Global High-Speed Bandwidth
For Mission-Critical Communications
The US Department of Defense (DoD) wanted to create a new, bandwidth-available network environment, under the jurisdiction of their Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), to improve national security intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; information assurance; and command and control in support of the DoD's warfighting, intelligence, and business missions. The Global Information Grid-Bandwidth Expansion (GIG-BE) project was designed to complement the DoD's existing network, known as the Defense Information Systems Network (DISN), while expanding capacity and reliability to select locations worldwide.
The final GIG-BE system solution accepted by DISA was determined by Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) and included subcontracts for 4 specific equipment types. SAIC chose Sprint Communications/Sycamore Networks as the best value technical solution in the Optical Digital Cross Connect category. The Sprint/Sycamore solution includes the SN 16000 Intelligent Optical Switch, SILVX NMS, and SILVX InSight Design & Planning Tools.
After rigorous testing of the leading optical switch products, DISA and SAIC concluded that the Sycamore switch represented the best technical solution, based on their evaluation criteria:
- Operationally proven product maturity and reliability
- Software architecture and platform stability
- Switch capacity, scalability, and modularity
- Support for diverse protection schemes on a single platform
- Advanced network design tools and emulation capabilities
GIG-BE was operational by year-end 2005 and, after follow-on evaluation, accredited to support very high-speed traffic classified up to and including Top Secret. Achieving DISA's vision of "a color to every base" entailed physically diverse network access and substantial upgrades to the optical backbone. GIG-BE met this objective in a state-of-the-art switched optical network with 10 Gbps OC-192 or faster connections serving roughly 100 sites throughout the world.
GIG-BE created a robust, IP-based network where bandwidth is no longer a constraint and vast quantities of information can be distributed, analyzed and shared in a more efficient and effective manner. The new network ensures secure, high bandwidth capability over an optical mesh architecture that interconnects key intelligence, command and operational locations throughout the continental United States (CONUS), Pacific and European Theaters.
We're proud to say that Sycamore intelligent optical switching technology plays a pivotal role in providing connectivity for one of the world's most advanced and technically innovative networks.
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