Ericsson introduces Packet Backbone Network

Ericsson introduces Packet Backbone Network - A multiservice foundation for next generation networks - Ericsson's multiservice data backbone offers high bandwidth and availability for converged Internet, business-class, and real-time voice/multimedia services. At CommunicAsia in Singapore, Ericsson today showcased for the first time in Asia its Packet Backbone Network (PBN) - an architectural model and portfolio of carrier-class IP and ATM data infrastructure products. Ericsson's circuit-to-packet wireline (ENGINE) and wireless (Mobile Internet and 3G) operator transition solutions are both supported by PBN. All elements of Ericsson's PBN are now commercially available, including the newly offered AXI 540 Edge Aggregation Router. Ericsson's architecture for the new public network separates backbone elements, call control intelligence and user applications, and deploys them on purpose-built platforms that are optimized for each component. This de-coupling allows network operators to offer ubiquitous portability and mobility of user services such as secure transaction services, personalized communications tools and unified messaging while tying together wireless and wireline access over an IP or ATM-based backbone. The new public network is a term commonly used in the US to describe the type of next generation networks that combine the established telecom networks (PSTN) with the Internet, providing PSTN levels of quality and reliability also for data traffic. The Ericsson PBN provides the backbone elements for these kinds of next generation networks. "Increasingly, operators' success is coming from their ability to quickly roll out and manage new services and applications that encompass data, voice and video information streams," said Mike Thurk, President of Ericsson Datacom Inc. "PBN is the first packet-based backbone network designed to meet the needs of leading-edge operators. By combining the flexibility of today's Internet with the '5-nines' quality and reliability standards, Ericsson will offer the same carrier-grade network integrity it has delivered for decades to wireline and wireless voice customers." Ericsson's PBN portfolio includes a collection of ultra-scalable hardware platforms (AXD 301, AXI 520, AXI 540) and a comprehensive suite of management applications (Multiservice Management Suite). With PBN, operators have a rich choice for configuring highly scalable end-to-end systems for graceful transition to multiservice networks that ensures telecom-grade resiliency and serviceability, powerful IP border routing for peering into other IP networks, advanced QoS (Quality of Service) and network engineering capabilities, and a comprehensive management solution. "As wireline and wireless operators optimize their networks for high volumes of data and multimedia traffic, a common backbone infrastructure is essential," said Christin Flynn, Senior Analyst of Carrier Convergence Infrastructure for the Yankee Group. "By implementing PBN as the common IP-based backbone, operators have a scalable solution to tie all of their wireless and wireline access technologies together." Many Ericsson customers, such as BT (British Telecom), Vodafone Airtouch, Telefónica, Diveo (Diginet Americas) and eircom, have already adopted the ENGINE or Mobile Internet transition programs and have begun deployment of platforms from the Ericsson PBN. In order to provide network operators with optimal support for Internet/IP-based services, the PBN is designed with open standards to support state-of-the-art Internet Routing Protocols such as IP Differentiated Services (DiffServ), Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP4). The PBN solution also employs Ericsson's innovative range of DWDM optical networking products known as ERIcsson Optical Networking (ERION). Ericsson's PBN portfolio currently includes the following: * The AXD 301 High-Performance ATM Switch scales to 160 Gigabits per second with interfaces up to OC-48/STM-16 (2.5 Gbps). The AXD 301 has been optimized to handle both real-time voice traffic and IP data traffic. * The AXI 520 IP Core Routers are used to build highly scalable IP core networks and provide for high-end inter-operator peering. Available in both 4 and 8-slot versions, the AXI 520 scales to more than 40 million packets per second and links up to OC-48/STM-16. * The AXI 540 Edge Aggregation Router offers wire-speed routing, high- density traffic aggregation, and advanced traffic management features such as service differentiation, VPN provisioning, and traffic engineering. The AXI 540 is extremely scalable, handling up to 400 routing peers and 40,000 subscribers. In addition, the router throughput scales to over 20 Gbps and more than 20 million packets per second. Over 2,500 T1s can be terminated into the unit and it can easily interface with frame relay, cell-based (ATM) and circuit-switched networks. * The Multiservice Management Suite (MMS) is a comprehensive portfolio of carrier-class IP and ATM management applications that provides unified management of PBN. Ericsson's MMS provides operators transitioning to an IP-based environment, with a flexible management system that designs and monitors networks, handles provisioning and billing for services, and guarantees the quality of service offerings. The architecture of the MMS is standards based including a combination of Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) and central database and directory services that may be shared between the management applications. This standards based approach combined with Ericsson's integration services allows operators to utilize existing legacy systems and augment them with new management applications. MMS incorporates both Ericsson developed applications, and those from leading third party vendors. For more information on the PBN, visit Ericsson Datacom's website at: www.ericsson.com/datacom To learn more about ENGINE, Ericsson's suite of multiservice network solutions, please visit: http://www.ericsson.se/ngn/ To learn more about Ericsson's leading range of 3G and 3G transition solutions, please visit: http://www.ericsson.com Ericsson is the leading communications supplier, combining innovation in mobility and Internet in creating the new era of mobile Internet. Ericsson provides total solutions covering everything from systems and applications to mobile phones and other communications tools. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for customers all over the world. Read more at: http://www.ericsson.com/pressroom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Paula Angel-Jones, Director Public Relations, Ericsson Datacom Inc. Phone: +1 781 505 6245; E-mail: paula.angel-jones@ericsson.com James Borup, Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 70 590 9261; E-mail: james.borup@lme.ericsson.se Birgitta Pettersson, Marcom and Press Relations Director Ericsson Telecommunications Pte Ltd. (Singapore) Phone: +65 9 658 3043; E-mail: birgitta.pettersson@eno.ericsson.se ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/06/05/20000605BIT00380/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/06/05/20000605BIT00380/bit0002.pdf