Metrobility Addresses Carrier Ethernet Challenges with First Comprehensive Access Architecture; Metrobility's AccessServices(TM) allows providers to support Ethernet service level agreements edge-to-edge.

MERRIMACK, N.H. -- Metrobility Optical Systems, the pioneer in optical Ethernet demarcation solutions for the deployment of carrier Ethernet services, today unveiled its AccessServices(TM) architecture, a purpose-built framework for its full line of Ethernet access solutions. Advanced feature enhancements enable service providers to deliver more robust carrier Ethernet service performance guarantees to business users by enhancing management intelligence at the customer edge.

"The Metrobility products supporting carrier Ethernet have evolved along with the maturation of the market as a whole. Metrobility has adapted to the needs of service providers that want a full-service management approach to offering Ethernet services to business users. Metrobility's AccessServices architecture addresses the morass of challenges in delivering Ethernet services in the access network," said Michael Howard, principal analyst, Service Provider Optical, Routing, & Metro Ethernet and co-founder of Infonetics Research.

Metrobility's AccessServices is the architecture on which Metrobility builds and introduces new enhancements to its line of Ethernet Demarcation Devices. (See related beta announcement today.) Feature enhancements available to carriers solve many of the challenges faced in cost effectively deploying and managing carrier Ethernet services in the access network, including:

--Adding more value: Metrobility's AccessServices enable service providers to leverage their existing network infrastructure and supports a variety of Layer 2 and 3 management models, including SNMP, IEEE 802.3ah, IP, MPLS and VPLS. With AccessServices, service providers can offer new revenue generating services without adding complexity to their network.

--Proactive and accurate performance measurements: An embedded service performance assurance test head allows service providers to test and measure the performance of a single service, end-to-end, without intruding on other services being provided on the same connection. This provides carriers a real-world measurement of network performance to better support quality of service guarantees.

--Cost-effective service delivery and management: AccessServices utilizes existing standards from the IEEE, IEFT, ITU-T and MEF to ensure interoperability in multi-vendor deployments and enables innovation where standards have not been defined. For example, AccessServices can minimize the number of connections required for service delivery and management, thereby saving access charges when the provider is out-of-franchise.

--Reduced OPEX in service provisioning: AccessServices automates service provisioning, service creation and delivery by enabling the automatic discovery of the demarcation device and automatically pushing policies to the device to speed provisioning and reduce operational expenses. An easy-to-use, point-and-click configuration wizard allows off-line network administrators to set up the parameters of a service. These parameters include VLAN assignments, loopback MAC address, DHCP settings, security settings, traps, traffic engineering, upstream and downstream bandwidth provisioning, L2 control protocols, and EVC designations. Once configured, the parameters are automatically written to a configuration command file that can be downloaded to each device from the central office.

--Simplified service delivery: Multi-layer/multi-service network models enable service on any port utilizing Layer 2, MPLS, Pseudowires, or VPLS to map different business models onto a single edge device whether in-franchise or out-of-franchise. Enabling these services at the edge simplifies service delivery deeper in the network, offloading many of the learning and forwarding requirements from the service edge router.

--More secure and scalable configurations: AccessServices supports multi-layer management and OAM to allow providers to use IP management, proxy-based IP-less management using IEEE 802.3ah and the emerging SNMP over Ethernet for more secure and scalable in-franchise and out-of-franchise configurations. A consolidated EMS framework manages not only the transport, EVCs, and MPLS LSPs and Pseudowires but also the services that run within those connections and map into existing back-end systems.

"Our goal is to offer a future-proof family of products that will enable service providers to more rapidly deploy and gain new and greater value from carrier Ethernet," said Manu Kaycee, vice president of product strategy and management for Metrobility. "This requires moving from best-effort service creation and verification to a full-service management model, where cost-effective, protected, edge-to-edge services can support bandwidth provisioning and varied quality of service guarantees negotiated with each customer."

Metrobility was the first company to introduce a product to complement the IEEE 802.3ah standard, and since the 2003 introduction, Metrobility has aligned its Ethernet demarcation products to MEF requirements for carrier Ethernet and emerging standards from the IEEE, IETF and ITU-T. Metrobility's intelligent optical Ethernet demarcation devices have received certifications from the MEF and UNH IOL.

About Metrobility Optical Systems

Metrobility is an optical Ethernet equipment manufacturer focused on accelerating the deployment of carrier-class Ethernet services to business users. Its Radiance product family enables service providers to connect, access, multiplex, manage and simplify networks at the customer edge, enabling fast, simple, seamless service creation and comprehensive service verification capabilities to increase the revenue potential and reduce the capital and operational expenditures of Ethernet service offerings. Metrobility is an ISO 9001:2000 registered company based in Merrimack, New Hampshire USA with distribution in more than 40 countries worldwide. Metrobility has more than 15 years of experience in Ethernet, with more than 70 service providers and thousands of large enterprises utilizing Metrobility's products worldwide. More information on Metrobility Optical Systems can be found at www.metrobility.com.