Sorrento Networks and Xtellus collaborate on fully reconfigurable intelligent optical networks

February 23, 2004 San Diego, CA, and Morris Plains, NJ -- Sorrento Networks, maker of optical networking equipment for carriers and enterprises, and Xtellus, manufacturer of dynamic optical modules and components for fully reconfigurable optical networks, will cooperate to implement reconfigurable intelligent optical networks. The joint work is partially supported by the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation.

The collaboration will benefit Sorrento's customers by adding fully reconfigurable optical add/drop functionality to Sorrento's DWDM GigaMux system, which has 2,000 nodes deployed worldwide. This functionality will enable the company's customers to make more effective use of their existing and new optical networks and to dramatically lower their ongoing provisioning costs, say Sorrento representatives. As part of the collaboration, Sorrento is also developing the capability to monitor the performance of individual channels down to the level of specific protocols. The capability to monitor individual channels at the SONET/SDH or Gigabit Ethernet protocol level will provide Sorrento's customers the tools necessary to ensure that service level agreements (SLAs) are maintained.

The collaboration combines Sorrento Network's optical networking system engineering expertise with Xtellus' core competency of dynamic optical components. As the enabling platform for this new functionality, Xtellus will supply a Programmable Wavelength Selector that can support the selection of any individual channel or any set of channels on a DWDM fiber in a metro optical network.

"It is clear that the market is ready to take the next step in optical networking," contends Subrata Datta, CTO of Sorrento Networks. "This next generation of WDM transport equipment will provide more intelligence and better visibility within customers' optical network designs. The development with Xtellus will enable us to complement our existing platforms with new features that will make these networks much more flexible while reducing the total cost of ownership."

"We are excited to be working with Sorrento, which has the vision to use Xtellus' programmable wavelength selection technology for various applications, including reconfigurability and monitoring," adds Sam Suh, CTO of Xtellus.