Research and Markets: 2006 Research Available on Alcatel, Ciena, Cisco, and Other Optical Switching Products.

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of Optical Switching product research to their offerings. These reports, written by an objective 3rd party, contain insight and analysis of the product or service strengths and weaknesses, list of buying criteria and how the product or service fares in each category, and a comprehensive table of product or service metrics and specifications. These reports are useful for purchasers who need to evaluate products or as a source of competitive intelligence for vendors.

The following reports are now available:

Alcatel 1678 Metro Core Connect (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c46168)

Alcatel's 1678 Metro Core Connect is building traction thanks to its highly competitive density and footprint, as well as competitive data features, though it offers a higher entry point in terms of capacity.

Ciena CoreDirector (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?r=355412)

The Ciena CoreDirector provides mature GMPLS/ASON intelligence, UNI and E-NNI support, and high-end port density, but it lacks a cost- competitive entry point below 640 Gbps and scalability between 160 and 640 Gbps, limiting its competitiveness.

Cisco 15600 (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?r=355397)

Cisco's ONS 15600 Multiservice Switching Platform (MSSP) offers competitive density, multi-rate SFP optics and the ability to aggregate the installed base of ONS 15454 platforms, but it lacks features such as GMPLS and VT grooming.

Ericsson OMS3250 (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?r=355398)

Ericsson's OMS3250 supports 320 to 640 Gbps switch capacity, ASTN/GMPLS control and a full range of SDH, OTN, Ethernet and SAN interfaces. However, the required core subrack decreases density when switch capacity is scaled beyond 320 Gbps.

Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 4500 (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?r=355649)

Fujitsu's FLASHWAVE 4500 provides a simple, cost- effective migration from MSPP to MSSP configurations and supports advanced functionality such as Ethernet transport and RPR functionality; however, port density and capacity are still lagging.

Nortel Optical Cross Connect DX (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?r=355413)

Nortel's Optical Cross Connect DX provides a low- end entry point and a small footprint that reduce CapEx, although its lack of pluggable optics, meshed protection options, and synergy with the HDX diminish its appeal somewhat.

Nortel Optical Cross Connect HDX (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?r=355414)

Nortel's Optical Connect HDX series provides high-end scalability, integrated DWDM, and an ASTN/GMPLS control plane. However, its appeal is diminished somewhat by clumsy scalability beyond 640 Gbps and a lack of OSMINE certification.

Sycamore SN 16000 (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?r=355491)

The SN 16000 supports strong high-end scalability and enhanced packet intelligence on a flexible USC architecture, but it does not include an entry point below 160 Gbps and lacks positioning as part of a single-vendor edge-to- core solution.

Companies Mentioned:

* Alcatel

* Ciena

* Cisco

* Ericsson

* Fujitsu

* Nortel

* Sycamore