Industry Analysts See Positive Momentum for Lucent
August 5, 2002
In April, Current Analysis, a leading provider of tactical competitive intelligence in the telecommunications market, published a positive assessment of Lucent's broadband infrastructure products. "We are taking a positive stance on Lucent in the broadband infrastructure market. Lucent, as an established Tier 1 telecom equipment vendor, has very strong channel support and professional services," wrote Ron Westfall and Erik Keith, analysts at Current Analysis and the authors of the report.
The Stinger® FS+ platform, announced in March 2002, which supports 50 percent more ports than the Stinger FS platform, received high praise for bolstering Lucent's already strong DSLAM ™digital subscriber line access multiplexer) portfolio. "This increase ensures that Lucent retains its crown as the highest density DSLAM on the market," wrote Westfall, the Principal Analyst for Broadband Infrastructure.
Westfall also lauded the IP video over DSL solution, announced in April. This new solution-based Stinger DSL platform enables the "triple play" of video, voice and data bundled services. "Lucent has strengthened its already formidable DSL solution set, and is now very well-positioned to increase its market share by enabling service providers to support high-margin data/voice/video bundles over the existing copper infrastructure," added Westfall.
Lucent "Commands Credibility"
In July, Brent Wilson, the principal analyst for Carrier Infrastructure at Current Analysis, updated his profile on Lucent and commented on the APX 8100™ Universal Gateway Softswitch, which was unveiled at Supercomm in June. "With the recently announced APX8100, which provides a 3X improvement in port densities over the APX 8000, Lucent is making it clear that this is a strategic platform and market for addressing the voice/data convergence market," wrote Wilson.
He also listed Lucent's key strengths. At the top of the list, Wilson wrote, "Lucent continues to command credibility in the overall carrier space with the significant installed base it has established over several years, spanning most every facet of technology and segment within the carrier infrastructure market, and its strategic research and development vehicle, Bell Labs -- an American icon."
"When SBC says they’re doing something with IP, then your know IP is here to stay." Hilary Mine, Probe Research
Important SBC IP Contract
On May 28, SBC signed a multi-year contract with Lucent for an IP Centrex solution that brings packet technology to businesses using central office services. "This is important for Lucent," said Hilary Mine, executive vice president at Probe Research, a telecom research and consulting group, "but it's also important for the industry. When SBC says they're doing something with IP, then you know IP is here to stay."
SBC is the first major carrier to bring these (Internet protocol) IP Centrex capabilities to the market. The solution includes Lucent's iMerge™ Centrex Feature Gateway™ CFG), which works with any Class 5 Switch -- one of the primary driving factors behind selecting Lucent -- and the SpringTide® 7000 IP Services Switch. That SBC chose Lucent to provide the industry's first circuit-to-packet deployment using Centrex services, underscores the confidence SBC has in Lucent to provide cutting-edge technology.
Dana Cooperson, director, Optical Networks Program at RHK, a market research and consulting firm, was one of six RHK analysts to discuss the current telecom environment at a presentation in Holmdel, N.J., in June. During the presentation she emphasized that optical networks are critical to the future of network evolution as they create a more simple and efficient network, and reduce operational expenses.
"Tier 1 customers are looking to vendors with whom they already have strong relationships for solutions to their current problems." Dana Cooperson, RHK
Tier 1 Customers an Asset
Cooperson said that she expects the optical market will experience a recovery in the second half of 2003, with core central intelligence switching and next-generation Sonet/SDH multiplexing driving the growth. She believes that Lucent's LambdaUnite™ product offering is well-positioned to capture that growth in core switching.
"Because the LambdaUnite combines capacity and flexibility into one piece of equipment, service providers lower their costs from equipment, power and space, which is essential to their profitability," she noted. Cooperson also expects the Metropolis® DMX Access Multiplexer to be a strong product for the North American RBOC market segment. She added, "The DMX Express meets customers' current metro access needs while providing a solid foundation for future bandwidth and service growth."
But, Cooperson believes that access to Tier 1 customers is Lucent's greatest asset in the current market. "Tier 1 customers are looking to vendors with whom they already have strong relationships for solutions to their current problems, like rising capital and operating expenses," she said. "If Lucent continues to strengthen its relationship with customers by getting new products and features into the customers' labs, and by delivering on its implementation promises," she added, "then it will remain in the game during the downturn and win new business when the slowdown ends." - by Joan Campion |
