Zbyslaw --
Thanks for clarification on the ATT-IBM-BankOne relationship. I've put in a call to NN on today's announcements.
Here's another press release, just out:
Cisco, Coastcom, HP, Lucent, Newbridge and Wandel & Goltermann Join I3 Alliance
PR Newswire - October 14, 1998 08:58
Jump to first matched term
Second Round IMA Interoperability Testing Successfully Completed Between WAN Access, Central Office and IMA Test Equipment
MILPITAS, Calif., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Members of the IMA (Inverse Multiplexing over ATM) Interoperability Initiative (I3) today announced the membership of six additional industry leaders to the I3 consortium, and the completion of the second round of successful IMA interoperability testing. The new members are Cisco Systems, Inc., Coastcom, Hewlett-Packard Company, Lucent Technologies' Microelectronics Group, Newbridge Networks Corporation and Wandel & Goltermann. Interoperability testing was completed with 3Com's PB330, Ascend's SA100 and SA600, Larscom's Orion 2000, the IBM 8265 equipped with Mariner Networks' IMA LIMO, the Newbridge MainStreetXpress(TM) 36170 Multiservices Switch, Nortel Networks' OC-3 Express Ethernet Inverse Multiplexer (EIM), Sentient's Ultimate Access Switch 1000 and 1200, and Sonoma Systems' Sonoma Access. In addition, IMA test solutions for HP's Broadband Series Test System (BSTS) and Wandel & Goltermann's DominoA(TM) successfully interoperated with WAN access equipment and Central Office (CO) equipment to monitor and troubleshoot IMA protocols, showcasing the availability of IMA test solutions.
The I3 alliance is a consortium of companies formed to facilitate the adoption of the ATM Forum IMA standard through interoperability testing with verification and IMA technical and market education programs. With the addition of these six leading networking vendors, membership in I3 has more than tripled since its inception in May to a total of 15 companies representing both sides of the access spectrum. Earlier I3 member companies include: leading WAN access vendors and I3 co-founders 3Com, Larscom and Sentient Networks, and additional members ADC/Kentrox, Ascend, Digital Link, Mariner Networks, Inc. (formerly Odetics Telecom), Nortel Networks and Sonoma Systems.
"The success of the I3 in bringing together industry leaders representing a variety of network equipment categories has created the potential for broad and rapid availability of IMA-based services which serve pent-up demand for today's applications and enable innovative applications in the future," said Mihir Mohanty, chairman of the I3 consortium and product line manager at Sentient Networks, which has spearheaded the formation of the I3 program. "The I3, in conjunction with independent interoperability lab testing, will play a key role in delivering cost-effective, scalable and interoperable IMA solutions for enterprise and service provider markets."
"The endorsement of and participation in I3 by these leading networking companies should significantly accelerate the adoption of the IMA standard," said Jennifer Pigg, senior vice president of Boston-based market research and consulting firm The Yankee Group. "The high cost and, in many cases, scarcity, of T3/E3 bandwidth continues to be a major issue for users and service providers and IMA holds the promise of solving this bottleneck and enabling new, interoperable solutions."
Independent Interoperability Testing
3Com, Ascend, HP, Larscom, Mariner Networks, Nortel Networks, Sentient Networks, Sonoma Systems, and Wandel & Goltermann participated in the successful independent lab testing and verification which took place September 21-25, 1998 at the Interoperability Laboratory (IOL) at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). The first round of testing between six of the initial I3 members -- 3Com, Ascend, Digital Link, Larscom, Nortel Networks and Sentient Networks -- was completed in May, 1998, and demonstrated at ATM Year 98 in June.
Inverse Multiplexing over ATM (IMA)
Applications such as LAN interconnection and video conferencing often demand higher bandwidth than T1, but T3 can be cost-prohibitive and/or unavailable. IMA enables CLECs and ISPs to trunk from remote POPs to larger POPs, which often demands more than T1 bandwidth, at a cost lower than T3. IMA bridges the gap between T1 and T3, providing the ideal solution to LAN interconnection, video-conferencing, and other bandwidth intensive applications.
About the IMA Interoperability Initiative
The mission of the I3 is to promote IMA solutions via interoperability events, marketing programs and application showcases that result in increased customer confidence in the technology and solutions as well as market acceptance.
For More Information
For more information on interoperable products and services based on ATM Forum-compliant IMA, and additional I3 marketing program information, visit the I3 Web site at www.go-ima.com. Companies interested in participating in the I3 program and submitting products for interoperability testing in the verification lab should contact Mihir Mohanty, chairman of the I3 consortium, at Sentient Networks at 408-473-8032 or via email at mohanty@sentientnet.com. For I3 member company and contact information, contact Maureen O'Brien, 650-513-0621, or mobrien@skco.com.
NOTE: Companies and products mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective holdings and are hereby recognized.
I3 NEW MEMBER QUOTE ADDENDUM October, 14, 1998 |
