Harris Stratex Networks Bolsters WiMAX Efforts, Acquires Telsima

The WiMAX vs. LTE (News - Alert) debate continues, with no apparent end in sight — and certainly each has its benefits. However, perhaps the most significant fact, which most would agree has to give WiMAX (News - Alert) a leg up currently, is that WiMAX is already seeing live deployments worldwide. With the growth of the mobile market as a whole, there’s certainly a case to made that the two can co-exist as peacefully as any two competing technologies can — each looking to whittle down the size of the other’s user base until it is no longer large enough to drive a sustainable business model, or until each has a big enough piece of the pie to effectively stave off the other and the two will continue to thrive competitively. After all, two competing cellular technologies are doing well in the U.S. currently.

 

What the future of the space holds remains to be seen, but what is certain is the mobile space is growing exponentially, and businesses and consumers alike have shown clear interest in even more advanced mobile capabilities, which is driving innovation in not only the device and application markets, but also in network infrastructure.

 

Harris Stratex Networks, a specialist in the wireless backhaul space, though it also provides end-to-end WiMAX network solutions, including wireless backhaul and core network components, has now further staked its claim in the WiMAX space with the acquisition of Telsima Corporation. 

 

In September, Harris Stratex (News - Alert) announced a partnership with Telsima as part of its development and rollout of its 7000 Series WiMAX platform. The driving factor behind that partnership was Telsima’s experience in the WiMAX space and its ability to help Harris Stratex deliver a best-of-breed solution to the WiMAX market, then in its infancy. 

 

“Telsima has established a strong record of successful commercial rollouts of large WiMAX networks to Tier 1 carriers and has a comprehensive understanding of their requirements,” explained Harris Stratex President and CEO Harald Braun at the time.

 

Braun, who came to Harris Stratex back in April of last year from Nokia Siemens Networks (News - Alert), before which he was president and CEO at Siemens Networks, certainly has the background to drive Harris Stratex’ expansion in multiple arenas. In December, he spoke with TMC president Rich Tehrani about the growth of the wireless market, noting specifically that “4G and beyond is a growth pillar,” and that his company has WiMAX solutions that extend from the PC data card to core network elements to management technology.

 

At the time, he also indicated a desire to partner with LTE vendors as well, since they, too, work well in conjunction with Harris Stratex’ mobile backhaul solutions. In fact, he noted that he felt the gap between WiMAX and LTE was closing, saying he would have expected to see more WiMAX deployments already.

 

That position seems to have changed somewhat now, given Telsima’s expertise in WiMAX-based broadband access, designed for today’s media-rich and bandwidth-intensive applications and services. In addition to a clear indication of the success of its partnership with Telsima, this acquisition also signals an increased push in the WiMAX space for Harris Stratex, driven by the addition of Telsima’s WiMAX Forum (News - Alert) Certified products to its brand.

 

“The demand for rich media services is growing at an explosive rate, creating the need for faster and more flexible wireless networking solutions,” explained Braun. “In our close working relationship with Telsima we have been greatly impressed by their technology and expertise. We believe the combination of those qualities and Harris Stratex in-house innovation will significantly enhance our ability to expand into new and emerging markets.”

 

The deal is a $12 million cash investment for Harris Stratex, which it will pay out over the next 12 months.