Network upgrade to enable high-bandwidth connectivity services in Austria

To provide Austrian businesses and government bodies more advanced network capabilities, Citycom is modernising its backbone and metro networks with Ciena® (NYSE: CIEN) and Kapsch BusinessCom. The upgrade will provide fast, reliable, low-latency Carrier Ethernet business services, including high-capacity broadband, Voice over IP (VoIP), resilient data centre interconnections, and access to critical cloud-based IT services such as CRM and payroll platforms for Citycom’s public sector, financial services and media customers.

Key Facts:

  • Citycom, part of Graz City Council (Die Holding Graz), owns and operates 1,200 kilometres of fibre-optic metro network and two state-of-the-art data centres in Graz, providing fast, reliable, low-latency Ethernet business services, including carrier wholesale and last mile connectivity (FTTH), to public sector, enterprise and small and medium sized business (SMB) customers. Citycom also owns a long-haul, nationwide, packet-optical backbone network connecting third-party carriers and international partners in major cities across Austria, including Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Klagenfurt, Linz, Wels and Gleisdorf.
  • The network upgrade includes a number of Ciena’s converged packet optical and packet networking solutions, including the 6500 Packet Optical Platform, 8700 Packetwave Platform, 5142 and 5160 Service Aggregation Switches, as well as the 3902, 3916 and 3930 Service Delivery Switches. Ciena’s OneControl also enables Citycom to differentiate its services with dynamic provisioning and proactive monitoring.
  • Ciena and Kapsch BusinessCom, a Ciena BizConnect partner in Austria, Central and Eastern Europe, are working together to deliver this upgrade as an end-to-end solution for Citycom. By consolidating its network footprint with Ciena’s OPn network architecture to enable programmable, high-performance Ethernet service delivery, Citycom is also reducing its overall energy consumption by approximately 10 per cent.

Executive Comments:

  • “With Ciena and Kapsch we not only enhance the service experience for our customers, but also ensure competitive advantage in Austria. Our customers now have access to more content, faster Internet speeds and can better utilise critical cloud-based applications. With Ciena’s networking technology we can deliver on our ongoing commitment to maintain and operate a high-performance, feature-rich network while Kapsch helps ensure we are extracting the most value from our investment.”
    -          Igo Huber, managing director at Citycom
  • “The consultative approach we are able to provide as a result of the partnership with Ciena ensures that customers, such as Citycom, are in safe hands as they transform their network infrastructure. With Ciena’s technology they can ensure that they will have capacity to anticipate and exceed escalating bandwidth and service demands, ensuring they are prepared for future growth.”
    -          Peter Mitterhofer, vice president sales at Kapsch BusinessCom AG
  • “Innovative service providers such as Citycom are constantly looking at how to stay ahead of the curve, particularly in service creation and delivery. With access to a flexible and resilient infrastructure based on open, programmable platforms, Austrian organisations can make the most of the digital future and continue to evolve and grow in today’s on-demand, application-centric world.”
    -          Franck Welter, head of partners, enterprise and public sector, EMEA at Ciena

Supporting Resources:

About CityCom
Citycom is a leading Austrian service provider that is owned by Graz City Council (Die Holding Graz). The organisation provides a range of network services, from internet services and business Ethernet and MPLS services, to data centre services. As well as providing network services for all public institutions in Graz, Citycom serves a range of customers in other sectors, from higher education and financial services companies to media companies and broadcasters.

Citycom is differentiated in the Austrian market by the quality and availability of its network services. This makes it the carrier of choice for organisations such as government agencies and banks that need their network and computing infrastructures to be constantly available.

About Kapsch BusinessCom
Kapsch BusinessCom– part of the Kapsch Group – is a leading ICT service partner in Austria, Central and Eastern Europe. Kapsch has positioned itself as an ICT service partner offering a complete solution portfolio covering the areas of information technology as well as telecommunications. It is increasingly taking on responsibility for the entire area of operations.

Kapsch BusinessCom relies on manufacturer independence and partnerships with globally leading technology providers, including Ciena. With its partners, Kapsch offers its services as a consultant, system supplier and service provider, but above all as a reliable, dependable, long-term trusted advisor in a rapidly changing technological environment.

About CienaCiena (NYSE: CIEN) is the network specialist. We collaborate with customers worldwide to unlock the strategic potential of their networks and fundamentally change the way they perform and compete. Ciena leverages its deep expertise in packet and optical networking and distributed software automation to deliver solutions in alignment with its OPn architecture for next-generation networks. We enable a high-scale, programmable infrastructure that can be controlled and adapted by network-level applications, and provide open interfaces to coordinate computing, storage and network resources in a unified, virtualized environment. For updates on Ciena news, follow us on Twitter @Ciena or on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/ciena. Investors are encouraged to review the Investors section of our website at www.ciena.com/investors, where we routinely post press releases, SEC filings, recent news, financial results, and other announcements. From time to time we exclusively post material information to this website along with other disclosure channels that we use.

Note to Ciena InvestorsForward-looking statements. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof; and Ciena's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and uncertainties associated with its business, which include the risk factors disclosed in its Report on Form 10-K, which Ciena filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2014. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding Ciena's expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will," and "would" or similar words. Ciena assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.