180Squared Launches “Mediaroom in a Box” IPTV Solution for Smaller Carriers

Pleasanton, Calif.-based 180Squared–a company that bills itself as “a team of Microsoft Mediaroom alumni with extensive Mediaroom product and services expertise” (note: Mediaroom is Microsoft’s IPTV platform)–announced Wednesday the launch of a Mediaroom solution, dubbed “Mediaroom in a Box,” that is geared towards smaller carriers. The company says that, while working with Microsoft to support existing Mediaroom customers, it has also been working towards developing an end-to-end solution that will “help smaller carriers in the US to sharpen their business case around IPTV” and “support Mediaroom as the middleware of choice.” “Some new things have been happening in Microsoft recently,” 180Squared founder and VP, Amir Littman, said in a prepared statement. “Recently, Microsoft has made some major strides in scalability in their software. In addition, with their use of virtualization, they’ve effectively now brought a solution that used to require a large server footprint to support their middleware down to something most smaller carriers can fit into their CAPEX budget. In addition, there has been a renewed interest in Microsoft to support these smaller carriers as they (Microsoft) want to see continued growth in their Xbox 360 and ‘Connected Home’ markets. This has led them to a path that now supports a licensing model more geared towards supporting smaller carriers. 180Squared’s Mediaroom in a Box solution takes advantage of these efforts in Microsoft to develop a single, end-to-end solution that works in partnership with smaller carriers. The goal is to bring a single, end-to-end solution with all the components carriers are asking for, at one low price with a quick time to market.”

Key features of Mediaroom in a Box, according to 180Squared, include: full architecture and deployment services for Mediaroom; B/OSS integration service; a 180Squared Framework B/OSS software package that includes a global operations manager, B/OSS interfaces and workflow engine and basic set-top box management; caller-ID; and remote PVR.