Salira unveils EPON software
 
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Salira Optical Network Systems recently unveiled the software portion of its Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) access system, well ahead of its hardware architecture.
Salira says its software enhances local access networks by enabling service-level agreement (SLA) management, real-time dynamic bandwidth allocation and remote service creation. It supports T-1/E-1 network access, IP-centric network access at Fast Ethernet speeds, and accommodates ATM, frame relay or voice in native form.
Components of the software are the Access Operating System (AOS), the Service Abstraction Layer and the Access Management System (AMS).
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The AOS handles both TDM and packet-based traffic. It is designed to recognize and transport TDM traffic in native or multiprotocol modes. For packet-based traffic, Salira says AOS uses a distributed processor-based set of software modules to enforce SLAs, QoS and real-time dynamic bandwidth allocation. Predetermined class-of-service parameters manage the system's overall bandwidth in real-time via the same set of modules, Salira says.
The Service Abstraction Layer handles multiprotocol transport, class-of-service definition, IP VPNs, transparent LANs, high-speed Internet and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS). Carriers are able to create their own services using a graphical user interface.
AMS provides the element management, service activation and subscriber management capabilities that interface with standardized billing systems.
Salira's EPON is marketed as a more cost-effective access alternative than ATM. Michael Howard, principal analyst for Infonetics Research, believes Salira has entered into an opportunity-rich market because there is demand for cheaper, more efficient access.
"First, service providers want to reduce the amount of fiber they have to lay," he says. "Secondly, they want to reduce the cost of equipment they must deploy. PONs allow them to do just that, and Ethernet is inherently cheaper than ATM."
Howard says that ILECs and RBOCs will continue have ATM networks, so ATM PONs make more sense for them. However, he says EPONs tend to be better for the metro area where most buildings are currently running Ethernet in their LANs.
"EPON makes more sense for metro carriers because there is no cell conversion needed if the whole network is optical Ethernet," he says. "Ethernet is still simple and cost-effective for these carriers even though there is a cost for the optics."
Howard says that Salira is one of the first companies to reveal the software portion of its architecture before announcing its hardware. But there may be more bark than bite to the announcement.
"They're just trying to make some noise here," he says. "A real cynic might look at this announcement and simply see that there's no product yet. What Salira is doing here is laying the foundation for education because PON is a relatively new technology. They're setting up the market both for themselves and for EPON."
Howard says one marketing scheme with this announcement may be to train carriers to associate Salira with EPON. Howard points out that the company's chairman, David House, was responsible for Intel's branding scheme, "Intel Inside."
"With that strategy, they marketed Intel, rather than all the features of the company's chip sets," Howard says. "I think this is the same type of strategy."
While Salira's marketing technique may be cutting-edge, Howard says its feature set is not.
"They're not really doing anything new here that other companies aren't doing," he says. "The only difference is that Salira is using its products as a means of education. This shows that they've produced software in a clear-thinking, logical and ordered way. We can only assume that they've created their hardware in the same manner."
Howard says that Alloptic is the closest competitor having definitive EPON offering with its GigaForce product family. Other PON competitors include Quantum Bridge and Terawave.
Salira expects to release the hardware portion of its EPON access system in the second quarter.
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