Carrier Ethernet 2.0 equipment debuts

The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) announced that it has awarded the first Carrier Ethernet 2.0 certifications to 20 companies. Certified products include a variety of optical transport equipment.

Carrier Ethernet 2.0 represents the second generation of the MEF’s Carrier Ethernet specifications. The new regime includes the addition of support for multiple classes of service, greater manageability and easier interconnect for eight standard service types, and more efficient mobile backhaul. Both products and services can receive certification.

See also: Infonetics raises forecast on Carrier Ethernet

The first 20 companies to have products certified as Carrier Ethernet 2.0 compliant include:

-- Accedian
-- Altera
-- BTI Systems
-- Ciena (six services each on its 3916 and 3930 Service Delivery Switches and its 5150 Service Aggregation Switch)
-- Cisco
-- Cyan
-- FibroLAN
-- Huawei
-- Infinera
-- Juniper Networks
-- MRV (OptiSwitch 906G and OptiSwitch 940 10GbE Carrier Ethernet Demarcation series)
-- Omnitron (iConverter Network Interface Devices)
-- Overture (the Overture 1400, 4800, and 4000)
-- PT Inovacao
-- Pulsecom
-- RAD Data Communications (the ETX-5300A Ethernet Service Aggregation Platform, ETX-205A Advanced Carrier Ethernet/Mobile Demarcation Device and ETX-203AX Carrier Ethernet Demarcation Device)
-- Telco Systems (the T-Marc and T-Metro product lines)
-- Tellabs (the Tellabs 7100 Optical Transport System and the Tellabs 7300 Metro Ethernet Switch series)
-- Transition Networks
-- Transmode (Native Packet Optical 2.0 architecture).

“CE 2.0 is a difficult accreditation to achieve,” contends to Bob Mandeville, president and founder of test lab Iometrix, which is responsible for MEF’s certification testing process. “To be recognized as CE 2.0 certified, each company must pass a suite that totals 634 stringent tests. Over 155 companies are now certified for CE 1.0 and the adoption signs for 2.0 are exciting. The demand for certified products and services is a driving force, and we expect a significant increase in service provider certifications not only from established markets, but also from developing economies in 2013.”

“The companies’ achievements are are a testament to their commitment to outstanding delivery for the Carrier market,” said Ihab Tarazi, the MEF’s chairman of the board and Verizon’s vice president of global network planning. “Certification will enable service providers to choose equipment vendors with greater speed, clarity and certainty. CE 2.0 Certification marks a significant moment in the life of the MEF and Carrier Ethernet.”

More coverage: MEF launches Carrier Ethernet professional certification program