ADCT, NT, and ATM related:
Four Leading Telecommunications VendorsAnnounce Industry's First "Data-Aware" SONET/SDH InteroperabilityInitiative
October 29, 1998 08:07 AM
CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 1998--
Vendors Found D.A.T.A. (Data-Aware Transport Activity) to Promote SONET/SDH Interoperability to Deliver Variable Bandwidth Services Over Existing Optical Infrastructure
Four leading telecommunications vendors today announced the formation of an initiative to facilitate the rapid implementation of data-aware SONET/SDH transport.
The new organization, called D.A.T.A. (Data-Aware Transport Activity), will focus on interface compatibility, service interworking and end-to-end management across this new infrastructure.
Data-aware infrastructure is required to effectively support traditional fixed-bandwidth services, while enabling cost-effective delivery of Virtual Private Network (VPN), Internet Protocol (IP) Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and other variable bandwidth services. Founding members of the group are ADC Telecommunications, Atmosphere Networks, Fujitsu Network Communications, and Nortel Networks.
"There's too much hype about individual issues of infrastructure today -- the role of ATM versus IP, or of SONET versus either one," says Tom Nolle, president of CIMI Corporation, a consulting firm that specializes in advanced computer and communications networks.
"If we're to evolve to an efficient multi-service network in an increasingly competitive market, we need to develop a total infrastructure view that providers, vendors, and users can all believe in. D.A.T.A is a critical step in creating that view.
"It's an alliance directed at creating a marriage of the service concepts we've already committed to as consumers and invested in as providers, with the future services that everyone wants to sell, because everyone wants to buy them. Only by making infrastructure more service-aware can we make new services practical."
"D.A.T.A. will help carriers deliver new data services demanded by subscribers and required for profitability in the next century," says David Hunt, senior manager of business development for optical networks at Nortel Networks, and acting chairman of D.A.T.A.
"The founding members of this organization are working together to make sure vendors can quickly deliver equipment for data-aware SONET/SDH transport to enable carriers to effectively meet the increasing demand for data transport."
"Rather than attempting to create a new set of standards, D.A.T.A.'s goal is to ensure that standards-based implementations will effectively interoperate with each other," says Paul Havala, senior product planner for next-generation SONET products at Fujitsu.
"We will work with and give feedback to a variety of standards organizations such as the ATM Forum and the SONET Interoperability Forum (SIF), among others."
The Need for D.A.T.A.
Rapidly increasing amounts of data are being sent over SONET rings, but the current SONET infrastructure was not designed for data transmission. The transmission rates of traditional SONET are based on 64 kbps, or one voice channel.
Many of today's data services do not conform to this rate structure. For example, a 10 Mbps transparent local area network service (TLS) can require a 45 Mbps T3 pipe, wasting 35 Mbps of bandwidth. Carriers can't maximize the bandwidth in their existing infrastructure and users are balking at paying for the higher level service, when they're only using a fraction of the bandwidth.
As a result, carriers are looking for more efficient ways to transport data across their networks, hence the need for more "data-aware" SONET.
D.A.T.A.'s mission is to define, resolve and demonstrate vendor compatibility and interoperability to facilitate rapid implementation of data-aware SONET/SDH transport that provides:
-- SONET/SDH characteristics such as reliability, survivability and
manageability
-- Support for existing fixed bandwidth services, maintaining their
quality of service
-- Efficient and effective support for bursty services
"As the main transmission technology deployed by carriers in their metropolitan infrastructures, SONET has many years of use under its belt," says Alex Dobrushin, vice president of marketing at Atmosphere Networks.
"It has a well-deserved reputation as a robust, reliable transmission technology. Since it is so widely deployed, it only makes sense that vendors develop new solutions to more effectively use SONET. D.A.T.A. will ensure that these new solutions retain SONET's desirable attributes, continue to support existing services, but improve SONET's capabilities for bursty data services."
D.A.T.A. has established an interoperability working group to drive technical work relating to data-aware SONET/SDH interoperability definition and testing, and to coordinate the activities of D.A.T.A. with other industry forums. In addition, D.A.T.A. has formed an industry awareness working group to promote D.A.T.A. interoperability specifications and test results, and to organize interoperability events.
"D.A.T.A.'s testing group will ensure that multi-vendor solutions are tested together and any interoperability issues are resolved before the carrier installs the equipment," says Tony Farinholt, ATM transport program manager at ADC Telecommunications. "Since the companies involved are committed to quickly resolving issues, D.A.T.A. will provide a significant time-to-market advantage."
D.A.T.A. Exhibiting at Next Generation Networks
D.A.T.A. will be exhibiting at the Next Generation Networks conference in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 2-3, 1998 during exhibit hours. Interested parties are invited to stop by at Booth 212. Founding members of D.A.T.A. will be on hand to answer questions.
For More Information
For more information about interoperability activities for a data-aware SONET/SDH infrastructure, visit the D.A.T.A. web site at vprings.com.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR D.A.T.A. MEMBERS
About ADC Telecommunications
ADC Telecommunications, Inc. ADCT is a leading global supplier of voice, video and data systems for telephone, cable television, Internet, broadcast, wireless and private communications networks. ADC's systems enable local access and high-speed transmission of communications services from providers to consumers and businesses over fiber-optic, copper, coaxial and wireless media.
Headquartered in Minneapolis, ADC has approximately 7,800 employees around the world and annual sales of $1.3 billion. For additional information, visit our Web site at www.adc.com.
For more information please contact: Lynne High - Marketing Communications ADC Telecommunications 612/946-3136 lynne_high@adc.com
About Atmosphere Networks
Atmosphere Networks was founded in May 1997 to create solutions that enable carriers to meet the demands of business subscriber access to data services in the 21st century. The company's breakthrough FSN 1200 ADM delivers industry's first data-aware Full Service SONET/SDH architecture.
Atmosphere's SONET/SDH technology has been integrated by LSI Logic into its CoreWare(R) library of telecommunication products, which is used by a variety of major telecommunications vendors. The company's proven technology delivers an order of magnitude cost improvement for data service access while delivering traditional voice services unchanged.
Atmosphere Networks is located at 10261 Bubb Road, Building 2, Cupertino, CA 95014. The company can be reached via e-mail at info@atmospherenet.com, by phone at 408/517-2860 or by fax at 408/517-1299. Visit Atmosphere's web site at www.atmospherenet.com.
For more information please contact: Sandy Bendorf Lux Communications 650/494-6348 sbendorf56@aol.com
About Fujitsu Network Communications
Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc., designs and manufactures fiber-optic transmission and broadband switching platforms and develops software that allows customers to perform in-service management and monitoring of the telephone network. Its customers include local exchange carriers, interexchange carriers, competitive access providers and cable TV operators, as well as large private networks in North America.
Fujitsu Network Communications is part of Fujitsu Limited, a $37.7 billion global technology leader in computers, communications and microelectronics. Product information is available by calling 800/777-FAST. Its World Wide Web site is www.fnc.fujitsu.com.
For more information please contact: Kevin Tanzillo 972/479-2055 kevin.tanzillo@fnc.fujitsu.com
About Nortel Networks
Nortel Networks works with customers worldwide to design, build, and deliver telecommunications and IP-optimized networks. Customers include public and private enterprises and institutions; Internet service providers; local, long-distance, cellular and PCS communications companies, cable television carriers, and utilities.
Nortel Networks' common shares are listed on the New York, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and London stock exchanges. Nortel Networks had 1997 revenues of US$15.5 billion and Bay Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nortel Networks, had revenues of US$2.4 billion during its most recent fiscal year. The combined company's workforce totals approximately 80,000 employees worldwide. Visit the company's web site at nortel.com.
For more information please contact: Shelley E. Grandy Nortel Networks 905/863-2105 sgrandy@nortel.com
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