Tokyo, February 10, 2011 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) announced today the latest in its iPASOLINK series, the NEC iPASOLINK 1000. The NEC iPASOLINK is a converged, dual-native solution that supports both native TDM and native Ethernet transport on the same platform. This allows fixed and mobile operators gradual, cost effective migration to an all-IP backhaul, required for the transformation to 4G LTE and the cloud computing era.

The NEC iPASOLINK 1000 is designed for high-end aggregation sites in the network and it complements existing NEC iPASOLINK 200 and 400 products, as well as previous generations of NEC equipment. It includes multiple microwave nodal aggregation, high switching speeds and an increased number of interface options including 10Gbps Ethernet and Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM). Single-chassis implementation eliminates backhaul aggregation and distribution bottlenecks by allowing optimum network design of both optical and microwave connections.

All products in the NEC iPASOLINK series provide flexible migration to full-IP at the best time for the operator and without the need to prematurely switch off legacy equipment since they support both existing TDM networks and future Carrier Ethernet networks on one platform. This means operators can get as much value for their money out of legacy infrastructure and avoid wasting money through over provisioning and delays while extra equipment is ordered and installed.

"Operators require the agility to react fast, while reducing CAPEX/OPEX during a time when high quality, sophisticated content delivery is a must. Network infrastructure has become a differentiator and no operator wants to become a 'dumb pipe' provider. The NEC iPASOLINK 1000 will help our customers capture subscribers and reduce churn by enabling fast, targeted roll-out of capacity and services, expelling the need to throw money at costly tactics such as over-provisioning. Furthermore, the iPASOLINK1000 has already been selected by leading telecom operators and will be ready for shipment from March 2011," said Hiroyasu Ishii, General Manager of Global Network Division.

In addition, the NEC iPASOLINK series is managed by NEC MS5000 Network Management System, which provides streamlined management of radio, optical and IP networks. Auto-provisioning and end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) management provide SLA assurance and reduce both time to revenue and maintenance costs. By monitoring network behavior and performance, MS5000 is a key enabler of the 'Pay as You Grow' approach as capacity and services can be activated instantly from the MS5000 console as needed.

The development of the NEC iPASOLINK and MS5000 multi-technology solutions builds on NEC's strong heritage in microwave backhaul that extends to networks in 145 countries around the world. NEC's converged designs eliminate the need for multiple equipment types within one site, which in a typical scenario reduces the total cost of ownership by 35 per cent. Network operators are increasingly evolving their planning and operational processes in recognition of the value provided by equipment convergence in backhaul networks.

NEC will exhibit the iPASOLINK Series at the Mobile World Congress 2011 at Stand No 8A125, Hall 8. At the stand, visitors can learn about NEC's latest portfolio developments for Backhaul applications.