Players in the carrier-grade, blade-based server market for the telecom industry are said to be limbering up for a major battle, according to research by In-Stat.
In one corner are a group of industry heavyweights including the likes of Hewlett Packard, Motorola, Radisys, and Sun Microsystems, while in the opposite corner is IBM, the high-tech market research firm says. The AdvancedTCA platform is built on an open industry standard, while IBM’s entry is a beefed-up version of its enterprise-class BladeCenter.
“Although the IBM BladeCenter T may have a few disadvantages, IBM will present the BladeCenter series T platform to prospective customers as a product offering similar to AdvancedTCA platforms,” says Norm Bogen, In-Stat analyst. “IBM is leveraging the strength it has with its Telco customer back office systems by offering a companion Central Office product known as the BladeCenter T.”
Recent research by In-Stat is said to have found the following:
– Telcos are now beginning to demand open, cost-effective, high-performance, next-generation, carrier-grade platforms in order to pass on improved performance and innovation to their customers at a reasonable cost.
– Platform providers feel that Telecom Equipment Makers are best served if they can minimize their cost by acquiring Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components to put together an application-ready platform rather than developing a platform using proprietary technology.
– AdvancedTCA platform providers offer Telcos and their customers reinforced protection of their long-term investment when introducing new functionality in their networks.
The research, ‘A Comprehensive Comparison of Major AdvancedTCA Platforms Versus IBM’s BladeCenter T’, compares the major carrier-grade, blade-based platforms being offered to the telecom industry. It includes analysis of the competing technologies and products and of major vendor strategies. These platforms compete for the approximately $90 billion that service providers spend annually on network equipment.
The research is part of In-Stat’s Networking Technology Service, which analyzes the communications and networking merchant IC market that will enable tomorrow’s cutting-edge LAN, WAN, MAN and access systems. The service leverages In-Stat’s database of equipment and subscriber forecasts to develop a total market perspective. It covers topics such as the AdvancedTCA, VoIP chips, Home Networking ICs, WLAN and WiMAX silicon, and switching chips.