Posted 05/15/2000
Not Just for Vendors Anymore
Service Providers Make a Showing at SUPERCOMM
2000
By Gail Lawyer
Historically, SUPERCOMM has been an event where vendors showcase their latest wares to service provider attendees. But the show is not just for vendors anymore.
Service providers are now more prevalent at this annual telecom industry free-for-all, showing off wholesale services and other offerings that might pique the interest of the growing base of attendees. Among the service providers exhibiting are carrier-neutral collocation facility operators, incumbent telcos, CLECs and IXCs.
CO Space Inc. (www.cospaceinc.com) is a first-time SUPERCOMM exhibitor that is providing carrier-class facilities where large telecom service providers can collocate equipment and cross- connect their networks. These facilities also have direct access to the network backbones of a variety of major carriers. In addition to providing facilities for the direct use of carriers, CO Space has completed some wholesale arrangements. Most notably, InterNAP Network Services Corp. (www.internap.com) and Broadwing Inc. (www.broadwing.com) have purchased plots in CO Space's facilities, which they will sublet to their own customers.
The company, which currently has five collocation facilities in operation or under construction, will debut its largest facility, which is opening in Atlanta during the SUPERCOMM festivities. The Atlanta collocation facility comprises 110,000 square feet and will serve as the company's national sales and marketing offices as well.
"We've staked out a path on building high-quality facilities and tailored them to the needs of our clients," says Gabe Cole, CO Space's president and founder. The most recent enhancements include upgrading the power systems in all of its sites. "We have full dual systems, so even if we lose a generator, there won't be a problem," Cole says.
In addition to the grand opening of the Atlanta facility, Cole hinted that the company may have some announcements about new customers by SUPERCOMM.
Switch & Data Facilities Co. (www.switchanddata.com), another carrier-neutral collocation company, also will have a presence in the SUPERCOMM 2000 exhibit hall.
"We're trying to create a global solution," says James Lavin, Switch & Data's founder, vice chairman and CTO. At press time, the company was preparing to announce the development of multiple collocation sites throughout Europe. "There's a huge demand in Europe," Lavin adds. "It's a less mature market. Companies are just building long-haul networks and metro area networks." While there are several companies in Europe offering "telehousing" services, there are none that have a presence in the United States and could be used on both sides of the Atlantic by multinational carriers, Lavin says.
In the United States, Switch & Data is preparing to offer service providers an almost nationwide presence. Currently, 15 facilities house carriers, such as AT&T Corp. (www.att.com), Level 3 Communications Inc. (www.level3.com), MCI WorldCom Inc. (www.wcom.com) and Time Warner Telecom Inc. (www.twtelecom.com), says Lavin. Switch & Data's sites provide additional node points for these carriers' networks.
At SUPERCOMM, if not before, Lavin hopes to be able to divulge another 35 to 40 street addresses at which new collocation facilities will be built.
BellSouth Operator Services (www.bellsouth.com), another first-time exhibitor, will be showing its directory assistance and database products and services. With the slogan "Awarding Winning Service: It's Your Call," BellSouth Operator Services is hoping to get the attention of CLECs, pay phone operators, independent telcos, wireless providers and IXCs.
"We can be a content provider or a provider of all services," says Susan Wright, BellSouth Operator Services' lead product manager. Wright believes that BellSouth's offerings are ideal for startup companies that are more interested in spending their money on building out infrastructure and attracting customers. Salaries for the necessary operators and the cost of databases could be a significant capital outlay for smaller companies or startups, says Wright. BellSouth Operator Services offers competitive rates for full outsource services and has a "quality management" group, which monitors the performance of the more than 4,000 operators the company employs. For good service, BellSouth operators can earn up to $1 more per hour. "It drives better accuracy and courtesy on the part of our operators," says Wright.
In addition to having a database of telephone customers in its nine-state territory, which spans the southern United States, BellSouth Operator Services recently inked a partnership agreement with LSSi Corp. (www.lssi.net), a national directory assistance company. Through this arrangement, BellSouth Operator Services has access to more than 120 million listings nationwide. So, for providers that employ their own operators, BellSouth Operator Services is able to provide just the database information.
CLECs also will be exhibiting at SUPERCOMM 2000, showing off their offerings for ISPs, the wholesale market and end users. ICG Communications Inc. (www.icgcomm.com) will be showcasing its broadband offerings, such as IAS (the company's Integrated Access Service) and DSL.
IAS is attractive because, while most people can't get DSL, they can get a T1. The IAS offering consists of a T1, over which both voice and data travel. Eventually, ICG will be able to provide video services via this method, says Vince DiBiase, a senior vice president at ICG. ISPs or resellers can use IAS to bring high-speed access to their customers.
Soon, ICG also is launching a product called DSLi, which intends to put "DSL and the Internet together," says DiBiase. This offering--aimed at ISPs--authenticates traffic at ICG sites and directs it across the CLEC's backbone, eliminating the need for ISP customers to have network backbones of their own. ICG provides DSL-based access through partnerships with data CLECs.
Last but not least, ICG will showcase its dial-up offering, a remote access service (RAS). "Dial-up is huge today and it will continue to be," says DiBiase. By the end of the year, ICG expects to have installed 35 new switches and to have begun offering all its services in another 20 markets nationwide.
Other competitive providers, such as KMC Telecom Holdings Inc. (www.kmctele.com) and MCI WorldCom, also are scheduled to exhibit at SUPERCOMM this year. However, at press time, there were no details available about the products and/or services either company planned to announce or showcase in their booths.
