Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX) Creates Scalable Research and Education Network with Fujitsu ROADM

Fujitsu Network Communications, a leading supplier of IT and wireline/wireless networking solutions, announced today that the Mid-Atlantic Crossroads or MAX, a GigaPoP organization founded by Georgetown University, George Washington University, the University of Maryland, and Virginia Tech, has deployed its FLASHWAVE® 7500 ROADM to create a high-capacity optical network. The purpose of the advanced network is to serve the bandwidth needs of MAX’s 38 directly-connected participants from higher education, federal agency, corporate and non-profit institutions. Applications enabled by the new network include massively parallel processing between supercomputers and collaboration on projects regarding scientific modeling, data set movements, visualization, and analysis for improved problem solving, discovery, and policy formation.

The fiber-optic Mid-Atlantic Crossroads network is powered by three Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM nodes and three-degree wavelength switching at the hub site. A future upgrade planned for first quarter 2008 will add an additional three nodes (six in total) and feature a five-degree ROADM configuration. This upgrade will be performed in-service, which was cited by MAX staff as a key differentiator with the FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM platform.

“After an extensive RFP process, we selected the Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM because of its Wavelength Selective Switch (WSS), support for eight-degree ROADM, muxponder options, built-in transponder optical switch protection, and migration path to 40 Gbps on each of its 40 wavelengths,” said Dan Magorian, director of engineering and operations at Mid-Atlantic Crossroads. “Scalable bandwidth for our network is critical, and the FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM delivers the high-capacity and multi-degree flexibility we need to create the high-performance network our research and education participants require.”

“Fujitsu consistently impressed us throughout a multiple vendor evaluation and selection process with their feature rich cutting-edge equipment and excellent management system options, as well as with their pre-sale attention to detail and post-sale service and support options,” said Peter O’Neil, executive director of Mid-Atlantic Crossroads. “These benefits will allow us greater flexibility in fulfilling a range of high performance research and production networking requirements for our participants.”

Fujitsu Network Life Cycle Services are available to provide planning, deployment, maintenance and network enhancement services. MAX selected a critical, ongoing maintenance support package which includes access to 24/7 remote technical assistance and spares management, plus equipment feature software updates and hands-on technical training.

“In addition to being the equipment and professional services supplier for this network, Fujitsu is also a participant organization through our Fujitsu Laboratories of America connector site,” said Jim Hintze, senior vice president of marketing at Fujitsu Network Communications. “Our dual role gives us a unique perspective on the needs of the R&E community, and their network requirements. Our FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM is well suited for these types of regional optical networks, which plays an essential part of the collaborative nature researchers need. We are excited to be partnering with MAX on this significant new project that will help keep the Mid-Atlantic region at the forefront of networking technology.”

MAX is also using the Fujitsu NETSMART® 500 craft user interface and NETSMART 1500 Element Management System (EMS) to turn-up network nodes, provision services and monitor the availability of the network. The powerful Graphical User Interface (GUI), common to both platforms, provides MAX with instant visibility to the performance of their network and makes provisioning and troubleshooting a simple and efficient process.