Nokia Siemens Networks

GMI 2008 targeted at IPTV issues

Dan O'Shea — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:15:42 -0400

The MultiService Forum's Global MSF Interoperability event (GMI 2008) is going on right now around the world, including at a Verizon Communications lab in Waltham, Mass. While GMI 2006 was more focused on general IP Multimedia Subsystem interoperability, GMI 2008 is taking on the distinctive flavor of IPTV. It's a three-continent, multi-country event involving 22 companies.

This year, according to a press release issued by Verizon to promote its participation, the linked global testbed will test many IMS-related service configurations, but among them will be configurations developed by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions' IPTV Interoperability Forum (IIF). ATIS' IIF has long been at work developing IPTV standards, and just last week, it unveiled a new client device discovery and connectivity standard.

Still, most IPTV implementations do not use IMS, which has been a concern of IMS standards proponents. IPTV watchers are concerned as well, and they wonder about the relatively new offering's eventual place in a converged IP network if carriers continue to develop it as a silo application. According to Verizon's statement, "GMI participants will work to test early IMS-capable IPTV products, as well as IPTV service-management solutions that are able to analyze the quality of the IPTV service."

Ironically, Verizon does not use a pure IPTV architecture, but rather a cable TV-like QAM architecture to deliver its FiOS TV services. However, Verizon has begun to work with IPTV technologies and applications.

The 22 equipment companies participating in GMI 2008 include: Acme Packet, Alcatel-Lucent, Codenomicon, Empirix, Fujitsu, Huawei, Ixia, JDSU, Motorola, Mu Dynamics, NEC, Nokia-Siemens Networks, Nortel, OSI, Sonus, Spirent, Starent, Tekelec, Tektronix, Telchemy, Teles and ZTE.

IPTV consolidation: Espial to acquire Kasenna

Dan O'Shea — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:29:35 -0400

Canadian IPTV middleware vendor Espial Group said it will acquire Kasenna, a competitor based in Sunnyvale, Calif., in a move that will aid consolidation in the fragmented IPTV middleware sector. The $6.5 million deal likely will close later this month.

According to Espial, the combined company will have more than 100 service provider customers supporting about 2.4 million IPTV customers. Kasenna customers include Cavalier Telephone, CenturyTel, FastWeb, Kentucky Telephone, SaskTel, Tennessee Telephone, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications and Knology.

The IPTV middleware market also includes companies such as Minerva Networks, Innovate Systems, Quative, Thomson, Nokia Siemens Networks and many others, though some service providers also have opted to test or use their own middleware, which has made the landscape even more competitive and fragmented.

For more:
- see this report at Multichannel News

Related articles:
IPTV middleware vendors have chased opportunities at independent telcos IPTV middleware report
IPTV middleware problems reportedly delayed some carriers this spring IPTV middleware report

NSN to offer hosted IPTV solution

Dan O'Shea — Tue, 20 May 2008 10:49:07 -0400

Could we be in the early phases of an IPTV hosting/outsourcing trend? Midwest Video Solutions, in offering a shared headend solution, is not the only company allowing telcos interested in selling TV services to do so over a hosted platform. Nokia Siemens Networks, a global vendor giant with much experience deploying IPTV gear for carriers, has developed a broad hosted IPTV platform, including encoders, video servers, digital rights management functions, back office and other elements. This should help telcos intimidated by the complexity and cost of building and managing their own comprehensive systems to get into the game.

As many of the obvious early adopters progress in their IPTV build-outs, such hosted platforms could keep the line moving with a second phase of build-outs yet to begin. If telcos buy in to the hosted option, we are likely to see more major vendors develop their own hosted platforms. Could we also see IPTV hosting specialists emerge? Similar things have happened in every telecom sector where hosting has become a force.

For more:
- check out this coverage at Light Reading Europe

Related articles:
- NSN's IPTV middleware unit Myrio has seen telco customers experience delays. NSN report