ACADEMIA

RESTON, VA -- Ocular Networks, Inc., a leader in next-generation optical solutions for the so-called “metropolitan edge,” announced today its corporate sponsorship of the Advanced Internet Laboratory (AIL) at George Mason University. The purpose of AIL is to conduct research on high-performance, large-bandwidth Internet core networks. The lab's current focus is on multiprotocol label switching, or MPLS, a sophisticated routing and switching technique. Ocular Networks joins leading router vendors, test equipment vendors, and service providers as the first multiservice optical edge equipment vendor to sponsor the lab. "We are pleased to have Ocular participate with the Advanced Internet Laboratory," said Dr. Bijan Jabbari, founding director of the laboratory and a faculty member in the department of electrical and computer engineering at the university's School of Information Technology and Engineering. "Ocular Networks' OSX(TM) family, with its ability to bring traffic from a wide variety of sources onto an MPLS core, represents a perfect complement to our MPLS core router sponsors." Ocular's award-winning Optical Service Xchange(TM) product family gives service providers unprecedented flexibility with optical resources. Service providers can leverage a single wavelength to deliver services such as T1s and Ethernets to thousands of individual customers with very high margins, or dedicate a wavelength to a single application or customer to deliver premium optical connectivity. Capitalizing on its patented Single Switch Architecture, the OSX family radically simplifies service planning and provisioning by eliminating complex configuration and hardware swap-outs. OSX's intelligent control plane allows for a smooth evolution from today's SONET-based networks toward IP/MPLS-based networks. For one-tenth the cost, space, and power of multibox solutions, OSX products expand revenue opportunities, increase service responsiveness, and eliminate service migration headaches for metro carriers. The purpose of George Mason University's Advanced Internet Lab is to conduct research on high-performance, large-bandwidth, Internet core networks and related technologies. In addition to the initial support provided by UUNET, a WorldCom company, the lab is supported by France Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Concert, Cable & Wireless, NTT as service providers; Alcatel, Avici Systems, Cisco Systems, Ericsson, Foundry Networks, Juniper Networks, Marconi, Nortel Networks, Ocular Networks, Hyperchip, Unisphere Networks as networking equipment suppliers; and Agilent Technologies, Spirent Communications (Adtech and Netcom Systems) and Ixia Communications as test equipment suppliers. For more information visit http://www.ail.gmu.edu or www.ocularnetworks.com