BigBand Eyes Euro IPTV With U.K.'s Technetix

BigBand Networks is hoping to bring its IP video solutions to European cable operators through a reseller agreement with Technetix Group, a broadband cable and telecommunications equipment supplier based in the United Kingdom.

Through the partnership, Technetix will offer a turnkey IP-video solution that includes BigBand's vIP Pass, which uses a proprietary technology to offload IP video traffic from cable-modem termination systems, as well as the vendor's CVEx control-plane software designed to manage video delivery across RF and IP transport layers.

BigBand is trying to boost its IP video revenue after sales of vIP Pass and CVEx were below expectations for the first quarter of 2010 -- although the company expects IPTV to be slow throughout the rest of the year. BigBand \last month laid off 6% of its work force, eliminating about 30 full-time employees and contractors, as the company's sales dropped 27% in the first quarter to $32.2 million.

Customers of Technetix, based in West Sussex, U.K., include several large U.S. MSOs -- Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications -- as well as Virgin Media, Liberty Global, Telefónica, France Telecom and Swisscom.

BigBand's customers include Time Warner Cable, Cox, Charter Communications and Cablevision Systems.