* Charter sheds some systems
Allegiance Communications LLC has inked a deal to pick up some Charter Communications systems that serve 29,000 video subs in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas.
Allegiance said the strategic deal expands its coverage in the American heartland and offers it some economy of scale and a pool of cable pros. When the deal closes, Allegiance will serve a footprint with more than 70,000 video subs, and 12,000 high-speed Internet customers.
Daniels & Associates brokered the deal.
* Cedar Point gets the message
Cedar Point Communications has integrated its SAFARI C³ switching system with Interactive Intelligence Inc.’s “Communité” messaging software system for enterprise deployments.
Communité is considered a voicemail replacement that enables unified messaging and features such as find-me/follow-me, and presence management.
“As we grow our higher education and enterprise activity beyond our initial deployment with the University of Massachusetts, it will be important that we work with proven enterprise solutions,” said George Kassas, founder and EVP of business development for Cedar Point, in reference to a deal to serve about 30,000 users on the UMASS campus.
* BellSouth adds MDU partners
BellSouth is beefing up its multi-dwelling unit (MDU) service strategy through non-exclusive deals with DirecTECH, MasTec Inc., and DirecTV Master System Operators. Together, they will endeavor to market and deploy a bundle of DirecTV video and BellSouth voice and data services to MDUs in the telco’s service region.
“Builders and residents desire a simple, triple-play solution and the teaming arrangement with BellSouth accomplishes just that,” said Jose Mas, vice chairman and executive vice president of business development for MasTec.
* DirecTV sticks with HP for IT services
DirecTV has extended its contract with HP for IT services. The 7-year extension is valued at approximately $500 million. HP will continue to provide support for DirecTV’s billing and non-billing (customer relationship management) environments, including system integration and management, LAN management, data center operations, release management, database support, application support, change management, capacity planning, disaster recovery and support for new technologies.
* ADDvantage to refurbish, resell STBs from Adelphia
ADDvantage Technologies Group’s new Broadband Redistribution International subsidiary purchased just under 100,000 surplus digital set-top boxes from Adelphia Communications for about $1.8 million. ADDvantage now has 82,034 Scientific Atlanta and 16,889 Motorola STBs, which will be reconditioned for resale.
* ARRIS named a preferred vendor for NCTC members
The National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC), which represents over 1,100 small and medium-sized cable operators, has named ARRIS a preferred vendor of embedded multimedia terminal adapters (E-MTAs). NCTC is encouraging its members to consider the ARRIS Touchstone E-MTAs first when beginning the purchasing process.
