March 3, 2004 Petah Tikva, Israel -- ECI Telecom has been awarded a contract to supply the XDM multi-service provisioning platform (MSPP) and comprehensive local support services to Rede Eléctrica Nacional, S.A., (REN), the Portuguese electricity transmission company. REN will deploy the XDM platforms in over 30 sites to create a national transport backbone with SDH/DWDM and next-generation Ethernet capabilities.
Established in 1994, REN holds the concession to operate the National Electricity Transmission Network providing a public utility service in mainland Portugal. In February 2002, Portugal's national telecommunications regulatory body awarded REN a license to operate as a telecommunications service provider in Portugal.
"The versatility of ECI's MSPP offering was a major factor in our decision to implement the XDM platform within our network," reports Antonio Manuel Fonseca, director of Information Systems Division at REN. "In addition, the speed of deployment-- anticipated to be under two months for the roll out of the first live units--will prove a significant advantage in bringing about a financial return on our investment as quickly as possible."
"We consider the XDM a reliable investment providing us with the flexibility and scalability to offer next-generation services as demand grows," he adds. "ECI Telecom, together with Omnitecnica, a provider of telecommunication solutions for the Portuguese market, are providing us with a comprehensive local support program, which when combined with the superiority of their technology means that we can confidently offer more advanced services."
ECI's XDM MSPP installation serves as a building block for the advancement of REN's existing fiber network into a national transport backbone, marking the first step in a series of ongoing development plans for the Portuguese service provider. The platform's combined SDH/DWDM architecture enables REN to utilize all PDH services, SDH services, DWDM lambda services, and next-generation Ethernet services simultaneously. The XDM MSPP converges intelligent optical networking capabilities with advanced data functionality, including ATM and Ethernet Layer 2 over SDH/SONET, CWDM and DWDM. This converged solution facilitates a smooth and cost-effective migration to a service rich network while introducing significant CAPEX and OPEX savings, say ECI Telecom representatives.
"For ECI Telecom, this project with REN represents a real breakthrough into the Portuguese market," notes Ido Gur, vice president of sales and marketing for ECI's Optical Networks Division. "We identified enormous potential for the XDM following increased interest from the fixed players, utility operators, and cellular operators for a converged architecture solution that would enable them to stay ahead in this highly competitive landscape."