Ottawa Based DIATEM Networks and NCIT Showcase Leading-Edge Technology At Internet2 in Hawaii.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 26, 2004

The National Capital Institute of Telecommunications and DIATEM Networks Inc. announced that they will demonstrate today, leading edge technology in the area of Dynamic Services Control over Optical Ethernet Networks at this year's Internet2's JointTech's Workshop in Honolulu, Hawaii.

"This type of platform is essential if we want to see applications like tele-medicine, and tele-robotics realized. It can guarantee service even on a network heavily loaded with best effort traffic as it provides the level of control needed to ensure delivery of the above type of applications," says Dr. Dan Ionescu, Professor at the University of Ottawa, Director of the Network Computing and Control Laboratory, and Chief Technology Officer and Founder of DIATEM Networks.

The demonstration to be conducted at 5 pm EST on January 26th will illustrate a live multi-vendor broadband demonstration broadcast by videoconference to Hawaii from Ottawa. The technological advances, developed in Ottawa, included a demonstration of dynamic control of connectivity and Classes of Service (COS) over the NCIT(i)net, an advanced research and production network based on Ethernet-over-DWDM technology. The applications used in the demonstration will be video-conferencing and video-on-demand where multiple video streams competed for bandwidth with 100% best-effort traffic.

The demonstration will prove that, in a network environment the delivery of services with guaranteed quality of service parameters is feasible only in the presence of a dynamic service control platform. On the NCIT(i)net, NCIT's advanced research network, using dynamic services control provided by DIATEM's NETPortal Service Control Platform, the performance of applications was guaranteed, in accordance with the assigned Quality of Service (QoS) parameters. The need for enhanced service control is a mandatory technical requirement to support the widespread adoption of new data communication services. Today's demonstration illustrates how service providers and network operators can leverage leading-edge services control systems such as that provided by DIATEM Networks, to effectively deliver advanced Optical Ethernet services over existing data networks, today.

"Without the strong collaboration of academia and industry, and the opportunity to experiment over a live network, such a break through in technology would not have been possible. The NCIT played a pivotal role in making this happen," added Dr Ionescu.

DIATEM Networks NETPortal Service Control Platform, used in today's demonstration is currently in production at Telecom Ottawa, an Ottawa-based utility telecom provider. "Our all-optical, next generation Ethernet-based network is operated exclusively through DIATEM's platform, delivering advanced services in support of our customer service levels and significantly reducing network operating expenditures, " said Dave Dobbin, Telecom Ottawa Chief Operating Officer. "It provides us with the capabilities of one-touch service configuration, provisioning and activation, across multi-vendor equipment."

"It is precisely the NCIT's unique ability to cull resources from its membership providing large corporate capacity to local research based technology companies that brings Ottawa based innovation to the global community," explains Dr. Robert Crawhall, NCIT President. "This international coverage will no doubt result in a new generation of product development and a strong network for future business. The NCIT is a collaboration success story for the Government of Ontario - supporting economic development in the new era of telecom research and development. The NCIT's support in growing Ontario's research capacity in the exciting emerging technology area of VOIP and next generation networking tools is another example of the NCIT collaboration success story."

The demonstration was conducted in partnership with the University of Ottawa's Network Computing and Control Technologies Laboratory (NCCT), Communications Research Centre Canada's (CRC) Broadband Applications and Demonstration Laboratory (BADLAB(TM)) ,Canarie's Advanced Research and Development Network Operation Centre (ARDNOC) and the Internet2.

The NCIT offers solid value to more than 20 Members and Research Partners to date through its mandate and funding from the Ontario Government's Research and Development Challenge Fund (ORDCF) and investment from the Canadian Funds for Innovation (CFI) and the Ontario Innovation Trust (OIT).

ABOUT THE NCIT

Founded in 1999, the NCIT is a fourth pillar organization that unites the capabilities of the National Capital region's federal laboratories, universities, colleges, global corporations and small and medium enterprises to engage in managed strategic research thrusts. The NCIT builds sustainable engineering research infrastructure and develops new channels to commercialization reflecting the evolution of the Information and Communications sector. The Ottawa community is prolific in converting technology to world leading products. The NCIT is a novel approach to maximizing the potential of the region. NCIT members include: Bell Canada, Nortel Networks, Alcatel Canada, QNX, Rational Software, Communications Research Centre Canada, National Research Council Canada, the University of Ottawa, Carleton University, Algonquin College and the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI). NCIT receives research funding from the Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund and the research infrastructure support Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Innovation Trust. www.ncit.ca

ABOUT DIATEM NETWORKS

DIATEM Networks is the leading developer of real-time service control systems for Metro Ethernet networks. DIATEM's solutions enable service providers to expand revenues by providing highly differentiated, advanced Ethernet services. DIATEM provides the industry's only solution to empower its customers to offer on-demand Ethernet services with quantifiable Class and Quality of Service attributes through industry leading Service Level Agreements. Leveraging years of telecommunications research, DIATEM lowers operating costs by extensive use of process automation, integrated network engineering and real-time feedback and control, simplifying service provisioning, maintaining service integrity and maximizing network resource utilization. www.diatem.com.