin’s systems integrator partner have commenced their deployment of Tilgin's Home Gateway solutions for fiber connectivity (FTTx) and Tilgin's VCM software for service and device management. Order value is approximately 5 MSEK.
Tilgin has a positive view on the possibilities of receiving continued orders, as the deployment is progressing.
Full triple play services and beyond The operator is implementing a so-called Fiber-to-the-Building solution with a 100 Mbit/s Ethernet connection to the customers through the Tilgin Home Gateway leveraging on Tilgin’s gateway management software HGA, connecting the households’ telephones, computers and TVs.
Tilgin’s HG1300 and HG1500 Home Gateway families are designed to be used both in Ethernet and in point-to-point fiber networks. The chosen set of Home Gateways are built on a high performance platform with wire speed routing enabling the operator to deliver an extended portfolio of new revenue-generating and service-rich broadband services and applications to their end-users’ homes.
Tilgin’s VCM software for service and device management enables operators to easily deploy new services while also reducing operational and support costs. VCM is based on the open TR-069 standard. Initially a set of full triple play services will be made available including high-speed broadband connectivity, IP-telephony and IPTV.
Only the beginning According to market researcher Infonetics, the market for deep fiber access solutions FTTH/FTTB (fiber to the home/building) will expand rapidly over the next years, confirming the operator’s choice of technology and decision to invest in next generation access technologies.
2.7 million fiber broadband subscribers added globally in 3Q-2010
SINGAPORE: Global fixed broadband subscribers increased by 1.4 percent from 456.5 million in the second quarter of 2010 to 463 million in the third quarter of 2010, according to ABI Research’s most recent broadband subscriber Market Data.
“DSL broadband remains the dominant platform, although there is strong growth in fiber broadband subscriptions,” says digital home practice director Jason Blackwell.
Among the fixed broadband platforms, the major subscriber net addition was in the fiber segment. There were 2.7 million fiber broadband subscriber net additions in the third quarter of 2010. In terms of total fiber broadband subscriptions, the Asia-Pacific region owns the lion’s share of the fiber broadband market representing more than 80 percent of the global total, followed by North America.
Except some countries such as Sweden, Italy and Norway, fiber broadband adoption in Western Europe lags behind Asia and North America. “In order to provide consumers with advanced services such as high definition movies, video on demand, and other interactive applications, Western European countries will need to improve existing broadband infrastructure to roll out fiber optics” says research associate Khin Sandi Lynn.
In terms of broadband penetration, North America and Western Europe have the highest fixed broadband penetration. Currently, broadband penetration in Latin America is low compared to other regions of the world. Brazil is the largest broadband market in Latin America with almost 20 percent broadband penetration.
Brazil’s government has made plans to promote broadband access across the country by deploying a national broadband backbone and lowering prices, which have formed one of the barriers to broadband adoption in the country. Brazilian fixed broadband subscriber numbers are expected to reach 12.7 million by the end of 2011.
Broadband penetration is one of the essentials for economic development of a country, so many governments are planning to increase broadband penetration. ABI Research expects global fixed broadband subscriber numbers will exceed 491 million by the end of 2011.
“DSL broadband remains the dominant platform, although there is strong growth in fiber broadband subscriptions,” says digital home practice director Jason Blackwell.
Among the fixed broadband platforms, the major subscriber net addition was in the fiber segment. There were 2.7 million fiber broadband subscriber net additions in the third quarter of 2010. In terms of total fiber broadband subscriptions, the Asia-Pacific region owns the lion’s share of the fiber broadband market representing more than 80 percent of the global total, followed by North America.
Except some countries such as Sweden, Italy and Norway, fiber broadband adoption in Western Europe lags behind Asia and North America. “In order to provide consumers with advanced services such as high definition movies, video on demand, and other interactive applications, Western European countries will need to improve existing broadband infrastructure to roll out fiber optics” says research associate Khin Sandi Lynn.
In terms of broadband penetration, North America and Western Europe have the highest fixed broadband penetration. Currently, broadband penetration in Latin America is low compared to other regions of the world. Brazil is the largest broadband market in Latin America with almost 20 percent broadband penetration.
Brazil’s government has made plans to promote broadband access across the country by deploying a national broadband backbone and lowering prices, which have formed one of the barriers to broadband adoption in the country. Brazilian fixed broadband subscriber numbers are expected to reach 12.7 million by the end of 2011.
Broadband penetration is one of the essentials for economic development of a country, so many governments are planning to increase broadband penetration. ABI Research expects global fixed broadband subscriber numbers will exceed 491 million by the end of 2011.
Competitors may erode RIM's enterprise smartphone market share, but BlackBerry will claim top spot in 2015
NEW YORK, USA: In a new report from ABI Research, global smartphone shipments to mobile business customers are forecast to grow at a CAGR of 15 percent. The mobile business customer smartphone installed base will exceed 30 percent worldwide; in North America, it will exceed 65 percent.
But, behind these numbers will be a hyper-competitive marketplace defined by the operating system. According to enterprise practice director Dan Shey, “With the iPhone and now Android, business customers simply have more choices. While each region will have a different set of competitive dynamics, within a few years regional installed base market shares of 50%+ will be a thing of the past.”
Source: ABI Research.
Relevant worldwide and regional installed base statistics from the analysis include:
North America: BlackBerry will maintain its leadership position but Apple and Android will gain a solid presence. If Verizon launches the iPhone, iOS market share will grow even more.
Western Europe: Android’s share will grow the most as Windows’ share slips.
Latin America: Installed base share will shift from a customer base using mainly Windows to one shared nearly equally by Windows, Symbian and BlackBerry.
Asia Pacific: Symbian’s market share will drop significantly but Symbian will still maintain its lead; Android will reach the number two position.
Shey adds, “Security, applications, and device management capabilities will be key determinants of success for each platform – but not necessarily in that order.”
But, behind these numbers will be a hyper-competitive marketplace defined by the operating system. According to enterprise practice director Dan Shey, “With the iPhone and now Android, business customers simply have more choices. While each region will have a different set of competitive dynamics, within a few years regional installed base market shares of 50%+ will be a thing of the past.”
Source: ABI Research.Relevant worldwide and regional installed base statistics from the analysis include:
North America: BlackBerry will maintain its leadership position but Apple and Android will gain a solid presence. If Verizon launches the iPhone, iOS market share will grow even more.
Western Europe: Android’s share will grow the most as Windows’ share slips.
Latin America: Installed base share will shift from a customer base using mainly Windows to one shared nearly equally by Windows, Symbian and BlackBerry.
Asia Pacific: Symbian’s market share will drop significantly but Symbian will still maintain its lead; Android will reach the number two position.
Shey adds, “Security, applications, and device management capabilities will be key determinants of success for each platform – but not necessarily in that order.”
Integra Telecom intros SIP solutions
PORTLAND, USA: Integra Telecom, a telecom provider for businesses, is offering SIP Solutions, a robust portfolio of IP-based services that greatly expands Integra’s voice and data offerings.
SIP Solutions combines multiple voice and data options on a single connection and is the latest addition to Integra’s expansive product offerings which utilize Integra’s own fiber-based voice and data network.
“Businesses are always seeking to simplify their telecommunications in order to be a more efficient and profitable organization. By continuing to introduce more telephony products like SIP Solutions, Integra Telecom is ensuring that our customers have access to the most advanced and cost-effective services available,” said Dudley Slater, CEO for Integra Telecom.
“SIP Solutions is designed to meet the needs of businesses that are looking to support voice and data applications at single or multiple locations. And all of our services are supported by Integra’s industry leading local customer service.”
Integra’s SIP Solutions products and services can be customized to meet an individual business’ unique situation. Whether it is a large company with heavy phone usage that needs to ensure voice lines receive top priority, or a retail outlet needing to make sure its commercial transactions are performed as fast as possible, Integra’s SIP solutions will provide exactly what is needed.
Integra’s SIP Solutions is flexible, providing businesses dynamic bandwidth allocation with high-bandwidth options up to 30 Mbps. Voice services always take priority and include SIP trunking to a certified IP-PBX with multiple compression options, or traditional line, trunk or ISDN PRI handoffs to any PBX.
Over every SIP Solutions connection, Integra provides managed Quality of Service (QoS) to ensure clear reliable voice while maximizing data bandwidth. SIP Solutions has been designed to integrate seamlessly with Integra’s VPN Solutions (MPLS) offerings. SIP Solutions is available in most of Integra’s service areas.
SIP Solutions combines multiple voice and data options on a single connection and is the latest addition to Integra’s expansive product offerings which utilize Integra’s own fiber-based voice and data network.
“Businesses are always seeking to simplify their telecommunications in order to be a more efficient and profitable organization. By continuing to introduce more telephony products like SIP Solutions, Integra Telecom is ensuring that our customers have access to the most advanced and cost-effective services available,” said Dudley Slater, CEO for Integra Telecom.
“SIP Solutions is designed to meet the needs of businesses that are looking to support voice and data applications at single or multiple locations. And all of our services are supported by Integra’s industry leading local customer service.”
Integra’s SIP Solutions products and services can be customized to meet an individual business’ unique situation. Whether it is a large company with heavy phone usage that needs to ensure voice lines receive top priority, or a retail outlet needing to make sure its commercial transactions are performed as fast as possible, Integra’s SIP solutions will provide exactly what is needed.
Integra’s SIP Solutions is flexible, providing businesses dynamic bandwidth allocation with high-bandwidth options up to 30 Mbps. Voice services always take priority and include SIP trunking to a certified IP-PBX with multiple compression options, or traditional line, trunk or ISDN PRI handoffs to any PBX.
Over every SIP Solutions connection, Integra provides managed Quality of Service (QoS) to ensure clear reliable voice while maximizing data bandwidth. SIP Solutions has been designed to integrate seamlessly with Integra’s VPN Solutions (MPLS) offerings. SIP Solutions is available in most of Integra’s service areas.
Friday, November 12, 2010
ST-Ericsson and Nokia join forces to drive TD-LTE in China
BEIJING, CHINA: ST-Ericsson and Nokia are developing pioneering TD-LTE demonstration devices for China Mobile.
At the Shanghai Expo, Nokia and ST-Ericsson demonstrated video streaming and other multimedia services on a TD-LTE Nokia Booklet containing ST- Ericsson's M700 TD-LTE modem. ST-Ericsson's LTE modems, which can download data at speeds of up to 100 Mbps, enable mobile subscribers to enjoy high-definition video streaming, video conferencing, online gaming, rapid file transfers and other demanding multimedia services.
China Mobile is trialing TD-LTE. Globally the technology is referred to as LTE TDD, which has a wide interest from operators around the world.
"Although LTE is still in its infancy, this sophisticated technology has the potential to bring a raft of compelling high-speed multimedia services to hundreds of millions of consumers all over the world," said Heikki Koivu, VP, TD-SCDMA Business Team, Nokia. "Our co-operation with ST- Ericsson will enable us to demonstrate LTE capable devices and experiences as TD-LTE is developing towards commercial maturity"
"After driving development of both LTE and TD-based mobile technology for several years we are now ready to supply market-leading TD-LTE solutions," said Pascal Langlois, senior VP, chief sales and marketing officer of ST-Ericsson. "Our co-operation with Nokia, the world's number one mobile phone supplier, will strengthen our ability to support mobile operators deploying LTE."
At the Shanghai Expo, Nokia and ST-Ericsson demonstrated video streaming and other multimedia services on a TD-LTE Nokia Booklet containing ST- Ericsson's M700 TD-LTE modem. ST-Ericsson's LTE modems, which can download data at speeds of up to 100 Mbps, enable mobile subscribers to enjoy high-definition video streaming, video conferencing, online gaming, rapid file transfers and other demanding multimedia services.
China Mobile is trialing TD-LTE. Globally the technology is referred to as LTE TDD, which has a wide interest from operators around the world.
"Although LTE is still in its infancy, this sophisticated technology has the potential to bring a raft of compelling high-speed multimedia services to hundreds of millions of consumers all over the world," said Heikki Koivu, VP, TD-SCDMA Business Team, Nokia. "Our co-operation with ST- Ericsson will enable us to demonstrate LTE capable devices and experiences as TD-LTE is developing towards commercial maturity"
"After driving development of both LTE and TD-based mobile technology for several years we are now ready to supply market-leading TD-LTE solutions," said Pascal Langlois, senior VP, chief sales and marketing officer of ST-Ericsson. "Our co-operation with Nokia, the world's number one mobile phone supplier, will strengthen our ability to support mobile operators deploying LTE."
Internet2 to deploy first 100 Gigabit Ethernet research network
ANN ARBOR, USA: Internet2 will begin deployment of a new, nationwide 100 Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) network that, once complete, will be one of the most sophisticated research and education network platforms ever built.
The network will not only meet the current and future needs of the US research and higher education community, but will also extend new capabilities to community anchor institutions nationwide.
In its creation of the world's first 100 GigE nationwide research network, Internet2 is extending its long-standing partnership with Juniper Networks and plans to incorporate the company's innovative 100 Gigabit per second (Gbps) core router technology across the entire backbone to increase the resiliency and core capacity of the network while achieving maximum operational and power efficiencies.
As part of its recently awarded federal stimulus grant from the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Internet2 is creating a nationwide high-capacity network that will enable advanced networking features for more than 200,000 essential community anchor institutions.
This advanced, coast-to-coast network infrastructure will support the connection of community anchors—schools, libraries, community colleges, health centers and public safety organizations—to enable advanced uses of the network such as distance learning and telemedicine applications not possible using today's typical Internet service.
Just as importantly, the new network will have the capabilities needed to meet the emerging bandwidth demands of the research community especially as US participation in large scale globally distributed science experiments like the Large Hadron Collider continues to rapidly grow.
"Internet2 plays an important role in connecting community anchor institutions around the nation to advance research and education and to encourage the adoption of next-generation Internet applications," said Rob Vietzke, Internet2 executive director of network services.
"This can only be achieved through a robust network that can support high-bandwidth applications in large-scale scientific research, as well as telemedicine, public safety and distance education. As we build the first 100 Gig research network, our partnership with Juniper Networks is critical to delivering on this promise."
Juniper Networks T1600 Core Routers, equipped with their 100 GigE interface cards, will enable Internet2 to provide state-of–the-art networking based on IPv6 and multicast services, including the capacity and connection speeds required by high-bandwidth, rich media applications in a growing number of research and education disciplines.
In addition, Internet2 will leverage the investment protection and operational continuity Juniper Network provides through its T Series routers, allowing for easier upgrades and enabling the scaling of network capabilities both now and in the future.
"As the provider of the industry's only shipping standards-based IP/MPLS 100 GE interfaces, we're proud to be playing a key role in Internet2's deployment of the world's first 100 GE research network," said Stefan Dyckerhoff, executive vice president and general manager, Infrastructure Products Group, Juniper Networks.
"A network of this magnitude can only succeed on a platform that is built for the future, and Juniper's T Series Core Routers can provide the total system densities, operating system reliability and operational efficiencies needed to support these high-bandwidth applications."
In the coming weeks, Internet2 will announce a 100 GigE optical transport equipment provider partner and will begin deployment on a region-by-region basis. Internet2 expects to complete deployment of this new network in 2013.
The network will not only meet the current and future needs of the US research and higher education community, but will also extend new capabilities to community anchor institutions nationwide.
In its creation of the world's first 100 GigE nationwide research network, Internet2 is extending its long-standing partnership with Juniper Networks and plans to incorporate the company's innovative 100 Gigabit per second (Gbps) core router technology across the entire backbone to increase the resiliency and core capacity of the network while achieving maximum operational and power efficiencies.
As part of its recently awarded federal stimulus grant from the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Internet2 is creating a nationwide high-capacity network that will enable advanced networking features for more than 200,000 essential community anchor institutions.
This advanced, coast-to-coast network infrastructure will support the connection of community anchors—schools, libraries, community colleges, health centers and public safety organizations—to enable advanced uses of the network such as distance learning and telemedicine applications not possible using today's typical Internet service.
Just as importantly, the new network will have the capabilities needed to meet the emerging bandwidth demands of the research community especially as US participation in large scale globally distributed science experiments like the Large Hadron Collider continues to rapidly grow.
"Internet2 plays an important role in connecting community anchor institutions around the nation to advance research and education and to encourage the adoption of next-generation Internet applications," said Rob Vietzke, Internet2 executive director of network services.
"This can only be achieved through a robust network that can support high-bandwidth applications in large-scale scientific research, as well as telemedicine, public safety and distance education. As we build the first 100 Gig research network, our partnership with Juniper Networks is critical to delivering on this promise."
Juniper Networks T1600 Core Routers, equipped with their 100 GigE interface cards, will enable Internet2 to provide state-of–the-art networking based on IPv6 and multicast services, including the capacity and connection speeds required by high-bandwidth, rich media applications in a growing number of research and education disciplines.
In addition, Internet2 will leverage the investment protection and operational continuity Juniper Network provides through its T Series routers, allowing for easier upgrades and enabling the scaling of network capabilities both now and in the future.
"As the provider of the industry's only shipping standards-based IP/MPLS 100 GE interfaces, we're proud to be playing a key role in Internet2's deployment of the world's first 100 GE research network," said Stefan Dyckerhoff, executive vice president and general manager, Infrastructure Products Group, Juniper Networks.
"A network of this magnitude can only succeed on a platform that is built for the future, and Juniper's T Series Core Routers can provide the total system densities, operating system reliability and operational efficiencies needed to support these high-bandwidth applications."
In the coming weeks, Internet2 will announce a 100 GigE optical transport equipment provider partner and will begin deployment on a region-by-region basis. Internet2 expects to complete deployment of this new network in 2013.
Aviat Networks intros first all-IP 4 Gbit/s trunking radio
SANTA CLARA, USA: Aviat Networks Inc., a leading wireless expert in advanced IP migration solutions, has introduced the Aviat WTM 6000, the industry’s first all-packet trunking radio, designed to support up to 4 Gbit/s of aggregate data throughput.
The WTM 6000 is designed for long distance, high capacity wireless transmission applications, with a compact indoor architecture, superior performance and a highly redundant design to ensure exceptional system availability.
For the first time, the WTM 6000 incorporates the latest packet transport features that have until now only been available in lower capacity microwave systems, such as built-in Ethernet switching, link aggregation and traffic prioritisation and Quality of Service controls. First shipments of the WTM 6000 will commence in initial frequency bands in the early part of 2011.
The WTM 6000 is the highest density wireless trunking solution on the market, being the first system to accommodate up to 16 radio channels in a single sub-rack. With integrated switching and native Ethernet/IP support, the WTM 6000 also provides optional support for NxSTM-1 traffic, enabling operators to maintain legacy TDM services without having to use inefficient circuit emulation.
The WTM 6000 is also the first trunking radio in its class to support 256QAM Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) to enable operators to achieve higher link capacities with smaller antennas, which in turn reduces tower loading and infrastructure costs. The WTM 6000 will be introduced in the 4 to 13 GHz frequency bands to enable paths in well in excess of 50 miles.
Two different solutions are now available for link protection. In addition to the traditional N+1 protection, where one standby radio channel is used to protect up to seven active transport channels, the IP architecture of the WTM 6000 now enables the option for bonding of multiple radio channels together, using Ethernet Link Aggregation, to provide full wire-speed Gigabit throughputs.
In the event that one radio channel fails, the integrated switch can prioritise important traffic to be maintained over the remaining bandwidth. This enables costs savings by eliminating the standby protection channel.
“The Aviat Networks WTM 6000 represents the next-generation microwave solution for high-capacity, long-haul all-IP and hybrid trunking applications, all with fiber-like speeds,” says Shaun McFall, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Aviat Networks. “As a leading provider of trunking microwave solutions around the world, we are excited to introduce this major step forward to enable operators to introduce efficient high-speed IP transport into their backbone microwave networks.”
The WTM 6000’s all-indoor design is optimised to efficiently accommodate complex system configurations, and is not restricted by being adapted from a split-mount radio design. A highly compact baseband/transceiver module eliminates cable interconnections and optimises available rack space for additional networking equipment. This makes for easy installation and commissioning and simplified maintenance.
The innovative Branching Unit (BRU) design provides easy, cost-effective system expansion through the addition of radio channels.
The WTM 6000 is designed for long distance, high capacity wireless transmission applications, with a compact indoor architecture, superior performance and a highly redundant design to ensure exceptional system availability.
For the first time, the WTM 6000 incorporates the latest packet transport features that have until now only been available in lower capacity microwave systems, such as built-in Ethernet switching, link aggregation and traffic prioritisation and Quality of Service controls. First shipments of the WTM 6000 will commence in initial frequency bands in the early part of 2011.
The WTM 6000 is the highest density wireless trunking solution on the market, being the first system to accommodate up to 16 radio channels in a single sub-rack. With integrated switching and native Ethernet/IP support, the WTM 6000 also provides optional support for NxSTM-1 traffic, enabling operators to maintain legacy TDM services without having to use inefficient circuit emulation.
The WTM 6000 is also the first trunking radio in its class to support 256QAM Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) to enable operators to achieve higher link capacities with smaller antennas, which in turn reduces tower loading and infrastructure costs. The WTM 6000 will be introduced in the 4 to 13 GHz frequency bands to enable paths in well in excess of 50 miles.
Two different solutions are now available for link protection. In addition to the traditional N+1 protection, where one standby radio channel is used to protect up to seven active transport channels, the IP architecture of the WTM 6000 now enables the option for bonding of multiple radio channels together, using Ethernet Link Aggregation, to provide full wire-speed Gigabit throughputs.
In the event that one radio channel fails, the integrated switch can prioritise important traffic to be maintained over the remaining bandwidth. This enables costs savings by eliminating the standby protection channel.
“The Aviat Networks WTM 6000 represents the next-generation microwave solution for high-capacity, long-haul all-IP and hybrid trunking applications, all with fiber-like speeds,” says Shaun McFall, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Aviat Networks. “As a leading provider of trunking microwave solutions around the world, we are excited to introduce this major step forward to enable operators to introduce efficient high-speed IP transport into their backbone microwave networks.”
The WTM 6000’s all-indoor design is optimised to efficiently accommodate complex system configurations, and is not restricted by being adapted from a split-mount radio design. A highly compact baseband/transceiver module eliminates cable interconnections and optimises available rack space for additional networking equipment. This makes for easy installation and commissioning and simplified maintenance.
The innovative Branching Unit (BRU) design provides easy, cost-effective system expansion through the addition of radio channels.
Arbinet to be acquired by Primus
HERNDON, USA: Arbinet Corp., a leading provider of telecommunications services to fixed and mobile operators, has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Primus Telecommunications Group Inc., a global facilities-based integrated provider of advanced telecommunications products and services in an stock-for-stock merger transaction.
Under the terms of the merger agreement, which has been approved by the Board of Directors of Arbinet, upon recommendation by its special committee which was appointed to evaluate the advisability of the transaction, and by the Board of Directors of Primus, Arbinet common shareholders will receive shares of Primus common stock in exchange for the Arbinet common stock they own.
The transaction is valued at an aggregate value of approximately $28 million. Based on the companies’ current capitalization, Arbinet shareholders will be expected to own approximately 23 percent of the combined company, and Primus shareholders will be expected to own approximately 77 percent of the combined company upon the closing of the transaction.
The agreement contains a go-shop provision under which Arbinet may solicit alternative proposals from third parties during the next 45 calendar days. There can be no assurances that this process will result in an alternative transaction.
Under the terms of the merger agreement, which has been approved by the Board of Directors of Arbinet, upon recommendation by its special committee which was appointed to evaluate the advisability of the transaction, and by the Board of Directors of Primus, Arbinet common shareholders will receive shares of Primus common stock in exchange for the Arbinet common stock they own.
The transaction is valued at an aggregate value of approximately $28 million. Based on the companies’ current capitalization, Arbinet shareholders will be expected to own approximately 23 percent of the combined company, and Primus shareholders will be expected to own approximately 77 percent of the combined company upon the closing of the transaction.
The agreement contains a go-shop provision under which Arbinet may solicit alternative proposals from third parties during the next 45 calendar days. There can be no assurances that this process will result in an alternative transaction.
Vringo reaches 100,000 subscriber milestone in Malaysia
NEW YORK, USA: Vringo Inc., a provider of video ringtones and personalization solutions for mobile devices, announced that it has exceeded 100,000 subscribers in Malaysia together with its partner, Maxis.
This milestone is noteworthy in that Vringo has achieved roughly one percent penetration of the Maxis subscriber base in Malaysia in less than one year following the initial commercial launch. Maxis' subscriptions total 12.97 million as at June 30, 2010, and the company is also the leading regional content player with 36.6 percent of non-voice revenue.
Vringo's operational goal is to achieve at least one percent penetration of the subscriber base for each new commercial service it launches in any given geography.
Andrew Perlman, Vringo's president, said: "We are pleased to have achieved the 100,000 subscriber milestone in Malaysia, this is an important milestone for adoption of the Vringo service. By meeting this target we have further validated our business model which we look to replicate in Singapore, the US and the UK later this year with our partners StarHub, Orange and Verizon."
Kee Saik Meng, Maxis' Head of Games and Social Network, said: "The pace of adoption for our joint Maxis-Vringo service has grown dramatically in the month of October and continues today. In fact, we are now adding new subscribers at a rate of well over 1,000 each day. As Maxis continues to forge strategic partnerships and grow an ecosystem of next generation services, these early landmarks bode well for long-term growth of the Vringo video ringtone and other wanted entertainment services from Maxis."
Vringo's fully-hosted carrier platform is currently deployed for international mobile partners in five markets, with several new launches anticipated soon. Vringo's scalable, cloud-based distributed application architecture enables a carrier's subscribers to browse and download mobile videos, set them as video ringtones and instantly share them with friends.
Besides carrier partners, Vringo has content partnerships with major artists, celebrities and content providers including T-Pain, Muhammad Ali, Tiesto, Turner, Marvel, Hungama Mobile, RTL and Ingrooves.
This milestone is noteworthy in that Vringo has achieved roughly one percent penetration of the Maxis subscriber base in Malaysia in less than one year following the initial commercial launch. Maxis' subscriptions total 12.97 million as at June 30, 2010, and the company is also the leading regional content player with 36.6 percent of non-voice revenue.
Vringo's operational goal is to achieve at least one percent penetration of the subscriber base for each new commercial service it launches in any given geography.
Andrew Perlman, Vringo's president, said: "We are pleased to have achieved the 100,000 subscriber milestone in Malaysia, this is an important milestone for adoption of the Vringo service. By meeting this target we have further validated our business model which we look to replicate in Singapore, the US and the UK later this year with our partners StarHub, Orange and Verizon."
Kee Saik Meng, Maxis' Head of Games and Social Network, said: "The pace of adoption for our joint Maxis-Vringo service has grown dramatically in the month of October and continues today. In fact, we are now adding new subscribers at a rate of well over 1,000 each day. As Maxis continues to forge strategic partnerships and grow an ecosystem of next generation services, these early landmarks bode well for long-term growth of the Vringo video ringtone and other wanted entertainment services from Maxis."
Vringo's fully-hosted carrier platform is currently deployed for international mobile partners in five markets, with several new launches anticipated soon. Vringo's scalable, cloud-based distributed application architecture enables a carrier's subscribers to browse and download mobile videos, set them as video ringtones and instantly share them with friends.
Besides carrier partners, Vringo has content partnerships with major artists, celebrities and content providers including T-Pain, Muhammad Ali, Tiesto, Turner, Marvel, Hungama Mobile, RTL and Ingrooves.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Mobile operators planning to write billion dollar checks for LTE equipment in 2011
SINGAPORE: As mobile data traffic exceeds 3.67 exabytes, operators are gearing up to prepare for 4G services as a means to manage that growth, reduce OPEX, and stimulate new revenue opportunities.
According to ABI Research vice president for forecasting Jake Saunders, “We estimate that mobile operators could well be writing out cheques for $1 billion in 2011. But as vendors offer their fountain pens, there is still uncertainty. There has been some slippage in LTE deployments. In early 2010, there were indications that 20 or more operators were planning to launch commercial services before year’s end.”
“If we compare the pre-launch marketing cycle of LTE with the pre-launch marketing cycle of WCDMA,” Saunders continues, “there is a distinct possibility a number of these launches could slip into late 2011. Assumptions, however, over the addressable market for LTE equipment, have not changed. LTE base stations could well climb to 600,000 by 2015.”
ABI Research’s WiMAX (802.16) base station forecasts have had to take into account recent WiMAX carrier announcements. Yota (Russia) and Clearwire (USA) have been taking steps to evaluate LTE equipment. A number of 802.16e operators have expressed a similar interest.
“The ‘opportunity door’ has not shut on 802.16m,” comments research director Philip Solis. “It is a positive sign that UQ Communications (Japan) has established a trial 802.16m test-bed. Also Samsung has announced that it will be making 802.16m equipment commercially available starting in 3Q-2011. Samsung and other WiMAX vendors could bring forward their production schedules for first-mover advantage.”
If WiMAX carriers swing behind 802.16m, the number of base stations could surpass 69,000 in 2015. Irrespective of the support given to 802.16m, 802.1616e operators are expected to add 90,000 base stations between now and 2015.
By 2015, WCDMA population coverage will have grown to 4.6 billion. Even in developing markets, there is considerable interest in upgrading base-stations to support 3.5G data rates.
According to ABI Research vice president for forecasting Jake Saunders, “We estimate that mobile operators could well be writing out cheques for $1 billion in 2011. But as vendors offer their fountain pens, there is still uncertainty. There has been some slippage in LTE deployments. In early 2010, there were indications that 20 or more operators were planning to launch commercial services before year’s end.”
“If we compare the pre-launch marketing cycle of LTE with the pre-launch marketing cycle of WCDMA,” Saunders continues, “there is a distinct possibility a number of these launches could slip into late 2011. Assumptions, however, over the addressable market for LTE equipment, have not changed. LTE base stations could well climb to 600,000 by 2015.”
ABI Research’s WiMAX (802.16) base station forecasts have had to take into account recent WiMAX carrier announcements. Yota (Russia) and Clearwire (USA) have been taking steps to evaluate LTE equipment. A number of 802.16e operators have expressed a similar interest.
“The ‘opportunity door’ has not shut on 802.16m,” comments research director Philip Solis. “It is a positive sign that UQ Communications (Japan) has established a trial 802.16m test-bed. Also Samsung has announced that it will be making 802.16m equipment commercially available starting in 3Q-2011. Samsung and other WiMAX vendors could bring forward their production schedules for first-mover advantage.”
If WiMAX carriers swing behind 802.16m, the number of base stations could surpass 69,000 in 2015. Irrespective of the support given to 802.16m, 802.1616e operators are expected to add 90,000 base stations between now and 2015.
By 2015, WCDMA population coverage will have grown to 4.6 billion. Even in developing markets, there is considerable interest in upgrading base-stations to support 3.5G data rates.
Limited access to incumbents' infrastructure drives FTTH/B subscriber growth in CEE
LONDON, UK: Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries lead the European ranks in terms of fibre to the home/building (FTTH/B) subscriber growth. The fastest adoption of these technologies can be observed in countries where local loop unbundling (LLU) has either not been implemented or not gained much popularity.
In the long term, investment in FTTH/B technology will become one of the major competitive weapons for all fixed broadband operators in the ongoing battle against mobile broadband providers.
“The unquestionable FTTH/B leader in the CEE region is Lithuania, with a household penetration of over 20 percent,” notes Edyta Kosowska, Research Analyst for Frost & Sullivan Information & Communication Technologies group.
“The high prevalence of fibre technology across the Baltic States is, to a large extent, a result of the strong presence of Scandinavian operators in the region.” The newest solutions implemented in Scandinavia were also launched shortly afterwards in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Moreover, all new wired networks in Lithuania are based on fibre, as cable is considered as an outdated and deplorable technology.
Although FTTH/B penetration levels remain quite low in Russia, over one million subscribers connect via fibre, the highest number in any European country. As the prospects for obtaining access to the incumbent’s infrastructure were limited, FTTB has become the technology of choice for the largest operators, including VimpelCom, Comstar, ER-Telecom, and TTK. All of the companies plan to make significant investment in fibre network deployment.
Interestingly, several of the subsidiaries of the incumbent operator have also revealed plans to invest in FTTB. With a large population and low overall broadband penetration, Russia remains one of the most promising fibre markets in Europe.
In countries such as Bulgaria and Romania, the majority of FTTH/B subscribers are served by small operators. Approximately 40-50 percent of Internet connections come from LAN/MAN providers with many using FTTB technology.
As a consequence, a very high percentage of lines in Bulgaria and Romania offer speeds of over 10 Mbps. Some of the most important companies providing broadband in Bulgaria through FTTH/B technology are Vestitel, SpectrumNet and Netone. In Romania, the important provider is RCS&RDS, which also develops fibre networks in Hungary.
“Noteworthy is the fact that important broadband markets in the region such as Poland and Hungary were not included in the rank of leading FTTH/B countries,” says Ms Kosowska. “One of the reasons may be relatively higher popularity of the models allowing alternative operators to gain access to the incumbent operators’ infrastructure such as local loop unbundling (LLU) or bitstream access (BSA). Renting last mile infrastructure of the incumbent operator in the short to mid term is more economically justified than investment in fibre technologies."
Fibre technology will not exceed DSL in terms of subscriber levels in the CEE region over the next few years; however, the demand for FTTH/B will continue to grow, especially in Russia and the Baltic States. Significant subscriber growth can also be expected in the Czech Republic, as well as Bulgaria and Romania, where the overall broadband penetration remains low.
“In countries such as Poland and Hungary with a strong BSA model presence, widespread FTTH/B uptake is not expected before 2012. Alternative operators are likely to stick to low-budget investment models and take advantage of renting the incumbent’s network,” concludes Edyta Kosowska. “However, increasingly large investments in fibre networks can be expected to meet growing demand for high speed broadband and advanced multimedia services.”
In the long term, investment in FTTH/B technology will become one of the major competitive weapons for all fixed broadband operators in the ongoing battle against mobile broadband providers.
“The unquestionable FTTH/B leader in the CEE region is Lithuania, with a household penetration of over 20 percent,” notes Edyta Kosowska, Research Analyst for Frost & Sullivan Information & Communication Technologies group.
“The high prevalence of fibre technology across the Baltic States is, to a large extent, a result of the strong presence of Scandinavian operators in the region.” The newest solutions implemented in Scandinavia were also launched shortly afterwards in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Moreover, all new wired networks in Lithuania are based on fibre, as cable is considered as an outdated and deplorable technology.
Although FTTH/B penetration levels remain quite low in Russia, over one million subscribers connect via fibre, the highest number in any European country. As the prospects for obtaining access to the incumbent’s infrastructure were limited, FTTB has become the technology of choice for the largest operators, including VimpelCom, Comstar, ER-Telecom, and TTK. All of the companies plan to make significant investment in fibre network deployment.
Interestingly, several of the subsidiaries of the incumbent operator have also revealed plans to invest in FTTB. With a large population and low overall broadband penetration, Russia remains one of the most promising fibre markets in Europe.
In countries such as Bulgaria and Romania, the majority of FTTH/B subscribers are served by small operators. Approximately 40-50 percent of Internet connections come from LAN/MAN providers with many using FTTB technology.
As a consequence, a very high percentage of lines in Bulgaria and Romania offer speeds of over 10 Mbps. Some of the most important companies providing broadband in Bulgaria through FTTH/B technology are Vestitel, SpectrumNet and Netone. In Romania, the important provider is RCS&RDS, which also develops fibre networks in Hungary.
“Noteworthy is the fact that important broadband markets in the region such as Poland and Hungary were not included in the rank of leading FTTH/B countries,” says Ms Kosowska. “One of the reasons may be relatively higher popularity of the models allowing alternative operators to gain access to the incumbent operators’ infrastructure such as local loop unbundling (LLU) or bitstream access (BSA). Renting last mile infrastructure of the incumbent operator in the short to mid term is more economically justified than investment in fibre technologies."
Fibre technology will not exceed DSL in terms of subscriber levels in the CEE region over the next few years; however, the demand for FTTH/B will continue to grow, especially in Russia and the Baltic States. Significant subscriber growth can also be expected in the Czech Republic, as well as Bulgaria and Romania, where the overall broadband penetration remains low.
“In countries such as Poland and Hungary with a strong BSA model presence, widespread FTTH/B uptake is not expected before 2012. Alternative operators are likely to stick to low-budget investment models and take advantage of renting the incumbent’s network,” concludes Edyta Kosowska. “However, increasingly large investments in fibre networks can be expected to meet growing demand for high speed broadband and advanced multimedia services.”
Eighty percent of telecom wholesalers expect near-term revenue growth
BOSTON, USA: The worldwide telecom wholesale market is on the rebound, with 80 percent of all wholesalers saying they expect a healthy uptick in revenue over the next two years. That’s in stark contrast with a decade ago, when the global wholesale market was imploding and pessimism reigned.
In “2010 Smart Wholesale Survey: Renaissance Dawns,” a new Yankee Group report based on a global survey of 240 wholesale decision-makers conducted in conjunction with Capacity magazine, the renewed vigor is due to optimism around mobility, cloud computing and content services.
Key findings include:
* Wholesale is garnering board-level attention: More than a third of survey respondents strongly agree that wholesale is becoming more strategically important to their parent company’s management.
* Cloud computing is moving to prime time: Data centers are the No. 1 capex priority for wholesalers, presaging a major move into cloud service provision.
* Asia and CEE are the hot spots: Asian wholesale is expected to grow fastest, but Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) narrowly outpaces the Middle East and Africa for second place in regional growth expectations.
“This survey indicates wholesalers feel they’ve overcome the irrational exuberance of the Enron era, and a vibrant cloud era is dawning,” said Camille Mendler, VP and senior research fellow at Yankee Group and author of the report. “To stay on top of this rebounding market, however, wholesalers need to make smart decisions and avoid ‘drunken sailor’ pricing as these new services evolve.”
In “2010 Smart Wholesale Survey: Renaissance Dawns,” a new Yankee Group report based on a global survey of 240 wholesale decision-makers conducted in conjunction with Capacity magazine, the renewed vigor is due to optimism around mobility, cloud computing and content services.
Key findings include:
* Wholesale is garnering board-level attention: More than a third of survey respondents strongly agree that wholesale is becoming more strategically important to their parent company’s management.
* Cloud computing is moving to prime time: Data centers are the No. 1 capex priority for wholesalers, presaging a major move into cloud service provision.
* Asia and CEE are the hot spots: Asian wholesale is expected to grow fastest, but Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) narrowly outpaces the Middle East and Africa for second place in regional growth expectations.
“This survey indicates wholesalers feel they’ve overcome the irrational exuberance of the Enron era, and a vibrant cloud era is dawning,” said Camille Mendler, VP and senior research fellow at Yankee Group and author of the report. “To stay on top of this rebounding market, however, wholesalers need to make smart decisions and avoid ‘drunken sailor’ pricing as these new services evolve.”
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Dell expands mobile product portfolio in India with new series of smartphones
INDIA: Re-iterating India’s strategic importance and its commitment to the growing number of smartphone users here, Dell has launched its first high-value smartphones XCD28 and XCD35 in India.
Priced starting at Rs. 10,990 for XCD28 and 16,990 for XCD35, these are the first Dell smartphones targeted specifically at addressing key use cases at such price points anywhere in the world (in the open market, that is without any bundling options with a telecom provider). While XCD28 will be immediately available in the market, XCD35 will be available by December 2010.
“For more than 25 years, Dell has played a critical role in transforming computing, enabling more affordable and more pervasive access to technology around the world. With today’s launch, we extend the same pioneering edge to the smartphones market as starting with the XCD series, we look to offer technology solutions to a much larger audience,” said Mahesh Bhalla, General Manager, Consumer & SMB, Dell India.
“In the fast growing Indian mobile market, this will allow more and more Gen Y and mobile professionals to access a rich browsing and multimedia experience, backed with the assurance of an uncompromising, market-leading service support,” he added.
“Today’s launch validates our intention to bring accessible technology to key markets like India as we work relentlessly to enable our customers to grow and thrive. India is one of the fastest growing global markets for mobile devices as well as PCs. We chose to launch the new XCD range of smartphones first in India to offer a complete portfolio of Dell mobile Internet products in all screen sizes”, said Farooq Butt, VP Worldwide Business Development & Strategy, Dell Inc.
Powered by Android 2.1 OS, with built-in 3G for high speed connectivity options including WiFi and Bluetooth, the Dell XCD28 offers full Internet browsing with native browser, a media player supporting multiple formats for videos, music and photos and features such as location awareness.
Additional features have been added to cater to the Indian market tastes such as FM Radio and access to Microsoft Email Exchange through Activesync. With a 2.8-inch LCD touch screen display and a 3.2 megapixel digital camera that can click images in real quality, the Dell XCD28 is a complete entertainment mobile gadget at an affordable pricing.
Access to the multiple applications available on the Android Market makes life more exciting while on-the-go. The phones come equipped with 200MB of internal memory that can be increased up to 16GB using Micro SD memory cards.
Packed with the most popular features of a mobile phone, the Dell XCD35 boasts of a 3.5-inch capacitive touch screen display for a richer entertainment and multimedia experience.
As a first in the Indian market for smartphones at these price points, Dell XCD28 and Dell XCD35 are equipped with one year Advanced Exchange Warranty that assures users with an immediate replacement option if faced with any hardware issue with their Dell smart phone. Available at Dell Stores and leading mobile stores in India, the Dell XCD range aims to put the Indian consumer at the forefront of affordable access to the latest in entertainment, connectivity and mobility.
Priced starting at Rs. 10,990 for XCD28 and 16,990 for XCD35, these are the first Dell smartphones targeted specifically at addressing key use cases at such price points anywhere in the world (in the open market, that is without any bundling options with a telecom provider). While XCD28 will be immediately available in the market, XCD35 will be available by December 2010.“For more than 25 years, Dell has played a critical role in transforming computing, enabling more affordable and more pervasive access to technology around the world. With today’s launch, we extend the same pioneering edge to the smartphones market as starting with the XCD series, we look to offer technology solutions to a much larger audience,” said Mahesh Bhalla, General Manager, Consumer & SMB, Dell India.
“In the fast growing Indian mobile market, this will allow more and more Gen Y and mobile professionals to access a rich browsing and multimedia experience, backed with the assurance of an uncompromising, market-leading service support,” he added.
“Today’s launch validates our intention to bring accessible technology to key markets like India as we work relentlessly to enable our customers to grow and thrive. India is one of the fastest growing global markets for mobile devices as well as PCs. We chose to launch the new XCD range of smartphones first in India to offer a complete portfolio of Dell mobile Internet products in all screen sizes”, said Farooq Butt, VP Worldwide Business Development & Strategy, Dell Inc.
Powered by Android 2.1 OS, with built-in 3G for high speed connectivity options including WiFi and Bluetooth, the Dell XCD28 offers full Internet browsing with native browser, a media player supporting multiple formats for videos, music and photos and features such as location awareness.
Additional features have been added to cater to the Indian market tastes such as FM Radio and access to Microsoft Email Exchange through Activesync. With a 2.8-inch LCD touch screen display and a 3.2 megapixel digital camera that can click images in real quality, the Dell XCD28 is a complete entertainment mobile gadget at an affordable pricing.
Access to the multiple applications available on the Android Market makes life more exciting while on-the-go. The phones come equipped with 200MB of internal memory that can be increased up to 16GB using Micro SD memory cards.
Packed with the most popular features of a mobile phone, the Dell XCD35 boasts of a 3.5-inch capacitive touch screen display for a richer entertainment and multimedia experience.
As a first in the Indian market for smartphones at these price points, Dell XCD28 and Dell XCD35 are equipped with one year Advanced Exchange Warranty that assures users with an immediate replacement option if faced with any hardware issue with their Dell smart phone. Available at Dell Stores and leading mobile stores in India, the Dell XCD range aims to put the Indian consumer at the forefront of affordable access to the latest in entertainment, connectivity and mobility.
EXFO launches FOT-5200 CWDM channel analyzer handheld test solution for CWDM networks
QUEBEC CITY, CANADA: EXFO Inc. has launched the FOT-5200 CWDM Channel Analyzer, a new channel analyzer for CWDM networks.
The new FOT-5200 is the fastest and smallest tester on the market for the installation, maintenance and repair of any CWDM network, and is specifically suited for mobile backhaul activation for telcos and cable TV operators.
With the ever-increasing challenge in meeting demand on bandwidth and network congestion, multiple-service operators (MSO) need visibility in wavelength power and allocation to find the cause of possible transmission problems not related to the physical media, and as a result spend more of their valuable time in resolving this issue.
Further, there is an exponential growth in the mobile backhaul market and increase in CWDM deployments, which allows for flexibility in terms of network planning and installation while preserving scalability to handle far higher data transmission volumes as bandwidth needs expand.
Coupled with usability and speed enhancements, the FOT-5200 drastically increases the field technicians' day-to-day efficiency for network testing and activation. Ideal for mass CWDM deployments, this low-cost optical spectrum analyzer alternative delivers a highly sophisticated all-in-one tool kit with an integrated broadband power meter and loss tester—but without a complicated interface.
To the contrary, the FOT-5200 provides plug-and-play usability, displaying accurate results in bar graphs and tables. In addition, it allows users to easily save and download data through USB connection. All this, in the smallest and fastest device the industry has to offer.
The FOT-5200 is almost half the weight of its closest competitor, has three times less volume and can conduct accurate testing in a remarkable 5 seconds, which is ten times faster than the industry average, proving significant advantages in terms of size and testing speed.
"Our industry-leading optical test solutions continue to evolve to address the growing needs of our customers, as there is a significant market demand from multiple-service operators for increased speed and decreased size in portable optical test equipment. The FOT-5200 CWDM Channel Analyzer is the answer to this concern," said Étienne Gagnon, EXFO's VP—Wireline Division and Corporate Marketing.
"The FOT-5200 is a fast, accurate and easy-to-use test device which translates into a clear cost-effective benefit for MSOs and any CWDM network."
The new FOT-5200 is the fastest and smallest tester on the market for the installation, maintenance and repair of any CWDM network, and is specifically suited for mobile backhaul activation for telcos and cable TV operators.
With the ever-increasing challenge in meeting demand on bandwidth and network congestion, multiple-service operators (MSO) need visibility in wavelength power and allocation to find the cause of possible transmission problems not related to the physical media, and as a result spend more of their valuable time in resolving this issue.
Further, there is an exponential growth in the mobile backhaul market and increase in CWDM deployments, which allows for flexibility in terms of network planning and installation while preserving scalability to handle far higher data transmission volumes as bandwidth needs expand.
Coupled with usability and speed enhancements, the FOT-5200 drastically increases the field technicians' day-to-day efficiency for network testing and activation. Ideal for mass CWDM deployments, this low-cost optical spectrum analyzer alternative delivers a highly sophisticated all-in-one tool kit with an integrated broadband power meter and loss tester—but without a complicated interface.
To the contrary, the FOT-5200 provides plug-and-play usability, displaying accurate results in bar graphs and tables. In addition, it allows users to easily save and download data through USB connection. All this, in the smallest and fastest device the industry has to offer.
The FOT-5200 is almost half the weight of its closest competitor, has three times less volume and can conduct accurate testing in a remarkable 5 seconds, which is ten times faster than the industry average, proving significant advantages in terms of size and testing speed.
"Our industry-leading optical test solutions continue to evolve to address the growing needs of our customers, as there is a significant market demand from multiple-service operators for increased speed and decreased size in portable optical test equipment. The FOT-5200 CWDM Channel Analyzer is the answer to this concern," said Étienne Gagnon, EXFO's VP—Wireline Division and Corporate Marketing.
"The FOT-5200 is a fast, accurate and easy-to-use test device which translates into a clear cost-effective benefit for MSOs and any CWDM network."
Consumer, enterprise network capacity demands spur UNH-IOL and BroadLight alliance
DURHAM, USA: The University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL), an independent provider of broad-based testing and standards conformance services for the networking industry, announced at the TelcoTV conference that the lab would work with BroadLight, the leading supplier of fiber access processors, to provide a GPON testing tool for the cable and telecommunications industry.
UNH-IOL will bring its considerable focus and expertise in creating interoperability and conformance testing suites to the effort, while BroadLight, as one of the pioneers in GPON will leverage its Optical Line Terminal (OLT) development platform.
TelcoTV will be held from November 9-11, 2010 at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, NV, and is a major North American event designed to help telecom service providers explore economical technology advances. UNH-IOL representatives will be at booth #SP-154 to provide insights on the latest test suites and how to leverage them to cost effectively meet network interoperability requirements for the telecoms industry.
The growing interest in GPON reflects both fiber as a virtually limitless bandwidth conduit and GPON as an efficient and cost-effective way to deploy fiber. With downstream speeds of 2.5 Gbps and upstream speeds of 1.25 Gbps, GPON can handle the demand for HD IPTV, online gaming and cloud computing applications. As service providers face increasing levels of competition, GPON provides the cost structure, capacity flexibility and bandwidth-intensive application support for both consumer and enterprise markets.
In co-operation with the UNH-IOL, BroadLight is providing the platform for the development of the GPON test suite that complies with the guidelines specified by the Broadband Forum, a global consortium focused on the development of global broadband network specifications. BroadLight’s participation is on the infrastructure aspects of testing, specifically on the best of class BL3458 processor chip family and the basis for the UNH-IOL’s development of the OLT emulator test tool.
“We are currently the only organization offering interoperability testing for GPON,” said Jason Walls, UNH-IOL Senior Technologist. “We are always pleased when a technology leader such as BroadLight provides equipment and support to allow us to keep our consortium members ahead of the market with leading edge testing suites.”
“The UNH-IOL reputation for independent testing and focus on quality enables us to be confident in working with them on new testing suites,” said BroadLight’s VP of Business Development, Doron Tal. “We believe the combination of the technical expertise of the lab’s staff and our platform and on-going support to the interoperability process contributes to the success of the entire industry.”
UNH-IOL will bring its considerable focus and expertise in creating interoperability and conformance testing suites to the effort, while BroadLight, as one of the pioneers in GPON will leverage its Optical Line Terminal (OLT) development platform.
TelcoTV will be held from November 9-11, 2010 at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, NV, and is a major North American event designed to help telecom service providers explore economical technology advances. UNH-IOL representatives will be at booth #SP-154 to provide insights on the latest test suites and how to leverage them to cost effectively meet network interoperability requirements for the telecoms industry.
The growing interest in GPON reflects both fiber as a virtually limitless bandwidth conduit and GPON as an efficient and cost-effective way to deploy fiber. With downstream speeds of 2.5 Gbps and upstream speeds of 1.25 Gbps, GPON can handle the demand for HD IPTV, online gaming and cloud computing applications. As service providers face increasing levels of competition, GPON provides the cost structure, capacity flexibility and bandwidth-intensive application support for both consumer and enterprise markets.
In co-operation with the UNH-IOL, BroadLight is providing the platform for the development of the GPON test suite that complies with the guidelines specified by the Broadband Forum, a global consortium focused on the development of global broadband network specifications. BroadLight’s participation is on the infrastructure aspects of testing, specifically on the best of class BL3458 processor chip family and the basis for the UNH-IOL’s development of the OLT emulator test tool.
“We are currently the only organization offering interoperability testing for GPON,” said Jason Walls, UNH-IOL Senior Technologist. “We are always pleased when a technology leader such as BroadLight provides equipment and support to allow us to keep our consortium members ahead of the market with leading edge testing suites.”
“The UNH-IOL reputation for independent testing and focus on quality enables us to be confident in working with them on new testing suites,” said BroadLight’s VP of Business Development, Doron Tal. “We believe the combination of the technical expertise of the lab’s staff and our platform and on-going support to the interoperability process contributes to the success of the entire industry.”
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