Latest ION Network Device on Display at Broadband World Forum

Paris, France - September 28, 2011 - Certification of its latest Network Interface Devices (NIDs) by the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) has provided a major boost for Transition Networks’ drive to expand its operations in the European marketplace. The stand-out S3240 member of the NID family is one of the highlights of the company’s comprehensive broadband hardware showcase portfolio at the Broadband World Forum in Paris this week, from 27 to 29 September.

Transition Networks Inc., the fiber access technology expert which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Communications Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: JCS), has already strengthened its regional presence with the acquisition of UK-headquartered TDM- and ISDN-over IP specialist Patapsco Designs Limited. The MEF-certified S3240, along with the other members of the ION suite of NIDs, will now be offered to help European telecoms and cable providers generate and preserve increased revenues when delivering Ethernet services.

“Transition Networks continues to develop quality products for service providers that enable them to deliver Ethernet services for business and mobile backhaul applications within a reliable environment. These latest certifications prove our commitment to Carrier Ethernet and leading organizations like the MEF,” said Dirk Steinkampf, Director of EMEA Sales and Operations. “We believe the ION portfolio of NIDS will be instrumental in driving our expansion in Europe as more and more operators in the region transition to next generation Carrier Ethernet networks to exploit the improved cost, bandwidth, manageability and availability that the technology delivers. Interoperability, as verified by MEF-certification, is a critical consideration in this market space.”   

Designed for business Ethernet and mobile backhaul applications, the ION NIDs have been certified compliant to MEF 9, MEF 14 and MEF 21 requirements. The compliance tests and certification process were performed by Iometrix, Inc., a leading independent testing lab, on behalf of the MEF.

The MEF Carrier Ethernet Certification Program is designed to ensure that global equipment and services comply with MEF standards and pave the way for interoperability. MEF 9 and MEF 14 equipment certifications ensure delivery of compliant, high performance Carrier Ethernet services at the User Network Interface (UNI). MEF 9 verifies service delivery and functionality. MEF 9 consists of 244 test cases which cover the Ethernet Physical Interface, UNI Attributes, Service Frame Delivery and VLAN Tag support. MEF 14 verifies service performance and bandwidth profiles. MEF 14 consists of 170 test cases which cover Service Performance, Bandwidth Profiles and Bandwidth Rate Enforcement. MEF 21 certifies Link OAM functions of the MEF UNI Type 2. MEF 21 is based on IEEE 802.3-2005 Clause 57 and is key for large scale automated management of Carrier Ethernet service links. MEF 21 consists of 371 test cases which cover OAM Discovery, OAM PDUs and OAM TLVs.

Product Features
The ION family of NIDs is designed to deliver SLA-enabled Ethernet services. These feature-rich, intelligent network interface devices meet the needs of applications such as business Ethernet and mobile backhaul. These NIDs incorporate advanced security features like: SSL, SSH, Multi-layer Access Control Lists (ACL), RADIUS, and Management VLANs, to prevent unauthorized access. A network operations center (NOC) can securely configure, monitor, and troubleshoot ION NIDs remotely through a web-browser, a command line interface (CLI) or with an SNMP application.

Product Configuration
Transition Networks’ remotely-managed x2220, x3220 and x3320 NIDs are either available as a chassis card for the ION modular chassis or as a standalone version. The S3240 is a multi-port standalone NID with redundant power and an extended operating temperature.

Product Availability
The x2220, x3220, x3320 and S3240 are available and shipping now. Please contact Transition Networks at (800) 526-926, +1 (952) 941-7600 or www.transition.com for the latest information.