Nemertes PilotHouse Award program recognizes companies in a variety of technology markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as customer service, technological innovation, technical service, value and strategic product development.

Nemertes PilotHouse Awards 2008: Advanced Communications Services

Advanced Communications Services - 2008

Overview:

More companies are discovering the cost and productivity benefits of
using advanced communication services, such as MPLS, Ethernet and SIP
trunking, which let them combine voice, data, video, imaging and enterprise
applications on the same network. They also see the value in using hosted
services, including hosted audio, video and Web conferencing, as well as hosted
VOIP, contact centers and data centers.

By implementing these advanced services, IT teams not only enable their
business to communicate more effectively, they provide the means to better serve
customers, boost sales and improve employee productivity.

These capabilities are extending over wireless networks, making it easier
not only to serve the remote workers in fixed branch locations, but also those who
are truly mobile. As this unified-communications environment expands to
include other communications modalities, IT decision-makers must understand
the implications for IT planning and investment.

Often, organizations will restructure or consolidate their IT departments
to more effectively manage and monitor voice and data networks. A majority of
organizations have dedicated a “communications group” within IT focused on
providing these services.

Overview:

Advanced Communications Services have become increasingly relevant
to businesses in large part because of the proliferation of branch
offices, remote workers, and the need for access to centrally provided
data and applications. These services, including Multi-Protocol Label
Switching (MPLS), Ethernet, Internet access, peering, hosted
connectivity and mobile offerings, are becoming even more critical
because the way we work is changing dramatically.

The majority of companies now:

• Centralize their applications and data in primary and backup data centers;
• Open new branch locations, with an average growth rate of about 12% a year;
• Expand the percentage of employees who telecommute full- or part-time;
• Implement new collaborative applications to improve productivity, customer service, and remote management of staff.

Overview:

Advanced communications services encompass managed and hosted
services providing network connectivity between sites and to the
Internet. Connectivity options typically include MPLS, Ethernet, and/or
fixed/mobile wireless. Additional advanced communications services
include hosted applications such SIP trunking, and voice/video/Web
conferencing. Taken together, these services provide the backbone that
enables businesses to communicate, on a basic level. But they also
provide the means to serve customers, boost sales, and improve employee
productivity.

Overview:

Advanced communications services encompass managed and hosted
services providing network connectivity between sites and to the
Internet. Connectivity options typically include MPLS, Ethernet, and/or
fixed/mobile wireless. Additional advanced communications services
include hosted applications such SIP trunking, and voice/video/Web
conferencing. Taken together, these services provide the backbone that
enables businesses to communicate, on a basic level. But they also
provide the means to serve customers, boost sales, and improve employee
productivity.

Overview:

Advanced communications services encompass managed and hosted services providing network connectivity between sites and to the Internet. Connectivity options typically include MPLS, Ethernet, and/or fixed/mobile wireless. Additional advanced communications services include hosted applications such SIP trunking, and voice/video/Web conferencing. Taken together, these services provide the backbone that enables businesses to communicate, on a basic level. But they also provide the means to serve customers, boost sales, and improve employee productivity.

Providers differentiate their offerings based on price, availability, speed, reliability, manageability, and functionality. Advanced services harness new technologies, including third-generation wireless and advanced internetworking protocols, and required features, including quality of service and quick response time. And, they facilitate a collaborative work environment, regardless of location or communications device being used. This market is rapidly changing as standards evolve and as businesses adopt new collaborative technologies.

April 30, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Karen Wucher
Nemertes Research
Phone: 972-335-7028
Cell: 970-846-4768
Karen.Wucher@nemertes.com

FutureNet to Showcase Next-Generation Services & Networks
56%of Enterprises View MPLS as WAN Technology Choice

NEW YORK, NY -- April 30, 2007 – MPLS is the WAN technology of choice for 56% of enterprises, according to Nemertes Research’s Building the Successful Virtual Workplace benchmark. VPLS, carrier Ethernet, and optical-based services are also on the watch lists of staffs that must build robust networks capable of supporting multiple traffic types.

Carriers are struggling to realize new technologies' promise
Business Communications Review, April 2007

By Irwin Lazar, Principal Research Analyst and Program Director, Collaboration and Convergence, Nemertes Research.

Read The Article

If Ethernet Is The Answer, What Is The Question?

Eye on the Carriers By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, January 24, 2007.

If you’re like a lot of folks, you’re probably thinking IPTV is just a tad overhyped: Service providers from AT&T to BT to India’s Reliance Infocomm have announced IPTV initiatives. Market researchers Dittberner Associates forecast an IPTV services market of $12 billion in 2013, an increase from virtually nothing in 2005 (now that’s a long-range crystal ball). And Microsoft has been investing heavily in the technology — a sure sign that the hype-fest is at its height.

By Johna Till Johnson, President and Senior Founding Partner

The recent announcement by Verizon (NYSE: VZ) that it plans to roll out Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS) starting in March highlights the continued demand for Ethernet WAN services (whether metro or long-distance).

Verizon (which provided few details, other than announcing availability of its service) joins AT&T (NYSE:T), which has limited deployments in about 20 cities, and alternative providers Masergy and Broadwing, both of whom offer VPLS services. (Masergy was the first to deploy VPLS services in the United States in 2003).

By Christopher J, Kardish, Principal Research Analyst

This week, Sprint (NYSE: S) and Motorola (NYSE:MOT) released two phones designed to work on both the Sprint and Nextel wireless networks.

While WiFi-cellular dual-mode phones are nothing new – T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) has been trialing their HotSpot@Home service in Washington state since October – cellular-cellular dual-mode phones are something of an anomaly.

In this case, Sprint is trying to wean its Nextel customers off Nextel’s iDEN walkie-talkie network onto Sprint’s CDMA network, which will soon sport high performance push-to-talk.

Eye on the Carriers By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 09/04/06

What do corporate networks have to do with the emerging science of complexity theory? More than you would think.

In case you don't know, complexity theory is the study of complex adaptive systems, which are self-similar collections of interacting agents. In a complex adaptive system, there are many agents acting in parallel, constantly acting and reacting to what the other agents are doing, with a highly distributed and decentralized control structure.

Starting to sound familiar? Companies increasingly are converging multiple applications onto a common network. They're installing highly responsive application acceleration and optimization software and hardware (known as agents) at the endpoints. And increasingly they're embedding in the applications themselves the ability to request and receive resources dynamically - in essence decentralizing and distributing the control structure.

Eye on the Carriers By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 08/28/06

No doubt about it, AOL screwed up big time. The company's online posting of consumer search records resulted in the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the World Privacy Forum filing separate complaints with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. And AOL recently fired the CTO and two other employees for causing the breach.

But AOL's loss could ultimately prove to be good news for the rest of us - if the screw-up serves to launch a wholesale, nationwide review of provider privacy policies. Such a discussion is long overdue.

By Christopher J. Kardish, Principal Research Analyst, Nemertes Research Inc.
June 23, 2006

This week Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and Siemens (NYSE: SI) agreed to a 50-50 joint venture combining their telecommunications-equipment divisions, forming the world’s third-largest converged voice and wireless data company, Nokia Siemens Networks. The deal underscores a growing trend of mega-mergers between communications vendors.

By combining land lines, mobile phones and entertainment technologies, the merged companies hope to deliver a stronger suite of consumer-oriented products. The combined Nokia Siemens Networks is large enough, and controls enough technology to join Ericsson (Nasdaq: ERICY), which recently acquired Britain’s Marconi, and Alcatel’s (NYSE: ALA) pending acquisition of Lucent (NYSE: LU) in the worldwide race for dominance in the cellular marketplace.

If you would like to receive our full Impact Analysis, sign up for our weekly newsletters.

By Robin Gareiss, EVP Nemertes Research, Inc.

May 26, 2006

AT&T (NYSE: T) has announced plans to partner with BEA Systems (NASDAQ: BEAS), Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), and Symbol Technologies (NYSE: SBL) to offer managed RFID services.

This initiative highlights the fact that one of the biggest roadblocks toward a more widespread adoption of radio-frequency identification (RFID) is integration of readers, applications, operating systems and databases.

If you would like to receive our full Impact Analysis, sign up for our weekly newsletters.

By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 05/01/06

You may have heard about the lawsuit that the Electronic Frontier Foundation is filing against AT&T for cooperating with the feds to wiretap its network. Apparently, AT&T has instrumented its network so that the feds can potentially monitor all traffic that flows across it.

In the immortal words of Captain Renault, I'm shocked, shocked, to find a carrier . . . obeying the law.

Published: 03/17/06

By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 04/17/06

Regular readers know I'm deeply skeptical of the supposed need for a federal universal broadband policy. That said, I'm well aware there are some parts of the country that are currently underserved by broadband services.

By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 04/10/06

A few weeks ago I made the point that two of the most common models for describing the Internet have significant flaws that could lead to poor policy decisions. I'll focus on the issue of the "distribution model" and its effect on 'Net neutrality in an upcoming column.

By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 03/27/06

You've heard a lot (including from this column) about topics such as net neutrality and universal broadband. Behind the buzzwords, t

By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 03/20/06

In the telecom marketplace, it seems as though the only constant is change. Given the mergers, acquisitions and steady drumbeat of emerging technologies and trends, nothing stays the same for long.

By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 03/13/06

AT&T’s announced plans to pick up BellSouth in a $67 billion merger ushers in a whole suite of questions for IT executives. Will the deal even go through?

What should the carriers' role be when in comes to converged services?

By Robin Gareiss, Network World, 03/07/06

Two trends are intersecting and spawning a need for managed services. The carriers are in a perfect position to help.

By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 03/06/06

A few columns back, I mentioned that universal broadband access is a top policy issue in Washington this year. As FCC Commissioner Michael Copps put i

Mergers and acquisitions activity among service providers that address the branch office market should offer a nice alternative to the major carriers

By Robin Gareiss, Network World, 02/28/06

With the growing proliferation of branch offices, IT and networking staffs are seeking help in implementing and managing those sites - and it’s no wonder.

By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 02/27/06

Last week we brought up some of the most critical telecom policy issues for 2006. Top of the list is net neutrality. Congress started hearings on the topic a few weeks back, and both telcos and content providers are lobbying hard.

By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 02/20/06

Last week, we examined the bio of the newest FCC commissioner, Robert McDowell. He's a more important guy than it might first appear, because he'll serve as the swing vote on a number of critical regulatory and policy issues the FCC plans on addressing in upcoming months.

By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 02/13/06

If President Bush has his way, the FCC will soon be dealing off a full deck. Bush recently nominated telecom lobbyist Robert McDowell as the fifth member of the FCC, which has had an opening for most of 2005.

By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 02/06/06

Mobility is definitely one of the key themes of 2006. Most IT executives I work with say their companies have put "mobility strategies" in place this year. That's a dramatic shift from just a year ago, when companies typically saw mobility as an afterthought.