DALLAS, TX—February 15, 2011—Calix, Inc (NYSE: CALX) today announced the
introduction of Carrier Ethernet service assurance for its Calix Unified Access portfolio. Calix
fiber access solutions – including the E7 Ethernet
Service Access Platform (ESAP), 760GX
family of optical network terminals (ONTs), and the Calix Management System (CMS) – now
allow communications service providers to ensure that their Ethernet services
conform to service level agreements (SLAs) via industry-standard Ethernet
operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM). Tactically, Ethernet OAM
is essential for service providers to demonstrate their adherence to SLAs that
are increasingly required by business subscribers for mobile backhaul,
mission-critical enterprise services, and wholesale services. Strategically, communications
service providers are finding that meeting the needs of business subscribers is
a fundamental requirement to the overall success of their "Fiber Forward"
initiatives, both from a business case contribution perspective, as well as to
achieve their economic development aspirations.
"We're seeing significant growth in
our retail Ethernet services to businesses, as well as wholesale Ethernet
access and mobile backhaul transport," said Chris Emick, manager of network
operations at SECOM, a division of the
Southeast Colorado Power Association based in La Junta, CO. "The new OAM
enhancements to the Calix fiber access portfolio provide us with the tools we
need to sell high quality Ethernet service and predictable service level
agreements to demanding businesses and mobile providers. Our serving area is
extensive, and having remote test heads and Ethernet monitoring tools embedded
at the end of every circuit allows us to understand how an Ethernet service is
performing without sending technicians out to the far corners of our network."
OAM tools – available on any member
of the Calix 760GX ONT family when deployed in conjunction with software
release 1.2 on the Calix E7 ESAP – allow Calix customers to monitor, manage, and
report on SLAs they sell to their commercial customers. In addition, CMScan
now provision and activate Y.1731 Performance Monitoring, 802.1ag Fault
Management, and RFC2544 out of service testing by enabling Calix 760GX ONTs to
function as remote test heads and RFC2544 "reflectors." These enhancements fully
automate the testing, fault detection, and performance monitoring of Ethernet circuits
in the field. Other features include enhanced alarming using 802.1ag continuity
checks with remote defect indication (RDI), which notify the network operator
when a service starts degrading, as well as CMS collection of Y.1731
performance data compiled at the ONT service edge, which enables the creation
of historical reports and graphs to be used as SLA compliance mechanisms for
the end customer.
All nine members of the Calix 760GX
business services ONT family now support Ethernet OAM, making this solution available
in a variety of port configurations, including rack-mounted as well as outdoor
wall/pole-mounted versions. The 766GX, the most popular unit for commercial
services and mobile backhaul, offers four gigabit Ethernet (GE) ports, eight POTS
ports, and eight T1/E1s. The T1/E1s can be provisioned as time-division
multiplexing (TDM) or pseudowire 3 (PWE3) circuits compliant to Metro Ethernet
Forum-8 (MEF-8) specifications for TDM over Ethernet. The 760GX ONTs feature the
unique Calix auto-detect technology supporting both GPON and point-to-point GE
services. A follow-on software release will bring Ethernet OAM to the 760GX
ONTs for point-to-point GE deployments.
"Ethernet
OAM support has become an essential requirement for communications service
providers engaged in 'Fiber Forward' initiatives that will include local
businesses, mobile backhaul, or economic development aspirations," said Kevin
Pope, vice president of product development at Calix. "With embedded Ethernet
test heads in our fiber access solutions, we are able to lower the cost of operations
for our customers by allowing them to remotely enable and retrieve Ethernet
circuit performance data, and pinpoint faults remotely based on MEF standards. Hundreds
of our customers today offer mobile backhaul transport services over Ethernet
to wireless operators, and Ethernet OAM tools have become the de facto standard
for turn-up and testing. Our Ethernet service assurance support over GPON gives
our customers the edge they need in an increasingly competitive market."
Calix Unified Access portfolio support for Ethernet OAM service
assurance was introduced today at the 2011 NTCA Annual Meeting and Expo in Dallas, TX, and will be demonstrated
during exposition hours on February 15 and 16 at Calix Booth 125.
About Calix
Calix is a leading provider in North America of broadband communications access
systems and software for fiber- and copper- based network architectures that
enable communications service providers to connect to their residential and
business subscribers. Calix has shipped over eight million ports of its
Unified Access portfolio to more than 600 North American and international
customers, whose networks serve over 40 million subscriber lines in total.
This press release may contain
forward-looking statements that are based upon management's current
expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based
upon information available to us as of the date of this release and we assume
no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect
any event or circumstance after the date of this release, except as required by
law. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from
current expectations, based on risks and uncertainties affecting the Company's
business. The reader is cautioned not to unduly rely on the forward-looking
statements contained in this press release. Additional information on potential
factors that could affect Calix's results and other risks and uncertainties are
detailed in its report on Form 10-Q for the
fiscal quarter ended September 25, 2010, filed with the SEC on October
22, 2010, available at http://www.sec.gov.
Press Contact:
Catherine Koo
415-992-4400
calix@lewispr.com
