MRV’s OptiSwitch® 900 Selected as the Access Platform for the Advanced Global Interconnect Showcase at Ethernet Europe Show

MRV COMMUNICATIONS, INC., today announced that its OptiSwitch® 900 carrier-class Ethernet access product line was the only network access device to participate in the Advanced Global Interconnect Test Program demonstration at Ethernet Europe 2010. As a result of MRV’s participation, the OptiSwitch demonstrated service interconnection with leading Carrier Ethernet service providers throughout Europe. MRV is a leading networking equipment company and manufactures and sells optical networking and Carrier Ethernet switching products to service providers across the world.

Ethernet Europe 2010, which was held earlier this week in London, is the premier event covering the hot topic of Carrier Ethernet network technologies and services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. As part of Ethernet Europe’s live interoperability demonstration, MRV’s OptiSwitch units were on display. By implementing MRV’s OptiSwitch, service providers can simplify provisioning and troubleshooting across multiple networks, reducing the time it takes to deliver services and lower service management costs.

The European Advanced Networking Test Center (EANTC) in collaboration with ancotel, one of Europe’s largest carrier interconnect companies, and Light Reading, have created a service provider interoperability test program for 2010 to validate and showcase end-to-end Carrier Ethernet services across multiple carriers using External Network-Network Interfaces (ENNI) specified by the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF). With the initial phase recently concluded, phase two results were unveiled at Ethernet Europe.

"Our top goal for this interoperability program was to improve Carrier Ethernet service interconnection in real service provider production networks,” said Carsten Rossenhoevel, managing director at EANTC. "Functional interoperability, high availability and service level assurance across service provider networks are crucial steps in accelerating Carrier Ethernet global interconnections.”

Phase two of the interoperability testing extended Carrier Ethernet services to remote service provider locations throughout Frankfurt, Munich, London, Luxembourg, Paris, Brussels and Sevastopol, Spain, where the circuits were terminated by network interface devices (NIDs) supplied by MRV.

"Today’s service providers not only need to deliver exceptional services, but must also be able to prove that they can deliver interconnected services,” said Noam Lotan, chief executive officer of MRV Communications. "This interoperability demonstration was an important step in accelerating the global Carrier Ethernet market and MRV was pleased at the opportunity to participate.”

Earlier this year, EANTC testing at the MPLS & Ethernet World Congress validated interoperability of MRV’s OptiSwitch and confirmed advanced features such as ITU-T G.8032 Ethernet ring protection switching (ERPS), which provides sub-50ms protection to simplify migration path from SONET/SDH optical fiber rings to Carrier Ethernet services in a ring topology.

"ENNI is a key component to the success of Carrier Ethernet and this interoperability testing will give service providers the confidence needed to expand their Ethernet investments,” said Stan Hubbard, senior analyst at Heavy Reading. "MRV’s participation in this demonstration proves the company’s dedication to Carrier Ethernet and positions the company to really leverage this growing market.”

About OptiSwitch

MRV's OptiSwitch family is an award-winning line of compact carrier Ethernet switching platforms that range from the OptiSwitch 9000 metro Ethernet aggregation products to the OptiSwitch 900 demarcation series. OptiSwitch products offer service providers a full suite of carrier-grade Ethernet services along with high-availability, enhanced quality of service, security, TDM circuit emulation and Ethernet operation, administration and maintenance (OAM) support. This full suite of OAM tools creates flexible service awareness and rigid SLAs. OptiSwitch products meet IEEE, ITU, IETF standards and MEF specifications, offering complete control to simplify deployment and management while maintaining full interoperability and visibility into customer and provider networks.

About MRV Communications, Inc.

MRV Communications, Inc. is a leading provider of packet switching, packet optical (P-OTS), physical layer and out-of-band networking equipment, services and optical components for high-speed carrier and enterprise networks and specialized aerospace, defense and other communications networks. Through its wholly owned subsidiary SourcePhotonics, Inc., the company provides optical communications components for carrier access and fiber-to-the-premises applications. MRV markets and sells its products worldwide, with operations in Europe that provide network system design and integration. For more information please call (978) 431-5011 or visit our websites at www.mrv.com and www.sourcephotonics.com.

About EANTC

The European Advanced Networking Test Center (EANTC) offers vendor-neutral consultancy and test facilities for network equipment manufacturers, service providers, and enterprise customers. Primary business areas include interoperability, conformance, and performance testing for Carrier Ethernet, IP/MPLS, and Triple Play technologies and applications. For more information and service provider program registration contact Carsten Rossenhoevel, Managing Director, at +49.30.3180595-0 or via email at cross@eantc.com.
http://www.eantc.com

About ancotel

ancotel GmbH, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, operates the largest and most significant telecommunications and data hub in continental Europe with more than 380 service providers co-located and interconnected in its neutral carrier hotel. As an independent company, ancotel is a leading provider of co-location services as well as managed services in the area of virtualized carrier transport and interconnection infrastructure for legacy and NGN networks, including TDM, VoIP, IP/MPLS and Carrier Ethernet. For more information contact Michael Boehlert, Director Technology & Consulting, at +49.69.750013-203 or via email at mboehlert@ancotel.de. http://www.ancotel.com