NEW YORK, Sept. 3 -- Heavy Reading, the new market research division of Light Reading Inc., today published the most comprehensive competitive analysis of metro multiservice provisioning platforms (MSPPs) yet undertaken. Titled "Multiservice Provisioning Platforms: Empowering the Metro Edge", information for the report was gathered over the course of four months via a 105-question survey of telecom equipment manufacturers in North America, Asia, and Europe. 29 companies responded to the survey, providing detailed product information about 64 MSPPs.

The final results are described in a competitive analysis table containing more than 6,000 data fields - and dissected in another 60 pages of text and 32 diagrams. Pricing and deployment data is included, where available. As with all Heavy Reading research, interviews with leading service provider decision makers were used to provide a reality check on vendors' claims.

"This report accomplishes what no one person could ever hope to do on their own: fill in 6,000 cells in a table amassing the details on every MSPP product from every vendor in the world," says Scott Clavenna, Chief Analyst at Heavy Reading. "For every system developer, chip designer, software architect, service provider, and systems integrator, this report will serve a dual role of market analysis and desktop reference." Multiservice Provisioning Platforms: Empowering the Metro Edge will also provide investors with critical intelligence and competitive insight into the MSPP marketplace.

Heavy Reading subscribers can view the MSPP survey results via a searchable online database that allows them to drill down to get exactly the information they need.

MSPP technology is already mandated by most leading carriers, which are using MSPPs at critical junctures in their next-generation telecom infrastructures to build converged networks and to roll out new revenue- generating data services, such as IP VPNs and Ethernet private-line services. Multiservice Provisioning Platforms: Empowering the Metro Edge details the critical differences among these products which affect their ability to perform these functions.

Key findings of the report include:

Public MSPP vendors analyzed in the report include Alcatel SA (NYSE: ALA; Paris: CGEP: PA), Ciena Corp. (Nasdaq: CIEN - News), Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO - News), ECI Telecom Ltd. (Nasdaq: ECIL - News), Ericsson (Nasdaq: ERICD - News), Fujitsu Network Communications Inc. (OTC: FJTSY - News), Lucent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: LU - News), Marconi Corp. plc (OTC: MONIY - News), Nortel Networks Corp. (NYSE/Toronto: NT), Siemens (NYSE: SI; Frankfurt: SIE), Sycamore Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: SCMR - News), and Tellabs Inc. (Nasdaq: TLAB; Frankfurt: BTLA). Sixteen privately held companies also are covered in detail.

For more information on this report and a free 1,700 word executive summary, go to: http://www.lightreading.com/ad_redirect.asp?ad_id=1892.

Multiservice Provisioning Platforms: Empowering the Metro Edge is priced at $3,450. ###

About Light Reading

Light Reading is the largest telecommunications news organization in the world, visited by nearly 1 million people a month, including more than 100,000 employees and executives of carriers and service providers. Launched in February 2000, its Website, www.lightreading.com, delivers timely and entertaining in-depth analysis of next-generation telecommunications technology and trends. Profitable from its inception, Light Reading has rapidly gained a reputation as required reading for anybody associated with next-generation Internet technology. The company also owns three other Web-based publications and four paid research newsletters.