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Marconi Shows Off Supercomputing Grid

In a first for the telecommunications industry, Marconi (MONI) demonstrated OC-192c (10 Gbps) ATM data transfer rates over its leading 480 Gbps BXR-48000 multiservice switch-router at the 15th annual SC2002 conference. Marconi's demonstration modeled a global supercomputing grid that expands the bandwidth available to both legacy and next-generation packet-based networks for secure, high-speed transport of mission-critical information. Demands on a global supercomputing grid include secure high-speed transport of encrypted data, real-time, high-definition video steams, distributed supercomputing, and the integration of large storage files with real-time, multi-channel virtual presence and collaborative decision-making tools.

The demonstration was conducted in cooperation with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), the U.S. Naval Research Lab (NRL) and the MID-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX) in conjunction with Qwest. NRL provided high-definition video content and a gateway to DISA's international network; MAX/Qwest are providing fiber links between NRL and the network at the Baltimore Convention Center. The real-time global grid demonstration linked sites in Stuttgart, Germany; Honolulu, HI; Belleville, IL; Washington, D.C.; and Baltimore, MD to show the secure, high-speed delivery of multiple services and next-generation applications over private and public network infrastructures. The link to Hawaii is to the AFCEA (Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association) TechNet Asia-Pacific 2002 conference, where Marconi also is exhibiting.

Marconi equipment in the demonstration included the 480 Gbps BXR-48000, the industry's highest capacity and the only true protocol- and payload-agnostic multiservice switch-router, which was recently purchased by the U.S. Department of Defense. The demonstration also included Marconi's recently introduced OC-192c ATM interface for the BXR-48000, the first 10 Gbps ATM interface proven to support transport of encrypted high-speed data to ensure Type 1 security; payload-agnostic high-performance over cell and packet interfaces on the BXR-48000 for multiservice applications; the 40 Gbps ASX-4000M multiservice switch-router, with leading call set-up performance; the PMA32 DWDM 10 Gbps line of resilient ring optical products; and the remarkable visualization characteristics of ViPr, Marconi's new Virtual Presence device.

"From voice and data applications to multi-channel virtual presence and the secure delivery of real-time high-definition video streams, Marconi enables the U.S. government to realize its communication goals as we learn to live in a terror-aware society," said Gerald Kolosvary, president of Marconi Federal, Inc. "Further, Marconi's capability to easily and securely manage bandwidthintensive voice, video and data over any infrastructure clearly shows that cost-effective leverage of legacy infrastructure and sensible migration to next-generation networks is more than possible, it is practical today."