Ciena Secures Packet Networking Win in South Africa with BitCo

Ciena^® Corporation (NASDAQ:CIEN, news, filings), the network specialist, today announced that South African telecommunications operator BitCo selected Ciena to upgrade its network to provide high-performance, cost-effective and scalable carrier-class Ethernet managed bandwidth services for enterprise and wholesale mobile backhaul connectivity.  Ciena worked with its BizConnect partner Adcomtec to provide BitCo a highly-reliable packet network architecture that supports the rapid turn-up of new services and predictable service delivery, using Ciena’s 3940 and 3920 Service Delivery Switches.

Key Facts:

• BitCo is a licensed telecommunications operator providing a one-stop connectivity solution that  can be easily tailored to meet the requirements of  local and regional enterprises, including PBX solutions, voice termination services and Carrier Ethernet based connectivity, as well as wholesale mobile backhaul services.

• Ciena’s MEF-certified packet networking solutions have been deployed in the Rustenburg and Bloemfontein regions and will also support other metropolitan areas, including Gauteng, Durban, Cape Town and Nelspruit.
• With Ciena’s 3940 and 3920, BitCo can quickly and easily turn-up services for new and existing customers and cost-effectively tailor and scale services according to the customer’s specific requirements and timeline.  Additionally, BitCo can offer its enterprise and wholesale customers sophisticated Quality of Service (QoS) features for its virtual private network (VPN), high-speed Internet, backup and VoIP services.
• The Ciena-based packet network includes G.8032 ring protection, providing BitCo with more effective interconnection between network elements, sub-50ms protection switching for all traffic, and increased network scalability.
• Adcomtec, a Ciena BizConnect partner, provided design assistance, support, technical resources and project management services.

Executive Quotes:

• “South African businesses, from small family-run companies to large corporations, depend on reliable, cost-effective Ethernet service delivery. BitCo makes communications work for our customers by reducing costs and increasing network reliability and uptime – making Ciena’s standard-based packet networking architecture a perfect fit for our business offerings. With Ciena’s packet networking solutions, we can give our enterprise customers the peace of mind that the network can handle their communication needs so that they can focus on growing their business and making a contribution to the economy.”
  -Michael Colin, Sales Director at BitCo 

• “Enterprises expect reliable connectivity services that can scale to meet their changing requirements – in a cost-effective manner and without delay. Ciena’s built-for-speed packet networking portfolio has been designed with these requirements in mind and will enable BitCo to continue to grow its presence in key metropolitan areas in South Africa.”
  -Nick Walden, Managing Director, EMEA Regional Carriers at Ciena  

Technology Background:

• Ciena’s purpose-built packet networking platforms are used by more than 150 carriers, wireless service providers and cable operators worldwide. They offer the industry’s richest set of OAM capabilities and support a wide range of key industry packet transport protocols, such as G.8032, PBB-TE and MPLS-TP thanks to the virtual switching capability native to Ciena’s packet portfolio.
• Ciena’s packet networking platforms are complemented by the company’s Network Transformation Solutions (NTS) and BizConnect partner program that offer a truly consultative approach to Ciena partners along with joint marketing and sales support.

Supporting Resources:

• Data sheet: 3940 Service Delivery Switch 
• Data sheet: 3920 Service Delivery Switch   
• Blog Post: What the MEF’s CE2.0 initiative means for the industry
• Chalk Talk: G.8032 – Ethernet Rings Chalk Talk

About BitCo
BitCo is a Licensed Telecommunications Provider (0135/IECNS/JAN/2009) providing PBX, VoIP, least cost routing and wireless connections. Providing superior telephony solutions from small and medium enterprises to large corporations including call centres and multi-branch operations. Through the use of the most advanced technology available, BitCo offers flexibility and feature-rich IP Telephony Solutions to cater for specific business and communication requirements.

About Adcomtec
Adcomtec (Pty) Ltd is a value added reseller that builds turn-key next-generation high speed and high capacity networks from the customer access all the way through the network core. While modern high capacity data requirements can stress existing network quality, Adcomtec Integrated Customer Service Assurance tools from Accanto and a leading solution for Geo-Location of network events and traffic, combined with network-based analysis and subscriber-based intelegence from Groundhog to enable network operators to manage QoS challenges. 

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. Ciena leverages its deep expertise in packet and optical networking and distributed software automation to deliver solutions in alignment with OPⁿ, its approach for building open next-generation networks. We enable a high-scale, programmable infrastructure that can be controlled and adapted by network-level applications, and provide open interfaces to coordinate computing, storage and network resources in a unified, virtualized environment. For updates on Ciena news, follow us on Twitter @Ciena or on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/ciena. Investors are encouraged to review the Investors section of our website at www.ciena.com/investors, where we routinely post press releases, SEC filings, recent news, financial results, and other announcements. From time to time we exclusively post material information to this website along with other disclosure channels that we use.

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 September 11, 2013. 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.

Kacie Levy
Ciena Corporation
+1 (410) 865-8964
pr@ciena.com

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