> This Week's Featured Products

Lord of the ROADM-Based Switched Rings

OpVista's scalable ROADM-based Switched Ring Architecture (SRA) enables ops to build regional optical transport networks with reconfigurability, scalability and traffic pattern flexibility. It consists of two elements: 1) ROADMs based on a broadcast and select architecture providing "point-and-click" reconfigurability; and 2) a switched ring network accommodating "any-to-any" traffic patterns with full protection switching.

SRA builds on OpVista's deployments of ROADM-based DWDM transport networks at major MSOs, supporting large-scale video-on-demand (VOD) systems as well as IP services for business and residential customers.

manufacturer's website

Fujitsu Looks to Enhance the Triple Play at Expo 2005

Fujitsu will demonstrate scalable, reliable triple-play solutions and discuss significant product enhancements during SCTE's Cable-Tec Expo 2005 this week in San Antonio, TX. Fully converged carrier-class optical transport solutions will be demonstrated in their booth covering the benefits of converged multiservice optical networks.

Also on display is the FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM with what the company calls "significant, generation-skipping advancements" including a wavelength selective switch (WSS), which delivers "the most advanced wavelength routing and topology migration capabilities available."

Fujitsu also is showing its advanced Ethernet service delivery options that include carrier Ethernet transport, high-density multiplexed GigE over DWDM, and Ethernet over SONET (EoS) solutions.

manufacturer's website

> Training, Certification and Management Services

SCTE Training Manuals Available from NCTI

Stop by the NCTI's booth at Cable-Tec Expo for information on purchasing some of SCTE's training publications. NCTI, which is SCTE's official training partner, is selling the publications under its own brand. The eight SCTE publications available through NCTI include:

• From Tap to Home: The SCTE Installation Manual (Student Manual; Leader Guide)
• A Practical Guide to Broadband Network Calculations (Student Manual; Leader Guide)
• Customer Service Essentials for Today's Technical Personnel (Student Manual; Leader Guide)
• Foundations for Delivering Quality Broadband Services (Student Manual; Leader Guide)

Also available is a Spanish language version of the training manual, Tap to Home: The NCTI Guide to Installation.

for more information

> VoViDa

Business VoIP To Ride a Whaleback

Whaleback Systems is unveiling its voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) business phone system at SCTE's Cable-Tec Expo in San Antonio.

"Whaleback Systems were built from the ground up for broadband. Our solution completes the business model for cable operators seeking to attract small and midsized business customers," Wray West, founder and VP of engineering for Whaleback Systems, reports.

By leveraging advanced technologies and the latest industry standards, Whaleback Systems are said to seamlessly integrate with a company's information technology network to simplify system management, automate processes to increases employee productivity, and streamline communications among remote employees. Unlike traditional PBX systems, Whaleback Systems are software-driven, enabling complete mobility and linear expandability.

Whaleback Systems features include optimal sound quality, auto-attendant, video calling and conferencing, desktop messaging, and linear expandability. The lifeline feature addresses a key concern by ensuring inbound and outbound calls in the event of a network interruption.

manufacturer's website

Have You Got New Voice, Video and Data Service in You?

Cisco is highlighting solutions at this week's SCTE Cable-Tec Expo that it says can drive your new voice, video and data services. On the enhanced PacketCable voice and multimedia front, Cisco is demonstrating advanced, SIP-enabled, residential voice and multimedia communications services such as video telephony and set-top-box integration. Cisco products on display are among the first to obtain PacketCable Multimedia (PCMM) 1.1 approval last month, including two Linksys E-MTAs and the Cisco MGX8880 media gateway.

Cisco also is showing its advanced mode DSG (DOCSIS set-top gateway). With soon-to-be-released Cisco IOS software that also includes admission control, advanced traffic engineering, and PCMM support on Cisco communications-grade CMTSs, ops can lay the groundwork to deploy unique, next-generation multimedia services and converge voice, video, and data traffic on a standards-based IP network.

manufacturer's website

Safari Hunts Out New Apps

At SCTE's Cable-Tec Expo, Cedar Point Communications is highlighting the ability of its SAFARI C3 Media Switching System to support a wide variety of applications, including TV-based picture caller ID; video telephony using SIP; and new business services, including hunt groups and virtual private networking capability.

According to Cedar Point, SAFARI C3 is the only totally integrated carrier class VoIP switch that incorporates — at no additional cost — all of the components that make up the PacketCable voice switching infrastructure, eliminating the need for ops to purchase, maintain, upgrade and regression test separate call management servers, media gateways, record keeping servers, announcement servers, signaling gateways, Ethernet switches and CALEA servers.

manufacturer's website

An Industry First: Support of Native 10 GigE Interfaces

Arroyo Video Solutions is showing off the technical prowess of its OnDemand system at SCTE's Cable-Tec Expo, featuring what is said to be the industry's First 10GigE demonstration. The demo also will showcase integration with leading providers of 10GigE technologies.

Arroyo also will highlight the "Always ON" benefits of its OnDemand architecture, showing how it can tolerate the failure of any component, without subscribers suffering any interruption to their VOD services. Visitors can see how the network overcomes simulated failures of components, such as Ethernet ports, to the failure of entire servers, with zero impact on the customer's VOD viewing experience.

manufacturer's website

> Headend

One CMTS Size Does Not Fit All

The Motorola Broadband Services Router 2000 (BSR 2000), is the newest member of the company's cable modem termination system (CMTS) products. The one-rack unit (1U) can be deployed as a stand-alone device, or in small clusters that support small- or medium-sized distribution hubs, multiple dwelling unit (MDU) facilities, or hospitality locations. The product is based on the DOCSIS 2.0 standard, and supports Motorola RFSentry functionality, which enables management of spectrum though an extra receiver port.

The BSR 2000 is architected for system redundancy and offers robust routing and quality of service (QoS). It also includes support for wireless broadband applications.

manufacturer's website

Digital Simulcast Technology Heats Up

EGT Inc. is showcasing digital simulcast technology at Cable-Tec Expo 2005. This year's display will feature solutions designed to maximize bandwidth efficiency and provide architectural flexibility.

Presto, available to the cable industry for the first time, can convert analog cue triggers into digital cue triggers for digital ad insertion. It is fully standards-based and interoperates with all DPI environments, making it the useful for digital ad insertion, program substitution and spot advertising for local VOD.

manufacturer's website

First Standards-Based Digital EAS for Analog Lineups

A standards-based, all-digital support for the Emergency Alert System (EAS) is available through RGB Networks' Simulcast Edge Processor (SEP), the cable industry's first complete solution for digital simulcast edge decoding and NTSC modulation. Based on RGB's advanced Video Intelligence Architecture (VIA), the SEP is the first product capable of providing EAS program switching support based on SCTE 18 standard messages for analog programming lineups.

As U.S. cable operators move toward "all-digital" systems, they are required to transition their EAS to an all-digital delivery architecture. Most EAS implementations today use a contact closure-based technology to signal an EAS alert, which requires additional wiring and does not integrate well with the new digital cable architecture. Taking advantage of modern, open-standard IP infrastructure and using In-Band SCTE 18-compliant messages, RGB's Simulcast Edge Processor streamlines EAS support, providing a simplified, seamless and highly reliable digital EAS system and parity between digital and analog services in a simulcast environment.

The SEP can switch all or a subset of programs to a digital EAS encoded program during an emergency alert. The digital EAS feature of the RGB SEP can be configured through its graphical user interface.

manufacturer's website

> Distribution

Reliable VoIP Deployments Rely on Testing

Acterna has added three new enhancements to its PathTrak Return Path Monitoring System — RPM-2000 card, WebView software and On-Site Optimization Service.

The addition of the RPM2000, WebView and On-site Optimization Services analysis tools reduces mean-time-to-repair and data analysis time. It also increases the speed, accessibility and accuracy of return path performance data critical to troubleshoot potential issues associated with VoIP service deployment before the problems reach customers, according to Acterna.

The PathTrak monitoring system powered by the new RPM2000 card is said to be ideal for collecting and storing data for hourly, daily, and weekly trending reports and alarms. The RPM2000 module is a redesigned high-speed return path analyzer developed for operators deploying, or planning to deploy, advanced services while facing the increased network performance and operations requirements demanded by VoIP. The design of the RPM2000 module, and the RPM1000, includes the processing power of digital signal processing (DSP) technology which conducts thousands of measurements per second, per port, and the proven signal sensing speed of an analog detector that enables sensing bursty noise down to 1 micro second. This hybrid combination of DSP and analog-detector design is made possible by the RPM200's increased DSP power.

Acterna says the PathTrak WebView speeds the deployment of VoIP while maintaining network security by allowing remote access to the troubleshooting feature used most frequently, the live spectrum analyzer, and trending reports based on performance history data via Internet Explorer for efficient preventative maintenance planning. This allows ops to access live spectrum views and generate reports from outside of the corporate LAN network to remotely troubleshoot upstream issues when needed.

An onsite service to ensure users get the most out of PathTrak, this service includes: refining the PathTrak configuration for optimum performance, providing system administrative refresher training, conducting comprehensive in-depth PathTrak system training. It also gives the user access to Acterna's OEM system/installation expertise, delivers firmware upgrades and engineering change notices, in-depth preventative maintenance, troubleshooting and repair support, re-certifications of system installation and configuration, and prepares a customized support agreement.

manufacturer's website

Superconnect Unveils CableAware 2.0

CableAware is Superconnect's Web-based monitoring platform for cable operators that require real-time monitoring of a large-scale cable system with hundreds of thousands or millions of CPE (customer premise equipment) devices such as cable modems, set-top boxes, and VoIP MTAs. It auto-discovers all the CPE gear on an MSO's network and provides countless ways to monitor performance, reliability, trends, alarms, and outages. The data is available to everyone from the engineering level to CSR (customer services representatives) to technicians in the field via a versatile, flexible web interface.

The company just announced the new version, CableAware 2.0, which features nationwide street mapping with geolocation; network map overlay; and fully integrated, native support for Motorola cable overlay including Motorola NC1500s and related equipment. CableAware 2.0 is also said to be more intuitive. By carefully analyzing the direct use of existing CableAware customers, Superconnect says it has been able to create a vastly more intuitive interface that expects the reactions of a user and displays data in a way that is most efficient with available links to relevant pages.

manufacturer's website

Major Release of Net Monitoring and Management Software

Aurora Networks announced major new releases of its Opti-Trace product suite of monitoring and management software applications for the Aurora Network Management System. These include Opti-Trace CMS, which provides direct local monitoring and management of all modules in the CH3000 Chassis, Opti-Trace OTS, which provides remote monitoring and management of all modules in the CH3000 Chassis via Ethernet, and Opti-Trace EMS, which provides remote monitoring and management of optical nodes via Ethernet as well as provisioning Ethernet services.

Opti-Trace Version 5.0 expands support for several additional modules that may be installed in Aurora's award-winning VH4000 Virtual Hub including FA4500 series optical amplifiers, OS42S1S Optical Switches, DX4515 digital transponders, OP4538 optical narrowcast demux with BC/NC combiner, and an OE4130S Ethernet monitoring transceiver. Opti-Trace now also supports several new DT4000 series Digital Transceivers that may be installed in NC4000 series optical nodes. In addition, upgrades to firmware in DR3x21 series digital receivers in the headend chassis enable them to work with the new digital transceivers in the nodes to support cluster segmentation.

manufacturer's website

> Subscriber

New Drop Amp, F-Connector, Media Converter

PCT International announced its ultra miniature drop amplifier, the PCT-MA2-M. The amp offers the convenience of a miniature but robust package for placement within network interface units or other confined spaces. The unit offers shielding protection of greater than 110 dB and IEEE B3 6kV combination wave surge protection on all ports. All F-ports also include PCT's patented digital seizure mechanism (DSM) for center conductor retention and electrical performance.

PCT also announced its innovative, self-locking F-connector. Even when properly wrench-tightened, exposure to vibration and temperature cycling will cause F-connectors to loosen, increasing signal ingress, egress and moisture migration. The company says its self-locking technology will ensure that wrench or finger tightened connectors remain that way. To remove barriers to entry, PCT has integrated the self-locking feature in such a way to be compatible with most tools associated with other popular compression connectors, making re-tooling unnecessary in many situations.

Additionally, PCT introduced its hardened media converter solution. It builds upon its EQ Link CWDM product family by offering operators a version of its media converters that can be line mounted and powered and are designed for -40 to +60 degree C temperature extremes. The converters come mounted inside a small two-port node housing, and can be plant powered with 60/90 VAC, plug powered with 120/240 VAC, or -48VDC. Currently PCT offers 10 wavelengths of 10/100, CWDM media converters plus all of the required optical passives to create an end-to-end distribution from the operators' hub site to the field mounted location.

manufacturer's website

> Engineering and Contracting Services

GFC to Install Broadband Voice in Four States

General Fiber Communications Inc. has been selected to install voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services at the customer premises for MSOs in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.

"GFC is proud to be the fulfillment provider of choice as consumer demand for broadband voice services continues to rise," Bob DiBetta, EVP of operations services at GFC, says.

Founded in 2002, GFC's trained and uniformed field force includes more than 700 broadband premises specialists whose technical knowledge has been certified by the SCTE. With facilities nationwide, GFC completes two million video, voice and data installations annually.

> OSS and Software Platforms

Mobile Workforce Solution Marries Mapping Technology

C-COR is working with MapFrame Corp. to integrate FieldSmart software into its Mobile Workforce Manager (MWM). C-COR's MWM is a suite of field service automation tools for scheduling, routing, and workflow management that combines the browser-based business applications with real-time connectivity to the mobile workforce through wireless data connections and mobile computing devices.

With the added capabilities of FieldSmart, C-COR's MWM will enable field technicians to spatially view plant information relating to specific work orders from a map of the entire service territory. FieldSmart also provides outside plant mobile management tools for viewing, inspecting and editing network spans, structures and equipment. All network elements and network-related structures are available for visualization and analysis in the field or in the office. Compression and data flow technology extends back-office data, including the entire geographic information system (GIS), into the field and throughout the enterprise. The server component, Field Flow Manager provides techs with access to the latest maps and customer information in both wired and wireless environments.

manufacturer's website

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