Cisco, Ericsson Team Up On IP Technology
Cisco Systems' strength in routers and switches
and Ericsson's muscle in softswitches will be offered to
wireline service providers, according to an announcement
Wednesday by the two firms.
The non-exclusive agreement is aimed at
leveraging Ericsson's relationships with telecommunications
service providers and Cisco's strong market share in Ethernet
products. Two major telecom service providers--Spain's
Telefonica and Australia's Telstra--hailed the alliance at its
inception.
"The alliance builds on Ericsson's strengths in
multi-service networks, along with leading expertise in systems
integration, and Cisco Systems' leadership in IP routing and
Ethernet," the firms said in a statement. "Core network
solutions offered under the alliance, addressing both classic
telephony and new multimedia services, will be built around
Ericsson's ENGINE softswitch portfolio and Cisco's core routing
products."
The firms said the carrier-class IP solutions
they will provide will include professional services, noting
that they will jointly define and integrate multi-service
network solutions. Ericsson's greatest strength has been in
wireless telecommunications technologies, and its expertise and
connections in carrier markets will play to Cisco's market share
in the core of the Internet.
The firms said Ericsson's IP-based DSL access
multiplexer and its IP Service Engine, combined with Cisco's
Ethernet offerings, will constitute one major broadband access
offering by the firms.
The alliance was blessed by Telstra, whose group
managing director said the collaboration will enable the
Australian telecom service provider to move "cost effectively"
through network evolution towards an IP/packet-based
infrastructure. Cesar Alierta, Telefonica's chairman and CEO,
also praised the alliance, indicating the Spanish firm will use
the combined Ericsson-Cisco approach to improve its IP
infrastructure.
