MRV, EdenTree partner on automated test lab platform

January 17, 2006 Chatsworth, CA -- MRV Communications announced that it will resell EdenTree Technologies' EdenTree Lab Manager software in an integrated platform with the MRV Media Cross Connect (MCC) system. According to MRV, the joint platform is aimed at automating test labs for network equipment manufacturers, service providers, and enterprises.

According to a press release, the reseller agreement is an extension of a yearlong collaboration between the companies that has included the technical integration of EdenTree Lab Manager software with the MCC hardware as well as joint selling of this solution to customers including test labs at U.S. Army in Ft. Huachuca, Cisco Systems, and SBC Communications.

MRV's MCC system supports all fiber-optic interfaces up to 10 Gbit/sec to enable interoperability and functionality testing of large and complex local area, wide area, and storage networks. The system is based on the open Linux operating system, which works with the MCC's network management card to ensure secure access. EdenTree's Lab Manager automates physical reconfigurations of equipment in networks and labs, allowing users to design and apply configurations remotely, recall, share, and schedule those configurations, and search for and track the usage of lab resources, all from an intuitive graphical user interface or scripts. The software manages and hides the complexity of multi-switch infrastructures, creating virtual switch matrices and allowing the user to focus on end devices. The companies say the combined hardware/software platform means increased productivity and reduced cabling errors as customers can design and schedule automated network tests of new equipment designs or new network deployments.

"The Media Cross Connect provides a reliable, cost-effective cross-connect platform for a wide range of network testing labs. With the addition of EdenTree's Lab Manager software to the solution, we extend the MCC's automation capabilities to provide a practical solution for complex physical-layer switching infrastructures," comments Noam Lotan, president and CEO of MRV Communications.

"The productivity and ease-of-use benefits that our software provides to lab personnel are enhanced by a tight integration with the cross-connect. With MRV's extensive interface support and high density, we feel this partnership is especially beneficial to those test labs that support large and complex network configurations," adds Jay Oyakawa, president and CEO of EdenTree.