Calix Networks inks deal with Microsoft

Petaluma telecom equipment maker Calix Networks has scored a deal with Microsoft Corp. to offer Microsoft’s Mediaroom Internet TV platform on its network access system, Calix said Wednesday.

The deal promises to boost Calix’s presence in the market for Internet Protocol television — also known as IPTV — according to technology analysts.

“It opens up a significant opportunity for Calix,” said Teresa Mastrangelo, an analyst with Broadbandtrends.com in Roanoke, Va. “A lot of operators are interested in what Microsoft is doing.”

Under the deal, Calix will license Microsoft’s IPTV and multimedia software to operate on Calix’s network equipment.

The arrangement will let small- to mid-sized telephone companies quickly deploy IPTV, an advanced video platform that offers high-definition images and interactive features, said Geoff Burke, Calix’s director of field marketing.

“The Mediaroom applications are extraordinarily rich,” he said.