IPTV vendors recognize small telco challenge
Just about every vendor of telecom hardware or software has the common dream--sometimes realistic, sometimes not--of landing deployment deals with Tier 1 carriers like AT&T and Verizon Communications. Even some of the vendors who claim not to have this dream would completely change their models overnight if AT&T came calling. The market for IPTV gear has been no different, as developers of IPTV middleware and other technology have lined up to compete for business at the biggest telcos.
However, while a Tier 1 deployment can help make or break an IPTV technology vendor, so can the lack of anything else but a Tier 1 deployment. With the IPTV roll-outs by Tier 1 telcos now well in hand, many vendors are turning their attention toward smaller independent telcos. These companies represent a vast market of very small opportunities, and one-size-fits-all vendor approaches need not apply. That means adapting existing IPTV gear and software to the unique cost and scalability needs of the small guys. Vendors like Innovate Systems, Quative and Thomson are just of few of the vendors currently making the effort.
For more:
- see this report at Telephony
Related articles:
SureWest is one independent telco that is making IPTV work SureWest report
Canadian independent Bruce Telecom is an IPTV player worth watching Bruce Telecom report
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Comments
By Michelle | Posted 7:57pm | June 24, 2008
Interesting round-up. However, the originator of the article failed to mention the success of Minerva Networks in the IOC market. With over 120 deployments worldwide Minerva is the largest IPTV vendor in the independent market (all the IOCs Innovative, Quative, Thomson, Kasenna, Orca and Espial have total do not equal even 25% of Minerva’s IOC customers). In fact, the 2 telcos listed at the end of the piece, Surewest and Bruce are both Minerva Middleware customers.
Prior to the NXTcomm show last week, Minerva announced that they won 10 new U.S. telco customers. In addition, they also won an additional 5 U.S. telco accounts, who were already deploying IPTV services, but they opted to migrate to Minerva's iTVManager platform.
Minerva has also partnered with Entone and unveiled the first IPTV whole-home DVR solution at the NXTcomm 2008 show.
I kindly suggest that the authors connect with Minerva in order to gain more perspective from a successful IPTV vendor.
By Reagan | Posted 4:01pm | August 13, 2008
Bruce Telecom is, in fact, Conklin-Intracom's (www.conklin-intracom.com) Middleware customer and not Minerva's.