IP Capsule – November 09, 2007

AT&T to spend more to pass fewer people with U-verse
AT&T said it will have to upgrade its network in the areas that were formerly controlled by BellSouth before it can even begin to start running fiber close enough to subscribers for them to receive U-verse services.

The result is that AT&T expects to spend as much as a half a billion dollars more on U-verse than most recently reported to reach 1 million fewer homes passed than it had planned to have by the end of 2008.

The admissions were included in the company’s most recent 10-Q. The most recent spending estimate was $4.5 billion to $5 billion (that range was an increase from original projections), and the most recent homes-passed target was 18 million by the end of 2008.

And . . . AT&T’s U-verse hits central Texas
AT&T Inc. has launched its U-verse service in parts of several central Texas communities, including Austin, Pflugerville and Round Rock.

Microsoft Mediaroom to power IPTV in India 
Microsoft wrangled a contract, potentially worth half a billion dollars, from Reliance Communications to help provide IPTV in India.

The two companies announced what they’re calling a strategic partnership to deliver video services based on Microsoft’s Mediaroom IPTV software. Reliance will have exclusive deployment rights for Mediaroom in India.

Microsoft Mediaroom’s branded VOD

Reliance plans to leverage Mediaroom to offer both SD and HD video, VOD, DVR capability, instant channel changing and personal media sharing. Reliance’s IPTV service is scheduled to be launched by March 2008.

SureWest using IneoQuest to assure video quality
SureWest Communications has deployed service probes from IneoQuest Technologies not only in its test labs, but also in subscribers’ homes, which will enable SureWest to assure video quality.

Placing IneoQuest probes at the homes of IP video subscribers has enabled SureWest to improve service to the point where SureWest has experienced a clear reduction in operational expenses.

Insight expands VoIP offering with Comverse’s InSight
Insight Communications has selected Comverse’s InSight open services environment and voicemail services to support its VoIP offering.

Comverse’s services will allow Insight’s subscribers to receive voice messages via e-mail through an operator-branded Web interface. Subscribers will also have access to other video, entertainment, broadband and multimedia services.

The InSight platform provides an open and modular environment for the launch and delivery of communications and value-added services—from Comverse and third parties—over circuit-switched, VoIP, converged and IMS networks.

Whaleback introduces OS X version of Softphone
Whaleback Systems has introduced an OS X version of its Executive IP Softphone that runs on Apple Macintosh computers and allows small- and medium-size businesses (SMBs) to benefit from greater mobility.

The multimedia application integrates IP telephony onto PCs, and SMBs that rely on Mac platforms or support both Windows and Apple computers can make and receive calls and access voicemail and other telephony services from wherever they have a broadband connection.

Ditech’s VQA solution deployed by InterCall
Ditech Networks’ Voice Quality Assurance (VQA) platform is being deployed throughout InterCall’s IP network to enhance voice quality on VoIP conference calls. The solution reduces and removes voice quality impairments, including ambient noise and echo, in addition to restoring lost packets that can cause clipped or choppy speech.

In IP networks, Ditech’s VQA solution is deployed on the company’s Packet Voice Processor platform to provide a high-density, high-performance foundation for processing the large number of calls that traverse carrier networks. The Packet Voice Processor also resolves other IP issues, such as delay and jitter, and performs Dynamic Trandscoding, which normalizes the codecs used across multiple IP networks to support voice service.

Centile’s IntraSwitch chosen by U.K. VoIP provider
Centile’s IntraSwitch platform has been selected by the U.K.’s Nexus Unity for its advanced VoIP services offering. With Centile’s IntraSwitch platform, Nexus will provide its end-user customers with applications in a network-hosted model that eliminates the need for a premise-based PBX.

Cisco reports record profit in Q1
Cisco reported first quarter net sales of $9.6 billion, up $1.4 billion from last year’s quarter, and net income of $2.2 billion, up from $1.6 billion a year ago.

During the quarter, Cisco announced an agreement to purchase WiMAX specialist Navini Networks, and bought Cognio and Latigent. The former conducts wireless spectrum analysis and management for wireless networks; the latter provides Web-based business intelligence and analytics reporting solutions that are focused on contact centers.

Cisco also continued to refine its Carrier Ethernet products, part of its IP Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) architecture portfolio, extending FTTH to apartment buildings and other multi-tenant units.

Slattery

Former Nortel exec named Camiant’s CEO
Camiant has named telecom vet Steve Slattery as president and CEO of the company. Slattery, who most recently led Nortel Networks’ Enterprise Solutions business unit, will continue Camiant’s momentum in the policy server market, the company said.

Camiant is increasing its focus on next-gen broadband IP networks and emerging wireless platforms that demand increased performance in the delivery of multimedia content and applications.

Previously, Slattery served as president of Nortel’s Carrier Packet Networks organization, which encompassed the company’s Ethernet, optical, and wireline voice and data portfolios.

Vyyo posts 3Q loss of $8.7 million
Vyyo reported its financial results for the third quarter, ended Sept. 20, which included sales of $2.6 million, compared with $1.1 million in the year-ago quarter. The Norcross, Ga.-based company posted a loss of $8.7 million, compared with a loss of $7.7 million in last year’s quarter.

During the quarter, cable revenues were $1 million, up from $326,000 in Q2. In April, Vyyo announced that Cox Communications was deploying its spectrum overlay product in several areas to provision business services.

Acme Packet revenue up 33 percent; profit dips
Session border control (SBC) specialist Acme Packet reported that its third-quarter revenue was up one-third compared with last year, to $29.6 million, though net income was down to $5.5 million, from the $6.8 million reported in Q3 2006.

In the quarter, Acme Packet formed a partnership with Camiant to help deliver commercial SIP-based VoIP services for cable operators. Separately, Acme Packet announced that Telecom Italia Sparkle (TI Sparkle), a wholly owned subsidiary of Telecom Italia, has deployed Acme Packet’s Net-Net SBCs at its network’s core borders in major cities in Italy, Germany and the U.S.

Thomson streams uncompressed movie on 10 Gig Ethernet
Thomson has demonstrated the ability to stream, in real-time, an uncompressed digital 4K movie over a 10 Gbps optical fiber IP network operated by LambdaNet Communications Deutschland. The film was sent on a 2,000 kilometer (about 1,250 miles) loop.

Tennessee city taps World Wide Packets for quad-play service
The city of Clarksville, Tenn., will utilize a Carrier Ethernet offering from World Wide Packets to build a city-wide FTTH network for its residents. The Clarksville Department of Electricity (CDE) will use World Wide Packets’ Lightning Edge to connect the city’s residents and businesses to its electrical utility.

The FTTH network will reduce Department of Electricity operating costs on existing utility services and enable the city to deliver new quad-play broadband services.

Qwest rolls broadband into Arlington, S.D.
Qwest announced today that its broadband Internet service is now available to customers in Arlington, S.D. Qwest currently offers high-speed Internet access to about 83 percent of the households in its residential footprint.

CableNET now accepting demo proposals
CableNET is accepting proposals for demonstrations in the organization’s showcase at The 2008 Cable Show, which will be held in New Orleans May 18-20.

CableNET is designed to highlight a wide variety of next-gen broadband services, as well as technologies that cable operators are expected to deliver to consumers in the near term. These technologies now serve as platforms for new businesses for cable operators.

Company: BroadSoft
Headquarters:
Gaithersburg, Md.
CEO: Michael Tessler
URL: www.broadsoft.com 

Claim to fame: BroadSoft creates VoIP application software that lets fixed and mobile service providers offer advanced calling features to their enterprise and residential customers.

Recent news of note: The company has completed a “mash-up” of its BroadWorks VoIP application platform with salesforce.com, which will allow users to access click-to-dial, recorded-call logging and other advanced voice features.