RedBack Invites ISPs Into XDSL World
November 27, 1998
RedBack Networks Inc.
is encouraging smalland
midsized Internet service providers to
begin offering faster access via Digital
Subscriber Line technology by setting up a
national group of value-added resellers
proficient in xDSL.
"A lot of ISPs [Internet service providers]
would like to get into offering [x]DSL service
because they see it as a competitive
advantage, but they don't know the first
thing about it," says Mark Weiner, senior
manager of channel and product marketing at
RedBack redbacknetworks.com which
makes subscriber management systems that
work with xDSL technology to deliver service
over copper phone lines.
Value-added resellers (VARs) can provide not
only xDSL expertise and equipment but also
access to the copper circuits from local
phone companies or from competitive local
exchange carriers, Weiner says.
Many of the initial VAR members of RedBack's
PowerPartners program are authorized
resellers of local phone company circuits,
Weiner says. Under agreements with the
telephone companies, the VARs can't
discount the cost of the circuit, which means
they must look for other ways to
differentiate their service. Gaining xDSL
expertise is one such way, Weiner says.
"We want to grow this market, so we want
to make it as easy as possible for as many
ISPs to offer [x]DSL service," Weiner says.
From the service provider perspective, faster
access is likely to be a commodity service in
another year to 18 months, he adds; ISPs
that wait to jump on that bandwagon and
develop their own value-added services may
find themselves left behind.
In addition to getting sales tools and training
in xDSL networking and access requirements,
PowerPartners get access to PowerSite, a
set of Web pages that provides on-demand
sales resources and technology background
information, as well as interactive multimedia
sales presentations.
NORTEL ANNOUNCES SS7-IP INITIATIVE
Continuing the feeding frenzy for Internet protocol network development, Nortel Networks [NT] is pushing a standardized
signaling protocol and open network architecture that provides a new level of global access.
More news on this one next week>
Temp |
