Global News: Level 3, Alcatel-Lucent, Juniper

Here’s a roundup of recent headlines from the data center industry around the world:

Level 3 selected to expand Rocket Internet to Brazil.  Level 3 Communications (LVLT) announced Rocket Internet, a global e-commerce website developer headquartered in Germany, is expanding its reach in Brazil by using Level 3's hosting and network services for its servers. "We chose Level 3 because of its recognized position in the e-commerce market and the amount of value-added services it provides," said Fabricio Pettena, CIO at Rocket Brazil. "Our relationship with Level 3 already exists in Europe and now expands to one of the most promising e-commerce markets in South America." Level 3 will provide hosting services for Rocket's websites at its data center located in Cotia, Sao Paulo. Operating in Brazil since 2011, Rocket Internet develops retail websites with a focus on sportswear, children's products, handicrafts and home goods.

Alcatel-Lucent to boost network in Belgium.  Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) and Belgium service provider Belgacom announced plans to expand its network infrastructure as it continues to address the exponential growth in bandwidth demand driven by demand from customers, businesses, data centers and content platforms. To meet current and future bandwidth needs Belgacom will deploy Alcatel-Lucent's Extensible Routing System (XRS). The 7950 XRS allows Belgacom to support the rapid adoption of ‘cloud’ applications, the explosion in video traffic and the widespread use of smartphones and tablets and prepares the core of their network for the next decade of growth. “The XRS is a truly groundbreaking innovation, capable of reinventing the very heart of the Internet," said Luis Martinez Amago, President of Alcatel-Lucent's EMEA region. "It will benefit Belgacom significantly in both meeting the needs of home and institutional customers, and in lowering the operational cost of running an IP network, while at the same time reinforcing our long-term relationship and cooperation in bringing innovations to market that improve the experience of consumers.”

Juniper selected by Finland mobile services provider. Juniper Networks (JNPR) announced Elisa, a leading mobile services provider in Finland, has deployed Juniper Networks MobileNext mobile packet core solution to support the future data growth in its network. Elisa is expecting a significant growth in data traffic primarily driven by the increased use of LTE-enabled mobile devices. "Juniper's MobileNext solution has enabled Elisa to not only meet the demands of today's highly mobile world but also prepares us for the next generation of "anytime, anywhere" services," said Timo Katajisto, executive vice president, Production, Elisa. "We methodically selected Juniper for our LTE expansion because they clearly understand mobile network innovation, and will deliver strategic value as our business partner rather than just a supplier." Built on a foundation of MX Series Universal Edge Routers Elisa's deployment uses the Juniper MobileNext solution to focus on service-specific performance and scalability with resilient security capabilities.