Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is BigBand Networks' vision?
2. What is BigBand Networks' mission?
3. What does BigBand Networks do?
4. Who are BigBand Networks' customers?
5. What drove the combination of BigBand Networks with the IP Cable business unit of ADC?
6. What are BigBand Networks' products?
7. What solutions do BigBand Networks' platforms support?
8. What are BigBand Networks' fundamental technologies?
9. How are BigBand Networks and its platforms distinctive?
10. Who are BigBand Networks' partners?
11. Who are BigBand Networks' investors?
12. How was BigBand Networks founded?
1. What is BigBand Networks' vision?
Broadband networks deliver any media at any time to any one.
2. What is BigBand Networks' mission?
To power the network for all media.
3. What does BigBand Networks do?
The company's new class of cost effective communications and media processing infrastructure removes technological, time-to-market and capital budget limitations faced by broadband network operators. BigBand Networks' solutions optimize the volume, variety and quality of services and content provided to subscribers.
4. Who are BigBand Networks' customers?
BigBand Networks serves broadband network operators expanding their cash flows by strategically incorporating more intelligent and powerful networking and media processing, instead of undertaking massive, brute force capital expenditure initiatives. Current customers include seven of the top ten North American cable operators, operators of telecommunications and satellite networks, and multiple customers in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Selected customers are Adelphia Communications, Comcast, Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable, European operators ish and KBW and Asian operators BSI and SunTV.
5. What drove the combination of BigBand Networks with the IP Cable business unit of ADC?
The combination accelerates realization of the company's vision with expansion from established leadership in MPEG digital video infrastructure to also include support for IP video, voice and data. Timing of the transaction was largely driven by close consultation with customers over emerging needs for greater network resource sharing by services of all media forms and support for the ongoing expansion of end-to-end leveraging of IP for any service. As a result of the combination, BigBand Networks is positioned with expanded scope of offerings, as a more substantial and strategic partner to broadband network operators.
6. What are BigBand Networks' products?
BMR® (Broadband Multimedia-Service Router) - High capacity platforms with versatile support for digital video services, enabling richer functionality and greater efficiency in utilization of resources and bandwidth. Platforms integrate into any environment with open interface to established and emerging subscriber premises equipment, network facilities, and sources of content and services. Deployments are fully scalable, can be distributed across networks, and are carrier-class with multiple redundant and hot-swappable components. Chassis are available as high-capacity BMR1200 and space-efficient BMR100.
Cuda® CMTS (cable modem termination system) - Scalable and highly reliable DOCSIS® 2.0 platforms for IP video, voice and data services, based on chassis design for carrier-class switching and routing, upgradeable modular components, superior RF spectrum management, and best-in-class redundancy to ensure service availability. Chassis are available as high-capacity Cuda12000® and space-efficient Cuda3000®.
BME™ (Broadband Multimedia-Service Edge) - Purpose-built high-density platform that terminates local and distant transport links by optical or electronic Gigabit Ethernet, and directs the right on-demand and broadcast programming towards the right subscribers with robust QAM modulation and RF upconversion.
BRE™ (Broadband Real-Time Encoder) - Digital encoding of analog programming at high density, reliability and video quality, to avail all BMR and BME services, including facilitation of digital simulcasting by operators migrating towards all-digital offerings
BigBand Server and Management Suite - Intuitive and powerful GUI software tools to control implementation, scaling and ongoing management of BigBand Networks services.
FastFlow Broadband Provisioning Manager - Automates configuration and activation of DOCSIS / EuroDOCSIS® cable modems, PacketCable / EuroPacketCable™ multimedia terminal adapters, and CableHome™ residential gateways for IP video, voice and data services.
7. What services do BigBand Networks' platforms support?
Platform modularity and scalability enable network operators to select which solutions to deploy, at what capacity, and then scale and expand with additional functionality over time. Solutions currently supported include:
Digital TV Management - Empowers network operators with control over standard and high definition digital broadcast television line-ups with high video quality and maximum efficiency achieved by RateShaping® bit rate adaptation. Also adjusts to dynamic digital program feed changes between the formats by broadcasters, and supports PSIP-based program data on cable plant. Performs standard-based splicing of local digital advertisements, with capability to direct multiple feeds for lucrative geographic zoning of content
Deep Digital Transport - Enables content in any format to be transported by any established or emerging protocol including Gigabit Ethernet with the necessary media processing at the network edge to assure media quality. Can perform high density edge QAM modulation or leverage existing investments by interfacing to legacy QAMs.
Digital Headend Redundancy - Transport configuration to automatically recognize network or content failures, and dynamically switch to an alternative source, for solution assurance. Robustness to overcome catastrophic loss of an entire facility and sensitivity to correct for compromises in quality to a single program.
Digital Simulcast - Headend encoding of content for all digital transport and processing, including local advertising insertion. QAM modulation of all content at the network edge along with decoding of basic programming from the edge so that this particular programming is available analog and digital in order to facilitate a controlled, gradual transition towards all-digital carriage.
Distributed VOD - Dense QAM modulation and RF upconversion combined with switching and intelligence, to enable highly economic VOD deployments with flexibility to support any centralized, hybrid or distributed network architecture, interoperable with all leading server vendors.
Switched Broadcast - Expands program offerings through virtually unlimited sourcing of digital broadcast content, with dynamic switching of programs only to areas in which subscribers are actively requesting those programs at any given moment. This expands content provided and improves network efficiency. Can be combined with Distributed VOD and other BigBand solutions, including those in the IP realm, for dynamic allocation of network resources in response to real-time demand across all media.
High Speed Data - Multimedia IP content available by standard customer premises devices provided at the highest reliability and quality levels. Solution configuration and activation are automated including subscriber control.
Voice over IP - Quality-of-solution, two-way speed and robustness of advanced DOCSIS protocols to support competitive voice service offerings over economical IP facilities. Platform upgradeability supports rich functionality advances such as video communications. Automated solution provisioning to multiple types of subscriber devices.
8. What are BigBand Networks' fundamental technologies?
BigBand Networks' NativeMedia architecture is based on the premise that content of all media forms should be carried according to optimal formats and protocols, rather than being forced to conform to those related to network's legacy purposes.
NativeMedia® Switching / Routing Engine - High speed switching and routing connecting any input to any and all outputs for broadcast, narrowcast or unicast communications of multiple packet types including IP, MPEG and Ethernet.
NativeMedia Processing Engine - High performance media processing at inputs and outputs enables functionality such as DOCSIS signaling, QAM modulation, quality-of-service assurance, RateShaping bit rate adaptation, seamless program splicing, protocol conversion, and de-jittering to assure high-quality media after transport.
NativeMedia Operating System - Drives platform flexibility by supporting the selective deployment of software-based functional modules that utilize the resources of NativeMedia engines. Any modular solution or collection of solutions can be deployed at any capacity level and be scaled over time through software upgrades.
9. How are BigBand Networks and its platforms distinctive?
BigBand Networks' platforms have been developed and are enhanced based on an intimate understanding of the challenges faced by broadband network operators, who seek to deploy and scale a broadening array of revenue-generating services, and at the same time reign in capital expenditures and reduce operating expenses. Developing infrastructure suited to such a task requires from BigBand Networks an unprecedented integration of best-of-breed capabilities in a variety of technology disciplines including hardware, software, networking and rich media.
10. Who are BigBand Networks' partners?
As a provider of platforms for communications and processing of multiple services, BigBand Networks' value proposition is enhanced through technical and marketing partnerships with the leading vendors of revenue-generating applications and cost-saving infrastructure for broadband network operators. BigBand Networks' partners include:
11. Who are BigBand Networks' investors?
BigBand Networks has raised more than $100 million from financial and strategic investors who combine impressive expertise and experience in broadband communications and rich media services. BigBand Networks' investors include: Redpoint Ventures, Charles River Ventures, Meritech Capital Partners, Time Warner Ventures, Pilot House Ventures, Lauder Partners, Cedar Funds, Evergreen Investments, Star Ventures and Eastward Capital Partners. BigBand Networks is a growing, privately held company, not currently seeking investments.
12. How was BigBand Networks founded?
BigBand Networks was founded and is managed by a team of industry leaders from high-speed communications, rich media processing, and operations of broadband networks. This team is able to uniquely bring together solutions for removing the technological, time-to-market and capital budget limitations encountered in launching and scaling revenue-generating services over broadband networks. Before the company's operations began, its founders engaged in intensive consultation with network operators to tailor platforms precisely for their needs. The practice of intensive customer interaction continues as an underpinning to BigBand Networks' rapid expansion of its customer base and its supported services, with tens of millions of digital service subscribers currently receiving live content switched, routed and processed by BigBand Networks' platforms.
