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Interview With Aviat Network's Gary Croke
Published Mar 19, 2014
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Q. Please give us a brief about your company.
Aviat Networks is the No. 1 specialist provider of microwave solutions. We have been supplying microwave solutions for more than 50 years, so we have a long and trusted history in the microwave space. We are based in Silicon Valley with operations all over the world and significant presence in MEA.
Q. Tell us more about your products and solutions.
Aviat Networks offers a complete portfolio of microwave networking products and services. Our portfolio of microwave networking products covers an extensive spectrum of frequencies, capacities and applications. We’ve just announced our newest product, the Aviat CTR 8540—a revolutionary new concept as the industry’s first purpose-built microwave router.
Q. Could you tell us more about the microwave routers?
Sure, a microwave router is a new product category that combines all the functionality of a microwave platform and all the functionality of a router into one box. This new microwave platform, the CTR 8540, includes a fully featured IP/MPLS routerand is a powerful combination of microwave transport, Layer 2 Carrier Ethernet and Layer 3 IP/MPLS routing—all in the one box. Unlike microwave platforms that lack L3 intelligence and require separate routers, CTR is an integrated microwave routing device. And unlike regular routers that have no knowledge of the microwave domain, CTR understands microwave and has full complement of microwave functionality built in such as an integrated modem and support for all the detailed microwave configurations and features such as ACM, XPIC, SD/FD, N+0, all the various protection modes.
Q. What is the benefit of microwave routers to operators?
Microwave routers have three main benefits for operations. First, these devices allow operators to simplify their lives because they now have fewer boxes to buy, deploy and maintain. Fewer boxes mean latency is reduced, which is very important for LTE and LTEAdvanced. In addition, because routing is integrated with the microwave function, the network performs better as higher layers are immediately aware of what’s going on in the microwave domain. Second, operators can save and make money. Fewer boxes mean less space, power and offer lowest overall total cost of ownership (TCO). Microwave routers also enable new services, such as fixed communications services for enterprises, to be delivered directly from the backhaul network. These devices enable operators to deliver access, connectivity and L2/L3 services such as site-to-site VPN—all from a single device, which actually happens to be the backhaul device for 3G and 4G services, as well. Third, these devices enable operators to safeguard their future by providing a seamless upgrade path to IP/MPLS and to SDN (software defined networking) capability over time.
Q. What is the company’s focus in the MEA region?
As mentioned above, MEA is one of Aviat’s most important regions. It’s one of our largest regions in terms of revenue and we have close to 100 employees in 7 offices across MEA with local service and support in many key countries.
Q. What are your current projects in the MEA?
We have a number of ongoing customers and projects in the region across various market verticals including mobile, security and defense, oil and gas, government and transportation. Our largest source of revenue comes from the mobile space where we have many brand name accounts. MTN is our largest customer and we do business across many countries in Africa with them.
Q. How do you differentiate yourself from competitors?
Microwave competitors come in two varieties: the large generalist telecom vendors and the microwave specialists. We set ourselves apart from the generalists through innovative products like the CTR. When compared with specialists, not only does Aviat offer differentiated products but our personal care and service is unmatched by "box-selling” specialist microwave vendors.
Posted by VMD - [Virtual Marketing Department]
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