GENEVA -- Nortel Networks has unveiled optical multiservice edge 6500, a new optical edge platform designed to help service providers simplify their networks and offer revenue-generating services more efficiently.

Announced at ITU Telecom World 2003 in Geneva, Nortel's optical multiservice edge 6500 will converge multiple services, architectures and layers from new or existing networks onto a single platform for service efficiency.

Nortel estimates that optical multiservice edge 6500 may help service providers to reduce capital and operating costs by as much as 40 percent. It will also help speed time-to-market for optical Ethernet, optical storage connectivity, and other optical broadband services. In addition to enabling service providers to reduce capital and operating costs, Nortel estimates that optical multiservice edge 6500 may help service providers to reduce mixed services implementation costs on TDM leased lines and optical broadband services by up to 38 percent. A number of leading global service providers are currently evaluating Nortel Networks' optical multiservice edge 6500, which will be available worldwide by Q4-03.

Brian McFadden, president, optical networks, Nortel, said: "Nortel is leading the transformation to leverage the network, helping service providers to drive new revenue opportunities by offering a true optical convergence platform developed through significant technology innovation. The optical multiservice edge 6500 is designed to assist service providers in improving return on existing assets and to support long-term investment protection."

Robert Rich, executive vice president, Yankee Group, added: "Service providers are looking for innovative ways to meet the growing demand for broadband services from their enterprise customers while still achieving dramatic cost savings in their optical networks. Nortel's initiative to bring a new optical platform to market that offers service providers this kind of opportunity represents a positive step forward for the optical industry."