GEANT to Deploy Infinera Packet Optical SDN Solution for Network Optimization

SUNNYVALE, CA --(Marketwired - June 13, 2016) - Infinera, a provider of Intelligent Transport Networks, announced that GÉANT, Europe's leading collaboration on network and related infrastructure and services for the benefit of research and education, and operator of the pan-European GÉANT network, will deploy Infinera's programmable and open packet optical software-defined networking (SDN) solution integrated with GÉANT's ONOS-based controller. GÉANT recently validated the solution and will now move forward with plans for a network-wide deployment that will optimize its multi-layer network and enable efficient delivery of very high-bandwidth connectivity for data intensive research.

Together with its National Research and Education Network (NREN) partners, the GÉANT network connects over 50 million users at 10,000 institutions across Europe, supporting research in areas such as energy, the environment, space and medicine. It has been a vital element of Europe's e-infrastructure, providing the high speed connectivity needed to share, access and process massive volumes of data: data which is essential to the study of particle physics, bio-informatics, the advancing of medicine or simply enabling arts performers in different continents to perform together in near real-time.

GÉANT tested and validated two key components of Infinera's packet optical SDN solution, the Open Transport Switch (OTS) software and the Packet Switching Module (PXM). The PXM enables Ethernet and MPLS switching intelligence on the Infinera DTN-X platform, which is widely deployed in the GÉANT network. Infinera's DTN-X family delivers terabit-class scalability, operational simplicity and efficiency, and high levels of flexibility and programmability for multi-layer Intelligent Transport Networks. Infinera's OTS software further enables multi-layer SDN programmability of Infinera networks with an open modular architecture, open APIs and a simplified programming model for rapid SDN application development. Introduced in 2015 and initially deployed for SDN-driven optical bandwidth on demand services, OTS has been extended to support programmability of Layer 2 packet services via the PXM, enabling multi-layer service provisioning and optimization over an integrated packet-optical transport network.

GÉANT validated the Infinera packet SDN solution components and is working with ON Lab to develop the ONOS SDN controller to create an SDN-driven approach to network optimization. Once the solution is fully deployed, GÉANT will be able to enhance how large data flows across the network are routed, optimizing connectivity and capacity between the IP/MPLS and optical layers to deliver a multi-layer transport solution in the support of data-intensive research computing projects. This will improve the service offered to users and reduce the need to overprovision capacity at the IP/MPLS and optical layers. GÉANT has modeled the benefits of re-architecting its network to use the Infinera packet optical SDN solution versus multiple alternatives. This solution avoids 50 percent of expenditure across the network where it is to be initially deployed.

"Infinera's packet optical SDN solution offers an effective approach to optimize the GÉANT network and efficiently and optimally handle large traffic flows," said Mark Johnston, Chief Network Operations Officer at GÉANT. "We look forward to realizing the expected efficiencies and operational benefits of this solution, and continuing our excellent collaborative work with Infinera on future SDN applications."

"We are delighted to work with GÉANT to deliver real-world, deployable SDN solutions that create tangible value," said Nick Walden, Senior Vice President, EMEA at Infinera. "This is just one example illustrating the strong partnership between our organizations, and we are excited about working with GÉANT to deliver future innovations."

Additional resources:
Infinera Transport SDN
Infinera Open Transport Switch
Infinera Packet Switching Module and Packet Super-channels

About GÉANT

GÉANT is Europe's leading collaboration on network and related infrastructure and services for the benefit of research and education, contributing to Europe's economic growth and competitiveness. The organisation develops, delivers and promotes advanced network and associated e-infrastructure services, and supports innovation and knowledge-sharing amongst its members, partners and the wider research and education networking community. For more information visit www.geant.org, follow us on Twitter @GEANTnews and read our latest blog posts at blog.geant.org

About Infinera

Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN) provides Intelligent Transport Networks, enabling carriers, cloud operators, governments and enterprises to scale network bandwidth, accelerate service innovation and simplify optical network operations. Infinera's end-to-end packet-optical portfolio is designed for long-haul, subsea, data center interconnect and metro applications. Infinera's unique large scale photonic integrated circuits enable innovative optical networking solutions for the most demanding networks. To learn more about Infinera visit www.infinera.com, follow us on Twitter @Infinera and read our latest blog posts at blog.infinera.com.

Infinera and the Infinera logo are registered trademarks of Infinera Corporation.

This press release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, the technical, economic and operational benefits of deploying Infinera's solutions in the GÉANT network. These statements are not guarantees of results and should not be considered as an indication of future activity or future performance. Actual results may vary materially from these expectations as a result of various risks and uncertainties. Information about these risks and uncertainties, and other risks and uncertainties that affect Infinera's business, is contained in the risk factors section and other sections of Infinera's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 26, 2016 as filed with the SEC on May 4, 2016, as well subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the SEC. These reports are available on Infinera's website at www.infinera.com and the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Infinera assumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to, update any such forward-looking statements.