USTA: Alcatel flashes video credentials

LAS VEGAS—Alcatel showed up at this year’s USTA Telecom '04 event here fully intent on proving that despite it’s size and position as incumbent DSL vendor to most of the U.S. market, it too could act like one of the more nimble start-ups dotting the IP video market.

  Operating under the banner, “Video over Everything,” the vendor is showcasing a number of video applications including parental control and content search; high-performance electronic guides; video on demand and personalized local content. Like every vendor vying for attention in the nascent market, Alcatel is pushing the idea that telcos can’t simply mimic cable offerings.

Unlike many others, though, the company is trying to keep as much of the end-to-end product line in house, said Derek Kuhn, director of marketing and business development for Alcatel. That includes developing its own middleware and providing a significant amount of services such as network design.

  “A lot of it is intangibles that are way beyond middleware,” Kuhn said.

  The company believes its largest carrier customers are looking for more of a partnership with video vendors than they have with traditional telecom suppliers.

  “This is a definitely a specialty business,” Kuhn said.

  The company also is working with carriers on service definition. To that end, carriers have shown increased desire to move toward a largely uni-cast environment where most programming is delivered on demand. And while Alcatel’s platform is capable of delivering such services, the legal elements are still major sticking points.

  “The licensing process really defines what’s possible and what’s not,” Kuhn said. “Thinking outside of the box take time and often it’s not trivial.”