9 April 2003 London -- Marconi's Broadband Routing and Switching group and Riverstone Networks have announced a partnership that leverages the companies' networking strengths to deliver carrier-class metro Ethernet solutions.
Recently, Marconi and Riverstone provided Jersey Telecom, a UK-based telecommunications provider, with a converged voice, video and data network. Jersey Telecom is rolling out a suite of commercial and residential broadband services based on the joint solution, enabling them to introduce broadband voice and multimedia services across TV set-top boxes, personal computers and personal data assistants.
The partnership combines Riverstone's IP-based metropolitan routers and carrier-class features with Marconi's broad portfolio of carrier-class products, including multiservice switch-routers, optical transport and broadband access solutions, and its softswitch.
Initially, Marconi and Riverstone will focus their partnership on bringing carrier-class metro Ethernet solutions to carriers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). As demand for packet-voice solutions increases, the partnership will expand to include carriers around the world. Marconi will provide service and support to joint customers, such as Jersey Telecom.
"This partnership allows Riverstone and Marconi to combine their networking strengths to bring carrier-class solutions to telecommunications providers around the world," said Andrew Feldman, Riverstone's vice president of corporate marketing and development.
"Leveraging Marconi's multiservice technology and relationships in EMEA and Riverstone's carrier-class technology, the partnership delivers a compelling solution to carriers that want to transition to converged networks."
With a commitment to developing carrier-class technology, Riverstone and Marconi are combining technology and networking expertise to deliver a new breed of solutions to carriers worldwide.
Riverstone's RS family of routers brings telecommunications carriers the powerful tools they need to deliver advanced metro Ethernet and multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) virtual private network (VPN) services. Like Marconi's products, Riverstone's routers provide the carrier-class resiliency and redundancy features telecommunications providers require.
Marconi's Wide Area Networking strengths help service providers maximize the financial return on their current networks while providing them with the flexibility to add next-generation services as those services become profitable.
Marconi's switch-router platforms scale from 2.5 to 480 Gbps for both the broadband service delivery and core transport markets and are deployed in a variety of network domains, including multi-service network infrastructures, VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) aggregation, Internet access and Internet infrastructure, packet-based tandem voice switches and carrier-managed business services.
"As Riverstone and Marconi worked together to solve a specific set of packet-service solutions for various customers, it became clear that Riverstone's packet-based solutions for metropolitan networking environments meshed very well with Marconi's voice-over-packet solutions and our strong, connection-oriented, multiservice, WAN expertise," said Tom Murray, VP marketing for Marconi's Broadband Routing and Switching group.