Partnerships a Trend Among Global IP Communications Firms

IP communications has gone from a radical, forward-thinking technology that improved communications performance and cut costs, to a mainstream technology that is being adopted at a rapid clip and is one of the megatrends of the past 15 years.

As IP communications finds widespread adoption internationally and is expanded into new use scenarios, the global marketplace has grown increasingly saturated. Make no mistake: there are still plenty of revenue and business opportunities for companies pursuing IP equipment and services, but standing above the crowd is getting increasingly challenging. One by-product of this competition is increasing reliance on partnerships when it comes to IP communications.

One example is the recent partnership between Huawei and Comtech EF Data Corporation. The two firms recently announced the launch of an integrated satellite network solution platform for premium enterprise network services. The announcement followed a successful interoperability test of Comtech EF Data’s Advanced VSAT Solutions and Huawei’s communication equipment, which included its AR series routers, unified communications, telepresence and video monitoring equipment for emergency communications and restoral application.

The test that led to the announcement was conducted in Suzhou, China, and featured an IP level for integrated voice, data and video applications, which also involved the switchover and backup of multiple links with Huawei’s communication system and Comtech EF Data’s Advanced VSAT solution consisting of the CDM 800, CDM 840 and CDD 880 models, according to a joint statement by the two companies.

Partnering on the solution has helped the two firms significantly improved transmission efficiency, guaranteed transmission of high priority traffic, and supported backup and rapid switchover between satellite links even in bandwidth-limited scenarios.

“Our combined solution will facilitate reliable and cost effective premium network services for mobile backhaul, oil and gas sector, maritime communications, government and private networks,” noted Bob Hansen in the statement, senior vice president and chief commercial officer for Comtech EF Data. “For Huawei, this is just one of its many partnerships that is enabling the firm to stay ahead of the competition.”

“We have worked extensively with Comtech EF Data on other projects in different parts of the world, including the Uzbek Natural Gas Pipeline Project, where our combined solution provides a mobile emergency system and other network services,” said Xianyin Li, vice president of Huawei Enterprise Networking Product Line.

IP communications has become a crowded field internationally, and partnerships are an emerging trend in response to market forces and the need to constantly innovate.