3Com Gets It ON

On January 29th 3Com Corporation launched 3Com Open Services Networking (3Com OSN). 3Com OSN is the first step in the company's strategy to differentiate its secure, converged network solutions through an open, interoperable architecture, which offers the flexibility and innovation of a best-of-breed model combined with the simplicity and cost savings of the integrated, single-vendor structure.

Recommended Competitive Responses

► Competitors such as Nortel need to characterize 3Com’s efforts as too little too late. The vendor should show customers its own commitment to services in the network and then show them the current capabilities of its services offerings in comparison to 3Com.

► Competitors that have only security services solutions should show potential customers their roadmap for additional services. On-platform services are strong competitive differentiators and vendors will need to ensure they have an answer when asked about them.

► Competitors that are assuming that speeds and feeds will be enough to win over customers need to embrace a new reality where services are important, and not just those that deal with security. Without services, the entire switching infrastructure is in jeopardy of becoming a commodity data pipe, especially with the rise of high-functionality merchant silicon.

Recommended End User/Customer Responses

► Customers looking to get more out of their networks should consider the services offerings from Cisco, 3Com, and Nortel. Services could ease many tasks and facilitate new functionality for end users by utilizing the network infrastructure as a service delivery system.

► Current 3Com customers should watch for more from 3Com and trial some of the functionality that 3Com has announced. Customers should take advantage of whatever added value 3Com can add to their networks.

BroadSoft Taps into BEA’s Service Delivery Platform

On January 16th BroadSoft and BEA Systems announced a broad-ranging strategic alliance that includes joint development, sales and marketing and calls for the integration of the BroadWorks suite of VoIP applications with the BEA WebLogic Communications Platform product family.

Recommended Competitive Responses

► Sylantro needs to continue to emphasize the flexibility of the Web services capabilities of its Synergy application server platform.

► Nortel needs to reveal the carrier-oriented aspects of its relationship with Microsoft.

► Tekelec should continue to leverage the T6000 VoIP Application Server to deliver fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) services, as well as service mediation between IN and SIP-based service delivery environments.

► Siemens need to disclose more information about the enterprise capabilities of the hiQ 4200 application server.

► Comverse should detail the way in which its NetCentrex family of products and its messaging applications integrate into an SDP.

Recommended End User/Customer Responses

► Carriers contemplating a network transformation should strongly consider the adoption of a SDP that will establish a single interface between the control, services and application layers of the network. An SDP will both provide a context for the adoption of IMS, as well as a mechanism to accelerate the rollout and the decommissioning of new services.

► Carriers interested in the BEA/BroadSoft combination should wait until the BroadWorks platform has been integrated into WLSS. Only after the porting is complete will carriers be able to evaluate the full capabilities of the integrated platforms.

► In addition to enabling the easy integration of application servers that have been ported to the SDP, carriers should shop for a service delivery environment that provides robust control and management functionality for applications that originate outside the host network. Carriers will not be able to provide all of the services subscribers will require and will need to make the integration of third-party applications as seamless as possible.

ARRIS Throws the Video Gauntlet Down with $1.2 Billion Takeover of TANDBERG TV

On January 15th ARRIS and TANDBERG Television announced that they have reached an agreement to combine the two companies through an acquisition of all outstanding TANDBERG Television shares by ARRIS.

Recommended Competitive Responses

► Major cable infrastructure/video networking rivals Cisco and Motorola need to continue emphasizing that ARRIS faces an overall corporate integration challenge in merging with TANDBERG TV that neither company faces today.

► Cable infrastructure/CMTS rivals Cisco and Motorola need to continue stressing that even the merger with TANDBERG TV, ARRIS lacks some key portfolio areas such as STB/PVRs and residential gateways that they possess today.

► Major broadband/IPTV networking rivals such as Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens, UTStarcom and Huawei need to continue emphasizing that ARRIS still cannot match their in-house portfolio assets in areas such as telco access, IMS/voice switching, and mobile access despite the acquisition of TANDBERG TV.

► Video encoding/processing rivals such as Harmonic, Optibase, Scopus, RGB, Modulus and Terayon should stress the best-of-breed aspects of their respective platforms and that the pending merger between ARRIS and TANDBERG TV can cause disruption of focus on product development and service support.

► VoD server rivals such as Entone, VBrick, Kasenna, BitBand, C-COR, Concurrent and SeaChange should position themselves as ready to take advantage of any potential fallout from historical TANDBERG and Cisco/Motorola relationships and that they offer cost competitive alternatives to Cisco, Motorola and ARRIS bundled solutions that include VoD server technology.

Recommended End User/Customer Responses

► Current ARRIS customers that are interested in the TANDBERG TV video networking/processing solutions, e.g., the MPEG-4 encoding/processing platforms, need to find out if ARRIS will offer incentives to their existing customers that are considering the TANDBERG solutions for advanced digital video network deployments/upgrades and move forward accordingly.

► Cable and telco operators in all regions that are interested in the ARRIS/TANBERG TV solution set also need to inquire about any potential “package deals” that may be obtained from the company.

► Carriers in general need to view ARRIS/TANDBERG as a significant alternative and hedge to top-tier equipment suppliers such as Cisco, Motorola, Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens and Huawei in order to improve overall bargaining leverage during challenging IP-based multimedia/video integration efforts.