HFC Alliance
Subject 50690
Membership in the HFC Alliance is available in two levels: Vendor members, and an Advisory Panel of representatives from the cable operator community.
Vendor Membership
Vendor Membership is open to companies who are interested in defining and promoting use of the HMS standard. Vendor members pay dues to the Alliance, which support marketing communications activities, such as trade show participation, public relations, publication of white papers and customer education. Vendor members typically are interested in developing and marketing products which will make use of the standard. The Alliance is open to any vendor, provided that the vendor abides by the bylaws and pays dues in a timely manner. Each vendor company is expected to assign two representatives to the Alliance, a marketing contact and a technical contact. Each member company gets a single vote in elections and other decisions.
Why Join The HFC-Alliance?
Experience shows that the MSO community is unlikely to adopt new technologies until they are proven. And standards cannot be successful unless (a) multiple vendors develop conforming products and (b) customers buy and deploy them.
Show commitment: As a vendor, you clearly demonstrate your commitment to a standard for interoperability of monitoring, management and control products by joining the Alliance.
Inside Track: As an Alliance member participating in the standards process, vendors will have a time-to-market advantage on building standards compliant products.
Benefit by pooling resources: Adoption of standards-based products requires marketing programs to educate and reach out to MSOs. By pooling financial and human resources for trade show technology and interoperabilty demonstrations, newsletters, seminars and this web site, Alliance members can mount a campaign to promote adoption of the standard with a higher probability of success and much lower cost per member than can be achieved by any one company. (Alliance membership fees are projected to cost between $5000 and $10,000 per year per member). The HFC-Alliance has already attracted considerable press attention, our Vail meeting was publicized in CED, MultiChannel News and Communications Technology, and joint press interviews at the Western Show will continue this theme.
Demonstrate Interoperability: Only HFC-Alliance members can participate in the Interoperability demo at CableTec Expo and future events. Vendors can also contribute technical white papers to be published under the HFC-Alliance banner.
Compliance Logo (pending): The HFC-Alliance is pursuing the possibility of obtaining a stamp-of-approval/logo on products that meet the standard via a CableLabs test suite (pending).
To apply for Vendor Membership, click here
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Advisory Panel Membership
Advisory Panel Membership is open to members of the cable operator and MSO community who wish a voice in shaping the standard to meet "real-life" needs. Advisory Panel members do not pay dues. However, they are expected to make themselves available for Alliance meetings and conference calls. Cable Operator management and staff involved in Network management and NOC issues are especially encouraged to join. Advisory Panel members have non-voting status. However, since vendors ultimately hope to sell standard-based products to MSOs, the advise provided by Advisory panel members is sure is be listened to and acted upon!
To apply for Advisory Panel Membership, click here
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Current members of The Alliance are as follows:
Vendors Members
www.amcomm.com
AM Communications
AM Communications, Inc. is a pioneer in HFC status monitoring and control technology. AM's LANguard and OmniStat monitoring systems are in use in hundreds of networks worldwide, monitoring hundreds of thousands of network elements. AM Communications is also the the standard monitoring platform for many large transmission equipment OEM's, including GI, Scientific-Atlanta, and Philips. AM Communications, together with its partner company NeST Technologies, maintains a world-class software development staff which is SEI/CMM3 certified. In addition, AM's worldwide engineering, manufacturing, and support organizations are ISO 9001 certified. AM's goal is to provide the highest quality technical solutions for our customers, together with the lowest possible prices.
Joe Rocci, Vice President of Marketing noted:
"AM enthusiastically supports the goals of the SCTE and the HFC-Alliance to develop standardized interfaces for HFC network management. AM believes that well-developed standards, together with quality engineering and low cost manufacturing, will lead to ubiquitous deployment of HFC monitoring."
www.barco.com
Barco Communication Systems
Claiming more than 30 years experience in both Broadcast and CATV industries, and having established a respected position in the Telecom industry, BARCO is currently recognized world-wide for its flexible, market-specific solutions to serve a rapidly changing communications market.
The common thread though all our products is the "ROSA" management system, keeping a watchful eye on the permanent availability and reliability of all those vital network connections in today's converging Broadcast, Cable TV and Telecom markets.
Jan Colpaert, Product Manager, voiced his support for the HFC Alliance;
"We believe network monitoring is key to operating reliable HFC networks. Until now, the major stumbling block has been the lack of interoperability between equipment from different vendors. Vendor independence has always been a major target in the design of BARCO's network monitoring solutions. Open standards are an absolute requirement for the market to grow"
cheetahtech.com
Cheetah Technologies
Cheetah Technologies is the world's leading developer and manufacturer of HFC network management hardware and software systems. Through its internationally-established product line, Cheetah Technologies supplies comprehensive network management solutions to the industry's leading cable television and telecommunications providers.
www.electrolinequip.com
Electroline Equipment Inc.
Founded in 1952, Electroline Equipment Inc. is a global leader in remote broadband switching systems. ISO-9002 certified, the Electroline Addressable System (EAS) is the world's most widely used cable TV off-premises control system.
Electroline's HFC monitoring systems include the CLEARPath ingress detection and location system and the Test Point Selector (TPS), a 16:1 intelligent switch. CLEARPath remotely locates return path ingress to the level of a single fiber node, amplifier or tap, depending on transponder placement. When used in conjunction with addressable taps, CLEARPath not only locates ingress, but can remotely shut down an offending drop.
Pierre Blais, Electroline Director of New Technologies, applauds the Alliance and its work:
"We are very happy to support the Alliance because the entire industry benefits from interoperable management systems. Lack of standards has slowed deployment of status monitoring and other methods of remote network management and control. We expect to integrate our CLEARPath monitoring system with all leading network management systems."
www.tmo.hp.com
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global provider of computing, Internet and intranet solutions, services, communications products and measurement solutions, all of which are recognized for excellence in quality and support. HP has 125,300 employees and had revenue of $42.9 billion in its 1997 fiscal year.
www.lindsayelec.com
Lindsay Electronics
Established in 1953, Lindsay is a leading ISO9001 manufacturer and global provider of RF distribution products for the CATV and wired communications industries.
Focused on the last mile, our Hardline Passives, Distribution Amplifiers, Apartment Amplifiers, Power Passing Multi-taps, and Subscriber Amplifiers feature a 1 GHz platform. Product quality is maintained through applied ISO continuous improvement disciplines, innovation, and strict attention to detail.
Between the Optical Network Unit and subscriber are important assets, which constitute a large percentage of the cost of the HFC plant. These consists of line extenders, power supplies, coupling passives, taps, drop cable and possibly Network Interface Units. It is our belief at Lindsay, that as new services appear the management of the outdoor plant will become increasingly demanding. Most of the elements will need to be addressable, and the control systems must be capable of executing a series of tasks, which are now rarely automated.
Chris Allinson, President / C.E.O, Lindsay Electronics says:
"It is the goal of Lindsay to integrate in its products addressable functionality to control: ports, ingress and measure power due to high integrity requirements such as ATM and TCP/IP. This new mandate dovetails readily with the goals of the HFC Alliance and CableLabs Outdoor Status Monitoring of Plant initiative. It is the Lindsay position that the same headend resources in the forward and reverse band that manage the O.S.P. must also control addressable taps. The higher performance requirements of Multi-Media Cable Network Services, and coordination with Simple Network Management Protocol imply this as perhaps the only way to make automatic ingress control isolation and management practical."
www.norscan.com
Norscan Instruments, Ltd.
Norscan manufactures a patented Fiber Cable Management System. Norscan's management system is the only system available that directly monitors the passive components of the outside plant. A preventive maintenance program for fiber optic cable outside plant is established by the implementation of Norscan's CMS. The system directly measures fiber cable and splice enclosures for any loss of integrity or moisture ingress allowing critical time to locate the fault before an outage occurs. In addition the system includes an automated tone long distance tone location system and GPS based OSP database.
John Chamberlain, President of Norscan commented:
"Norscan has been manufacturing and deploying preventive maintenance systems in Canada for over 15 years. We and our customers know preventive maintenance works. We define a system that "works" as a system that creates higher reliability and lower cost. The HFC-Alliance should bring a common preventive maintenance program to the US CATV companies that would create the highest reliability and dependability within the entire telecommunications industry."
www.relteccorp.com
RELTEC Corporation
RELTEC is a leader in the design, manufacture and sale of a broad range of telecommunications systems, products and services. Its Access Systems, Integrated Wireless Solutions and Network Components and Services are sold to wireline and wireless service providers and OEMs around the globe. RELTEC operates in North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific and Latin America with over 6,200 employees worldwide.
www.silcomtech.com
SilCom Manufacturing Technology, Inc.
SilCom Manufacturing Technology is an ISO9002 certified leader in the manufacture of cable transmission components and network management software for the LAN industry. SilCom's OEM customers for its Ethernet and Token Ring products include top tier networking companies - Bay Networks, Cabletron, Cisco, Compaq and 3Com. SilCom's Broadband Products Division is applying its physical layer LAN cable interface technology expertise to the CATV infrastructure. SilCom has developed a number of innovative technology solutions to enable MSOs and CATV equipment manufacturers to upgrade their customers' equipment. These RF design solutions are targeted at the lower branches of the CATV network, and include RF trunk, line extender and addressable tap devices. In addition, SilCom offers CATView, a Network Management solution designed to provide end-to-end status information on the data network.
John Stephen, VP of Broadband Products for SilCom and President of the HFC-Alliance, commented:
"As MSOs implement two-way services, demand is growing for more efficient troubleshooting tools to keep operating costs manageable. Being able to use HMS based solutions to monitor and control devices will enable operators to isolate and resolve problems more quickly and accurately, often without the cost of a truck roll."
www.tollgrade.com
Tollgrade Communications
Tollgrade Communications, Inc., designs, engineers, markets and supports test access and test extension products for the telecommunications and cable television industries. Our patented MCU® technology allows local exchange carriers to remotely diagnose problems in the local loop, while our LIGHTHOUSE(tm) Status Monitoring System provides a way to identify and resolve common and costly CATV network problems.
Tollgrade, which is headquartered in Cheswick, Pa., a suburb of Pittsburgh, employs more than 200 people and recorded 1997 revenues of $45.4 million. The Company maintains a presence in regions across the United States and in the United Kingdom. Tollgrade is registered under ISO-9001.
www.wavetek.com
Wavetek
Wavetek offers a complete line of test products for the CATV and telecommunications industries: signal level, leakage, proof of performance, ingress detection, fiber optic testing, full forward and reverse path testing, and return path performance monitoring. Wavetek's recent merger with Wandel and Goltermann expands the company's product line to meet the demanding needs of those in the industry building networks for digital, internet and other advanced services. Wavetek Corporation designs and manufactures quality test equipment for the cable television, telecommunications, wireless communications, and general purpose test and measurement industries. All products deliver comprehensive testing solutions in lightweight, easy to use instruments.
Kevin Oliver, Product Marketing Manager, expressed support:
"The widespread adoption of an HMS standard will allow much easier integration or interoperation between vendor monitoring and control solutions. This interoperation of systems can provide operators with more powerful control and vision over how their networks are performing. Wavetek, as a founding member of the HFC-Alliance, supports the HMS effort and believes it will ultimately speed up the development of new products and capabilities that will allow operators to more effectively manage and maintain their networks."
Advisory Panel Members
www.cox.com
Cox Communications
Hugh McCarley, Director of Engineering for Cox Communications;
"The renewed interest in a monitoring and control standard reflects the requirement for strong network management to support critical two-way services like telephony, high speed data & internet service, and digital video. The HMS effort makes sense for vendors as they can achieve higher volumes of standardized products, while MSOs stand to reap the benefit of simplified management and lower operational costs by having a unified head end interface."
www.jic.com
Jones Intercable
Wayne Davis, Vice President of Engineering, Jones Intercable;
"We applaud the efforts of vendors and MSOs to co-operate in development of a standard for low cost interoperable solutions for network management, status monitoring and remote control. Cable operators wishing to compete in the telephony market must address how they will maintain high availability services for lifeline telephony applications mandated by Public Service entities. The HMS standards effort is a step in the right direction." |
