NEWS BRIEFS

Waltham, MASS. — GiantLoop Network, Inc. announced Enterprise Optical Networking, the company’s platform for a unified optical networking architecture. GiantLoop’s Enterprise Optical Networking (eON) enables large enterprises to aggregate data and storage networking protocols on a single fiber-optic network that spans campus, metropolitan, and inter-city geographies. In a related press release today, GiantLoop announced $40 million in venture funding and the formation of its senior management team ( http://www.giantloop.com/pr24oct_team.html ).

According to RHK Research, Global 250 companies double their data network bandwidth requirements (ATM, IP, Gigabit Ethernet, OCn) every three to six months. This explosive growth is mirrored within storage networks where ESCON, FICON, fiber channel, and storage-over-IP networks are growing at greater than 100% per year. In spite of the similarities in bandwidth requirements, most companies manage data and storage networking independently, creating islands of knowledge and skills and equipment inefficiencies. In addition, most services companies have knowledge in either storage or emerging optical networking, but not both. Global 250 companies have been without guidance to deal with the explosion of data and storage network bandwidth. Until now.

GiantLoop’s Enterprise Optical Networking services provide a unique solution to the business/bandwidth bottleneck by offering one-stop shopping for assessing, planning, designing, implementing, and managing fiber-optic networks that support all data and storage protocols. By replacing these complex, business-critical IT tasks with a predictable, reliable service, GiantLoop enables Global 250 companies to focus on core competencies and accelerate new business opportunities. GiantLoop’s offerings consist of AGILITY Professional Services and Enterprise Optical Networking Services, which include PowerCONNECT and PowerIP that deliver seamless, scaleable, multi-protocol networking solutions.

“There is a misconception in the marketplace that the last mile is just a physical pipe that connects a building to a network backbone,” said Harry Dixon, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of GiantLoop Network. “GiantLoop recognizes that the true benefit of the last mile is the business value derived from the connection between enterprise companies and the limitless bandwidth of all-optical networks. Our combination of professional services and managed network services removes the burden of designing, implementing, and managing optical networks from enterprise companies. Also, our exceptional knowledge and skills across data and storage networking technologies mean we can deliver on our Enterprise Optical Networking vision today. GiantLoop will truly accelerate the pace of optical networking adoption and revolutionize the way business is done.”

“It’s not easy for an enterprise to take advantage of optical bandwidth,” said Michael Howard, principal analyst and founder of Infonetics Research. “The problem isn’t the equipment per se, but how to integrate the different systems, applications, protocols, and technologies. GiantLoop’s ability to aggregate data and storage protocols across campus and metropolitan optical networks is a big step in the right direction to open optical bandwidth to enterprise companies.”

GiantLoop supplements its AGILITY Professional Services and POWER series optical network services with a unique culture – GiantLoop surrounds its customers with partners, services, and experts to establish customer intimacy. GiantLoop executes on this commitment with:

— A state-of-the-art interoperability and test lab to test customer fiber networks and new equipment fully in a controlled environment

— A detailed deployment and field support model that accelerates deployment projects and minimizes post-implementation problems

— A Network Control Center (NCC) staffed by seasoned engineers to proactively manage customer networks

— Access to all information and services through a secure, easy-to-use, personalized Web interface.

“Enterprise Optical Networking will become the archetype for corporate networking for the simple reason that no other communications infrastructure can support the requirements of business in the information economy,” added Dixon. “Enterprise Optical Networking represents the beginning of a massive change in the way large companies will view communications and computing technologies and the way companies interact.”

GiantLoop Network is the first and only provider of Enterprise Optical Networking services for Global 250 enterprises. GiantLoop builds and manages fiber optic networks that aggregate data and storage networking protocols that span campus, metropolitan, and inter-city networks and eliminate all network and storage bandwidth bottlenecks. GiantLoop’s AGILITY Professional Services provide a full portfolio of planning, design, and implementation services that match business needs with the right optical network infrastructure. The company’s managed Enterprise Optical Networking services deliver seamless, scaleable, multi-protocol networking solutions. GiantLoop is headquartered in Waltham, Mass., with offices in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. For more information about GiantLoop, including a White Paper about Enterprise Optical Networking, visit http://www.giantloop.com .

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