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To: Praxis who wrote (711)	2/4/1999 7:17:00 PM
From: pat mudge	Respond to of 815

News February 04, 1999 18:39 Communications Industry Researchers Issues White Papers on Optical Networking, Broadband Access and xDSL versus ISDN CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Communications Industry Researchers, Inc. (CIR) , a market research and consulting firm specializing in communications technology, has authored three new White Papers which are now available on its Web site (http://www.cir-inc.com). The papers provide insight and analysis on three major communications market areas in which CIR is a leading source of expertise. Three Approaches to Optical Networking The first of CIR's new White Papers capitalizes on CIR's extensive research experience in the field of fiber optics and optoelectronics. Three Approaches to Optical Networking in an Era of Convergence reviews the state of the art in optical networking in the emerging IP environment. It analyzes three approaches to carrying IP traffic in an optical network -- IP-over-ATM- over-SONET, IP-over-SONET and IP-over-WDM -- and concludes that for the time being all three are likely to coexist. In Three Approaches to Optical Networking in an Era of Convergence , CIR argues that each of the optical transport schemes for IP offer somewhat different benefits, especially with regard to Quality-of-Service (QoS) issues. And each approach is at a different level of technology development -- IP- over-ATM-over-SONET is quite mature, while IP-over-WDM is in its infancy. The paper concludes with speculations about how the now conventional IP-over-ATM- over-SONET approach may fit into future Internet Service Provider (ISP) networking schemes. The Next Stage in Broadband Access The second CIR White Paper, Not By Bandwidth Alone: The Management Imperative For Broadband Access goes beyond the issue of optical networking. Indeed, it begins with a section entitled "Fiber is Not Enough." This concludes that fiberization of the network is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for the spread of low-cost broadband access technologies, such as xDSL and HFC in the business environment. The White Paper claims that if equipment vendors and service providers are ever going to "generate significant revenues" from these new technologies they will have to focus on management and reliability issues. Not By Bandwidth Alone explains the new management imperative for broadband access and sets out what must be done to make improvements in this area. It examines, in detail, what must be done to make low-cost broadband access a more viable option for business users. In particular, the White Paper analyzes issues related to availability, throughput, service guarantees and monitoring. It also takes a look at what leading edge service providers and equipment vendors are doing to deal with this issue. xDSL versus ISDN The third of CIR's three new White Papers, ISDN the End of the Line? Deals with the always controversial subject of the future of ISDN. In particular, it examines whether the rise of xDSL technologies will finally kill off ISDN. The conclusion of the paper is relatively kind to ISDN, since CIR believes that ISDN BRI lines will continue to grow in number for the next couple of years and that it could be five years before the number of xDSL lines exceeds the number of ISDN lines. ISDN the End of the Line? points to the fact that ISDN and xDSL have somewhat different capabilities, especially with regard to voice applications. It claims that some of the current differences between ISDN and xDSL will disappear. In particular, xDSL will become more available, more reliable and more manageable. However, the new CIR White Paper goes on to say that ISDN intrinsically has a different set of capabilities than ADSL. In particular, ISDN will remain in demand where its switched service and voice features are required. Still, while CIR believes that ISDN should not be dismissed too easily, it may not last forever. It is a narrowband service in an era in which customer demands are increasingly for broadband services. These three new White Papers from CIR are part of an ongoing series available on the CIR Web site (http://www.cir-inc.com). To access these White Papers, a reader must go to the Web site and click on the relevant link. If the reader is not a registered visitor of the CIR Web site, he will be asked to fill out a simple form. Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, Communications Industry Researchers, Inc. was founded in 1979. The company publishes market studies and newsletters, and carries out demanding custom market research assignments on the commercial aspects of new communications technologies. CIR specializes in the areas of broadband access, voice/data consolidation and core networking. It provides objective expertise for the vendor, service provider and user communities that is client focused but not client directed. SOURCE Communications Industry Researchers, Inc.