As part of its strategic focus on IP-TV, Nortel has entered into a joint marketing agreement with Calix. (Nortel has had a strategic alliance with Calix). Here’s LightReading’s take on the news:
Like Ericsson, Nortel knows it needs a strong access infrastructure story if it is to be a significant player in the IPTV market, and will likely need to do more if it is to meet its own competitive criteria: CEO Mike Zafirovski is only interested in competing in markets where Nortel can be one of the top two players, or command a 20 percent market share.
Other than with Calix, Nortel hasn’t had much luck with its broadband access partnerships since it decided to abandon the DSL market. Its relationship with ECI Telecom Ltd. (Nasdaq: ECIL – message board) ended in tears, while a partnership with Chinese vendor Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. broke down before it even got going. (See Nortel, Huawei Kill JV, ECI: Nortel Didn’t Deliver, and Nortel CEO: We Blew It on DSL.)
