NOVEMBER 16, 2006 -- In its second research-related announcement of the day (see the first), Meriton Networks (search for Meriton Networks) revealed that Internet2 has deployed a new high-speed network link based on the company's wavelength networking systems.
To fulfill the expanding and unpredictable bandwidth needs of its more than 300 members in the research and education community and to enable increasingly complex and sophisticated communications services, Internet2 needed to add capacity and additional flexibility. The new link to the Internet2 network provides connectivity between Internet2's head office in Ann Arbor, MI, Level3 PoP in Chicago, and the StarLight international exchange point site in Chicago. The installation of this network was a collaborative initiative between Internet2, Meriton, Merit (the research and education network connecting Michigan's public universities) and CANARIE (Canada's advanced Internet development organization).
The link enables regional and international network connectivity to Internet2's new nationwide backbone infrastructure that is expected to be fully operational on the Level 3 infrastructure in mid-2007. Today, Internet2's members can leverage this connection for current collaborations and projects that are helping to advance the development of new Internet infrastructure and applications. For instance, it provides access between Internet2's headquarters facility and the Hybrid Optical Packet Infrastructure (HOPI) project, a national scale network testbed used by the Internet2 community to investigate next-generation hybrid network architectures. By extending GMPLS capabilities to provide high-speed circuits, the Meriton equipment can provide network researchers participating in the HOPI project the on-demand bandwidth capabilities needed to understand and analyze this new dynamic infrastructure.
Internet2 deployed the Meriton 7200 OSP (Optical Switching Platform) because it meets the organization's stringent technical and business requirements, the company says. These requirements included scalable, cost-effective 10-Gbit/sec transport; multi-degree switching; future-proof investment protection; visibility; and management simplicity.
"The Internet2 community requires advanced networking gear that is both economical and flexible, which the Meriton 7200 OSP provides. Meriton's technical roadmap, which includes 40-Gbit/sec and optical multicast capabilities, aligns well with the Internet2 community's near-future needs," said Steve Cotter, director of network services for Internet2. "With the excellent cooperation of all the organizations involved, the deployment of the network link promises to be a valuable resource for our community as we continue to lead the discovery of new Internet innovations."
"Internet2 is one of the pre-eminent experts in high-speed networking, and we are thrilled to have been selected and deployed for this mission-critical connection," said Bill Gartner, chief operating officer of Meriton Networks. "We look forward to working with Internet2 to offer our unique capabilities to the rest of its research and education membership, and to enabling the fulfillment of Internet2's goal of accelerating the creation of tomorrow's Internet."
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