HP and IBM joins Alcatel Microsoft IPTV alliance

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 24 May 2006 19:13

IT Industry - Strategy

Alcatel and Microsoft have formed global relationships with HP and with IBM to deliver server solutions for carrier-class triple play/IPTV.
Alcatel already has a joint IPTV development agreement with Microsoft and OEM agreements with HP and Alcatel. It says the new agreements "solidify HP [and IBM] as key member[s] of the joint Alcatel-Microsoft IPTV ecosystem," and that Alcatel and Microsoft will work with HP and with IBM to deliver systems to carriers deploying triple play service offerings.

HP's and IBM's server technologies will be upgraded to provide better support for the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition within Alcatel's overall Triple Play Service Delivery Architecture (TPSDA). HP will validate and recommend the appropriate HP ProLiant and HP BladeSystem servers to support Microsoft TV IPTV Edition applications.

HP, Alcatel and Microsoft will also establish joint global go-to-market efforts that will include sales and marketing activities. Alcatel will include specific bundled server solutions built with HP ProLiant and pre-integrated HP OpenView IT element management software in its end-to-end triple play offering. No similar joint marketing initiative was announced with IBM.

In late 2004 Alcatel won a $US1.7 billion contract to be the primary supplier and systems integrator for SBC's Project Lightspeed, its plan to use a combination of fibre to the node with xDSL and fibre to the premises to provide downstream bandwidths of at least 20Mbps. SBC subsequently chose Microsoft as the key IPTV technology supplier in a ten year deal valued in excess of $US400 million. Alcatel subsequently ceased development of its own IPTV middleware in favour of partnering with Microsoft to further develop the Microsoft product.