IBM announces infrastructure solution for IPTV

IBM has announced a new internet protocol television (IPTV) infrastructure solution for service providers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The solution aims to make it easier for European ISPs to provide next-generation IPTV entertainment services along with their data and voice services. It will help ISPs optimise network usage and differentiate their IPTV service from those of their competitors.

IBM believes that while ISPs are keen to add IPTV, triple-play services (VoIP services, broadband Internet and cable television/video-on-demand) present significant technical challenges and ISP’s may lack the technical and implementation skills to integrate video delivery into their existing networks.

IBM will now be able to provide IPTV infrastructures for ISP’s through its Converged Communications for IPTV service.

Cisco and its subsidiary, Scientific Atlanta, will provide next-generation IP and video infrastructure for the IPTV portion of the triple-play solution.

IBM will provide business consulting, technical consulting, implementation services and flexible financing services from IBM Global Financing.

The infrastructure solution is an extension of IBM’s long-standing relationship with Cisco.

Its standard components include IBM BladeCenter and xSeries Servers; software products from IBM WebSphere, Tivoli and Lotus brands; and Cisco end-to-end IP Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) solutions. The new solution also uses Linux technology.

The IBM IPTV infrastructure solution will be sold through IBM Global Technology Services and Cisco. It will be available in most countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa during 2Q 2007.