Lucent, Juniper Partner to Deliver Integrated Solutions

Lucent Technologies Inc. and Juniper Networks Inc. have joined forces to distribute, develop and integrate next-generation solutions for service providers. The partnership gives Lucent the MPLS technology it was lacking and enables router vendor Juniper to tap into service providers with traditional telecom networks more easily.

Together, the companies expect to deliver a set of unified solutions for deploying core, data, broadband and metro optical networks that support a range of services. The companies are doing joint software development to allow for seamless traffic flow among different equipment and services. More details on this effort are expected to be announced in a few weeks, says Ken Packert, president of Lucent multiservice switching. These solutions will all be managed by the Lucent Navis network management software. Lucent’s professional services arm will support the products.

“The relationship is not exclusive, but it is unique,” says Janet Davidson, president of Lucent's Integrated Network Solutions group. “This is not simply a reseller agreement, it’s joint offers that run very deep technologically.”

Lucent recently announced a wireless partnership with Cisco Systems Inc. But this relationship is much farther reaching and is focused on the wireline side of the network, according to Lucent spokesman Mike Alva.

“Juniper brings us everything we need in this area and nothing we don’t,” says Davidson, commenting on why Lucent chose Cisco competitor Juniper for this particular relationship. “We have zero products in the same arena.”

Lucent/Juniper Unified Solutions thusfar identified include an IP VPN solution, which is available now. The companies describe this as a cost-effective solution based on existing products that enables service providers to offer a full range of VPN services over a common IP/MPLS core network. Also available now is IP Centrex, a solution that enables service providers to deliver business-quality IP Centrex services to thousands of enterprises over a flexible, cost-effective, packet-based network, and Enhanced DSL, which the companies say is a scalable, efficient, enhanced services xDSL solution that will enable service providers to address mass-market xDSL service rollout. A Multiservice Multiprotocol Label Switching Core, which is slated for availability in the first quarter of 2004, was designed to provide a clear and cost-effective solution to grow ATM/frame relay revenues and add IP services onto a converged IP/MPLS core, according to the companies. Optical Edge, a solution aimed to help expand the enterprise market for high-value Ethernet services over existing service provider networks, is now under joint development.

The companies say the integrated solutions will help service providers grow their ATM and frame relay networks without significant costs – by adding backbone capacity and pushing MPLS to the edge. They say the integrated solutions will meet carriers’ needs to build an IP services businesses by providing solutions that offer improvements in IP VPN, IP Centrex and soon optical edge solutions over SONET rings. They say the companies are delivering better ways to manage data networks and data service offerings by integrating equipment from both companies under NAVIS from Lucent. And they note that the Lucent Worldwide Services team will support all solutions with design, deployment and maintenance services. Lucent and Juniper also report their commitment to joint development to keep these solutions in synch with the needs of the marketplace.

"This partnership makes sense to us and gives us a path to leverage our embedded base of data networks," Paul Lacouture, president of network services for Verizon Communications, was quoted as saying in a press release issued today by Lucent and Juniper. “We are very interested in how quickly they can meet the challenge of provisioning and managing new IP-based services end-to-end across our networks."

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