18 June 2003 Linthicum, MD Lightwave -- CIENA Corp. today announced that the KPN EuroRings unit of KPN, the Netherlands' largest telecom service provider, has deployed CIENA's ONLINE Metro platform in its network. The platform allows KPN EuroRings to offer higher value data services, such as Storage Area Networking (SAN), ESCON, Fibre Channel, wavelength services, and Gigabit Ethernet to its expanding European customer base.
Consolidating its existing infrastructure with CIENA's ONLINE Metro solution will create greater capacity, flexibility, and increased service capability in a single network, say CIENA representatives. KPN EuroRings customers, including carriers and internet service providers (ISPs), will benefit from a range of new services, including network performance monitoring, automated service provisioning, SAN protocol transport solutions, and protection management.
"By implementing CIENA's ONLINE Metro platform and ON-Center management software, KPN will ensure that its extension into Europe is fully supported by a strong network infrastructure that has the capacity to grow as the market evolves," explains Nick Jeffery, CIENA's managing director, EMEA. "Strengthening its existing networks means that KPN can rapidly introduce reliable, high-value services as its growing customer base demands."
CIENA has discussed extensively during the past several quarters that adding the world's largest incumbent carriers as customers is the centerpiece of its corporate plan. Adding KPN's EuroRings unit to a customer base that now includes the UK's BT, Mexico's TELMEX, and AT&T is validation of the Company's strategy.
CIENA recently launched its LightWorks Services initiative, which focuses on improving service profitability for carriers. As part of the initiative, CIENA is introducing a series of product enhancements and new products focused on network automation, data-centric features on existing platforms and new, edge service delivery products. KPN EuroRings will be able to take advantage of the benefits of the automation and efficiency that LightWorks Services enables.
As part of the solution, KPN EuroRings will implement CIENA's LightWorks ON-Center network management software, which will allow the deployment of new revenue-generating features, such as 10-Gigabit Ethernet. The ON-Center architecture is based on open standards and smart information modeling, which will enable the integration of new services into the KPN EuroRings network.