Vendor Roundup: VSS, Alcatel-Lucent, Ciena, Acme Packet, ADTRAN

Let’s survey the latest announcements from the vendor side of the tracks:

VSS Monitoring has introduced a new suite of its packet broker appliances aimed at helping networks scale their infrastructure. The rapidly growing complexity of today’s networks means monitoring tools need to evolve as well. VSS says that in addition to increasing the capacity and flexibility of its packet broker solutions, it has introduced a mesh architecture that allows an entire intermediate layer of the devices to interconnect. That means much greater scalability plus visibility into the entire network from a single monitoring point.  This kind of gear doesn’t get as much press as the more visible coherent 100G and core routers and such, but it’s a key part of the many network transformations going on out there to scale for the next wave of data traffic.

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE:ALU, news, filings) says it is working with the Technip Samsung Consortium to provide an advanced communcations system for Shell’s new, first of its kind ‘floating liquefied natural gas’ (FLNG) facility. The FLNG will sit, err float, 200 miles off the western Australian coast in the eastern Indian Ocean. It will need a wide range of advanced communications capabilities both for its crew’s needs and for the operational requirements of the FLNG itself.

Ciena picked up two interesting overseas contracts. Israeli credit card company Cal has selected their 4200 Advanced Services gear for a metro deployment connecting its main facilities in Giv’atayiim to its new data center in Yehud with two 10G Ethernet and four 4G Fibre channel links. And out in the Phillipines, PLTD will be using their coherent 100G technology and OTN switching to upgrade its domestic fiber network in a big way.  Ciena seems to have been building a bit of momentum lately.

Acme Packet (news, filings) picked up a key European win with Telefonica Germany. Telefonica is deploying Acme Paket’s solutions for a next generation signaling core to support their fixed-line VoIP, 3G, and future LTE services. Acme Packet is trying to turn things around after pre-announcing a disappointing second quarter that saw weak North American demand.

And finally, ADTRAN (NASDAQ:ADTN, news, filings) is powering United Communications’ broadband upgrade. United Communications serves 20,000 access lines in eastern Tennessee with 1,000 miles of fiber, and hopes to deliver triple play over FTTH. Two weeks ago, ADTRAN kicked off earnings season on a sour note, turning in a weak Q2 and projecting a weaker Q3.

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Categories: Telecom Equipment