http://www.currentanalysis.com/ Analysis Reports provided by Current Analysis, Inc. en-us All materials Copyright 1997-2010 Current Analysis, Inc. Reproduction or distribution prohibited without express written consent. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:47:49 GMT http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54120&rss With renewed management across most business units and a tradition of five-year strategic plans, France Telecom-Orange has now launched “conquests 2015,” focusing on employees, networks and customer acquisitions. Ostergaard, Bernt 2010-07-06T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54058&rss Interoute’s ‘UConn’ gives clients service add/drop/change functions under a flexible contract. This move is disruptive, but a number of competitors are also positioning multi-service accesses for service scalability. Stradling, Joel 2010-06-30T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54059&rss McAfee has successfully expanded its business model from selling software with security updates to SME end-users, to a direct sales cloud-based Security-as-a-Service model combined with white labelled services to major cloud service providers. Ostergaard, Bernt 2010-06-30T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54061&rss T-Systems offers a wide range of cloud services with comprehensive security measures that rival its hosted solutions. Combining its enterprise telecom, and IT service provider capabilities gives the carrier strong cloud security credentials. Ostergaard, Bernt 2010-06-30T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54060&rss Telefonica O2 Germany combines the fourth largest mobile operator with a solid national IP network and local access capability. Despite having the weight and credibility of the Telefonica group, services have yet to gain momentum. Barton, Gary - Kehoe, Dustin 2010-06-30T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=42440&rss BT’s Managed Security provides a complete managed solution with very strong professional service capabilities. More granular services are needed in mobile security integration, unified threat management, DDoS protection and cloud security. Ostergaard, Bernt - 2010-06-29T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54053&rss IP telephony is now ‘UCC,’ and IP Centrex is now ‘cloud.’ This advisory looks at how the IP telephony market has been shaping up and considers top-of-mind issues for enterprises around UCC, competitor offers and global service delivery. Kehoe, Dustin 2010-06-29T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=42405&rss Orange provides a wide-ranging MSS portfolio both in terms of depth of coverage and in breadth of global availability, with improvements in SIEM, identity management and DDoS capabilities. The next step is cloud-based security services. Ostergaard, Bernt - 2010-06-29T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=41770&rss The T-Systems managed security portfolio provides in-depth GRC assessments, intrusion prevention, cloud security, identity and authentication capabilities and Security-as-a-Service (e-mail encryption, anti-malware and authentication). Ostergaard, Bernt - 2010-06-29T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54038&rss THUS offers one of the UK’s most competitive ranges of Ethernet and VPN services targeted at SMEs. Its future remains unclear following its takeover, but C&W’s own expertise should help THUS to strengthen its service portfolio. Barton, Gary 2010-06-28T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54018&rss Cloud services are firmly on the horizon for SMEs. Hosted applications offer simple, cost effective access to more advanced services. Support and reliability also remain key themes with SLAs and professional services increasingly demanded. Barton, Gary 2010-06-25T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54019&rss Orange and Vodafone have underlined the growing importance of mobile email and data to SMEs. Meanwhile, the future of local access services for SMEs remains uncertain as the UK lags behind Europe for fixed and mobile broadband development. Barton, Gary 2010-06-25T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53997&rss The AT&T cloud security services are vulnerable to the carriers and IT service providers it is up against in the global cloud services market mainly because AT&T has little or no cloud service presence internationally. Ostergaard, Bernt 2010-06-24T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54013&rss BT has a strong utility computing offer which it is rolling out across Europe and enriching with new features and functionalities. The company is also building centres of excellence and globalizing its approach to data centre services. Kehoe, Dustin 2010-06-24T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54001&rss Elisa invests in higher-margin ICT services by expanding its services through acquisition (Videra) and partnership (Tandberg/Cisco). It has defended its presence in its domestic market, but the company is still vulnerable in other Nordic markets. Barton, Gary - Ostergaard, Bernt 2010-06-24T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=54012&rss Verizon Business enhances its IP services portfolio with features that let enterprises manage communications costs by reducing calls terminated to the PSTN. The concept is good, but savings from these features rely on communities of VoIP users. Whelan, Cindy 2010-06-24T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53975&rss Global Crossing executed on key initiatives in 2009, adding Ethernet and CDN offers, meeting financial goals, and increasing customer satisfaction. The carrier brings this momentum into 2010 with increased investment in strategic service areas. Whelan, Cindy 2010-06-23T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53977&rss Sunrise has suffered a significant setback with the failure of its merger with Orange. Sunrise remains profitable, but its efforts to turn consumer credibility into business customer wins will be weakened by the uncertainty surrounding its future. Barton, Gary - Kehoe, Dustin 2010-06-23T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=42582&rss Virgin Media Business’ IP Multimedia service is threatening due to ease of deployment, rich presence, collaboration features and per-seat pricing. SIP Trunking is still absent and more hosted voice customers are needed to boost its credentials. O'Boyle, Sandra - Barton, Gary 2010-06-23T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53964&rss Colt has rebranded to underline its new strategy of providing telecoms services as part of a broader information delivery platform. Germany remains Colt’s largest market and its increased focus on hosted services should improve its competiveness. Barton, Gary - Kehoe, Dustin 2010-06-22T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=47831&rss T-Systems was one of the first with on-demand computing and specializes in SAP. It can also offer twin core data centers on three continents to guarantee a high level of business continuity and DR. Yet its visibility outside of Europe is lacking. Kehoe, Dustin - 2010-06-21T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53920&rss QSC has posted its first two profitable financial years and now claims to be debt free. QSC continues to win new customers, but these are predominantly DSL provisioning deals and the company will need more VPN contracts to maintain profitability. Barton, Gary - Kehoe, Dustin 2010-06-18T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53923&rss Tata has released a flurry of telepresence deals capped by the first public Cisco TPS inter-exchange trials, held with BT. Cisco telepresence exchange interconnection seems ripe for many more such announcements in the near future. Washburn, Brian 2010-06-18T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=47819&rss AT&T advances its position in the data center services market, delivering both traditional dedicated hosted solutions and on-demand services from 38 facilities worldwide. But a U.S.-centric customer focus could limit its growth potential. Larsen DeCarlo, Amy - 2010-06-16T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=47821&rss AT&T is regularly audited against industry standards like HIPAA, PCI, etc. and its data centers are SAS 70 Type II certified" Kehoe, Dustin - 2010-06-16T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=47951&rss IBM delivers a diverse suite of data center services that run the gamut from traditional hosted offers to on-demand solutions. The provider continues its efforts to globalize its services to compete successfully on the international stage. Larsen DeCarlo, Amy - 2010-06-16T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=47833&rss Verizon Business continues expanding its data center suite with more on-demand services. Verizon has a solid track record in managed hosting and security, but it is its cloud computing play that put it in the spotlight today. Larsen DeCarlo, Amy - 2010-06-16T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53867&rss Swisscom has been boosted by the Swiss regulator’s decision to block the merger of Orange and Sunrise, and the incumbent has underlined its status as the dominant force in Switzerland with solid financial results and continuing customer wins. Barton, Gary - Kehoe, Dustin 2010-06-14T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=42041&rss BT has a robust Cisco Hosted IP Voice service and is firmly adopting a Unified Communications as a Service selling proposition. BT has SIP Trunking scheduled to be released in the US and EMEA in 2010 and needs to deliver to address this weakness. O'Boyle, Sandra - Barton, Gary 2010-06-11T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53842&rss Exponential-e is a unique and innovative company competing aggressively on modern data WAN capabilities (e.g., Ethernet VPLS). Its small size may raise concerns, but it is growing and plans to expand its reach and customer base during 2010. Barton, Gary 2010-06-10T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52045&rss Global Crossing UK hosted IPT service based on Siemens Openscape is currently sold primarily to the public sector. Still a little rough around the edges, more fine-tuning of the solution is needed for the wider enterprise market. O'Boyle, Sandra - Barton, Gary 2010-06-09T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53817&rss Vtesse is a feisty competitor, albeit with a specific market focus. High levels of customer-centricity, proven capabilities in high-performance, low-latency Layer 2 optical transmission networks, and IT integration with partners are its strengths. Barton, Gary - Stradling, Joel 2010-06-08T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53805&rss Telecom Italia is the carrier of choice for enterprise services in Italy, but faces competition from FastWeb, Colt, Wind, BT Italy and T-Systems. Its multinational services strategy is competitive for Italy-based clients. Stradling, Joel 2010-06-07T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53696&rss Telekom Austria’s merger of its national fixed and mobile divisions will strengthen its already threatening UCC portfolio. TA has seen a return to profitability as a reward for its focus on Eastern European markets and national managed services. Barton, Gary - Kehoe, Dustin 2010-05-27T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53619&rss Colt gave a positive impression during its analyst event, the first in a while, informing the analyst community of its fresh image and its progress in moving from a traditional telco to an integrated IT, service and network provider. Stradling, Joel - Barton, Gary 2010-05-19T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53623&rss KPN continues to post healthy financials and it has enhanced its customer portal. KPN is broadening its horizons in the ICT market, building on Getronics’ expertise, and it looks set to retain its national dominance, despite regulatory pressure. Barton, Gary - Kehoe, Dustin 2010-05-19T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53587&rss Verizon Business continues to impress and its recent analyst days in Asia and Europe confirmed its global intentions and commitment to cloud services, security and business solutions with an investment in people with long-term industry expertise. O'Boyle, Sandra - Kehoe, Dustin 2010-05-18T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53568&rss Belgacom is now operating under one brand and is focusing on expansion on market consolidation at home and expansion abroad. This is supported with better sales coordination, platforms and processes in place which is long overdue. Barton, Gary - O'Boyle, Sandra 2010-05-17T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53469&rss Global Crossing UK continues to make progress with an improved Ethernet product and new managed data centre services. However, GCUK has yet to silence all its doubters concerning falling revenues and a lack of major new customer wins. O'Boyle, Sandra - Barton, Gary 2010-05-06T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53446&rss Easynet Global Services continues to win network and managed services contracts in the UK and Europe and has reference customers such as EDF and Sharp Electronics. Easynet is relatively small, but, backed by BSkyB, it is well placed to expand. Barton, Gary - O'Boyle, Sandra 2010-05-05T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53318&rss Opal offers aggressively priced business grade ADSL2+ and EFM and it has added online monitoring to its IP VPN portfolio. Its reliance on low margin revenues is a weakness, but its split from CPW should allow it to focus more on network services. Barton, Gary 2010-04-30T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53235&rss TDC’s deals with AT&T and Vodafone will allow it to improve its Nordic and global services. TDC must now make full use of its partners’ fixed and mobile LAN/WAN service portfolios to show that the agreements are not one-way deals. Barton, Gary - Ostergaard, Bernt 2010-04-27T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53251&rss The Telefónica Leadership Conference was a forum for industry leaders, Telefónica executives, customers and partners to engage the analyst community with insights as it focuses on the evolving communication requirements of global enterprises. Weldon, Kathryn - Washburn, Brian 2010-04-27T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53226&rss AT&T's brand name, its ability to meet the needs of the world's largest enterprises, its partnering for position, its bolstered professional services, and its discipline in streamlining networks and systems all play into the carrier's strengths. Washburn, Brian 2010-04-23T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=41743&rss AT&T differentiates through its own UCC capabilities (as well as those from partners). It also has bigger plans around FMC later this year. The transfer of IBM employees has improved its global LAN management. Kehoe, Dustin - 2010-04-22T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=42129&rss BT now sells Cisco HUCS with OpEx-based pricing. It is bolstering its ‘UCC credentials’ with Microsoft BPOS as well as better integration between One Voice and the Ribbit platform. Mobile Access also supports more OS’s. Kehoe, Dustin - 2010-04-22T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=41745&rss Orange Business Services leads in coverage and is working on other areas such as expanding local voice calling and improving its online management tools. It has also secured a contract to deploy OCS R2 for 20,000 seats. Kehoe, Dustin - 2010-04-22T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=42784&rss With the new focus on selling the top-400 accounts, much of the T-Systems product strategy has focused on offering IP telephony with tight application integration, desktop services and UCC wraps. Increasing coverage is a priority. Kehoe, Dustin - 2010-04-22T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=42451&rss Verizon Business is steadfast with keeping to its ambitious product updates cycle, improving partnership with Microsoft and innovation such as integrating desktop apps to HIPT via open APIs. FMC and multi-vendor support can improve. Kehoe, Dustin - 2010-04-22T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53215&rss Vodafone Germany offers more integrated fixed and mobile products and will compete in new areas such as M2M and cloud with Microsoft. However DT’s latest move nullifies Vodafone’s first mover advantage. Kehoe, Dustin 2010-04-22T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53196&rss DT has now merged its fixed and mobile units. It is poised to exploit new synergies, recapture lost ground and set the agenda around mobile broadband and integrated fixed, mobile and IT solutions as ‘one company.’ Kehoe, Dustin 2010-04-21T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53165&rss Cable&Wireless Worldwide added Ethernet Wireline and E-VPN to its global data WAN offerings and expanded reach in Asia-Pacific. The company’s MSP investments are bringing concrete benefits, including greater service choice and coverage. Stradling, Joel 2010-04-19T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53137&rss Colt has a solid data WAN proposal in the UK market, with main strengths in the larger cities. It is an L2 Ethernet services pioneer and also sells a mature IP VPN offering, but local infrastructure is a concern outside of the metro. Stradling, Joel 2010-04-16T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53136&rss KCOM offers strong managed service expertise and its model leverages third parties for capacity and connectivity. The north of England is a bastion of strength, but reliance on network partners eats into margins and reduces control. Barton, Gary - Stradling, Joel 2010-04-16T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53138&rss Current Analysis has completed new UK Data WAN product analysis that covers competitors’ Ethernet and IP VPN service portfolios. This advisory calls out the leaders, as well as capturing the start of a new era of integrated L2/L3 services. Stradling, Joel 2010-04-16T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53126&rss Colt Telecom continues to expand its Ethernet capabilities around 100 E-NNIs in place worldwide, is using its NGN net to deliver new managed, hosted solutions such as SaaS. Colt’s rising profits and continuing customer wins are positive signs. Barton, Gary - Kehoe, Dustin 2010-04-15T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53109&rss BT remains the UK market leader and it is delivering on promised expansions to Ethernet and ADSL2+ coverage and its new fibre DSL service. BT faces tough competition from fixed and mobile operators, but it is well placed to maintain its dominance. Barton, Gary - O'Boyle, Sandra 2010-04-13T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53096&rss TeliaSonera is delivering LTE and its partnerships with Orange and FreeMove put it in a strong position to deliver converged services. The operator’s internal structure remains confused, but continuing customer wins point to a healthy outlook. Ostergaard, Bernt - Barton, Gary 2010-04-13T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53069&rss Telenor has attractive mobile coverage in Eastern Europe and Asia, and it is rolling out UC in Norway. However, its focus on mobility has come at the expense of investment in fixed services, leaving its WAN services portfolio weakened. Barton, Gary - Ostergaard, Bernt 2010-04-07T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53071&rss The market for managed telepresence services continues to gel, as global competitors have rolled out video exchanges, with more to come. Though underway, most public telepresence room projects were off to a slightly later start than anticipated. Washburn, Brian 2010-04-07T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53050&rss COLT UK has the data centres and Ethernet network capacity to deliver on its new focus on providing cloud-based platforms and application services alongside connectivity. But COLT must boost its profile in the UK to boost its limited market share. Barton, Gary 2010-04-05T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=53007&rss KCOM has followed its deal with BT Wholesale by merging Affiniti and KC under the KCOM brand. This is a new departure for the group and initial financial results are positive. However, a weak brand and large debts are serious issues for KCOM. Barton, Gary 2010-04-01T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52993&rss Virgin Media Business has been strengthened by its recent rebranding. The company offers threatening Ethernet and cable ADSL products and is cash flow positive, but its debt, although restructured, will still lessen its ability to invest. Barton, Gary 2010-04-01T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52995&rss Tata Communications held its global analyst and media summit in London. The carrier is an established power house in global wholesale, and is now looking to ramp up momentum in the MNC segment which represents a challenge, given the competition. O'Boyle, Sandra 2010-03-31T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52992&rss Virgin Media Business has a solid IP/Ethernet WAN offering addressing the mid-market and public sector in the UK. Its advanced Ethernet capabilities and on-net reach are strong points, but managed security is an area that could be improved. Barton, Gary - Stradling, Joel 2010-03-31T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52973&rss BT Global Services provides a range of SaaS, PaaS ands IaaS services, and offers federated cloud services. However the carrier lacks a dedicated cloud security team and has not yet developed industry vertical cloud solutions. Ostergaard, Bernt 2010-03-30T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52981&rss BT is a leading contender for data WAN services in the UK, using on-net infrastructure and resilience for differentiation. Its MPLS IP VPN flagship is very strong, but competitors have opportunities to poke holes in its Layer 2 Ethernet proposal. Stradling, Joel - Barton, Gary 2010-03-30T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52976&rss Cable&Wireless Worldwide has a strong data WAN proposition in the UK, encompassing several Ethernet flavours and a mature IP VPN. National network coverage is good, as are its international credentials for UK-located multinationals. Stradling, Joel 2010-03-30T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52972&rss Orange Business Services has established a separate cloud security team and security services line to support its move into cloud services. Significant gaps in governance, information life cycle and data and apps management need to be addressed. Ostergaard, Bernt 2010-03-30T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52971&rss Symantec is a market leader in cloud security services with solutions for SaaS, PaaS and IaaS service providers as well as its own hosted-services for storage, messaging and encryption. Symantec addresses the global SMB and MNC markets. Ostergaard, Bernt 2010-03-30T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52970&rss Tata Communications has, in a very short span of years, established itself as a global MSSP with a solid MNC customer base. Lower cost and ‘heavy-lift’ capabilities make this an MSSP for customers who know exactly what they want. Ostergaard, Bernt 2010-03-30T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52969&rss Verizon Business leads the global market for secure cloud services because its services have both service breadth providing SaaS, PaaS and IaaS services, and security depth adhering to quality of service, auditing and industry specific standards. Ostergaard, Bernt 2010-03-30T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52949&rss BT Global Services has worked hard to steady the ship and as a result has tended to look internally rather than externally to improve perception in the market. In the meantime, competitors such as Verizon Business have made impressive strides. O'Boyle, Sandra 2010-03-26T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52931&rss Azzurri Communications’ attractive managed WAN and UC solutions have allowed it to keep winning customers and increase its profits. Revenues have stayed flat and Azzurri remains a small player, but it is well placed to challenge larger rivals. Barton, Gary 2010-03-24T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52919&rss Verizon Business took part in Cisco's 2006 telepresence debut, but competitors led the subsequent full-court press. The carrier now overhauled its telepresence strategy to focus on Cisco, and separately certified SIP trunking for Microsoft OCS. Washburn, Brian 2010-03-23T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52897&rss Easynet Connect provides advanced, symmetrical fibre and Ethernet over copper solutions across one of the UK’s largest networks. However, Easynet lacks the mobility and cloud computing services to take full advantage of its access portfolio. Barton, Gary 2010-03-22T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52877&rss BT Germany is strengthening its IT services and extending its partnerships to sell BPOS and SAP to the enterprise. Unlike other examples, its local acquisitions appear to be paying off for the company in Germany. Barton, Gary - Kehoe, Dustin 2010-03-19T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52794&rss Verizon’s enterprise revenues took a hit in the rocky global economy in 2009, pushing the company to cut its headcount by another 13,000. Though the financial outlook is still shaky, Verizon Business has the resources to weather the storm. Larsen DeCarlo, Amy 2010-03-12T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52744&rss DT has unveiled DeutschlandLAN, a converged fixed, wireless and IT solution geared for SMEs. While the product is more complete, it will not launch until April 1. Meanwhile, Vodafone EBU has made progress with its equivalent OfficeNet offer. Kehoe, Dustin 2010-03-08T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52697&rss Fibre-based DSL and UC are strong themes in the UK SME market. BT has launched Total Broadband Fibre, whilst Virgin Media has the stronger product but is a reluctant entrant to the market. Opal can now supply single number dialling solutions. Barton, Gary 2010-03-03T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52645&rss Unified communications and hosted solutions are an emerging trend across Europe for SMEs. Vodafone, Belgacom and Deutsche Telekom have all launched threatening services that warrant closer inspection and a response by their rivals. Barton, Gary 2010-02-23T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52642&rss Tata Communications has in a very short span of years established itself as a global MSSP with a solid MNC customer base. Lower cost and ‘heavy-lift’ capabilities make this an MSSP for customers who know exactly what they want. Ostergaard, Bernt 2010-02-22T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52628&rss Orange Business Services continues its successful sales momentum, leveraging its extensive global reach and operations, and fixed and wireless assets. Recent marketing messages zero in on cost-savings and support for real-time business. Stradling, Joel 2010-02-19T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52626&rss Virgin Media has sensibly renamed its business division ‘Virgin Media Business.’ This move should end speculation over a possible selloff and allow its business division to benefit from the strength and marketing power of the Virgin brand. Barton, Gary 2010-02-18T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52559&rss Cable&Wireless Worldwide is BT’s biggest threat in the UK, where its strategy to focus on critical communication needs of largest enterprises is paying off. Asia is another bright spot in its global footprint, but European sales are sadly lacking. O'Boyle, Sandra 2010-02-11T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52513&rss Juniper Networks sponsored a carrier Ethernet market survey in H2 2009, enlisting Current Analysis to analyze results. This report presents a summary of the findings, as well as giving an expert take on what they mean to the carrier community. Stradling, Joel 2010-02-04T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52460&rss BT Business Total Broadband Fibre is an aggressive first step into the business-grade fibre market, offering 40 Mbps downloads and up to 10 Mbps uploads from GBP 30/month. BT’s service coverage is limited, but it will expand quickly. Barton, Gary 2010-01-27T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52454&rss IBM leads the Q4 2009 global MSSP assessment, in a market where the continued IT-carrier convergence creates closer cooperation and fiercer competition. The focus is now on end-to-end solutions across the customer’s global corporate network. Larsen DeCarlo, Amy - Ostergaard, Bernt 2010-01-26T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52436&rss Verizon Business is adding a UC&C-specific consulting offer to tap demand for guidance deploying transformative collaboration technology. Yet however well-resourced the offer is, its success depends heavily on whether the global economy rallies. Larsen DeCarlo, Amy 2010-01-22T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52360&rss Global Crossing has added broad Juniper platform support to its managed network services, including a leap into managed WAN optimization service. It is high time for the carrier to join its global peers in support for WAN optimization solutions. Washburn, Brian 2010-01-12T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=42192&rss AT&T continues extending its security system, adding new offers and most recently acquiring VeriSign’s security consulting business. This ongoing investment is helping AT&T raise its global MSS profile and attract new accounts. Larsen DeCarlo, Amy - 2010-01-11T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=42193&rss IBM/ISS delivers a full suite of global managed security services to SME and large enterprise customers. The organization is a particular standout in cloud security, where IBM has a deep set of services to protect dynamic IT environments. Larsen DeCarlo, Amy - 2010-01-11T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52345&rss Symantec is raising its managed security game, expanding into cloud security in a major way with a full complement of consultative and hosted offers and extending its channel with a creative Amazon Web Services alliance. Larsen DeCarlo, Amy 2010-01-11T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=42048&rss Verizon Business has emerged as one of the top global MSSPs. However, there is still room for improvement in areas such as managed cloud security. Larsen DeCarlo, Amy - 2010-01-11T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=42431&rss COLT remains a market leader in carrier Ethernet, with unmatched Ethernet First Mile (EFM) capabilities in more than ten European countries, and positive service expansions to the US in 2009, with other destinations on the roadmap. Stradling, Joel - 2009-12-28T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52293&rss HP Communication and Media Solutions (CMS) used the 2009 Industry Analyst Day to emphasize its strategic shift away from OSS/BSS as an ‘infrastructure business’ issue by presenting a four-step blueprint for monetizing a ‘business infrastructure.’ Ostergaard, Bernt 2009-12-23T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52266&rss BT and Cisco plan to go global with hosted UC as a service on Cisco’s carrier-grade HUCS platform. This is a brave move and a unique vendor/SP go-to-market plan, but it is all about scale and whether customers will sign up in large numbers. O'Boyle, Sandra 2009-12-17T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52213&rss BT Business has added new sparkle to its successful trading platform with the launch of Tradespace V2. This relaunch offers SOHOs and SMEs valuable new video/web marketing tools as well as providing BT with more opportunity to monetise Tradespace. Barton, Gary 2009-12-07T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52117&rss Mobistar has enhanced its push into the fixed market with the acquisition of KPN Belgium Business. This deal removes a small but competitive rival and fits nicely with Mobistar’s ambition of being a converged fixed and mobile provider. Barton, Gary - Kehoe, Dustin 2009-12-02T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=42317&rss Cable&Wireless’ IP Voice offers compelling blended managed and hosted IP PBX and IP Centrex and IP trunking giving customers a phased migration path from legacy to IP. FMC sits in the converged voice portfolio, but take-up so far is niche. O'Boyle, Sandra - 2009-12-01T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52060&rss Telefonica O2 Germany’s prospective acquisition of Telecom Italia’s HanseNet will help the company to build its fixed business and emerge as a more credible integrated operator. Kehoe, Dustin 2009-11-25T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=52022&rss Orange Business Services enriches ‘International Ethernet Link’ offering point-to-point to 32 countries globally and VPLS in ten European countries. This positive progress closes gaps, but IEL does not stand out in a crowded market place. Stradling, Joel 2009-11-18T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=41325&rss Telefónica is a major global player with extensive assets and infrastructure, but faces challenges in integrating and managing diverse operations and substantially raising its profile among multinationals not based in Spain or Latin America. Stradling, Joel 2009-11-13T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51934&rss O2 and Vodafone’s fixed network access deals with BT Wholesale threaten to change the landscape of the UK SME arena. BT still leads the pack for bundled SME services and niche services such as SDSL offer a route for fixed operators to fight back. Barton, Gary 2009-11-12T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51867&rss Back in 2007, Verizon Business became the first Tier 1 U.S. carrier to launch national long-haul VPLS. Global VPLS launch lag time aside, the carrier starts day one with a mature, fully deployed service and a well-established web of partners. Washburn, Brian 2009-11-03T00:00:00-05:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51839&rss BT has launched Hybrid VPN to lower access prices on its MPLS VPN service and improve its proposition to enterprise customers that want to use secure broadband access at small sites and in remote regions in order to save costs. O'Boyle, Sandra 2009-10-29T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51813&rss UCC is still an elusive concept that is hard to define. It gets even worse when bolted on to other terms such as ‘cloud.’ Despite the challenges, EVUA MNCs believe UCC is inevitable. Evidence suggests UCC may be ready for mainstream deployment. Kehoe, Dustin 2009-10-27T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51783&rss COLT has taken its digital sales and marketing to the next level with the launch of the COLT Portal. The portal will allow SMEs (initially in Spain) to buy and manage COLT services online, supported by advanced, multilingual sales and marketing. Barton, Gary 2009-10-22T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51771&rss Verizon Business launches Applications Assurance, the latest offer to join the carrier's Application Aware Networks portfolio. For Verizon's range of enterprise customers, the carrier's SaaS model makes a great, project-oriented problem solver. Washburn, Brian 2009-10-21T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51695&rss Verizon Business and McAfee announced a potentially game-changing global managed security partnership. They intend to develop cloud security services aimed at the SME market segment, but they are not there yet and competitors are on their heels. Ostergaard, Bernt - Larsen DeCarlo, Amy 2009-10-09T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51689&rss Global Crossing’s EtherSphere launch places pressure on its rivals. Its well-rounded offering supports Ethernet VPLS with up to six CoS, usage-based billing and L2/L3 interworking. There are no firsts here, but the carrier’s offer is solid. Stradling, Joel 2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51671&rss HP Halo telepresence services offer a fully vertically integrated equipment and services solution for customers. The enterprise appeal of HP's approach includes its close cooperation with Microsoft and its vast complementary managed IT services. Page, Bruce 2009-10-06T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51625&rss Priority, a subsidiary of cable operator UPC, offers a strong IPT product for the Dutch business market. It has a national backbone that supports native SIP trunking. Sales are partner-driven, adding credibility to its vendor-agnostic approach. Kehoe, Dustin 2009-09-30T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51621&rss Daisy has talked the talk in challenging BT in the UK SME market and backed it up with a string of acquisitions. Competition is fierce and Daisy’s test will be to unify its purchases and show real differentiation from fixed and mobile rivals. Barton, Gary 2009-09-29T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51619&rss Carriers have established the value that telepresence brings to customers, and they are motivated to foster market growth. With the basics out of the way, carriers are challenged by the finer nuances of the technology, business, and market. Washburn, Brian 2009-09-28T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51583&rss Easynet Global Services’ Managed Virtual Meeting service, based on Polycom Telepresence systems, has proved to be competitive with customers in 51 countries. Easynet has focused on making the service easy to use with a range of concierge services. O'Boyle, Sandra 2009-09-21T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51547&rss O2 UK has given its fixed and mobile competitors something to think about with its network access deal with BT Wholesale. Gaining fixed customers will not be easy, but O2’s strong brand and mobile pedigree make it a threat to UK fixed operators. Barton, Gary 2009-09-18T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51528&rss Telefonica’s expanded MPLS footprint and office locations in 15 European countries strengthen its ability to target multinationals. Also a new online portal crystallizes Telefonica’s messages of fixed/mobile products for the global client. Stradling, Joel 2009-09-16T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51507&rss Vodafone UK has made a serious move to win over SMEs with its Vodafone One Net solution. The service offers single-number dialling, call migration and an optional hosted switchboard, and it allows Vodafone to play to its core mobility strengths. Barton, Gary - O'Boyle, Sandra 2009-09-11T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51484&rss Telefonica succeeded in consolidating its global market position, raising its share holding in China Unicom to above 8%. The carriers are continuing joint collaboration; together, these massive telcos provide a large IP/MPLS footprint. Stradling, Joel 2009-09-09T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51440&rss Verizon Business has introduced Computing as a Service (CaaS) into Europe as part of its move to expand its utility computing platform outside the United States. This is a positive step, but more and more competitors are entering this market. Kehoe, Dustin 2009-09-02T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51379&rss Telstra International’s Ethernet enhancements boost its competitiveness in the global market. The carrier has a clear roadmap; but its new EVPL and Ethernet VPLS products are currently only launched in a one European destination, namely London. Stradling, Joel - Soh, Siow Meng 2009-08-26T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51366&rss Innovation from O2 and THUS have underlined the increasingly advanced services available to UK SMEs. With a new 20 Mbps ADSL2+ service, BT is the UK’s top dog, but it remains vulnerable on both price and adaptability to fixed and mobile operators. Barton, Gary 2009-08-25T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51313&rss Verizon Business has joined the Cloud Security Alliance to create standard security practices for cloud services. The lack of industry standards makes it difficult for customers to assess competing offers, thus delaying the cloud service uptake. Ostergaard, Bernt 2009-08-19T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51286&rss C&W launched a global point-to-point Ethernet service, named ‘IEPL,’ to strengthen its international data network product suite. This positive and timely move broadens the carrier’s range, but certain rivals are ahead with VPLS-backed Ethernet. Stradling, Joel 2009-08-14T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51247&rss Interoute launches Fast Trade offering low-latency and dedicated bandwidth over a 24-country footprint and plugged into nine Equinix exchanges. Fast Trade scores differentiation points, and Interoute’s retail strategy is creeping up on rivals. Stradling, Joel 2009-08-07T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51243&rss QSC has launched ‘UC for SOHOs.’ This levels the playing field with some competitors, but overlooks ‘mobility’ where others are moving now. However, it has strong pricing points and enlisting and qualifying partners to bolster local selling. Kehoe, Dustin 2009-08-07T00:00:00-04:00 http://www.currentanalysis.com/COMPETE/FrontEnd/Report.aspx?rid=51181&rss Current Analysis has completed its six-month review of leading MPLS IP VPN service providers across Europe. This advisory considers the general market trends, the strategic direction of IP VPN services and the market leaders in 2009. O'Boyle, Sandra 2009-07-31T00:00:00-04:00