Issues non-specific response to specific issue of product's future in light of Starent buy
One of the lingering questions in the wake of Cisco’s definitive agreement to purchase Starent Networks for $2.9 billion is, what does this mean for the LTE gateway under development for the 7600 series router? After putting a stake in the ground for mobile WiMAX as a strategic 4G technology, and then “D’OH!”ed by Verizon and AT&T going with LTE, Cisco announced a year ago that it was developing a gateway, based on the 7600 with Cisco’s Service and Application Module for IP (SAMI), to address LTE requirements.
Now that Starent gives them a credible entree into the $8.6 billion LTE mobile packet core market, que pasa with this gateway? Catharine Trebnick of Avian Securities says it didn’t pass muster for IP-based LTE cores.
So we asked Cisco specifically: “What does the Starent acquisition mean for Cisco’s LTE gateway on the 7600 with SAMI? Is that development ending?”
Here’s Cisco’s non-specific response, from Simon Aspinall, senior director of service provider marketing. Your guess is as good as ours as to what’s going on with the LTE gateway:
“Until the transaction closes, we will continue to operate as independent companies. After the acquisition closes, we will provide an integrated architecture for the mobile internet, building on the complementary technologies from both companies.
“With the mobile internet rapidly evolving, SPs require a flexible approach, and it is our intention to give our customers options to select which solutions are most appropriate for their situation. Both Cisco and Starent have strong solutions in mobility infrastructure, and this transaction will allow us to give SPs a choice of selecting between stand-alone, integrated or combined solutions as appropriate to meet their business needs.
“Together Cisco and Starent provide an integrated multimedia solution for mobile operators, supporting 3G (UMTS/HSPA) and 4G (LTE/Wimax) radio technologies. As an example, since both companies have strong solutions for gateways (both stand-alone and integrated) we will continue to support customers and provide an integrated architecture combining both companies solutions going forward.”
Huh?
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