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July 17, 2007

Report: Proprietary Middleware Won't Win in IPTV Market

By Spencer D. Chin
TMCnet Web Editor
The continued growth of the global IPTV industry, specifically in Europe, Asia, and North America, hinges on the development of flexible middleware, according to a report from MRG titled “IPTV (News - Alert) Middleware Ranking Report: Rapid Scaling of Subscribers and Services—June 2007.”


 
“Without flexible middleware that can easily and predictably increase the number of subscribers and the breadth of services, IPTV operators will not sustain long-term growth or stability,” said MRG senior analyst Steve Hawley. “Middleware can make or break the success of an IPTV service.”
 
Based on actual deployed subscribers, Thomson, Cascade, Alcatel-Lucent, UTStarcom (News - Alert), and Nokia Siemens Networks ranked as the top five global suppliers, the study said. Microsoft’s Mediaroom ranked last out of 14 IPTV companies, indicating continuing scaling problems with its middleware using Microsoft (News - Alert)-required technologies.
 
The report guides IPTV operators through the platform capabilities and technical considerations to help them identify the middleware best matching their service requirements, feature-function support, and the number of servers required to support various levels of subscribers for the 14 vendors. Also included are detailed profiles of these vendors, their products, and middleware partnerships, and a case study of how Verizon (News - Alert) switched its middlware provider for its IPTV/RF hybrid service.
 
“The middleware required to support basic IPTV services is very different from that of an advanced level service,” stated Hawley.
 
Spencer Chin is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
 
Don't forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users.
 

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