BEIJING -- Marconi Corporation plc (London: MONI and NASDAQ: MRCIY) today at the PT EXPO COMM show released a new version of its Core Transport Node’s management software that will allow operators to improve network resiliency, automate and simplify the provisioning of new customer services whilst reducing network operating and capital costs.

The new software release, based on the Automated Switched Optical Network (ASON) standard, gives operators the ability to generate new revenue streams by securing higher protection to failure and by enabling the allocation of differentiated service levels to each customer. The release follows Marconi's successful demonstration of ASON technology at the Optical Internetworking Forum event earlier this year at SuperComm and the completion of trials in Deutsche Telekom's Global Seamless Network.

ASON enables operators to make considerable savings in capex and opex by improving bandwidth use in the core network. This capability enables service providers to reduce the amount of extra network capacity needed in reserve to guarantee contracted levels of service delivery to their customers in the event of faults or other disruptions. ASON significantly removes operating costs by supporting auto-discovery of paths and automatic provisioning of new customer services across networks, eliminating manual intervention.

"ASON provides the intelligence needed by the core network if it is to deliver the promise of the true multi-service provision," said Devid Gubiani, vice president and chief technology officer of Marconi Communications Asia Pacific. "Our successful demonstrations show how effective the intelligent optical core is in maximizing new revenue generation and eliminating costs from operators’ networks."

Marconi Corp. plc