MARCH 17, 2008 -- ECI Telecom (search for ECI Telecom) has announced the 9000 Family of Carrier Ethernet products for metro transport and service delivery. The edge and metro core routers are the first products introduced within the context of ECI 1Net, the company's new product and services framework that will encompass offerings designed to enable carriers to transition from legacy networks to more packet-friendly infrastructures.
The 9000 Family includes two product series. The 9700 Series of Carrier Ethernet switch routers was designed to meet the requirements of metropolitan core networks where density, performance, and quality-of-service are critical. The 9200 Series targets the edge of the metro where cost optimization, form factor, and service aggregation are emphasized.
End-to-end, point-and-click provisioning and network management are requirements of carriers worldwide, ECI believes. Therefore, ECI has ensured that the 9000 Family is managed by the LightSoft network management system (NMS), which is also used by the company's XDM and BroadGate families of multi-service provisioning and transport platforms (MSPP/MSTP). By implementing LightSoft support in both the 9000 Family and the XDM and BroadGate families of WDM/ROADM and MSPPs, ECI says it can deliver a view of the network that is operationally one converged view, by managing Layers 1, 2 and 3 services via a single NMS. Technicians already familiar with transport operational methods will have a familiar approach and interface to turning up and managing new services based on Carrier Ethernet, the company says.
"The 9000 Family is the first Carrier Ethernet solution built with a transport-oriented mindset and approach to operational issues, featuring true carrier-class capabilities and an integrated solution with a common NMS, bringing WDM/ROADM, MSPP and now Carrier Ethernet into one operational network. The solution meets the stringent requirements for always-on services such as VoIP and IPTV," commented Rafi Maor, CEO and president of ECI Telecom.
The 9000 Family was tested and certified by the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) as meeting the MEF's standards for service delivery over both Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and 10-GbE interfaces. The 9000 Family also is designed to support a variety of protocols and standards, including IP and MPLS protocols, BFD, Ethernet OAM (e.g., 802.1ag), and more. Available in Q2 2008, the 9000 Family, including the flagship 9700 Series, is in multiple customer trials worldwide.
The 9700 Series of Carrier Ethernet switch routers provides 1,200 GbE ports per rack, or 120 10-GbE ports. Initially, the system supports 40 Gbits/sec per slot, with the ability to scale up to 100 Gbits/sec per slot and 1 Tbit/sec per shelf in the future. The platform's hierarchical quality-of-service implementation and scalable IP multicast enable side-by-side deployment of business (Layer 2 and 3 VPNs) and residential triple-play and IPTV services. The ShadeTree IP/MPLS control plane has been enhanced with features to enable the delivery of MEF services such as E-Line, E-LAN, and E-Tree along with the latest Ethernet OAM standards from the IEEE and ITU.
The 9700 Series includes native hardware acceleration necessary to support scalable deployment of Carrier Ethernet OAM performance and fault management protocols combined with the multilayer management capabilities of the LightSoft NMS. The SR9710 is a 10-slot, 400-Gbit/sec system, and the SR9705 is a five-slot, 200-Gbit/sec system with full interchangeability of line cards between platforms.
The 9200 Series of access switches and demarcation units is designed to deliver wire-speed performance in a small form factor for Ethernet aggregation and circuit emulation services. The 9200 Series complements the 9700 Series by providing Ethernet demarcation at the customer premises and cost-effective aggregation in the service providers' access network. Resilient Carrier Ethernet access rings are supported for better infrastructure utilization with fast service restoration. Migration of legacy services is supported through T1/E1 Circuit Emulation, enabling those services to be conveyed over the metro Ethernet network via MPLS.
The 9200 Series includes the AS9205 Fast Ethernet aggregation switch, the AS9220 multi-service aggregation switch, the DM9234 Ethernet demarcation unit, and the DM9225 demarcation unit.
The 9000 Family are the first products introduced under ECI's new 1Net framework concept. ECI 1Net focuses on helping service providers make an optimal transition to next-generation networks through a combination of multi-functional network equipment, fully integrated offerings, and a suite of professional support services. ECI says the framework enables them to provide a holistic approach to network migration; the fact that the 9000 Family can use the same NMS as the company's existing optical platforms illustrates the concept.
"The ability to simplify network planning and design means that service providers can reduce cost exposures over the long-run, as networks, services, and applications become increasingly complex. With ECI 1Net, service providers can turn to ECI as an established partner with a history of carrier-class networking expertise accumulated via a large installed base at the access, aggregation, and metro core level. ECI has made a name for itself by focusing on multifunction elements that deliver cost-effective options for carriers. ECI 1Net is an interesting way to convey and unify their product and service portfolios with a consistent set of values and requirements across access and metro networks," said Michael Howard, Principal Analyst, Infonetics Research.
"ECI's 9000 Family and its 1Net framework substantially simplify IP, Ethernet, and MPLS services through tools and techniques that are familiar to carriers around the world. Our market research has revealed that the combination of the WDM and Carrier Ethernet markets will be about $11 billion by 2011. ECI Telecom has the potential to gain substantial traction in this huge area," said Eve Griliches, program director, IDC.
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