PBT Could Cut Metro Transport Costs by Replacing IP/MPLS for Ethernet Transport, Report FindsProvider backbone transport is shaking up established thinking about how to deliver point-to-point services in the metro network area, says Light Reading InsiderPRNewswire NEW YORK, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Provider backbone transport (PBT) could enable carriers to reduce the cost of metro transport networks by replacing IP/MPLS as a lower-cost transport option for Ethernet services, but vendors still have some major technological hurdles to leap before PBT can live up to its early promise, according to a new report published by Light Reading Insider (http://www.lightreading.com/insider), a paid research service of CMP Technology's Light Reading (http://www.lightreading.com/). "PBT & the Future of Carrier Ethernet Services" assesses how PBT-enabled Ethernet services may affect the future of metro networking, focusing on the market factors that will continue to influence product development and network deployment in the coming months and years. It takes a close look at PBT and reviews what it is, where it came from, and what it has the potential to become. The report also considers competing PBT solutions and profiles ten major Ethernet vendors, focusing on their positioning for PBT. Companies profiled in this report include: Alcatel-Lucent; Atrica Inc.; Cisco Systems Inc.; Extreme Networks Inc.; Foundry Networks Inc.; Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.; MRV Communications Inc.; Nortel Networks Inc.; Siemens AG; and World Wide Packets Inc. "PBT is testing established thinking about how to deliver point-to-point services within the metro network area," notes Simon Sherrington, research analyst for Light Reading Insider and author of the report. "It is intended to make Ethernet point-to-point transport much more attractive to operators that are used to Sonet/SDH networking, potentially positioning Ethernet as a longer-term replacement for Sonet/SDH." However, while major telecom operators such as BT and Verizon are already considering the potential benefits of a PBT-based approach to metro networking, vendors still have a long way to go before the technology is standardized and all potential issues are resolved. "PBT is by no means an agreed-upon and ratified standard," Sherrington says. "The concept of PBT has simply been proposed by a number of industry players, and has formed the basis for early standardization discussions. These discussions remain nascent." Key findings of "PBT & the Future of Carrier Ethernet Services" include: * PBT's ability to provide connection-oriented point-to-point circuits with Sonet/SDH-like characteristics is a potentially huge attraction for network operators * Carriers are taking a hard look at the concept of PBT, and standards work is starting to get underway * The first PBT-supporting products are already on the market today * Vendors remain strongly divided in their views on the merits of PBT, and thus recommend a range of different approaches for transport networking "PBT & the Future of Carrier Ethernet Services" provides critical insight and analysis for a range of industry participants, including: * Telecom operators that are considering or deploying PBT-based Ethernet infrastructure * Suppliers of Ethernet-based networking equipment that are assessing the potential size of the PBT market opportunity and their relative market position compared with other main competitors * Investors that need a better understanding of the scale of opportunity that the PBT-enabled networking equipment presents to technology suppliers and network operators "PBT & the Future of Carrier Ethernet Services," an 18-page report in PDF format, is available as part of an annual single-user subscription to Light Reading Insider, priced at $1,595. Individual reports are available for $900 (single-user license). To subscribe, or for more information, please visit: http://www.lightreading.com/insider. For more information about the entire line of Insider research services available from CMP Technology's Light Reading, please visit: http://www.lightreading.com/research. To request a free executive summary of the report, or for details of multi-user licensing options, please contact: Jeff Claudino Director of Sales Insider Research Services 619-229-9940 claudino@lightreading.com Press/analyst contact: Dennis Mendyk Managing Director Insider Research Services 201-587-2154 mendyk@heavyreading.com About CMP Technology CMP Technology (http://www.cmp.com/) is a marketing solutions company serving the technology industry. Through its market-leading portfolio of trusted information brands, CMP has earned the confidence of more technology professionals than any other media company. As a result, CMP is the premier provider of access, insight and actionable programs designed to connect sellers and buyers in ways that yield superior return on investment. CMP Technology is a subsidiary of United Business Media (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $3 billion. SOURCE: Light Reading Insider CONTACT: Jeff Claudino, Director of Sales, Insider Research Services, Web site: http://www.lightreading.com/ |