• Verizon extends high-speed Internet reach in Ind.
By Traci Patterson
Consumers and businesses in the Perkinsville, Ind., area now have access to Verizon’s high-speed Internet service, which is based on DSL technology. The service offers eligible customers downstream connection speeds of up to 3 Mbps. Subscribers also have access to features and services including online protection with Verizon Internet Security Suite, Verizon Enhanced Email, Verizon Premium Tech Support, online gaming; free news from ABC News Now and free sports from ESPN360.
Additionally, Verizon Business is now offering security monitoring and management services for Fortinet’s FortiGate systems, a unified threat management (UTM) platform. The new platform provides an additional choice for customers seeking all-in-one protection for their extended enterprise. The newest option from Verizon Business brings together firewall, antivirus, anti-spam, virtual private network (VPN), Web content filtering and intrusion prevention (IPS) protection into a single, high-performance appliance.
Verizon Business has also formed an alliance with Swisscom, a Swiss telecommunications provider, to provide enhanced global service and support capabilities to Swiss multinational companies and companies with operations in the Swiss market.
• Mushroom device bonds broadband sources for SMBs
By Brian Santo
Mushroom Networks has launched its Porcini broadband bonding network appliance, which targets the small- and medium-size business (SMB) market.
Porcini combines up to four broadband Internet connections of any type – including DSL, cable and T1 – into a single, virtual high-speed link. An additional USB port enables a cellular data modem connection to be added to the mix.
The Ethernet-based Porcini installs between the broadband modems and the local network at the user site without requiring any configuration changes to the existing network or coordination with the ISPs.
• Hot Telecommunications turns to Harmonic for network upgrade
By Mike Robuck
Israel’s Hot Telecommunications used products from Harmonic when it expanded its cable video service to include high-definition (HD) and when it upgraded its network. By transitioning from an ASI to an IP-based headend infrastructure, Hot reduced its network cost and complexity while investing in an architecture that can scale to support advanced services.
Hot deployed Harmonic’s DiviCom Electra 7000 HD MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) encoders and Broadcast Network Gateway edge devices. Statistical multiplexing is performed by the ProStream 1000 stream processing platform with DiviTrackMX at the IP headend, as well as DiviTrackIP for HOT’s HD service, while the NMX Digital Service Manager was used to monitor and control the enhanced video service. Hot also used Harmonic’s hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) broadband access offerings for transport across its RF network.
“In planning our upgrade, critical requirements included best-in-class HD video quality; the ability to multiplex, scramble and re-encode content within a single platform; and the requirement for a broad portfolio of products advanced enough to enable our continued migration to an all-IP infrastructure,” said Meidad Katz, VP of engineering and CTO at Hot. “Harmonic’s digital video technologies met all of these needs.”
Hot is Israel’s largest pay-TV and interactive services provider and offers more than 150 digital video channels, as well as voice and data services, to nearly one million subscribers.
• Juniper’s Ethernet, broadband services routers deployed by Orcon
By Traci Patterson
Juniper Networks’ MX960 Ethernet Services Routers and E120 Broadband Services Routers have been deployed by New Zealand’s Orcon to increase the capacity and performance of the operator’s network infrastructure. Orcon will also deploy the SRC and C-series Controllers, part of Juniper’s Session and Resource Control portfolio, to enable policy-based control over network resources.
“Juniper’s solution is empowering us with the performance, economics and flexibility that we need to support our growing mix of high-performance IP services,” said Thomas Salmen, Orcon’s CTO. “The Juniper routing and control solution delivers top performance and reliability in a highly scalable architecture that efficiently supports a large number of subscribers and services per system. The Juniper solution considerably reduces physical space, power consumption and operational overhead, while concurrently providing increased network control and standards-based interoperability.”
The MX960 platform provides up to 960 Gbps of switching and routing capacity. It was designed for a wide range of business and residential applications and services, including high-speed transport and VPN services, next-generation broadband multiplay services and high-volume Internet data center internetworking.
• GoBackTV helping Danish op launch cable IPTV service
By Traci Patterson
GoBackTV’s GigaQAM IP is being used by Denmark’s A+ Group for the operator’s upcoming launch of cable IPTV service.
GoBackTV’s cable IPTV solution uses cable modem termination system (CMTS) bypass technology to deliver switched IPTV to DOCSIS 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0 cable modems without wasting upstream channel bandwidth. The solution comprises the GigaQAM IP (CMTS core and upstreams), GigaQAM (edgeQAM) and RetroVue Application Server (resource manager).
GoBackTV is also co-exhibiting in the Verimatrix booth at the ANGA Cable show in Germany this week.
• Avanquest licensing PC performance software to Synacor
By Traci Patterson
Avanquest Software will license its System Suite Essentials PC performance optimization software to Synacor, which provides technology platforms and content services to broadband service providers.
Avanquest’s System Suite Essentials is designed to ensure high-speed PC performance and system reliability. It enables PC users to speed up their operating system (OS), troubleshoot hardware problems and maintain “like-new” performance.
“PC users have been flocking to broadband in order to make online music, video and gaming more enjoyable,” said Theodore May, Synacor’s VP of content and value-added services. “These can also magnify PC performance problems that undermine the consumer online experience. Adding System Suite Essentials will enable customers to optimize their own experience.”
More Broadband Direct:
• Sony steps up to tru2way plate
• Parts of U.S. still not ready for digital transition
• Verizon is steps away from offering FiOS TV in NYC boroughs
• Akimbo shuts down, looks to sell assets
• Cisco tightens mobile integration
