Industry Challenges to Full-Scale M2M Deployment
Posted by Jesse Ward on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 · 
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With such a wide range of applications, there are many challenges to uniform, widespread deployment. Harish Viswanathan, CTO advisor for M2M and Devices at Alcatel-Lucent, made the analogy that these obstacles are similar to the plumbing of a construction project, a necessary function for the technology to function.
Currently, there is a shortage of IP addresses, which are assigned to Internet-enabled devices and a critical component to their connectivity. As a result of this address shortage, the industry is at the early stages of a decades-long evolution from IPv4 to IPv6, the standard on which the Internet is based. Once the transition is complete, IPv6 will enable exponentially more devices to connect to the network.
Each M2M device will produce an incremental amount of data and an accompanying small amount of revenue. As such, mobile operators must create new, compelling business offerings, with accompanying service-level agreements and billing arrangements.
In addition, mobile operators must evolve their core networks to handle a large number of devices, applications and transactions. The operator must create a platform that is capable of provisioning, authenticating, automating, monitoring and managing many, many more devices. Read more
The Promise of M2M
Posted by Jesse Ward on Friday, February 3, 2012 · ·
Imagine a typical workday in the not-too-distant future. Your cell phone alarm goes off. Thirty minutes earlier it communicated with your thermostat, requesting your preferred temperature. Ten minutes prior it started your coffeemaker and it now turns on your TV to your favorite news channel as you wake up.
You’re surprised that your alarm went off 20 minutes earlier than you expected. That’s because it retrieved weather and traffic information and understood that you needed to leave the house earlier due to a snowstorm. It also communicated with your car to ensure that the electric engine re-charged itself overnight, as planned.
As you finish getting ready, it beeps again to inform you that it’s starting your car to de-ice the windows. It contacts your GPS to send the most updated directions based on road closures and information. As you leave the house to drive away, your car signals your home automation system to lock all doors, change the thermostat to save energy and arm your security system.
This automation is possible thanks in large part to machine-to-machine (M2M) technology. In its most basic form, M2M involves devices that communicate autonomously, without human involvement. M2M indicates that everyday objects are readable, recognizable, locatable, addressable and controllable through the Internet. In fact, M2M is now synonymous with the “Internet of things.” Read more
Alcatel-Lucent Intros CloudBand Solution for Telcos
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, November 21, 2011 · ·
Late last week, Alcatel-Lucent introduced a new solution called CloudBand, which the company says is the foundation that will enable communications service providers to bring the benefits of the cloud to their own networks and business operations, and put them in an ideal position to offer high-performance cloud services to enterprises and consumers.
CloudBand is comprised of two distinct elements: the CloudBand Management System which delivers orchestration and optimization of services between the communications network and the cloud; and the CloudBand Node, which provides the computing, storage and networking hardware and associated software to host cloud services. CloudBand will be available for deployment in the first half of 2012. Read more
Alcatel Lucent Offers 400 Gbps Routing Chip
Posted by Jesse Ward on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 · ·
Last week, Alcatel-Lucent unveiled its new network chip, the FP3 processor, which the company says supports 400 Gbps transmission speeds, an industry first.
This new processor opens up new possibilities for more bandwidth-intensive services, software and content. For instance, Alcatel-Lucent says a single FP3 processor can handle 70,000 simultaneous high-definition video streams or 8.4 million simultaneous retail cloud sessions.
Alcatel-Lucent’s says this new chip will future proof its network gear. Read more
Alcatel-Lucent Launches Over-the-Top Video Analytics Tool
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, June 6, 2011 · ·
Alcatel-Lucent is testing a new service that allows broadband providers to measure the nature and quality of over-the-top video services running on their networks. The service, called AppGlide Video Analytics, enables the broadband provider to gauge the quality of experience (QoE) from the end-user’s perspective.
The cloud-based solution combines data from video player plug-ins, QoE agents, content-delivery network (CDN) devices and routers. It provides insights into viewing trends, content usage, and CDN and network performance. It shows the volume and quality of video being delivered; gives visibility into viewer behaviors (what is being watched, how long, why viewers stopped watching etc.); and helps service providers monitor and isolate CDN performance. Read more
Alcatel Lucent Announces lightRadio, New Base Station Architecture
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, February 7, 2011 · ·
Alcatel-Lucent today announced lightRadio, what the company calls a breakthrough in mobile and broadband infrastructure that reduces technical complexity, power consumption and other network operating costs by shrinking and simplifying cell towers.
According to the company, the new architecture breaks down a base station, typically located at the base of each cell site tower, into its components elements and then distributes them into both the antenna and throughout a cloud-like network. Additionally Alcatel Lucent said that today’s clutter of antennas serving 2G, 3G and LTE systems can be combined and shrunk into a single multi-frequency, multi-standard wideband active array antenna that can be mounted on poles, sides of buildings or anywhere else there is power and a broadband connection.
By reducing the cell site to just the antenna and leveraging future advances in microwave backhaul and compression techniques, Alcatel Lucent says this technology eventually will enable broadband coverage virtually anywhere there is power by using microwave to connect back to the network.
West Carolina to Deploy Alcatel-Lucent’s IPTV Solution for Small Telcos
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, November 29, 2010 · ·
Abbeville, S.C.-based West Carolina Rural Telephone Cooperative has become the first rural, tier 3 operator to deploy Alcatel Lucent’s Triple Play Express (TPE) voice and data solution.
The TPE solution will include micro-architecture of the Microsoft Mediaroom platform that Alcatel-Lucent recently announced, a unique design that can support more than three times as many households while using a smaller number of servers. The TPE solution also will support video-on-demand (VoD), HDTV, remote DVR, an operator mosaic channel, an applications dashboard and enhanced caller ID that will be delivered as services to West Carolina’s customers.
“Alcatel-Lucent’s solution will provide us the capabilities to better serve our customer with the latest services” said Dave Herron, vice president and general manager of West Carolina. “Their approach for rapid delivery, with a tested and integrated solution, was key in our decision to choose them.” Beginning January 1, 2011, nearly 15,000 residents of South Carolina will have access to the new service. Read more