Italtel, a provider of IP networks, reportedly has signed a partnership agreement with ECI Telecom, an Israel-based provider of networking infrastructure solutions, for the sale and customization of optical transport systems for metropolitan networks and access platforms - for voice, data, IP video and fixed/mobile convergence.

 

Under the terms of the agreement, Italtel (News - Alert) has become one of ECI’s Global Partners. With this, Italtel will be a vendor as well as a system integrator for ECI Telecom’s technology. This will help in building integrated communication networks for service providers, communications providers and utility companies in the quadruple play (data, voice, video, mobile) access and transport markets.

 

This partnership will not only help Italtel to enhance its telecom portfolio -- by selling and representing ECI Telecom (News - Alert) solutions to service providers, utilities and communications providers across the globe -- but will also enable Italtel to bring ECI an impressive global presence as well as end-to-end system integration expertise, said officials with Italtel.

 

“The agreement with ECI is part of our plan to develop into specific foreign markets and to widen the perimeter of our products and services,” said Claudio Chiarenza, head of planning, marketing and business development of Italtel, in a press release. “This partnership allows us to extend our portfolio of solutions for service providers in the EMEA and Latin America markets with products for access and optical transport, and to adopt a structured approach to a market segment that is potentially attractive, represented by European service providers and utilities with their own network infrastructure.”

 

The latest partnership between Italtel and ECI Telecom covers the integration and customization of ECI’s multi-service access node (MSAN) Hi-FOCuS, and the metro edge BroadGate line of products.

 

The BroadGate line is an advanced multi-service provisioning platform utilized for the transporting of data streams over fibre optic, in metropolitan networks.

ECI’s Hi-FOCuS is a multi-service access node (MSAN) that supports voice, data and video over one, converged IP platform.

 

Moreover, Italtel is now able to take advantage of carriers’ investments in advanced technologies and services, including IPTV (News - Alert), 3G wireless, and Quad-Play solutions.

 

Erik M. Keith, principal analyst for broadband infrastructure at Current Analysis (News - Alert), said in the release, “As the telecom sector continues to evolve, strategic partnerships such as this new agreement between ECI Telecom and Italtel, will be critical for the success of telecom equipment suppliers, especially in an increasingly competitive and mature market. ECI brings a best-in-class Access platform in the Hi-FOCuS portfolio and a leading multi-service transport platform in the XDM, while Italtel brings an impressive presence in EMEA and Latin America, as well as valuable expertise in system integration, voice over IP and mobility. This partnership makes perfect business and technology sense.”