Newbridge mission: ICPs

Newbridge Networks plans to launch a new marketing initiative at the Association for Local Telecommunications Services convention in Nashville this week in hopes of convincing competitive carriers that Newbridge can make them famous.

The vendor's new Network of Opportunity program is intended to highlight Newbridge's ability to aggregate all the product, financing and services a competitive local exchange carrier needs to transform into an integrated communications provider (ICP).

"We're attaching ourselves to them to help them get ICP status," said Kay Kienast, vice president of marketing at Newbridge.

The program will leverage the vendor's own switching, transport, access and back office portfolio and bring in products from other companies where applicable, she said. Newbridge also will provide services such as consulting, marketing and network design and support carriers that require short- and long-term financing.

"The other network equipment providers lack this precise, focused CLEC effort," said Natalie St. Denis, marketing manager for the CLEC program.

One analyst agreed that despite the fact that many vendors have merged and acquired each other for versatility and bulk, few have yet homed in on specific market segments. "The way they've packaged this is a little more clear than their competitors," said Kristin Flynn, an analyst at The Yankee Group.

Newbridge plans to launch at least two more similar initiatives in the next six months, Kienast said. "You can look for this model to be available in different segments," she said. "This is Phase 1."