In the run-up to The Independent Show next week, Adara Technologies has announced that it will partner with CCI Systems on its cloud-based, managed advanced video solutions for mid-to-small sized service providers.
CCI Systems of Iron Mountain, Mich., which specializes in design, construction, maintenance and engineering of communication systems as well as the integration of new technologies and services, will work with Adara to co-market and co-deliver the solution to mid-to-small sized video service providers throughout the United States.
"Our two companies have unique and complimentary market relationships and implementation skill sets," said Todd Gingrass, VP of technology for CCI Systems in a statement. "Our combination will significantly increase the number of service providers who will have access to a revolutionary, video solution at a critical time when mounting competitive pressures threaten the video businesses of our mid-to-small sized operator customers."
In recent years many smaller operators have struggled competitively against the must larger HD offerings from satellite and in some cases local telcos. These operators have often found it difficult to raise the capital needed to upgrade their systems to meet the competitive pressures.
The Adara solution, which is done in collaboration with Cisco and uses advanced digital set-top boxes and other equipment from Cisco, is designed to help smaller operators dramatically expand their offerings of high definition channels and other advanced video services with a hosted, cloud-based solution for switched digital explains explained Joseph Nucara, CEO and co-founder of Adara in an interview.
The solution is designed to be implemented at a much lower costs than other tech solutions for freeing up bandwidth and adding new services, he argues.
In one deployment, Cable Cable Inc., which has 4,200 subscribers in Ontario Canada, was able to quadruple the number of HD channels and increased its digital subscribers by 400%.
Those features have already attracted over 75 smaller and mid-sized operators that are either deploying the solution or are planning to, Nucara says.
On the business side, Adara offers a hosted solution for the deployment switched digital services, which means that smaller operators face a much smaller upfront capital investment, they can move very quickly to upgrade their operations and they don't have to deal with the complexities of switched digital deployments, he notes.
Deployments are also based on "pay-as-you grow model," Nucara explains. "The operating costs of the solution are reduced because our customers are not paying us unless they add a revenue generating sub. It is success based. We don't make money unless they do."
On the tech side, Nucara argues that using switched digital is much less expensive and more effective than other possible solutions for expanding bandwidth, such as 1 GHz plant upgrades and going all digital with analog reclamation.
"Analog reclamation can cost 10 to 20 times the cost of hosted switched digital and doesn't yield anywhere near the incremental capacity," he notes.
The solution also has the advantage of working with Motorola, Cisco/SA, or other legacy digital video headend equipment and set-top boxes so that smaller operators are not faced with a "massive fork-lift" to deploy new equipment and boxes, he adds.
In addition, the move to switched digital provides them with a clear path for expanding their IP and multiplatform offerings in the future. "Switched DTV is in fact IP video and once their video is IP that opens up a host of other opportunities," such as the addition of over-the-top content using a Cisco-internet connected settop box, he says.
