Openreach Strengthens Ethernet Access Direct Services with Ciena

Following strong demand for its range of Ethernet Access Direct (EAD) products, Openreach, BT’s local access network business, has selected Ciena’s®(NYSE: CIEN) packet networking solutions to support the evolution of its Ethernet services.

Openreach’s communication provider (CP) customers are looking to capitalise on the UK’s high-capacity Ethernet business services market, which is expected to grow by 23 per cent over the next three to four years according to Ovum1, by offering faster and more reliable Ethernet service delivery. CPs also need to support enterprise clients’ increasing application-centric network consumption behaviors, enabling services such as bandwidth on-demand, cloud computing and high-bandwidth applications, including video, CRM platforms and real-time data backup.

Key Facts:

  • Openreach provides CPs with equal access to the wires and fibres that deliver the data, broadband and voice services to tens of millions of homes and businesses in the UK. Openreach’s EAD+ services offer a wide choice of high-bandwidth, permanently connected, point-to-point Ethernet solutions that help CPs expand their own networks and deliver a range of high-quality services, such as cloud computing, storage area network connectivity and mobile backhaul.
  • A key element of its OP network architecture, Ciena’s E-suite family of packet switch modules, including the 3916 and 3930 Service Delivery Switches and 5142, 5150 and 5160 Service Aggregation Switches, ensure fast Ethernet service delivery, agility and assurance for Openreach’s EAD services. The solutions combine intelligent devices and software to create the necessary infrastructure for Openreach to deploy low-touch, high-velocity Ethernet services, backed by stringent SLAs with rigorous performance and availability guarantees.
  • Openreach will also leverage Ciena’s advanced Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) software, including its Service-Aware Operating System (SAOS) and OneControl Unified Management System, to enable low-touch service provisioning. With Ciena’s automated reporting and service-level testing capabilities, Openreach will be able to proactively monitor and measure the network’s ongoing performance for greater efficiency.

Executive Comments:

  • “We have been providing our Ethernet Access Direct products to the UK communications industry since 2009. During this time, market demand for secure, dedicated business connectivity has grown exponentially – literally underpinning the bread and butter of businesses right across the UK. Maintaining a robust supply chain against this backdrop is of paramount importance to us and our customers. Choosing Ciena as our new dual NTE vendor will provide assurance of continuous supply while also maximising opportunities to further develop the capabilities we offer.”
    – Jon Hurry, MD, Strategy, Commercial, Portfolio & Policy, Openreach
  • “Openreach is delivering on its promise to provide flexible and robust Ethernet services in the UK. By deploying a simplified, on-demand infrastructure with our packet networking and software solutions, Openreach is ensuring its communication provider customers have access to the support and services they need to be competitive.”
    – François Locoh-Donou, senior vice president, global products group at Ciena

Supporting Resources:

Notes

1 Ovum: Enterprise Ethernet Service Forecast Report: 2011–18

About Openreach

Openreach, a division of BT Group plc. (LSE: BT.A), is responsible for the first mile of the UK access network - the copper wires and fiber connecting homes and businesses to their local telephone exchanges. Openreach leads the deployment of BT Group’s £3bn roll-out of fiber, delivering fiber broadband services to communities across the UK as well as installing and maintaining the communications infrastructure that links homes, businesses, public and voluntary sector organizations to their Communications Providers' networks.

About Ciena

Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) is the network specialist. We collaborate with customers worldwide to unlock the strategic potential of their networks and fundamentally change the way they perform and compete. Ciena leverages its deep expertise in packet and optical networking and distributed software automation to deliver solutions in alignment with its OPn architecture for next-generation networks. We enable a high-scale, programmable infrastructure that can be controlled and adapted by network-level applications, and provide open interfaces to coordinate computing, storage and network resources in a unified, virtualized environment. For updates on Ciena news, follow us on Twitter @Ciena or on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/ciena. Investors are encouraged to review the Investors section of our website at www.ciena.com/investors, where we routinely post press releases, SEC filings, recent news, financial results, and other announcements. From time to time we exclusively post material information to this website along with other disclosure channels that we use.

Note to Ciena Investors

Forward-looking statements. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof; and Ciena's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and uncertainties associated with its business, which include the risk factors disclosed in its Report on Form 10-Q, which Ciena filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 11, 2014. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding Ciena's expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will," and "would" or similar words. Ciena assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts:

Press Contacts:
Ciena Corporation
Liv Nixon, +44 207 012 5869
onixon@ciena.com
or
BT Group plc.
Richard Knowles, +44 207 356 5366
richard.knowles@bt.com
or
Investor Contact:
Ciena Corporation
Gregg Lampf, +1-410-694-5700
ir@ciena.com

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