(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — The Metro Ethernet Forum (www.metroethernetforum.org), a non-profit global industry alliance that includes more than 155 of the top service providers and network equipment vendors, has certified Tata Communications’ (www.tatacommunications.com) Priority Ethernet services conform to the highly regarded MEF 9 and MEF 14 specifications.
According to the Indian telecommunications giant’s Thursday announcement, Tata’s Priority Ethernet services network attained certification by passing numerous compliance tests, conducted by Iometrix (www.iometrix.com), the MEF-approved certification test laboratory. The Metro Ethernet Forum develops technical specifications and implementation agreements to ensure interoperability and deployment of Carrier Ethernet services worldwide.
“Tata Communications holds the distinction of being the first global provider who earned the MEF 9 and MEF14 certifications for its leading Global Dedicated Ethernet Services, and now the certification of our Priority services shows our commitment to continuously enrich our offerings, deliver quality services to our customers and lead the Ethernet evolution” said Genius Wong, Senior Vice President, Global IP and VPN services.
The first industry certification to include performance criteria, MEF 14 ensures that the latency, jitter and packet loss conforms to the rigorous MEF standards, helping raise the bar on carrier performance. MEF 9 ensures the conditions required for delivery of services have specific Ethernet User Network Interface and Ethernet Virtual Connection service attributes.
Joel Stradling, senior analyst at business IT intelligence firm Current Analysis (www.currentanalysis.com), said the Priority Ethernet Services’ MEF certification independently endorses its carrier Ethernet performance. “Global reach and the new MEF certifications differentiate Tata Communications’ message in the international marketplace, and looking forward the operator is in a good position to augment reach with more consistent and standardized Ethernet Network-to-Network Interfaces (E-NNIs) by working within MEF guidelines,” Stradling said in a statement. “E-NNIs are critical for Ethernet services as they establish a common language to bridge boundaries between different carriers.”
The MEF 9 and 14 certifications complement Tata’s already MEF-certified Global Dedicated Ethernet Services introduced in 2006 and certified since 2007.
