TMCnet News
BigBand Networks to Acquire ADC's IP Cable Business Unit REDWOOD CITY, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- May 25, 2004 -- Addition of Cuda CMTS and FastFlow Provisioning Manager Positions Company for Growth with Infrastructure Offerings across Triple-Play Video, Voice and Data ServicesBigBand Networks, Inc., a leading provider of platforms for multimedia services over broadband networks, today announced an agreement to acquire the IP Cable Business Unit of ADC Telecommunications, Inc., including its Cuda(TM) and FastFlow(R) product lines. The Cuda CMTS (cable modem termination system) is a widely deployed and carrier-class platform for switching and routing of advanced IP services, and the FastFlow Broadband Provisioning Manager is a server suite that activates and configures such services. Through this transaction, combined with BigBand Networks' digital video leadership, the company's infrastructure solutions will be used in broadband networks to provide subscribers with a complete range of video, voice and data services. The CMTS market is projected by the Yankee Group to grow from $408 million in 2003 to $672 million in 2005. Emerging services driving growth include tiered high-speed data, commercial data, voice over IP, and emerging DOCSIS(R) set-top gateways that can access high quality video content with rich functionality and great bandwidth efficiency. "In response to the needs of our network operator customers, BigBand Networks is executing on our plan to expand support of both currently popular and new triple-play services," said Amir Bassan-Eskenazi, co-founder, president and chief executive officer, BigBand Networks. "ADC's high-speed data and provisioning products, and the outstanding people behind them, possess similar strengths to BigBand Networks' products and people. These include a commitment to customer service and platforms with the highest flexibility, reliability and intelligence." ADC will become a minority interest holder in BigBand Networks as part of the agreement. The acquisition does not include the Homeworx(TM) cable telephony system that had also been a part of the business unit. BigBand Networks will continue sales and full service for Cuda and FastFlow customers, including operation of technology and business activities in Westborough, Massachusetts, as well as other associated U.S. and international facilities. "The combining of BigBand Networks and Cuda products brings together outstanding offerings spanning all digital services," said Marwan Fawaz, CTO, Adelphia. "It assures constant focus on the needs of broadband network operators like Adelphia, and hastens development of next-generation solutions for triple-play services." Connected with this acquisition, BigBand Networks is beginning development work towards an integrated architecture encompassing the complete range of digital video, voice and data capabilities. This effort will enable new service possibilities by combining DOCSIS and IP communications technologies with BigBand Networks' established functionality for digital video services such as digital broadcasting, HDTV, local advertising, Gigabit Ethernet transport of video, VOD and switched broadcast. New services enabled by this development will include personal video communications, rich networked gaming, and integration of video programming with electronic commerce and other Internet functionality. "Subscribers demand broader choice, richer content and more personal control from broadband network operators," said Ran Oz, co-founder, executive vice president and CTO, BigBand Networks. "BigBand Networks will combine our video intelligence with IP switching and routing for better services from triple-play platforms based on distinctive, programmable intelligence. This will radically improve network economics and flexibility, while advancing our vision to make content of any format available to any subscriber at any time." Through dedicated customer responsiveness and advanced technologies combining multimedia and networking expertise, BigBand Networks has become the leading infrastructure vendor for digital video services. The company's platforms drive live programming to more than half of all North American digital cable subscribers, and customers include seven of the top ten North American cable operators as well as European, Asian, IP telecommunications and satellite operators. BigBand Networks' products include: -- BMR(R) (Broadband Multimedia-Service Router) - High capacity platform with versatile support for services, including: digital broadcast grooming for control of SDTV and HDTV programming with RateShaping(R) to maintain video quality at maximum bandwidth efficiency; standards-based splicing of local advertising and programming with precise geographic targeting; Gigabit Ethernet transport of high quality video including enhanced service reliability from redundant facilities; dense edge modulation of VOD and broadcast programming; and switched broadcast to dynamically provision live programming in response to real-time subscriber demand, thus expanding offerings and improving plant efficiency. -- BME(TM) (Broadband Multimedia-Service Edge) - Purpose-built high-density platform that terminates local and distant transport links by optical or electronic Gigabit Ethernet, and directs the right on-demand and broadcast programming towards the right subscribers with robust QAM modulation and RF upconversion. -- BRE(TM) (Broadband Real-Time Encoder) - Digital encoding of analog programming at high density, reliability and video quality, to avail all BigBand Networks services, including facilitation of digital simulcasting by operators migrating towards all-digital offerings. -- BigBand Management Server Suite - Intuitive and powerful GUI software tools to control implementation, scaling and ongoing management of BigBand Networks services. ADC provides network infrastructure products and services required to deliver services to consumers and businesses. The company's IP Cable offerings have established market leadership including more than 900 CMTS units deployed. The ADC IP Cable product lines being acquired by BigBand Networks are: -- Cuda CMTS - Scalable and highly reliable platforms for DOCSIS-based video, voice and data services, based on chassis design for carrier-class IP switching and routing, upgradeable modular components, superior RF spectrum management, and best-in-class redundancy to ensure service availability. -- FastFlow Broadband Provisioning Manager - Automates configuration and activation of DOCSIS / EuroDOCSIS(R) cable modems, PacketCable / EuroPacketCable(TM) multimedia terminal adapters, and CableHome(TM) residential gateways for IP video, voice and data services. ABOUT BIGBAND NETWORKS BigBand Networks, Inc. designs, manufactures, sells and supports platforms for broadband multimedia services. These platforms are built on the company's NativeMedia(TM) technology uniquely capable of communicating and processing video, audio and data in their native formats. The field-upgradeable architecture combines advanced hardware and software technologies for high performance with agility to optimize for each service supported. This enables network operators to cost-effectively expand revenue-generating offerings of rich content and advanced, interactive services. Services supported by BigBand Networks' platforms include digital broadcast television, HDTV, transport of high quality video, ad insertion, VOD and iTV. The company's customers include Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Adelphia Communications, Bright House Networks, Mediacom Communications and Rogers Cable. BigBand Networks is based in Redwood City, CA. For more information on BigBand Networks, please visit www.bigbandnet.com. |
