ADVA unveils Ethernet Services Suite

Optical transport systems vendor ADVA Optical Networking has significantly upgraded its suite of professional services for Ethernet applications via the aptly named Ethernet Services Suite (ESS). The new offering, available worldwide, comprises six elements that service providers can select on an a la carte basis to meet their requirements.

ESS elements include:

• Staging and provisioning of equipment at ADVA facilities includes pre-populating the IP address/management information in systems before delivery.
• Project management, technical resources, and consultative resources delivered on-site or remotely.
• Deployment services are available on a per-site or per-project basis, regionally or globally. Available services include basic installation or complete installation and provisioning.
• Customized (use case driven) training packages that ADVA can deliver locally, remotely, or via e-learning.
• Maintenance and sparing options include parts and/or technicians available for three-day, next business day, and, where available, four-hour delivery.
• An initial application service (FOA) designed to facilitate the initial roll-out of Ethernet devices, aimed primarily for smaller deployments or customers with limited experience in Ethernet networks.
  

“Every aspect of ESS has been developed to simplify operations, to strip away complexities, to help service providers focus on their core business,” said Phillip Needel, manager, service business development at ADVA Optical Networking via a press release. “ESS is essentially an a la carte menu that covers the full remit of Ethernet services. It provides every service that a customer could need to plan, support, deploy, and maintain their networks. What's more, with our ESS team spread across the globe, we’re able to meet even the most demanding service requirements. Products and spares can be delivered the next day. Our ESS engineers can be onsite within four hours. No one else in the industry offers the same level of service, the same comprehensive approach.”

While ADVA has provided NOC-level professional services in the past, ESS targets the Ethernet access space, an application where the large number of Ethernet access devices in the field makes logistics a nightmare for many service providers, ADVA Senior Director of Technical Marketing Jim Theodoras recently told Lightwave. He said that the pre-staging service should prove particularly popular, as many of ADVA’s customers prefer to receive their equipment with a certain level of pre-provisioning.

The offering received a thumbs up from Michael Howard, co-founder and principal analyst at market research firm Infonetics Research.

“ADVA Optical Networking has a deep, long term understanding of the Ethernet market,” Howard said via the ADVA press release. “Over the past decade, its team has built some of the industry's largest installed-bases of Ethernet access devices (EADs), and in fact have more EADs installed worldwide than any other manufacturer. ADVA Optical Networking has been #1 in EAD market share for 8 of the 10 years since we started tracking the market in 2004. The company's ESS offers service providers a unique service that leverages its team's experience and knowledge, while at the same time simplifying customers’ operational processes. We expect that operators deploying EADs will be interested in ESS, since it is the most comprehensive service of its kind we’ve seen for this market.”

For more information on Carrier Ethernet equipment and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.