Finalists Named for Carrier Ethernet Expo Europe Awards

Details were announced today of the finalists for Light Reading's prestigious Ethernet Expo Europe awards, which will be judged by a panel of Carrier Ethernet industry experts and presented at Ethernet Expo: Europe 2009, on Thursday, May 14, at the ExCel Conference Centre in London.

Service providers and equipment vendors are making significant investments in the development of Ethernet services and products as enterprises become increasingly aware of the numerous advantages - including provisioning, scalability, and management - that are associated with a migration to Carrier Ethernet from the legacy WAN alternatives.

These awards, recognizing leadership and outstanding achievement in the European Ethernet products and services market, are fiercely contested by the key industry service-provider and equipment-vendor stakeholders.

  The individual awards, along with the respective finalists, are:


  --  Carrier Ethernet Vendor of the Year, Europe - Best Access Product

        For the network equipment supplier that has begun shipping the best
        new Carrier Ethernet access platform (CEAP) in Europe since last
        year's European Ethernet Expo. CEAP solutions include Ethernet-over
        TDM access circuit, Ethernet-over-bonded copper pair, Ethernet-over
        fiber demarcation/access switching, and wireless platforms. Note
        that platforms should be MEF 9, MEF 14, and/or MEF 18 certified to
        qualify for consideration, and that this award is restricted to
        vendors included among the sponsors of Ethernet Expo Europe.
              Finalists:
              Adva FSP 150 CC825 Carrier Ethernet Access Platform
              Anda EtherReach with EtherProbe
              Cisco ME 3400E Ethernet Access Switch Series


  --  Carrier Ethernet Vendor of the Year, Europe - Best Infrastructure
      Product

        For the network equipment supplier that has begun shipping the best
        new Carrier Ethernet infrastructure platform in Europe since last
        year's European Ethernet Expo. Carrier Ethernet infrastructure
        solutions include Carrier Ethernet Switch/Routers (CESR), Ethernet
        Service Edge (ESE) Routers, and Packet Optical Transport Platforms
        (POTS). Note that platforms should be MEF 9, MEF 14, and/or MEF 18
        certified to qualify for consideration, and that this award is
        restricted to vendors included among the sponsors of Ethernet Expo
        Europe.
              Finalists:
              Alcatel-Lucent Service Router Portfolio
              Cisco ASR 9000 Series Routers
              Juniper MX960 Ethernet Services Router


  --  Ethernet Service Provider of the Year - Best Product Portfolio

        For the service provider offering the strongest Ethernet services
        connectivity and applications portfolio.
              Finalists:
              COLT
              Exponential-e
              ntl:Telewest

There will also be an award for the service provider that has launched the most promising new retail or wholesale Ethernet service in Europe since last year's European Ethernet Expo. The winner of the award for Ethernet Service Provider of the Year, Europe - Best Ethernet Service will be announced during the ceremony at 14:50 on Thursday, May 14.

Chaired by Stan Hubbard, Senior Analyst at Heavy Reading, Ethernet Expo Europe 2009 is the premier event covering the hot topic of Carrier Ethernet network technologies and services in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). In addition to providing a superb networking opportunity for service providers, equipment manufacturers, and enterprise MIS/IT decision makers, this year's Ethernet Expo is the first to be open to all interested European network/telecom press and media.

Additional information on Ethernet Expo Europe can be found here: www.ethernetexpoeurope.com. Registration for press and analysts is free.

  Contact:

  Amy Averbook
  Director of Corporate Marketing
  Light Reading
  averbook@lightreading.com
  212-925-0020 x112

  About Light Reading

Founded in 2000, Light Reading (www.lightreading.com) is the leading online media, research, and focused event company serving the $3 trillion worldwide communications market. Lightreading.com is the ultimate source for technology and financial analysis of the communications industry, leading the media sector in terms of traffic, content, and reputation. Light Reading's research arms, Heavy Reading and Pyramid Research, provide the most comprehensive communications research, market data, and technology analysis in close to 100 markets around the world. Light Reading produces nearly 20 targeted communications events including TelcoTV, Ethernet Expo New York and Ethernet Expo London, The Tower Summit @ CTIA, and Optical Expo, as well as focused one-day events tailored for cable, mobile, and wireline executives. Light Reading was acquired by United Business Media in August 2005 and operates as a unit of TechWeb.

About TechWeb

TechWeb (http://techweb.com/aboutus), the global leader in business technology media, is an innovative business focused on serving the needs of technology decision-makers and marketers worldwide. TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed media brands in the business technology market. Today, more than 13.3 million* business technology professionals actively engage in our communities created around our global face-to-face events, Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat, and VoiceCon; online resources such as the TechWeb Network, Light Reading, Intelligent Enterprise, InformationWeek.com, bMighty.com, and The Financial Technology Network; and the market-leading, award-winning InformationWeek, TechNet Magazine, MSDN Magazine, and Wall Street & Technology magazines. TechWeb also provides end-to-end services including next-generation performance marketing, integrated media, research, and analyst services. TechWeb is a division of United Business Media, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.

*13.3 million business decision-makers: based on number of monthly connections

About United Business Media Limited

UBM (UBM.L) focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting, and monitoring; and, the development and monetization of B2B communities and markets. UBM's businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities - from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists - with integrated events, online, print, and business information products. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: averbook@lightreading.com

SOURCE: Light Reading

CONTACT: Amy Averbook, Director of Corporate Marketing, Light Reading,
+1-212-925-0020 x112, averbook@lightreading.com

Web Site: http://www.lightreading.com/