QUEBEC CITY, Canada, Dec. 1, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EXFO Inc. (Nasdaq:EXFO) (TSX:EXF) announced today that a tier-1 North American network operator has placed a follow-on order in excess of US$1.8 million for its AXS-200/635 Copper, VDSL2, ADSL2+ and IP Triple-Play Test Set.
This tier-1 North American operator, which had shipments exceeding US$6 million for the AXS-200/635 in fiscal 2011 (US$1.5 million in fiscal 2010), selected EXFO's solution once again for its continued expansion of next-generation VDSL2 and IPTV services over its hybrid network, along with supporting its traditional voice and ADSL2+ Internet service offerings.
The AXS-200/635 is a complete, multilayer test solution designed for the deployment, troubleshooting and repair of voice, broadband and multiplay services. Its ease of use, flexible architecture and comprehensive set of features enable customers to lower OPEX through the reduction of truck rolls and help them save on CAPEX. One function that assists in this regard is the unique Loop Mapper feature of the AXS-200/635. This automated measurement uses a combination of time-domain reflectometry (TDR) and frequency-domain reflectometry (FDR) to display a graphical depiction (through a simple wiring diagram) of the location and length of bridged taps and the end of the cable. The presence of bridged taps causes major performance degradation in a VDSL2 environment and translates into poor IPTV quality. The Loop Mapper feature makes it easy for less-skilled installation technicians to quickly identify and locate bridged taps that affect the quality of service (QoS).
This tier-1 North American operator recognized the need to perform rapid, multilayer analysis of subscriber circuits during provisioning of VDSL2/IPTV services. The AXS-200/635 delivers on this requirement by performing quick and automated analysis of the copper pair in addition to validating the QoS of the VDSL2 and IPTV services. The multilayer testing approach of the AXS-200/635 is essential to ensure that service turn-up is done right the first time, significantly reducing future truck rolls. Additionally, the ease of use of the AXS-200/635 reduces technician training time, thereby accelerating deployments of VDSL2 and IPTV services.
"Flawless IPTV requires the underlying outside plant and home network architecture to be free of impairments. The AXS-200/635 has proven itself as a comprehensive test solution for network operators around the world deploying VDSL2 and IPTV," said Etienne Gagnon, EXFO's Vice-President—Wireline Division and Corporate Marketing. "And this significant follow-on order demonstrates EXFO's commitment to fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) deployments with solutions that enable operators to significantly improve their operating efficiencies through proactive service verification and qualification of copper."
About EXFO
Listed on the NASDAQ and TSX stock exchanges, EXFO is among the leading providers of next-generation test and service assurance solutions for wireline and wireless network operators and equipment manufacturers in the global telecommunications industry. The company offers innovative solutions for the development, installation, management and maintenance of converged, IP fixed and mobile networks—from the core to the edge. Key technologies supported include VDSL2, ADSL2+, 3G, 4G/LTE, IMS, Ethernet, OTN, FTTx, and various optical technologies (accounting for an estimated 35% of the portable fiber-optic test market). EXFO has a staff of approximately 1800 people in 25 countries, supporting more than 2000 telecom customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.EXFO.com.
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Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and we intend that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical information or statements of current condition. Words such as may, will, expect, believe, anticipate, intend, could, estimate, continue, or the negative or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events and circumstances are considered forward-looking statements. They are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements due to various factors including economic uncertainty (including our ability to quickly adapt cost structures with anticipated levels of business, ability to manage inventory levels with market demand); future economic, competitive, financial and market conditions; capital spending levels in the telecommunications industry; limited visibility with regards to customer orders and the timing of such orders; fluctuating exchange rates; our ability to successfully integrate our acquired and to-be-acquired businesses; consolidation in the global telecommunications test and service assurance industry and increased competition among vendors; concentration of sales; market acceptance of our new products and other upcoming products; our ability to successfully expand international operations; and the retention of key technical and management personnel. Assumptions relating to the foregoing involve judgments and risks, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Other risk factors that may affect our future performance and operations are detailed in our Annual Report, on Form 20-F, and our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities commissions. We believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable based on information currently available to us, but we cannot assure you that the expectations will prove to have been correct. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Unless required by law or applicable regulations, we undertake no obligation to revise or update any of them to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date of this document.