"We are very pleased to see Juniper bring virtualization to the core with the TX Matrix Plus multi-chassis routing system," said Kempei Fukuda, director, global network department, NTT Communications Corporation. "With the TX Matrix Plus and other advances announced today, Juniper is providing solutions that enable service providers to deploy highly scalable, flexible networks which can help protect investments and drive profitability."

"Delivering innovative, reliable services requires a highly flexible and scalable core routing system at the heart of the network, and our investment in Juniper's T1600 routing platform is in line with this strategy," said Mr. Fadhil Ansari, senior executive vice president of engineering, Etisalat. "Juniper's announcement of the new TX Matrix Plus multi-chassis routing system ensures our investment protection and enables us to build and scale a very efficient, flexible and reliable core network."

The TX Matrix Plus leverages the superior technology of Juniper's T1600, the industry's highest capacity, most energy efficient single-chassis core router. The T1600 and TX Matrix Plus lower total cost of ownership by delivering up to 25 percent more routing capacity in the half the footprint, and with up to 40 percent less power than competing solutions. The TX Matrix Plus architecture is designed to support up to 25 Tbps of capacity by integrating up to sixteen T1600s into a single multi-chassis routing node. This multi-chassis router can be managed as a single, unified router, or combined with the JCS 1200 to enable the secure virtualization of core routers -- which creates efficiencies by consolidating networks, services and functionality.

Virtualization has seen rapid adoption in the data center and elsewhere because of its ability to increase efficiency and reduce costs by sharing and consolidating resources. In the core of the network, regulatory, operational, organizational and security issues have made the virtualization of disparate networks and services more challenging. With the TX Matrix Plus and JCS 1200, Juniper is addressing these challenges by enabling the hardware virtualization of highly scalable, adaptable core routers. Juniper core routers can be partitioned--on a per slot basis--into multiple virtual routers, each of which might represent services or network element types, and which can share resources such as interconnecting links and uplinks. This unique ability ensures service providers can maintain the appropriate levels of administrative and service-specific separation, security and management while still recognizing the significant efficiency and cost-savings benefits of virtualization.

Service providers who leverage the TX Matrix Plus and other Juniper solutions to virtualize their core networks will be able to rapidly introduce new services on their existing infrastructure, while still managing each network and service individually. This dramatically speeds the introduction of new services, and also opens up a range of new business models and partnership opportunities, such as the ability to deliver "Open Garden" services, virtual network operator, network as a service (NaaS) and network sharing.