• Cisco to enter server market
By Brian Santo
Cisco Systems, the dominant provider of switches and routers, plans to enter the server market as early as March, putting it in direct competition with some of its most long-standing business partners, including IBM and HP.
Although initial products would likely be aimed at the data center market, Cisco’s participation in the cable market also raises questions about whether the company might eventually create products competitive with traditional cable on-demand server suppliers, such as Concurrent and SeaChange.
Cisco’s entry into the server market has been the subject of speculation for months. The company has made no such announcement, but the The New York Times reported that Cisco has made the decision to sell a server combining hardware and virtualization software, relying on technology from VMWare, in which Cisco holds a small stake (story here).
• Verizon intros FiOS TV in Hanover, Mass.
By Traci Patterson
Verizon has introduced its FiOS TV service in Hanover, Mass. Hanover is among 91 Massachusetts communities where the telco’s video service is offered.
Verizon recently added more than 90 new channels, including 71 additional high-definition (HD) channels, to its FiOS TV lineup in Massachusetts. Verizon now offers more than 500 total channels – including more than 100 HD channels.
Verizon is currently negotiating with several other communities in Massachusetts to obtain additional franchises.
• Cedar Point names Walker VP of marketing
By Traci Patterson
Cedar Point Communications announced that Jeff Walker has been named vice president of marketing.
In his new role, Walker will be responsible for leading the product marketing, product management, corporate communications and customer-facing application engineering teams.
Walker has spent the majority of his 30-plus year career with Motorola Inc., separated by his tenure with RiverDelta Networks as the vice president of marketing, where he oversaw the launch of the company’s cable modem termination system (CMTS) product. Walker returned to Motorola to lead marketing for their Connected Home Solutions group after the acquisition of RiverDelta by Motorola in 2001.
• Colt picks Overture Networks for Ethernet services
By Mike Robuck
Overture Networks announced that Colt Telecommunications, a European provider of business communications, has chosen its advanced multi-service Ethernet platform for its managed services expansion. Colt will employ the full suite of Overture Networks’ products, including the new ISG 6000, to provide next-generation Ethernet services while maximizing its service reach and revenue potential.
Using Overture Networks’ ISG 34, ISG 45, ISG 180 and ISG 26 for advanced Ethernet access and demarcation, together with the new ISG 6000 for first-level aggregation, Colt is developing a new suite of E-Line and E-LAN Ethernet services to address the growing demand from customers for fully managed services.
Colt specializes in providing data, voice and managed services to major businesses, SMEs and wholesale customers. It operates a 13-country, 25,000-kilometer network that includes metropolitan area networks in 34 major European cities, with direct fiber connections into 15,000 buildings and 18 Colt data centers.
More Broadband Direct:
• FCC fines MSOs for non-responsiveness
• FCC grants Cablevision set-top box waiver extension
• Optimum Lightpath debuts Lightpath Hosted Voice
• RCN close to completing all-digital transformation
• FCC beefs up DTV transition call center support
• Mobile players debate DTV switch
• Harmonic introduces DWDM transmission platform
• Trilithic adds FDR option to tester
• New testing tools released for LTE, mobile WiMAX