Carrier Ethernet Service Delivery platforms provide scalable bandwidth, high reliability and automated provisioning to help accelerate Comcast’s expansion to serve mid-sized businesses
LINTHICUM, Md. — 06/20/2011
Ciena® Corporation (NASDAQ:CIEN, news, filings), the network specialist, today announced that its Carrier Ethernet Service Delivery (CESD) platforms are being deployed by Comcast as customer premise equipment for business services and wireless backhaul. Comcast’s recently announced Metro Ethernet services are now available in more than 20 major U.S. markets, with expansion into new markets planned in the months ahead.
As one of the nation’s leading providers of entertainment, information and communications products and services, Comcast offers a portfolio of Metro Ethernet services targeted at addressing the needs of larger businesses. Serving customers from an IP network featuring more than 147,000 miles of fiber optic cable, Comcast now offers companies with 20-500 employees, multiple sites and high-bandwidth needs Ethernet Private Line, Ethernet Virtual Private Line, Ethernet Network and Ethernet Dedicated Internet Access services. The services range from 1 Mbps to 10 Gbps and come with three different classes of service backed by service level agreements and continuous monitoring from Comcast’s dedicated NOCs.
“As a part of our MEF-certified, multi-vendor infrastructure for delivering Metro Ethernet services, Ciena provides flexible and reliable Ethernet access platforms so we can deploy quickly in a wide range of environments, whether a wiring closet in an office building, an outside wall of a school or at a cell site,” said Kevin O’Toole, senior vice president of product management and strategy, Comcast Business Services. “In addition, the ability to remotely increase a customer’s bandwidth via software without rolling a truck or manually touching the box simplifies our operations and improves the customer experience.”
Comcast is deploying Ciena’s LE-311v, which is part of a family of service delivery and aggregation platforms that address a wide range of application and service requirements. Leveraging advanced software to power zero-touch, automated device configuration and service provisioning, Ciena’s Carrier Ethernet portfolio can deliver up to 60 percent faster service provisioning and as much as 40 percent reduction in operational expense compared to manual deployments.
“Metro Ethernet has always been viewed as an optimal solution for mid-sized organizations struggling for more scalable bandwidth options to support their business, but the challenge was literally availability – they couldn’t get it. With its nationwide fiber optic network and extensive fiber reach within its markets, Comcast’s Metro Ethernet services will help eliminate that availability issue while offering a completely separate option for network and service diversity,” said Mike Aquino, senior vice president, global field organization at Ciena. “Used for both business services and wireless backhaul, this deployment speaks directly to our Carrier Ethernet platforms forming a comprehensive portfolio for Ethernet service delivery in terms of flexible deployment options, service offerings, operational efficiency and price-for-performance.”
To help accelerate its Metro Ethernet services strategy, Comcast has joined Ciena’s BizConnect global partner program as a designated Managed Service Provider partner that gives the operator access to customized marketing programs, product and industry knowledge resources, Carrier Ethernet training and certifications, as well as technical and sales support.
About Ciena
Ciena is the network specialist. We collaborate with customers worldwide to unlock the strategic potential of their networks and fundamentally change the way they perform and compete. With focused innovation, Ciena brings together the reliability and capacity of optical networking with the flexibility and economics of Ethernet, unified by a software suite that delivers the industry’s leading network automation. We routinely post recent news, financial results and other important announcements and information about Ciena on our website. For more information, visit www.ciena.com.
Note to Ciena Investors
Forward-looking statements. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof; and Ciena’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and uncertainties associated with its business, which include the risk factors disclosed in its Report on Form 10-Q, which Ciena filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 9, 2011. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding Ciena’s expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will,” and “would” or similar words. Ciena assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Nicole Anderson
Ciena Corporation
(877) 857 -7377
pr@ciena.com
Investor Contacts:
Gregg Lampf
Ciena Corporation
(888) 243 6223
ir@ciena.com
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