Edge briefs

• Juniper Networks last week announced a so-called Global Alliance Program designed to help carriers extend their networks.

The program is intended to identify and qualify "best-in-class" partners to provide products that help integrate Juniper routers into operations support systems and content delivery systems. OSS partners are categorized as premium, preferred and select, with each tier representing the level of engagement between Juniper and the partner.

Members of the premium tier include Arbor Networks, Dorado Software, InfoVista, Micromuse and Orchestream.

• Edge router company Laurel Networks recently announced network availability features for its router designed to improve the resiliency of ATM and frame relay services, Internet access and Multi-protocol Label Switching IP VPNs offered on IP/MPLS networks.

The enhancements let Laurel's ST200 router switch more than 50,000 Layer 2 connections per second. They also restore IP service and traffic destined to more than 500 IP VPN sites in less than 50 msec upon detection of a link or adjacent node failure, Laurel says.