Meriton Networks Launches High-Speed Private Network for RBC Financial Group

Source: Press Release
May 10, 2006 - Ottawa, Canada, and Toronto, Canada

Scalable, Cost-Effective Agile Optical Networking Architecture Allows Largest Bank in Canada to Address Burgeoning Bandwidth Demands

Meriton Networks Inc., specialists in Agile Optical Networking, announced today that RBC Financial Group has deployed a private high-speed regional network featuring the Meriton Agile Optical Networking (AON) architecture. One of North America's leading diversified financial services companies, and Canada's largest bank, RBC is using the scalable Gigabit Ethernet transport system to connect its key data centers. This will allow RBC to expand the industry-leading services and customer care for which it is known while protecting the security of its customers' data.

Faced with ever-growing bandwidth demands, in part due to regulatory requirements, RBC needed to add capacity to its existing OC-48 network. After a thorough review of vendor offerings, RBC selected the Meriton solution because of its cost effective time-to-service. Some of the key points that moved RBC to select the Meriton solution include:

• Scalability - Leading the industry in density, the Meriton infrastructure will enable RBC to scale to 320 Gb/s of capacity (in half a rack) without any additional shelves. Adding wavelengths simply requires SFPs and cards.
• Management Simplicity - The integrated wavelength switching of the Meriton 7200 Optical Switching Platform (OSP) eliminates the need for additional switching and grooming equipment, ensuring simplified end-to-end management
• Performance Assurances - Layer 1 performance monitoring, including bit-error rate monitoring and embedded comprehensive diagnostic capabilities, ensures rapid fault isolation and remedy from a centralized management site
• Security - the Meriton infrastructure is a reliable, redundant, secure network
• Operational Flexibility - Line interfaces can be changed (e.g. from OC-48 to Gigabit Ethernet) entirely through software controls, making it easy to adapt the network to future needs
• Lowest Total Cost of Ownership - The business case analysis RBC conducted showed that deploying a private network on leased dark fiber cost less than using a managed service.

"With ever increasing storage growth and requirements for data replication, being able to scale our network with ease and at the least expense was paramount," said Dick Swadley, executive vice-president, IT Infrastructure, RBC Financial Group. "As a bank, we're naturally focused on the bottom line, and we're very pleased with the financial benefits we're already deriving from the Meriton solution."

"We are honored to be the foundation for what is one of the most important networks in Canada," said Mike Pascoe, president and CEO of Meriton Networks. "RBC is a prime example of the world-class customers that are validating the Meriton value proposition: we provide the most scalable, secure and cost-effective networking solution in the industry."

RBC has deployed the following components of the Meriton Agile Optical Networking architecture:

• 7200 OSP (Optical Switching Platform) for metro WDM transport
• 3300 OSM (Optical Services Multiplexer) for metro access
• 1455 OFA (Optical Fiber Amplifiers) to extend reach up to 600 km
• 8600 NMS (Network Management System) to fully manage the end-to-end network
• 8300 EMS (Element Management System) for field commissioning and provisioning

The Meriton Networks AON Architecture
Meriton Networks has developed the industry's first truly unified, end-to-end AON solution. Designed to give network operators unparalleled flexibility and operational simplicity with the lowest total cost of ownership, the Meriton AON portfolio brings together a series of 'best-in-class' products under a unified management system. This approach uniquely allows network operators to build out optical networks with true flexibility, including a choice of technology (OEO or WSS-based ROADMs) and architectural deployment (ring and mesh). With its inherently flexible design and ability to grow and change along with a network operator's business, the Meriton AON architecture allows network operators to effectively launch high-speed consumer broadband and business Ethernet and SAN service offerings, despite the uncertainties that exist today in unpredictable traffic patterns, changing service mixes, and an evolving regulatory environment. A 'future-proof' infrastructure capable of multi-service, multi-topology support, the Meriton AON architecture addresses the competitive pressures facing network operators by supporting rapid service deployment with one-time node engineering and zero-touch, automated provisioning, while reducing capital and operational costs.