Juniper Networks has announced the expansion of its Carrier Ethernet portfolio with new platforms, system hardware and software enhancements. Along with the new MX240 and MX480 Ethernet Services Routers, Juniper also announced a suite of new Dense Port Concentrator (DPC) cards that maximise MX-series system flexibility.

The MX-series leverages the JUNOS software as its operating system, which now delivers new Layer 2 operations, administration and management (OAM) capabilities and features, in addition to full Layer 2 switching.

According to the release, the new MX240 delivers 240 Gbps of switching or routing capacity in a 5 rack unit (RU) form factor; the MX480 features 480 Gbps of capacity in an 8 RU size. The platforms can simultaneously support up to 120 and 240 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, respectively.

To maximise the flexibility and performance of the MX-series in multiple network environments, Juniper is also introducing a suite of new DPC cards, which deliver high-density Ethernet interfaces and a range of service capabilities.

According to Matt Kolon, Asia Pacific CTO for Juniper Networks, "With this announcement, we are now providing the industry's most comprehensive portfolio of high-performance Carrier Ethernet platforms, all of which can deliver superior scale and efficiency. By giving customers a greater degree of choice and flexibility for high-performance Ethernet, Juniper's full suite of MX-series platforms enables providers to quickly drive new sources of revenue, while also reducing capital and operational expenditures."