Meriton Integrates ROADM, OXC

OTTAWA -- Meriton Networks Inc., provider of the optical networking foundation for 21st century networks, announced today the industry’s first fully integrated ROADM (Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer) and OXC (Optical Cross-Connect) System. Release 4 of the 7200 OADX (Optical Add/Drop Switch) adds STS-1/VC-4 grooming to its existing ROADM and transparent wavelength switching capabilities, and is being introduced today during Supercomm 2005 (Booth 16030).

The unique mid-plane design of the 7200 OADX means that it is the only architecture in the industry that supports transmission and switching of wavelengths and SONET/SDH traffic – all within a single network element. Individual wavelengths can be groomed via the SONET/SDH switch fabric or be switched transparently. As carrier networks evolve, wavelengths may be changed from SONET/SDH to Gigabit Ethernet. With the Meriton solution, carriers can achieve this migration without any additional cost, and without any truck-rolls to change equipment.

The 7200 OADX provides switching capacity of 128 bi-directional transparent wavelengths with 320 Gb/s of STS-1/VC-4 grooming, and is fully non-blocking. A non-blocking architecture is preferred over ADM-on-a-card solutions, as it assures unrestricted “any wavelength to any wavelength” grooming in a single platform. With the universal fabric, a line interface can change from being a groomed OC-48 to being a transparent Gigabit Ethernet without the need for a truck roll.

“It’s no surprise that more and more carriers are asking for consolidation of transport functions,” said Mike Pascoe, CEO of Meriton Networks. “With hitless moves, adds and changes, full bridge-and-roll and integratedlayer 1 performance monitoring on all nodes, the OPEX savings over OADM or other ROADM solutions is outstanding. Furthermore, the consolidation of ROADM functionality with OXC capabilities in a single element provides remarkable CAPEX savings.”

Meriton Networks Inc.