FROM LIGHT READING YESTERDAY (posted before????)
<<<Today's focus: MRV's Zuma goes to the edge
By Marguerite Reardon
This month, Zuma Networks, an MRV Communications company,
announced its Linux-based LightReef product, an edge networking
device that incorporates security and IP services features.
The company has positioned itself among switching companies
like Cisco, Riverstone, Foundry and Extreme, as well as
companies focusing on subscriber management and service
provisioning like CoSine and Nortel Networks, along with a slew
of start-ups like Celox Networks, net.com and Quarry
Technologies.
Zuma's product functions as a Layer 2 through Layer 4
switch/router that also incorporates IP services and security
features such as firewalls and VPNs.
Integrating application-level switching with security service
provisioning is an ongoing trend, says Ron Westfall, an analyst
with Current Analysis. Nortel has already been talking about
integrating its Shasta 5000 service creation platform with its
Alteon Web switch, he adds.
"There's an ongoing effort to integrate application-aware
switching and subscriber management service switching," he
says. "I think that Zuma is hitting on an area of convergence
within the industry. However, I have to see more of their story
to see how they differ from other companies."
The company sees its open Linux operating system as its big
differentiator against others working in a similar direction.
Linux will supposedly allow service providers to write new
applications directly to the platform and develop new services,
says the company. But some analysts, like Westfall, don't see
this as a big selling point.
"No one is against open systems," he says. "It's fine if they
are just going after the Linux aficionados, but it's not clear
to me how much of a zinger it would be to carriers who are
already using their own billing systems that aren't Linux-
based."
It's no surprise that Zuma has used Linux for the basis of its
platform, considering its background. The company originally
began as part of NBase-Xyplex, another MRV start-up that had
been developing a Linux-based core router to compete with Cisco
and Juniper Networks. Although NBase still exists as a company,
its technology has been scattered throughout different MRV
companies like Optical Access and Zuma, says Russell Hertzberg,
vice president of marketing for Zuma.
Although the company may play up its open programming
environment and mix of service creation and fast switching, it
still falls short in a few key areas. For example, in its first
release, LightReef won't support Multi-protocol Label Switching
(MPLS) and border gateway protocol (BGP-4) routing code. Other
edge-switch routing companies like Riverstone, Extreme, Cisco,
Foundry and Unisphere Networks already offer BGP-4 in their
devices. And it is viewed in the industry as a necessary
element for routing.
"It's a concern," Westfall says. "Most of the edge-switch
vendors out there are already implementing BGP-4. It makes it
harder for Zuma to position itself against these other players
if it doesn't have it too."
MPLS has also become a necessary buzzword that needs to be
included on a marketing data sheet. Cisco and CoSine have
already made it a part of their products, and customers are
starting to roll it out. Also other switch/router vendors like
Riverstone and Extreme are rolling out or at least announcing
MPLS plans.
Hertzberg says these features are on the roadmap for future
releases, but he wouldn't specify when they would be available.
Another potential problem is that the LightReef products are
not Network Equipment Building Systems (NEBS)-compliant, which
could hurt the company's plans to target incumbent service
providers. But Hertzberg argues that Zuma can still target
large carriers even without being NEBS-compliant. In support,
he says that the company is currently testing its product with
NTT, the big Japanese telco.
"Not every service provider deploys equipment in a central
office," he says. "So you don't necessarily have to be NEBS-
compliant. We aren't the first company to release a product
that isn't compliant and then redo it. And we won't be the last
either."
Although analysts agree that NEBS is not necessary to sell into
carrier networks, it doesn't hurt. "This is like the MPLS and
BGP-4 issue," Westfall says. "I think it will at least cause
them some sales and marketing headaches. I'm sure their
competitors will use that against them."
The LightReef products are expected to ship in the third
quarter of 2001.>>>
___________ |
