7 July 2003 Amsterdam, The Netherlands Lightwave --KPN introduced a virtual private networking (VPN) service this month using the latest optical Ethernet technology from Nortel Networks. Called "Ethernet VPN," this service allows enterprises to integrate local area networks (LANs) at various locations using high-speed broadband connections from 100 Mbits/sec to 1 Gbit/sec. KPN made Ethernet VPN available for commercial service on July 1, 2003.
The Ethernet VPN service from KPN is intended to help improve network performance and drive reduced costs for enterprise customers. KPN expects this service to provide enterprises with opportunities to grow their business, as well as to develop new ways of doing business.
"We have evolved our former MetroConnect service with the ability to provide transparent Ethernet connections, a clear improvement for enterprises looking to simplify their networks," said Han Wijns managing director, Business Unit Transmission Services, KPN.
"By continuing to work with Nortel Networks and integrating their advanced Optical Ethernet portfolio, we can provide this service immediately for our regional customers, with the potential for national coverage via interconnection with other KPN service networks," Wijns said.
The Ethernet VPN service from KPN provides additional bandwidth (at a lower cost per megabit per second) than traditional ATM, frame relay, or leased line wide area network (WAN) services. Enterprises can take advantage of this bandwidth to simplify their networks, consolidate storage and application servers, reduce the number of application licenses required, and centralize network management.
Using the variety of Ethernet tunneling techniques available with Nortel's optical Ethernet solutions, enterprises can build their own distributed virtual LANs.
Nortel's optical Ethernet solution for KPN includes the Passport 8600 Intelligent Routing Switch and the OPTera Metro 1400 Ethernet Service Module. Passport 8600 delivers high density, high-performance Layer 2-7 switching, routing, and traffic classification. This technology is designed to provide increased bandwidth and additional revenue-generating potential for today's application-driven networks.
OPTera Metro 1400 provides two customer facing Gigabit Ethernet access ports in addition to 12 100 BASE-TX access ports and Gigabit Ethernet uplinks. Consistent with the entire OPTera Metro 1000 series, the OPTera Metro 1400 can be used to cost effectively extend optical connectivity to the enterprise directly from an OPTera Metro SONET/SDH or DWDM backbone. With KPN, it is being used to provide Ethernet VPN services in conjunction with the Passport 8600.