Level 3 Lifts Curtains on Converged Business Network Product

October 18th, 2010 by · 9 Comments

As another part of its increasing efforts to target enterprises of all sizes, Level 3 Communications (NYSE:LVLT, news, filings) today lifted the curtain on a new product.  The Converged Business Network service offers to take all the voice, internet, and data networking off of an enterprises hands through ‘one carrier, one circuit, and with one bill.’  The theme of simplification via outsourcing the network is a familiar one of course, but it still works – especially alongside the arrival of cloud computing.

Level 3’s Converged Business Network is not so much a new product of course, but rather a new packaging in which one can find the familiar DIA, IPVPN and SIP trunking products, not to mention various managed services as well.  But new packaging is something Level 3 has needed, as its early efforts at addressing the enteprise markets sometimes felt too much like relabeled wholesale.  Properly armed, the company has the assets to take some marketshare from the incumbents – assuming they are finally ready for battle.

It’s probably no accident that this product was announced a little over a week before earnings are released, as the company will likely be talking a lot about its growth potential in both the mid-Market and large enterprise sectors.  That said, it’s the Q3 and Q4 numbers that matter in the short term, as the market looks for that growth it’s been waiting for.

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Categories: Internet Backbones

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9 Comments So Far


  • carlkj says:

    (3) years still counting to “Lift Curtains” with no clue as to what other ugly monsters have been left behind.

    Has the addressable market for this space dwindled down to $1B from $33B during this “cluster ****” too?

    Of course, when O’Hara and other minion like Abdel spoke during his last ASM presentation, prior to dismissal, the addressable market being quoted by them was $100B.

    It’s mind boggling how Crowe has not been removed yet. imo

  • jim bob says:

    Why no news of level 3 selling the coal mines.

  • ES says:

    I do not know if I understand the coal biz but from what I understand you probably don’t get anything from a sale but the access to the $75-80M in restricted cash locked up in that biz would be quite nice.

  • carlkj says:

    What are they worth inclusive of reclamation expenses. Choski during CFO tenure said, $120MM.

    The spectrum’s another matter in addition to Jimbo, “He’s gotta go!” 🙂

  • carlkj says:

    A retiring CEO at a different “growth” company, INFN, after market.

    Infinera said it received a notification from Executive Chairman Jagdeep Singh expressing his intent to retire, to pursue other interests.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/idCNSGE69H0KC20101018?rpc=44

  • carlkj says:

    That’s right. Mr. Singh was Executive Chairman after having given up the CEO role earlier in anticipation of a smooth transition.

    A lot of yakking and inquiring on that call tied to what’s (3) buying, storing, building or not buying and for how long by the players. Without a doubt, Q4 is very light from them compared to Q3.

    I don’t know why, but I seem to smell fiber exhaustion is nearer than they might think.

    Who goes to where the puck is going like Gretzke in telecom? Technology wise in this space, there remains only one “Great One.” imo

  • fluids_only says:

    Hey Carl – less is more matey.

  • carlkj says:

    Less is only more for the Great One going in the direction where the puck is heading next, and has the necessary pipe for the newest fiber to score!

    Make it a new govt. pipe for starters.

  • carlkj says:

    Fiber exhaustion.

    Percentage of subscribers who watched instantly more than 15 minutes of a TV episode or movie in the third quarter of 2010 was 66 percent compared to 41 percent for the same period of 2009 and 61 percent for the second quarter of 2010. In Q4 a majority of Netflix subscribers will watch more content streamed from Netflix than delivered on DVD. With that transition in the business from mostly DVD to mostly streaming, this will be the last quarter the company will report this metric.

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