ACTON, Mass. -- Appian Communications(tm), the first to enable the delivery of carrier-class Ethernet-over-SDH/SONET services, today announced a new release of its award-winning Optical Services Activation Platform(tm) (OSAP(tm)) with added support for both SDH transport and E1 TDM access. This provides plug-and-play compatibility for the OSAP with carrier networks in Europe, Asia Pacific and other regions around the world, allowing them to provide the new generation of more efficient, profitable and customer friendly 'Ethernet Services' without the need to upgrade existing metro networks. The new release, which has completed beta testing and is now generally available, enables carriers to leverage the still growing base of SDH networks as they migrate from traditional inflexible TDM services to highly resilient and scaleable next-generation packet services. In addition, OSAP has been certified by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) as ready for deployment in carrier central office environments. "The market for Ethernet services is taking shape as carriers around the world seek solutions that enable new service revenues with greater profitability" said Chris Nicoll, Vice President at Current Analysis. "Ethernet services promise more granular and scalable bandwidth at much lower cost than traditional TDM services. The ability to deliver these services over an existing SDH/SONET network means carriers can minimize their investment in new infrastructure as they deliver packet services with carrier grade reliability, scale and manageability. Appian's support for SDH and E1, and their certification by ETSI, marks a major milestone in the company's growth as a global supplier." In a separate release:Appian Communications, the first to enable delivery of carrier-class Ethernet-over-SDH/SONET services, today announced the opening of its European headquarters at Reading in the UK with the appointment of Mark D. Weeks as its Vice President of EMEA. The new office will provide sales and technical support to established and emerging service providers preparing to migrate from traditional private line voice and data services to next-generation Ethernet services that are flexible, scalable and lower cost. Extending its reach in the UK market, Appian also announced today that it has entered into a strategic partnership with innovative channel solutions provider EquIP Technology Limited. Recognised as one of the UK's top network integrators for 2001, EquIP provides a broad portfolio of carrier-class Internet access offerings to leading-edge telecommunications companies and Value Added Resellers (VARs). "In this competitive market, service providers are looking for evolutionary solutions like the OSAP that allow them to rapidly create new revenue-producing services that leverage their existing infrastructure," said Ian Morris, co-founder and director at EquIP Technology. "We are already seeing strong interest in the Appian solution, and have recently commenced testing the OSAP's service offerings at a significant client based in the UK."Appian Communications Inc.