1 May 2003 Linthicum, MD Lightwave -- CIENA Corp., provider of intelligent optical networking systems and software, today announced that BT plc has selected its LightWorks portfolio as part of a new, next-generation network. The global three-year deal will place CIENA in the role of strategic supplier of optical transport and switching equipment and network management software. Initial deployments are expected by the end of CIENA's fiscal 2003.
The global contract specifies that BT Group--including BT Wholesale, BT Retail, and BT Global Services--will have the ability to purchase CIENA's portfolio of products to enable greater automation of network operations and faster provisioning of services, say CIENA representatives. In addition, CIENA will provide the associated installation, support, and services that have been customized to meet the aggressive timeline and specifications that BT requires.
The distributed intelligence throughout CIENA's product-line, exemplified by CIENA's LightWorks OS Network Operating Software, will provide the automated and scalable infrastructure BT needs to serve new and existing customers, without the high operational costs traditionally associated with managing a static, manual infrastructure, claims the company. By taking advantage of a "mesh-based" network core, BT will increase survivability for its core services.
Products that BT has included in the three-year global contract include CIENA's CoreDirector, CoreStream, ONLINE Metro, ONLINE Edge, and MetroDirector K2. Also, CIENA's ON-Center Management system combines element, network, and service management capabilities, along with point-and-click provisioning, and carrier-class scalability to help BT manage its network efficiently.