Equipment Makers Need More Than Low Prices to Attract Micro MSPP Buyers, New Report Finds

Equipment Makers Need More Than Low Prices to Attract Micro MSPP
Buyers, New Report Finds
Light Reading Insider Releases Results of a Worldwide Survey on Carrier
Attitudes Toward Low-Cost Multiservice Provisioning Platforms 


NEW YORK, April 5  /PRNewswire/ -- Service provider customers are definitely
attracted to the low price tags that equipment makers are slapping on so-called
micro MSPPs, but vendors need to deliver more than cost savings to close the
deal, according to a new report from the subscription research service Light
Reading Insider (http://www.lightreading.com/insider).

Micro MSPPs:  Carrier Deployment Plans analyzes the emerging micro MSPP product
sector by not only identifying the key vendors that have joined the market, but
also assessing how prospective buyers of micro MSPPs see the market taking
shape. The cornerstone of the report is a worldwide survey of more than 370
telecom industry professionals, including dozens of service providers, gauging
expected deployment of micro MSPPs in carrier networks.

More than two dozen vendors have already introduced micro MSPPs, which are
streamlined and far less expensive versions of the multiservice provisioning
platforms already used by many network operators. "By pushing intelligent
switching to the metro edge, micro MSPPs can increase bandwidth utilization in
the network and improve efficiency at the core," the report states. "That
function is especially significant for service providers seeking to leverage
existing Sonet/SDH networks to meet demand for converged voice and data
services, chiefly Ethernet."

But while service providers are attracted by the price proposition of micro
MSPPs, those surveyed by Light Reading Insider say they also want to make sure
that these products will be able to deliver the quality and reliability needed
to keep customers happy.

  Among the report's key findings:

  * Vendors report that RFP activity is high, but only a few carriers have
    committed to micro MSPP purchases.
  * Survey results indicate that carriers view micro MSPPs more as a quick
    way to extend services than as a long-term strategic play.
  * Carriers and equipment vendors expect sales of micro MSPPs to pick up
    later this year and in 2006.
  * Incumbent telcos are likely to be the biggest buyers of micro MSPPs,
    rather than CLECs.



Public equipment vendors profiled in this report:  Adtran Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTN);
ADVA AG Optical Networking (Frankfurt: ADV); Alcatel (NYSE: ALA; Paris:
CGEP:PA); Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ:CIEN); Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO); ECI
Telecom Ltd. (Nasdaq/NM: ECIL); Fujitsu Ltd. (OTC: FJTSY; Tokyo: 6702); Lucent
Technologies Inc. (NYSE:LU); Marconi Corp. plc (NASDAQ:MRCIY) (LONDON: MONI) ;
Nortel Networks Ltd. (NYSE/Toronto: NT); Telco Systems, a subsidiary of BATM
Advanced Communications Ltd.  (LONDON: BVC) ; Tellabs Inc. (Nasdaq: TLAB;
Frankfurt: BTLA); Verilink Corp. (NASDAQ:VRLK).

Private equipment vendors profiled in this report:  Anda Networks Inc.;
Luminous Networks Inc.; Overture Networks Inc.; PacketLight Networks Ltd.; RAD
Data Communications Ltd.; Tejas Networks India Ltd.; Transmode Systems AB;
Turin Networks Inc.; White Rock Networks Inc.

Micro MSPPs: Carrier Deployment Plans is available as part of an annual
subscription (12 monthly issues) to Light Reading Insider, priced at $1,350.
Individual reports are available for $900. To subscribe, please visit:
http://www.lightreading.com/insider.

For additional information, to request a free executive summary of the report,
or for details of multi-user licensing options, please contact:

   Jeff Claudino
   Sales Manager
   Insider Research Services
   619-229-9940
   

  Members of the media may request review copies from:

   Gabriel Brown
   Chief Analyst
   Insider Research Services
   [phone]
   

  About Light Reading Inc.


Founded in 2000, Light Reading Inc. (http://www.lightreading.com/) is the
ultimate source for technological and financial analysis of the communications
industry; it leads the media industry in terms of traffic, content, and
reputation. It reaches an extensive audience of executives and technologists
within the telecommunications and enterprise networking communities, as well as
the financial/industry analysts and investors that track these sectors. 

DATASOURCE: Light Reading Inc.



CONTACT:  Jeff Claudino, Sales Manager, [phone], or

, or Gabriel Brown, Chief Analyst, [phone],

or , both of Insider Research Services, for Light Reading

Inc.



Web site:  http://www.lightreading.com/ 

Copyright