This Week In Products: Cisco adds to carrier portfolio

Networking
Cisco adds to carrier ethernet portfolio
Cisco Systems introduced the Cisco ME 6500 Series Ethernet Switch and the Cisco ONS 15310 Metro Access (MA) multiservice provisioning platform (MSPP), which delivers Carrier Ethernet services over synchronous optical network, or SONET infrastructures.

The Cisco ME 6500 Series are deployable in both the access and aggregation layers of a service provider network. Purpose-built for service providers and based on Cisco Catalyst 6500 technology, the Cisco ME 6500 Series are the industry’s first Carrier Ethernet switches that are optimized for both consumer “triple play” (video, voice, and data) services and business-class virtual private network (VPN) services over fiber optic networks.

To make the transformation to an IP NGN, knowledge and expertise in technology, application and business operations is required. Customers using the Cisco ME 6500 Series Ethernet Switch can take advantage of the IP NGN Expertise Center that brings together globally distributed resources, partners, labs, knowledge repositories, engineers and tools to support the complete lifecycle of Carrier Ethernet deployment. These services lower the total cost of ownership and increase the speed of the IP NGN transformation, Cisco says.

The Cisco ONS 15310-MA system is a modular and fully redundant access platform that complements the Cisco ONS 15454 system. The Cisco ONS 15310-MA platform allows carriers to protect their investments by continuing to offer existing time division multiplexing (TDM) revenue streams with a high-density of DS1/DS3 and generate new Ethernet service revenues with their SONET-based networks for business and residential triple play services.

As a core component of the Cisco optical MSPP portfolio, the Cisco ONS 15310-MA system is a hardened platform ideally suited for RT cabinets or in-buildings, and small central offices and offers service providers a smooth transition to Ethernet private-line and switched Ethernet services with 50msec SONET or Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) protection.

Cisco ME 6500 Series Ethernet switches are available in two models and are available now, starting at a list price of US$24,000. The Cisco ONS 15310-MA platform is also available now and varies in price based on configuration. A basic configuration model starts at a list price of US$18,000.

Infrastructure
Lenovo brings out small business line
Lenovo unveiled the first-ever Lenovo-branded PCs to be offered worldwide, the Lenovo 3000 product series.

The Lenovo 3000 product line features built-in tools designed to helpreduce IT expenses in small-business environments where every dollarcounts. For example, instead of manually locating and applying critical system updates, the Lenovo 3000 PC identifies and updates its own Lenovo software to take that arduous task off of the user. In addition, Lenovo Care tools can help users streamline maintenance tasks to keep PCs running like new, Lenovo said.

Other tools include a one-button system recovery to help users diagnose, get help, and recover systems from catastrophic software failures caused by today’s viruses and malware. Automatic updates download and install critical updates on a user-configured schedule to help keep the system operating at peak performance.

The Lenovo 3000 line includes new notebook PCs — the Lenovo CSeries — and new desktop PCs — the Lenovo J Series — that complementthe company’s ThinkPad and ThinkCentre brands. The C100 combines a silver exterior weighing in at 6.2 pounds, featuring integrated 802.11 a/b/g wireless LAN and 10/100 ethernet and modem, and multimedia capabilities, such as stereo speakers with an integrated microphone for playing and recording audio and an integrated combo or DVD recordable drive. At 1.3-inches thin, the C100 also incorporates a three-in-one multi-card reader for downloading digital pictures, four USB ports, firewire and S-Video slots.

The C Series includes an Intel 915 GM Chipset with choice of eitherPentium M or Celeron M processors. Select models also featureIntel Centrino mobile technology. Mobile users will benefit from an8-cell lithium ion battery offering up to five hours of battery life andLenovo’s industry-leading keyboard, the company said.

The J Series desktops feature a color-contrasting front bezel, curvilinear design components, custom designed side-access air ventilation and several optional accessories, such as the ThinkVision USB SoundBar and ThinkPlus Preferred Pro USB Fingerprint Keyboard. For the first time, Lenovo is offering worldwide customers a choice of Intel or AMD configurations. The Lenovo J100 features a SiS 661 Chipset with choice of either Pentium 4 or Celeron D processors. The Lenovo J105 features an AMD Socket 754 board with either AMD Sempron or Athlon processors. Both the Lenovo J100 and J105 are equipped with serial ATA drive support, 6 USB 2.0 ports and front side audio. The Lenovo J Series desktops come in a variety of pre-configured models. All Lenovo 3000 PCs feature a standard one-year limited warranty and come with service and support available from IBM. Prices for the J105 and J100 start at $399 and $669, respectively. Prices for the C100 start at $799.

Corsair pumps out watercooling product
Corsair Memory Inc. released the Nautilus500, the latest generation of its external watercooling units.Designed with enthusiasts in mind, the new Nautilus500 brings 30 per cent more CPU and 40 per cent more GPU cooling efficiency without excessive noise, the company said. While overclocking is not guaranteed by any one component, the degree of system overclock generally correlates with the degree of component cooling. The Nautilus500 brings a cooling solution to overclockers with its all-copper CPU block and Micro Channel Technology. The Nautilus500 CPU cooling block provides heat absorption and heat transfer. Fan speed can be adjusted to suit individual needs. When high fan speed is enabled, cooling performance is maximized. When low fan speed is selected, the Nautilus500 cools effectively with minimum noise generation.

Corsair’s Nautilus500 features a QuickInstall design that allows any user to install the complete kit in less than 15 minutes without having to remove the motherboard from the case. Each complete kit includes pre-fitted, pressure tested tubing that can be adjusted to any length without the fear of accidental leakage. For mobility-minded users, the kit also includes quick connect self-sealing connectors to avoid having to drain the liquid during transport. The complete kit costs US$159.

Mitsubishi brings out projector for HD images
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America’s Presentation Products Division introduced the HD4000U, a high-definition projector designed for wide-format laptops and imaging applications requiring the 16:9 aspect ratio.

Available for a suggested retail price of US$2995, the HD4000U includes Texas Instruments DDP3020 Digital Light Processing TrueVision image processing and Mitsubishi’s BrilliantColor, which uses a color-processing algorithm and system-level enhancements for greater brightness and truer, more vibrant colors while increasing mid-tone color levels by more than 50 per cent, according to the company.

Along with a contrast ratio of 2500:1 for greater detail in dark images, particularly in video, the HD4000U weighs 6.4 pounds.

Matrox offers remote graphics unit
Matrox Graphics Inc. announced Extio F1400, a remote graphics unit. With this solution, the user interface of the computer — the keyboard, mouse, monitors, audio peripherals, and graphics hardware — are separated from the rest of the computer by up to 250 meters (820 feet) of fibre-optic cable. Designed for professional applications, this product supports up to four digital or analog monitors at a time, and has passive (fanless) cooling.

Matrox Extio is designed for environments like audio studios, broadcast studios, dispatch centers, control rooms, and public spaces using digital signage. With this product, the critical parts of the computer like the disks, memory, and processors can be kept in a separate, safe, secure room. This saves space at the display station, removes a potentially noisy computer, and allows system administrators to access and maintain the system at a separate location, Matrox said.

The versatile Matrox Extio F1400 remote graphics unit (RGU) has a Matrox-designed graphics chip, 128MB of graphics memory, dual-LC connector for fibre-optic cable, four DVI-I monitor connectors, six USB 2.0 ports (four in front, two in back), integrated audio hardware, an optical connector for digital audio output, and analogue audio connectors for a microphone input, line input, and line output. To meet different slot requirements, Matrox separately offers PCI or PCI Express (PCIe) fibre-optic interface cards for Extio products.

Data Management
Microsoft releases Office Snap-Ins
Microsoft announced the release of Microsoft Dynamics Snap, a collection of products for Microsoft Office users to work with certain Microsoft Dynamics applications.

The four Snap-ins announced include a Timesheet Snap-in, a Vacation management Snap-in designed for Microsoft Dynamics AX 3.0 and Business Data Look-up Snap-ins for Microsoft Dynamics AX 3.0 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0. These programs are designed to make working with business management data less complicated and intimidating by giving users access to data and business processes from within Microsoft Office 2003, an environment that is familiar to them.

The Microsoft Dynamics Snap collection is available for no charge under the Microsoft Permissive License and can be downloaded at GotDotNet.com.

EarlyPrecheck aimed at DB2 users
NEON Enterprise Software Inc. announced the EarlyPrecheck feature to Bind ImpactExpert, which allows users to check the performance impacts of a new DB2 release, or other significant software or hardware changes, before migrating the production system.

EarlyPrecheck provides an automated process that allows DB2 users to detect and correct access path problems for both static and dynamic SQL statements. This helps ensure application performance through early recognition of problematic queries and evaluates the impact the migration will have on CPU usage.

Bind ImpactExpert prechecks the thousands of plans stored in DB2 to determine which ones will cause application performance problems after rebinding. NESI offers a return on investment (ROI) worksheet to calculate the time required to manually analyze the packages and statements without Bind ImpactExpert.

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Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

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