Friday Bytes: Ciena, Ericsson, Cisco, Amdocs

Here are a few bits of news from several major vendors from this week:

Ciena’s has been busy deploying its latest technology down in New Zealand. Spark has completed the first phase of its next generation OTN 2 infrastructure, tapping Ciena for the hardware, software, and support needed. The first 800Gbps leg of the new network is in place in the Auckland metro area, between Glenfield and Papakura. They are aiming not just for the eight-fold increase in capacity, but also to leverage the self-healing capabilities.

Ericsson has won another renewal for its managed services agreement for Airtel. They’ll continue to operate Airtel’s pan-Indian infrastructure in a new three-year partnership, and this time they will launch Ericsson Operation Engine with more machine learning, automation, and AI. Ericsson and Airtel have been working together in this way since 2011.

Cisco offered up an update for its pending deal for Acacia Communications. They are still waiting for China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, having received the necessary regulatory clearences in the US, Germany, and Austria already. The broader environment of global politics is probably not helping, but Cisco and Acacia still expect to receive clearance in the end

And Amdocs has made an inorganic move, announcing the acquisition of Openet. The two companies have entered into an agreement that will bring Openet’s 5G charging, policy, and cloud technologies into Amdocs broader portfolio. The two had previously engaged in an eight-year patent dispute, which was resolved back in 2018 and which will pretty much be moot anyway once the deal is done. Irish-based Openet also has a presence in Brazil, Malaysia, and the USA.  More details about the deal will be forthcoming when Amdocs puts out its upcoming earnings numbers.

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Categories: Mergers and Acquisitions · Software · Telecom Equipment