CERN Opts for Alcatel IP Core Network Router for Trans-Atlantic Testbed.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 27, 2003

Carrier-grade reliability, unmatched scalability of Alcatel 7770

pivotal to selection by European Organization for Nuclear Research 

Alcatel (NYSE:ALA), a worldwide leader in communications carrier-class network infrastructure solutions, today announced selection of the Alcatel 7770 IP Core Router by CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, for its trans-Atlantic multi-vendor testbed called DataTAG.

Several major international Grid (software and hardware resource sharing systems) development projects are underway within the European Community and in the U.S. The DataTAG project is creating a large-scale intercontinental Grid testbed that will focus on advanced networking issues and interoperability between these intercontinental Grid domains, hence extending the capabilities of each and enhancing the worldwide program of Grid development.

The Alcatel 7770 provides a carrier-grade reliable IP (Internet Protocol) core network for DataTAG's Grid, whose main centers are in CERN's Internet Exchange in Geneva and the Starlight Internet Exchange in Chicago. The Alcatel 7770 will be part of the production and research networking infrastructure carrying the international traffic of more than 6500 scientists, representing about half of the world's particle physicists. More than 500 universities and over 80 nationalities have joined this highly-esteemed research organization.

"CERN's success is predicated on international collaboration and dependable high-speed data networking to support our time critical and demanding Grid computing applications," said Olivier Martin of CERN, DataTAG project leader. "We use this IP backbone to explore innovative ways to share and diffuse our scientific and technical information - and need IP network equipment that can guarantee bandwidth without delays or interruptions. The Alcatel 7770 provides a robust, scalable carrier-class infrastructure to meet our mission-critical demands."

"The Alcatel 7770 provides an IP core network that is unmatched for reliability and scalability," said Michel Rahier, president of Alcatel's fixed networking activities. "CERN's selection of the Alcatel 7770 IP Core Router demonstrates that lowering network costs while increasing network reliability are critical factors so that customers, such as CERN, can focus on their core business and not on their network."

About the Alcatel 7770 IP Core Router

The Alcatel 7770 delivers true telco-grade reliability, based on the Alcatel Carrier Environment Internet System (ACEIS) - an essential component of building five nines (99.999 percent) reliability into IP core networks. In addition, unparalleled scalability from 100 Gb/s to 1.9 Tb/s of line capacity means the 7770 IP Core Router will grow in line with IP networks for significantly longer than existing routers. The Alcatel 7770 was designed specifically for true carrier-class networking: a turning point for the Internet core. With its combined scalability and ACEIS technology, operators can avoid spending up to 50 percent more for the same network performance. Higher service availability and performance ensure premium revenue opportunities, which are further enhanced by superior traffic management capabilities.

About Alcatel

Alcatel provides end-to-end communications solutions, enabling carriers, service providers and enterprises to deliver contents to any type of user, anywhere in the world. Leveraging its long-term leadership in telecommunications networks equipment as well as its expertise in applications and network services, Alcatel enables its customers to focus on optimizing their service offerings and revenue streams. With sales of Euro 16.5 billion in 2002, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, http://www.alcatel.com

About CERN and DataTAG

CERN has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its member states are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Israel, Japan, the Russian Federation, the U.S., Turkey, the European Commission and Unesco have observer status.

The European DataTAG is a project funded by the European Union. It is led by CERN together with four other partners. The project brings together the following European leading research agencies: Italy's Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), France's Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA), the UK's Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), and the Dutch University of Amsterdam (UvA). The DataTAG project is very closely associated with the European Union DataGrid project, the largest Grid project in Europe also led by CERN.