11 November 2003 Santa Clara, CA Lightwave--Atrica, a provider of optical Ethernet equipment for the metro networking market, today announced that German regional carrier ISIS Multimedia Net GmbH & Co. KG has selected Atrica's optical Ethernet systems for the expansion of its telecommunications infrastructure. The agreement will enable dramatic improvements in the scalability of the ISIS infrastructure as well as in the scope of the advanced broadband services it offers, while reducing the carrier's overall capital and operational expenditures.
As the country's first regional carrier, ISIS is one of Germany's most established and well-respected service providers. Serving businesses, residences, and other carriers in the Düsseldorf region, ISIS' 1,200-km fiber-optic backbone carries over 6 million minutes of broadband services per day. These services include ISDN and analog phone services, Centrex "virtual PBX" services, high speed xDSL Internet access, leased lines (SDH up to 10 Gbits/sec), and audio- and videoconferencing as well as infrastructure services such as LAN, WLAN, data center, and cable construction services. As one of the leading hotspot providers in Germany providing wireless Internet access to its customers and through its isiMED offering ¿ a regional medical network enabling hospitals, radiologists, and doctors to store X-rays and other medical information on a decentralized long-term archive, ISIS has established itself as an innovative carrier with a strong focus on customer requirements. Atrica's optical Ethernet systems will form the basis of ISIS' corporate networking solutions where enterprise and carrier customers can connect multiple locations at different speeds according to their requirements.
Impressed with the carrier-class attributes that Atrica's optical Ethernet systems provide, such as guaranteed service level agreements(SLAs), quality of service (QoS), and sub 50-msec resiliency, ISIS will utilize the A-8000 Optical Ethernet Core Switch, the A-4100 Optical Ethernet Aggregation Switch, and the A-2000 family of Optical Ethernet Edge Switches. In addition, ISIS will leverage the Atrica Service Platform for Ethernet Networks (ASPEN), an integrated service provisioning and management system.
"After a thorough evaluation of the options available to us, Atrica's optical Ethernet systems proved to be technically superior, and the price/performance they offered was unmatched," said Dr. Thomas Plueckebaum, vice president of Networks for ISIS. "The scalability and carrier-class protection Atrica's systems deliver - combined with Atrica's comprehensive, user-friendly network management system - will allow us to offer a wide range of new services to our growing customer base, and to enjoy the resulting new revenue streams."
In related news, Atrica today announced a strategic relationship with Controlware Communications Systems, one of Europe's largest systems integrators. Under the terms of the agreement, which combines the strength of Atrica's optical Ethernet systems with Controlware's world-class reputation and global presence, Controlware will provide local systems integration services to metro carriers as they deploy Atrica's proven solutions. For ISIS, Controlware will oversee the implementation of the network and provide all second level support.
Atrica's optical Ethernet systems were developed specifically for the service provider environment, offering carrier-class attributes including guaranteed SLAs, sub-50-msec resiliency, integration with circuit switched networks, Ethernet circuit emulation services for support of TDM traffic, and point-and-click operations, administration, maintenance and provisioning functionality.
ISIS was founded in 1994 as a regional carrier for Düsseldorf and surrounding cities in Germany's Lower Rhine - an area of some 4.5 million inhabitants. The company supplies its telephone and Internet services to about 65,000 customers and offers a wide range of voice, data, and Internet services, delivered over more than 1200-km of its own SDH-based fiber-optic backbone and leased copper lines. In addition to growing its core business, ISIS has developed into more than just a telecoms provider. It has become a networks and systems management provider, delivering complete telecommunications solutions for an increasing number of customers. ISIS offers a comprehensive range of future-oriented technologies in the telecommunications and multimedia field, creating individually tailored packages, especially for the medical branch and the public administration.