April 24, 2006 Linthicum, MD -- GlobalConnect, a Denmark-based telecom infrastructure provider, has named Ciena as its preferred supplier of 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10-GbE) DWDM and SDH transport and switching equipment. The provider has deployed Ciena's CN 4200 FlexSelect advanced services platform for 10G DWDM metro and regional transport, as well as the company's CN 3600 intelligent optical multi-service switch for SDH and future Layer 2 Ethernet applications.
In the initial deployments for GlobalConnect, Ciena says its CN 4200 platform is enabling a 10G DWDM backbone for aggregating and transporting Ethernet, IP, and other services between Copenhagen and Hamburg; the CN 3600 platform is optimizing switching between high-capacity, high-order and low-order SDH traffic, while also offering flexibility to enable Layer 2 Ethernet services without a "forklift" upgrade.
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The company says its CN 4200 is the among the first multi-service transport and service aggregation platforms capable of supporting migration to packet services for networks transitioning from TDM technology, via technology such as ITU G.709, software-defined service ports, and remote service provisioning and management capabilities. Further, the company says its CN 3600 platform complements the CN 4200 by allowing customers to fully utilize their existing infrastructure with the addition of next-generation Ethernet functionality. Ciena's ON-Center element and network management system supports both products.
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"We usually don't have the luxury of deploying equipment before the market demands the services, but with Ciena's solutions we're able to meet the current demand while at the same time establishing a flexible, next-generation network that will allow us to better compete by being ahead of the technology curve," comments Peter Olsen, CTO at GlobalConnect. "While we are focused on 10 GbE today, our customers may need STM-64 or 10G Fibre Channel tomorrow, so the CN 4200's software-defined service flexibility gives us a future-proof business plan to meet evolving customer demands by adding new services without network disruption."
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"This is a significant win for us, not only because it was a competitive environment, but also because it demonstrates the business value of our specialized FlexSelect solutions," remarks Francois Locoh-Donou, vice president and general manager, EMEA, at Ciena. "Like many of today's carriers, GlobalConnect is faced with a highly-competitive market and shifting customer demands, so having a network that can respond on-demand to current and future customer requests without requiring new equipment or major operational investments is a key building block to a more profitable business."
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