Overture makes move toward customer premises

Overture Networks, which has generally stayed on the metro side of the service provider network, today took what could be viewed as the next logical step, introducing a customer premises platform designed to provide Ethernet or TDM services on the same network.

The ISG 2200, which uses the same processor and software as the company’s flagship ISG 5000, is designed for locations that need only a handful of Ethernet and/or TDM ports. The objective, according to Chip Redden, senior director of marketing and product management, was to provide a solution that can fit in current networks and wouldn’t require significant rebuilds.

"We’re basically coming up with a purpose built box," he said. "We don’t make any claims toward being a God box."

The new unit includes a number of standard interfaces and also comes with an expandable slot that supports the same plug-in modules as the ISG 5000, including Gig-E, OC-12c/STM-4c, OC-3c/STM-1, DS3, T1/E1, 10/100 Base-T, and 100 Base-FX.

"There’s a fairly common combination of ports that people were buying so we decided to start with that," Redden said. "Putting a DS3 on every box might have raised the price. With the Gig-E and T1/E1 ports you pretty much cover a good portion of the landscape."

Overture also announced today that it has signed up two initial customers for the ISG 2000—PPL Telecom, a metro net provider in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York; and Unlimited Fiber Optics Communications, a metro carrier based in San Francisco.