Mzima Networks

The Mzima Network was a data network and Internet Protocol (IP) computer network extending across the United States, Europe and Asia. The word Mzima means “alive” in the Kiswahili language.

The network was started in California in 2001 by Mzima Corporation, N.A which acquired several companies with Internet networks. In 2005 the Mzima Network became the first all-10 Gigabit Ethernet backbone through a partnership with Force10 Networks. The Mzima IP backbone network expanded into Europe in 2006 providing connectivity for content providers, enterprise companies, and international telecommunication carriers. The fault-tolerant designed backbone network, connected Tier 1 network carriers and network providers that engage in private peering.

It incorporated the Provider Backbone Bridge Traffic Engineering (PBB-TE) standard to adapt Ethernet technology to carrier networks. PBB-TE technology was incorporated into communications networking equipment by such companies as Ciena Corporation. This Ethernet technology provided fast re-route capabilities allowing optimization of unused network capacity. Since it provided an alternative to Tier 1 service providers and multi-homed networks, the Mzima Network claimed route-optimized transit and private peering.

In January 2010 Mzima Networks announced its network assets were acquired by PacketExchange, a network service provider based in London, UK. The two companies merged customer bases and operations, and then became part of Global Telecom & Technology.