(BSNS WIRE) iTouch Communications Unveils Integrated Suite of Flexible and Scalable Network
Element Management Solutions for Telecommunication Service Providers
Business/Technology Editors
LITTLETON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 2000--
The In-Reach Family Simplifies Installation, Maintenance and Support;
Reduces Cost of Deployment and Ownership
iTouch Communications, a division of MRV Communications, Inc.
(Nasdaq: MRVC), today announced the In-Reach product family, offering
all telecom service providers - from existing and newly emerging
carriers to Internet service and Broadband service providers - a set
of diversified network, alarm and element management and provisioning
solutions to address a spectrum of critical OSS (operational support
system) functions such as configuration and fault management.
The In-Reach integrated product suite is one of the only sets of
solutions in the market that supports both element management (EM) and
out-of-band-management (OOBM) application needs for maintaining large
heterogeneous networks. In-Reach provides network managers with an
immediate view of remote facilities through remote console, alarm,
sensor and power monitors. A network manager can rapidly and reliably
install, deploy and maintain thousands of network elements around the
globe from a desktop. New services can be provisioned within hours
instead of days.
"We currently use iTouch Communications' out-of-band management
solution throughout our entire wireless infrastructure to monitor
and/or access various elements within any given remote cell site,
without the need for dispatch," said Vincent Burnham, Manager of
Network Access Engineering, Cellular One of Boston, part of the SBC
Global Network. "Having these solutions in place enables us to take a
proactive approach to system anomalies, instead of being reactive, to
system degradations or, even worse, outages. I find that accessing
these elements in a timely manner is key to maintaining a high quality
network, so that we ensure that our customers are on the most reliable
wireless voice and data network possible."
"In an increasingly competitive environment, many
telecommunications and Internet service providers are adding new
services and accelerating network deployments to reach new markets,"
said Bruce Wootton, vice president, Hurwitz Group. "These changes
introduce new service management needs that can place a strain on
network engineering and operations staff. The In-Reach products from
iTouch offer a new level of integration that can simplify
infrastructure management."
In-Reach Manages the Equipment Scenario
Most equipment is migrating to remote "lights-out" facilities,
which can require a large technical staff to install, deploy and
maintain. With the amount of intelligent equipment increasing due to
the explosion of broadband capabilities such as DSL cable and fiber
connections to the home, these additional intelligent devices are
being moved closer than ever to the subscriber. To complicate the
issue further, CLEC (competitive local exchange carriers) equipment
may be located within an RBOC (regional bell operating company) or
ILEC (incumbent local exchange carrier) facility, while an ISP may
elect to outsource their access equipment needs but still want to
access and manage that equipment.
"Service providers are contending with infrastructures that are
burgeoning as they engage in competitive blending of services such as
voice, video, the Internet, private data, cellular and even broadcast
television," said Philippe Szwarc, CEO, iTouch Communications.
"Unfortunately, they just don't have the necessary personnel to handle
these changes. In-Reach gives service providers more choices and
levels of access than they ever had before."
The overlapping of services between different types of service
providers, combined with real-world equipment scenarios, spurs demand
for simplified management, provisioning and maintenance of network
elements. With remote console control, power cycle control and alarm
and sensor feedback, the In-Reach suite manages deployment/support of
network elements and reduces provisioning and control to a few easy
steps. In-Reach ultimately improves ROI of maintenance within growing
heterogeneous service provider networks, lowers equipment deployment
costs, shortens service provisioning times, improves the Mean Time To
Repair/Mean Time To Restore (MTTR) and lowers the overall cost of
ownership.
About In-Reach
In-Reach solutions offer a distinctive set of features and
functionality combined into one homogeneous product family with the
scalability to meet the needs of the small service providers, as well
as large carriers dealing with heterogeneous data centers worldwide.
The standalone set of products, the In-Reach Manager, the 7000, 7500,
8000 and 9000 series, are deployed with each rack providing remote
console management for configuration, upgrades and remote monitoring.
Integrated functions also include scan and distribution of alarm
points, monitoring of temperature/humidity conditions and remote power
control. These small, integrated platforms save space and leasing
costs, while remote control of the elements, and the ability to
monitor temperature and humidity, prevent site visits without
sacrificing network uptime or reliability. All the standalone features
except power control are also available in a chassis for large data
center operations that require higher port densities, redundancy, and
hot swap capability.
Availability
The IR-Manager, and the 7000, 7500, 8000 and 9000 series are
available immediately. Baseline list price for the 7000 series starts
at $970 for four ports, with chassis supporting up to 280 ports
selling at about $25,000.
About iTouch Communications
iTouch Communications, an MRV Communications company, is the
leading provider of next generation Internet infrastructure solutions
that enable service providers and carriers to deliver and monitor, on
a real-time basis, high-speed Internet services. The company is
focused on delivering "Transaction Management" solutions to service
providers, and will use its leadership in real-time data acquisition
systems to continue to penetrate broadband markets. With a track
record of several industry firsts, including the first multi-protocol
terminal server, first routing hub and access server, iTouch
Communications continues to build on its commitment to smarter
networks. With outstanding manufacturing capabilities, global service
and support and strong channel relationships, iTouch Communications
offers a bright new world of unlimited connectivity, providing
leadership in networking in this new millennium. iTouch Communications
can be reached on the World Wide Web at www.iTouchcom.com.
This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties. These statements may differ materially from
actual future events or results. Readers are referred to the documents
filed by MRV with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically
the most recent reports on Forms 10K and 10Q, which identify important
risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those
contained in the forward-looking statements, including potential
fluctuations in operating results, dependence on new product
developments, rapid technological and market changes, manufacturing
risks, volatility of the company's stock price, financial risk
management, and future growth subject to risks. The announcement of
the anticipated filing of any registration statements contained herein
does not constitute an offer of any securities for sale.
--30--dp/bos*
CONTACT: iTouch Communications
Bob Spear
978-952-4715
or
Porter Novelli Convergence Group
Lisa Williams
617-450-4300
KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS HARDWARE INTERNET
SOFTWARE TELECOMMUNICATIONS PRODUCT
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