Ciena will supply optical networking transport and switching hardware and software to British Telecom under a new 3-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed.
In addition, Ciena will install the equipment and provide the support and services needed to meet the carrier’s timeline and specifications.
“(We) are pleased that BT . . . has recognized the value our LightWorks architecture brings as the company focuses on providing broadband data services to its customers,” said Gary Smith, Ciena’s president and CEO.
BT is the kind of customer Ciena had in mind when it reorganized its divisions last year to target top-tier service providers and integrated its transport and switching product lines.
BT’s operating divisions — BT Wholesale, BT Retail and BT Global Services — will use the systems to further automate network operations and allow for faster delivery of services to its customers.
The company plans to begin integrating Ciena equipment by year’s end.
For Ciena, it’s the second piece of good news this week. On Tuesday, a Delaware jury handed it a victory in its patent fight with Corvis. The jury found that Corvis’ CorWave system infringes on four Ciena patents covering optical communication technology.
Ciena, based in Linthicum, Md., plans to move for an injunction prohibiting sales of infringing products.