CableLabs® Announces CableB2B™ Program; Creates Royalty-Free IPR Pool
CableLabs® and its members are launching their CableB2B™ program, an initiative to create specifications supporting the automation of regular, day-to-day business communication between cable system operators and Internet content providers, including Application Service Providers (ASPs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

CableB2B specifications will cover portions of the business interface between cable operators and providers of services deliverable over the cable plant, through cable modems, advanced set-top boxes, and other technologies. CableLabs is developing the specifications with a large vendor group, which includes industry leaders in automated provisioning, network management, billing, and customer care.

CableLabs’ members have been working with other service providers to increase the range of services available on their cable networks and to their customers.

"We have been upgrading our broadband network to deliver advanced services and provide more choices for our customers," said Susan Marshall, senior vice president of Advanced Broadband Services for AT&T Broadband, who leads the project for the CableLabs Board of Directors. "CableB2B supports our efforts by simplifying the cooperative delivery of advanced services with other service providers, where and when it makes solid business sense."

"Time Warner Cable is actively developing its network to support multiple ISPs. Eventually, we hope that CableB2B will provide the specifications for uniformly linking Time Warner Cable’s back-office management and billing systems to the ISP," said Jim Chiddix, senior vice president and CTO for Time Warner Cable.

"CableLabs’ goal for the CableB2B program is to improve our members’ ability to tap into the Internet innovation engine as represented by the new services being delivered or proposed by ISPs and ASPs. Like our successful Go2BroadbandSM initiative, the CableB2B specification aims to provide an industry-wide solution that will offer ISPs and ASPs a uniform mechanism for connecting to cable networks for key business transactions," said David Reed, senior vice president and CTO for CableLabs.

"The CableB2B specification will cover such business-to-business transactions as service availability, provisioning and performance management, billing, and customer care. Taking the business and technical requirements provided by our member companies, we plan on defining the precise message sequence and format for each of these categories," said Perry O'Neil, CableB2B Director for CableLabs.

The first specification is scheduled for completion in the fall of this year.

Companies interested in participating in CableB2B should contact Perry O'Neil, at 303-661-9100 or p.oneil@cablelabs.com.

Twenty companies have joined a royalty-free pool for intellectual property rights (IPR) in the CableB2B program.

The companies that have signed the agreement and that are actively participating in developing CableB2B specifications are: Alopa Networks, AP Engines, Bluespring Software, BusinessEdge Solutions, CSG Systems, Cisco Systems, Convergys, DigiTerra, DST Innovis, Edaptivity.com, Ellacoya Networks, Interactive Enterprise, Keen Personal Media, Mentis Broadband Solutions, Narus, Portal Software, Sigma Systems Group, Stargus, Terayon, and Vitria.

"This is a tremendous step for the cable industry and the CableB2B process," said Reed. "CableLabs is confident that by having the IPR pool defined early in the process, it will help reduce the uncertainties vendors may encounter in producing related software products," he added.

The vendor authors have agreed to help CableLabs and its member companies draft a specification for interoperable interface requirements. "The CableB2B specifications will cover such business-to-business transactions as service availability, order placement, provisioning, fault and performance management, billing, and customer care. Our vendor author team includes industry leaders in these and related areas," said O'Neil.

CableLabs’ goals in creating the CableB2B specifications are to define open, interoperable interfaces to which any company can build software products supporting automated interaction with Application Service Providers and other Internet content providers, and to encourage their broad and uniform adoption across the cable television and Internet industries. CableB2B specifications do not require any specific product implementations, thereby leaving the vendors free to compete equally in an open and competitive market.

More companies are expected to join. This pool is modeled after the royalty-free pools created for the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS™), CableHome™, and PacketCable™ projects.

The CableB2B specification will be released in stages, with the initial document due in the third quarter of 2001. Subsequent versions will be developed in "Internet time" to keep ahead of the industry’s need and to insure their wide adoption.
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