Calix has introduced a compact, carrier-class Ethernet platform the company says can support any mix of GPON, point-to-point Gigabit Ethernet or Active Ethernet (AE).
Simultaneously, Calix reaffirmed its support of Microsoft’s Mediaroom in IPTV applications, demonstrating at the TelcoTV show in Orlando Mediaroom-based security monitoring and Caller ID applications created by 180Squared.
Calix describes its E7 Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP) as a modular, chassis-based pure Ethernet platform that integrates a 100 Gbps backplane in a one-rack unit, two-slot chassis. The system supports 10 GigE transport for business and residential services.
Multiple E7s can be combined to expand service capacity, with each additional platform providing supplementary GPON, AE and 10 GigE ports, yet managed as a single network element with one IP address, as well as a single configuration database, the company said. They can be installed to complement the company’s earlier C7 and E5 platforms.
“As one of the first large-scale switched digital video deployments in the country, we know what it takes to deliver and keep pace with the accelerating demands of advanced video services,” said Joe Corbin, vice president of operations for Horizon Telecom. “The E7 allows us to immediately address emerging access needs and to simplify and reduce our cost of operations. Where existing fiber is available, we can install an E7 and install advanced video and broadband services to multiple customers, all on the same day. Calix has become a partner which Horizon can rely on to deliver solutions to keep us ahead of our competition.”
Tying together today’s announcements, the E7 and C7 support Mediaroom.
Calix has long used Mediaroom for customer deployments. The demo of the 180Squared apps, the company said, shows the “differentiated user experience that Microsoft Mediaroom can provide,” as well as the capabilities of Calix’s own Unified Access Infrastructure.
The demo includes Microsoft Mediaroom for Xbox 360 and Cisco set-top box consoles across its Unified Access Infrastructure. This home entertainment experience features content access and control across of the home network, including broadcast, on-demand, recorded and streamed content, as well as gaming, music and digital photography assets. It will also be the first public demonstration of the Calix E7 ESAP.
The Calix C7 and E7 platforms have been specifically optimized to support many of the unique features enabled by Mediaroom, Calix said.
For service providers transitioning from legacy middleware environments to Microsoft Mediaroom, the Calix Unified Access Infrastructure can support dual middleware environments and has the capacity to handle the duplication of extensive channel lineups.
