Ericsson introduces powerful network management solutions for IP core router

Ericsson introduces powerful network management solutions for industry's leading IP core router - Growing strength in IP demonstrated by new cross platform management products and operator trials spanning three continents Ericsson today announced at Telecom99 integrated network management tools for high-speed IP router networks. The Network Resource Manager and Service Level Manager will be commercially available for Ericsson's AXI 520 gigarouter in the fourth quarter. Cross platform integration of IP core, edge and access routers will be available first quarter 2000, with support for 3G mobile data networks planned for later that year. The Network Resource Manager (NRM) and Service Level Manager (SLM) are key new additions to Ericsson's management framework for multi-service networks. The products currently are in trials, including a live application of packet over a WDM fiber backbone network. "NRM and SLM have fulfilled the first phase of our product strategy to add value to the Juniper gigarouter, and are part of our ongoing commitment to deliver carrier-class cross platform integration for IP and 3G mobile data networks," said Mike Thurk, Vice President Ericsson Business Unit Datacom Networks and IP Services. "As our trials evolve to full deployment, customers can expect to see a high level of dedication to system integrity and professional services from Ericsson, with additional expertise in IP routing supplied by Juniper." Ericsson has achieved significant milestones since a March 1999 strengthening the agreement with Juniper. Over the seven months, the Ericsson AXI 520 has been installed in more than ten active field trials that span three continents and cover a breadth of applications including: @ IP subscriber management and service provisioning @ Implementation and management of Quality of Service for carrier class services over IP @ Multi-vendor MPLS interoperability for traffic engineering and IP over ATM @ Packet over WDM, SDH and SONET The AXI 520 is the first gigabit routing system designed specifically to enable operators and service providers meet their customers' rapidly growing requirements for IP-based services and network bandwidth. It plays a key role in Ericsson's IP core infrastructure product family. The Ericsson - Juniper strategic alignment enables carriers and ISPs to take full advantage of Ericsson's systems integration and turnkey support, global distribution and professional services, while benefiting from Juniper's extensive IP backbone routing experience. Ericsson's NRM and SLM greatly strengthen the leadership of this platform by streamlining the complex issues of managing a high-speed IP network. The products add value to a number of operations platforms that interact with higher-layer systems for provisioning and monitoring of services in an IP network. Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over. Please visit Ericsson's Press Room at: http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Antoinette Torell, Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 70 519 3699; E-mail: antoinette.torell@lme.ericsson.se About the Network Resource Manager Network Resource Manager 1.0 is a Java-based application that allows operators to provision and monitor a complete IP Backbone Router network from a simple Web browser. This Web-based solution allows for complete mobility of operators and network administrators to work from any point (client) on the network independent of platform of that particular station and interact with the core application (server) at any remote point in the network. The NRM offers an intuitive GUI front-end covering some of the most complex router configuration options available today. The application provides syntax and integrity checking functions to validate configurations before they are deployed in the network increasing the stability and availability of the network for service providers as well as users. Significant features of the NRM include detailed graphing of the network for each individual routing protocol as configured through protocol-sensitive topologies, browser-based client module and an encrypted export mechanism that provides secure deployment from the central provisioning center to distributed IP routers. About the Service Level Manager Service Level Manager 1.0 is an umbrella integration system for collecting, filtering and correlating network events to provisioned services. This system is based on the widely deployed Netcool/OMNIbus fault correlation product from Micromuse, enabling network managers to achieve interoperability across a wide range of platforms from multiple vendors. The SLM uses a Syslog Probe and protocol specific Internet Service Monitors to collect data from the IP network. The Service Level Manager allows operators to better manage alarms generated from a complex carrier network and permits the AXI 520 router to be seamlessly integrated into an existing Netcool/OMNIbus managed system. The system itself is a set of configuration files and rules, which enhance the functionality of the Netcool/OMNIbus product.