DURHAM/N.H., MARTINSRIED/MUNICH, Germany, and MAHWAH, N.J., Nov. 15, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- ADVA Optical Networking is the first communications equipment company to complete a rigorous, 100-point custom test suite devised at the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) to gauge both compliance with the newly-published IEEE 802.3ah-2004 Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) specification and actual readiness for deployment.
Enterprise reliance on Internet and intranet applications continues to grow, and demand is intensifying for services such as local area network (LAN) extension, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP), remote storage, supply-chain management and distributed work sharing. Despite a clear revenue opportunity, challenges in the access portion of metropolitan area network infrastructures have largely prevented carriers from profitably introducing managed Ethernet offerings to enterprise customers on a wide scale.
Ratification of the EFM standards in mid-2004 changed the parameters of this market opportunity, defining interconnection and interoperability among Ethernet access devices and core routers and switches connected over optical networks. ADVA was the first vendor to launch an Ethernet access transport system based on EFM standards in early 2004 with its Fiber Service Platform (FSP) 150 family of low-cost aggregation and demarcation devices. Carriers now have a simple, native-Ethernet access solution capable of supporting dedicated or shared services, protecting profit margins from high operational costs even in mainstream deployment and delivering the level of data security that enterprise customers demand.
The UNH-IOL tested ADVA's FSP 150 product family (CP and MO versions) against Clause 57, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OAM), and additional optical PHY-level specifications Clause 58 and Clause 59. An ADVA engineer was present on-site, providing input and feedback during testing. The actual test suite and a sample report are available on the UNH-IOL website at www.unh.edu/consortiums/efm/.
"We wrote a custom test suite that goes beyond the mandatory items stipulated by the IEEE clauses, which in access networks we feel would be limited in scope," said Eric Lynskey, UNH-IOL EFM Consortium manager. "The tool we have created allows us to cast a wide net in terms of how comprehensive and detailed the testing can be. We've learned over years of testing that new products are rarely built precisely to the blueprints of the standard."
ADVA's devices were tested against the IEEE P802.3ah-2004 specifications for OAM remote loopback, variable query, and link event notification functionality and the full battery of mandatory items specified within IEEE P802.3ah-2004 Clause 57. The UNH-IOL test setup also comprises all Ethernet point-to-point physical layers, including EPON. Annual membership dues for the UNH-IOL EFM Consortium allow vendors like ADVA to test numerous devices over the course of a year for a single fee. ADVA used its membership in the EFM Consortium to simultaneously test two IEEE 802.3ah-2004 implementations since joining the consortium in August.
"Carrier-class Ethernet solutions require proven interoperability across the new EFM standard to facilitate a faster, more reliable industry rollout. The UNH-IOL is taking a lead role to building the reference testing solution for the industry. Given the strong interest our FSP 150 platform and substantial first deployments in carrier networks, we are extremely pleased to be the first to complete the interoperability qualification," said Brian P. McCann, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at ADVA.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE INTEROPERABILITY LABORATORY
Established in 1988, the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) is a non-profit organization that offers comprehensive interoperability and conformance-based testing through 19 technology-based groups, called consortiums. Test solutions created at the UNH-IOL offer a set of methods to increase interoperability through protocol operations, signaling, point-to-point and multi-system scenarios. For more information, visit the UNH-IOL website at: www.iol.unh.edu.
ABOUT ADVA OPTICAL NETWORKING
ADVA Optical Networking (FSE:ADV) is a leading global provider of optical networking solutions for rapid and cost-effective provisioning of high-speed data, storage, voice, and video services in the metropolitan area. ADVA's carrier-class Fiber Service Platform (FSP) product portfolio is explicitly designed to enhance services, simplify networks, and reduce the total cost of ownership. ADVA's solutions have been deployed at over 90 carriers and several thousand enterprises worldwide. ADVA's products are sold through an international network of blue-chip distribution partners in addition to its own direct sales force.
PUBLISHED BY: University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory, Durham/New Hampshire, USA ADVA Optical Networking Inc., Mahwah/New Jersey, USA ADVA AG Optical Networking, Martinsried/Munich and Meiningen, Germany ADVA Optical Networking Corp., Tokyo, Japan www.advaoptical.com FOR PRESS AND INVESTORS: UNH-IOL Communications Chris Volpe +1 603.862.4349 volpe@iol.unh.edu EFM Consortium Manage Eric Lynskey +1 603.862.3499 elynskey@iol.unh.edu ADVA Optical Networking Alexa M. Schmidt t +1 201 258 8293 (U.S.) t +49 89 89 06 65 240 (Europe) t +81 3 5408 5891 (Asia) public-relations@advaoptical.com
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