Asia's online gaming market is set to surpass $1 billion by next year, with most growth coming from China and South Korea, according to market estimates.

International Data Corp. (IDC) reported that China is expected to become the largest online gaming market by 2007.

The availability of broadband and wireless networks is seen as the key to growth.

Despite a slow start with consumers, Personal Video Recorder (PVR) products are finally making headway, according to In-Stat/MDR.

Despite an almost continuous stream of rave reviews from satisfied PVR users over the past 5 years, most consumers still failed to see why they needed to hook up yet another set top box to their TV set.

However, according to the high-tech market research firm, the PVR market hit its stride in the past year, as worldwide annual unit shipments tripled and increasing numbers of consumers became aware of the benefits of time-shifting TV programming.

SGI and Kasenna Inc announced that NHK, Japan's major broadcasting company, has brought on-line an MPEG-4 video server system from SGI Japan, Ltd to archive video assets spanning the network's 50-year history.

Lucent Technologies and Juniper Networks unveiled a strategic partnership focused on delivering joint core, data, broadband and metro optical network solutions to service providers.
Under the non-exclusive alliance, Lucent becomes a worldwide reseller of the entire Juniper product line (with the exception of the J20 product developed in conjunction with Ericsson).
The partners said the deal was not simply a reseller agreement, as both companies are committed to joint development efforts to integrate their products for maximum value.
The companies have entered into a cross licensing agreement for certain intellectual property.

Force10 Networks, Inc. today announced it has closed $41 million in new funding, bringing the total investment in the company to $209 million.
Investors in this financing round include New Enterprise Associates (NEA), U.S. Venture Partners (USVP), Worldview Technology Partners, Amerindo Investment Advisors, and Pacesetter Capital Group, among others.

Raising this amount of money in today's market environment is a testament to Force10's technology leadership position and customer success, said Dick Kramlich, co-founder and general partner, New Enterprise Associates. Force10 is winning many new customers across multiple application segments, and this new funding will take the company to profitability. I see a very exciting future for Force10.

About Force10 Networks : Force10 Networks is the only provider of next-generation, high performance Ethernet switch/routers with true 10-Gigabit Ethernet. The Force10 E-Series platforms leverage its EtherScale ASIC-based architecture and FTOS switching/routing software to deliver unmatched scalability, line-rate performance and full L2 switching and L3 routing functionality for high performance Ethernet applications.
For more information, visit Force10networks.com

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