Alcatel and Intel collaborate on AdvancedTCA® platforms to improve time to market for mobile service providers

1 January 1970

Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) and Intel Corporation today announced that they have signed an agreement to improve time to market of Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture® (or AdvancedTCA) platforms for mobile service providers. Both companies will further work together on the design and development of AdvancedTCA subsystem building blocks to increase standardization and component interoperability across the mobile telecommunications industry. The new Alcatel solutions resulting from this collaboration are expected to be available in early 2006, and use an Intel® Pentium® M processor-based AdvancedTCA single board computer.

The collaboration will allow Alcatel to bring service providers additional benefits, including faster time to market for new service applications by offering standards-based platforms. These standards-based platforms allow flexibility in network deployment, rapid pace of innovation throughout the supply chain, and long-term technology protection for investments in capital equipment.

This agreement builds upon Alcatel's earlier announcement to use AdvancedTCA as a preferred platform architecture, benefiting the entire portfolio of fixed and wireless network solutions. The agreement extends Alcatel's mobile portfolio that already includes several commercially available AdvancedTCA-based solutions.

AdvancedTCA is a series of industry standard specifications for the next generation of carrier-grade communications equipment. AdvancedTCA incorporates the latest trends in high-speed interconnect technologies and next-generation processors, for improved reliability, manageability and serviceability, resulting in a new blade (board) and chassis (shelf) form factor optimized for communications.

The companies will engage in joint development activities in such areas as system architecture definition and board and solution design based on Intel processors, with the resulting products to be available across the industry. Alcatel will participate early in Intel's standard product definition process, ensuring a tight match between requirements and customer usage models. In addition to this implementation effort, the two companies remain closely aligned in their participation with standards bodies defining the specifications for modular communications platforms, such as PICMG® for AdvancedTCA, Service Availability™ Forum for high-availability middleware and OSDL for Carrier-Grade Linux.

"Intel's collaboration with Alcatel to build a long-term, stable AdvancedTCA building block roadmap will undoubtedly accelerate the industry's move to modular, open standard-based architectures," said Doug Davis, vice president, Digital Enterprise Group (DEG) and general manager, Communications Infrastructure Group (CIG) at Intel Corporation. "By working closely with Alcatel during the early stages of AdvancedTCA-based building block development, Intel is helping Alcatel realize significant time-to-market benefits as it delivers end-to-end integrated network application solutions and services for the telecommunications industry, starting with the mobile NGN segment."

"New standards and architectures such as AdvancedTCA are the engine behind a radical break with 'business as usual' in the telecommunications space," said Marc Rouanne, chief operating officer of Alcatel's mobile activities. "Over the past year, Alcatel has been working to define and develop Intel® processor-based modular communications platforms built upon AdvancedTCA, Carrier-Grade Linux and other industry standards. Our collaboration with Intel on AdvancedTCA will therefore accelerate the early availability of optimized AdvancedTCA-based network solutions for our clients."

About AdvancedTCA
Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture (AdvandedTCA®) (www.AdvancedTCA.org) is the largest specification effort in PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG)'s (www.picmg.org) history, with more than 100 companies participating. AdvancedTCA, the PICMG 3.X family, is a new series of PICMG specifications, targeted to requirements for the next generation of carrier-grade communications equipment. This series of specifications incorporates the latest trends in high-speed interconnect technologies, next generation processors and improved reliability, manageability and serviceability.

About Alcatel
Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or employees. Alcatel brings its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks, applications and services, to help its partners and customers build a user-centric broadband world. With sales of EURO 12.3 billion in 2004, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries.

About Intel
Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.