• Comverse, IBM ink technology, services agreement
By Mike Robuck
Comverse and IBM announced today that they’ve signed a technology and services agreement that is designed to create a value-added services and billing offering for telecommunications providers.
The two companies said the agreement was designed to help telecommunications providers around the world reduce operational costs, increase efficiencies and drive growth.
Comverse and IBM will offer customers products based on IBM’s software products and service delivery platform, combined with Comverse’s value-added services and billing and active customer management solutions. As part of this expanded relationship, Comverse will include IBM WebSphere Presence Server and WebSphere XML Document Management Server (XDMS) as core components of the Comverse Instant SMS product.
• CTHRA seeks survey volunteers
By Brian Santo
The Cable and Telecommunications Human Resources Association (CTHRA) is seeking companies within the cable and satellite industry to participate in a comprehensive survey on employee benefits. The online survey will be conducted next month in order to identify trends and establish industry-specific benchmarks for employee benefits. Interested participants should register by July 25 by contacting CTHRA Executive Director Pam Williams at (630) 416-1166.
CTHRA’s 2008 Employee Benefits Survey reflects significant enhancements based on feedback from last year’s survey participants. First, the scope of the survey has been expanded to query green initiatives, transportation incentives designed to combat rising fuel costs, work-life offerings, flexible work arrangements, and emerging challenges and trends in employee benefits. In addition, the survey’s format was redesigned to reduce the time required to complete the survey: Narrative responses have been replaced with user-friendly, multiple-choice answers.
Comprehensive survey results will be released only to companies who participate in CTHRA’s 2008 Employee Benefits Survey. For more information on CTHRA’s suite of surveys and highlights from CTHRA’s 2007 Employee Benefits Survey, please click here.
• MRV signs on DealFlow as VAR
By Brian Santo
MRV Communications has signed on DealFlow Networks – of Suwanee, Ga. – as a value-added reseller (VAR) of MRV’s entire product line.
DealFlow will resell MRV’s LambdaDriver WDM system, Fiber Driver optical multi-service platform, OptiSwitch line of demarcation and aggregation products, TereScope line free space optics products, and LX Series of intelligent remote management and out-of-band networking products.
• SCTE appoints committee chairs
By Brian Santo
The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) announced the chairs of the standing committees of the SCTE Board of Directors during the 2008-09 term. SCTE Board of Directors Chair Tom Gorman, vice president of field operations with Charter Communications, has appointed the six chairs. The standing committees and their newly named chairs are:
• Engineering Committee – Charlie Kennamer, Comcast Cable Communications
• Finance Committee – Greg Allshouse, Comcast Cable Communications
• Membership Committee – Frank Eichenlaub, Cisco Systems
• Operations Committee – Bob Legg, Suddenlink Communications
• Planning Committee – Dermot O’Carroll, Rogers Cable Communications
• Professional Development Committee – Rick Sullivan, Times Fiber Amphenol
The charters of the board’s standing committees are listed in the “About Us” section of the SCTE’s Web site.
• Alvarion picked for WiMAX deployment in Malta
By Mike Robuck
Alvarion said that it has recently been chosen by Go Mobile, Malta’s mobile operator, for a nationwide mobile WiMAX network deployment. Using Alvarion’s 4Motion solution with BreezeMAX as its radio access network (RAN), Go Mobile plans to provide voice and data services at the 3.5 GHz frequency band to the residents of the island of Malta.
The rollout of the new commercial network is slated to start within the next few weeks. The network will offer a portfolio of wireless broadband services over Alvarion’s Mobile WiMAX platform, opening opportunities for high-speed Internet, as well as video, TV and gaming. Alvarion’s partner for this deployment project is Siae Microlettonic, an Italian-based manufacturer.
“This technology will augment our already nationwide 3G-3.5G/HSDPA wireless coverage,” said Norbert Prihoda, chief mobile operations officer of Go Mobile. “This underpins our multi-access nationwide data strategy with the utilization of different technologies to provide the best value proposition for our customers.”
As an awarded licensee of the 3.5 GHz frequency band in Malta, Go Mobile is required by the Malta Communication Authority (MCA) to complete network rollout and provide 99 percent nationwide coverage by October of next year.
More Broadband Direct:
• Time Warner Cable to stand on thePlatform
• Optimum Lightpath launches data center services
• Videotron’s parent company wins wireless spectrum
• IPTV service providers in Utah deploy Latens platform
• Incited Media, Widevine partner up on delivering multiplatform content
