Companies team up for integrated broadband platform

Inktomi, Portal Software, Redback Networks and Sun Microsystems teamed up Tuesday to create an integrated broadband service delivery framework, enabling the distribution, personalization and billing of broadband services.

Shares in Inktomi Corp. (Nasdaq: INKT), a developer of scalable Internet infrastructure software, rose 2.54 to 123.44. Portal Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRSF), which makes customer management and billing software, was up 2.5 to 42.38. Redback Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: RBAK), a provider of broadband aggregation networking solutions, gained 3.31 to 142.38. Internet infrastructure provider Sun Microsystems Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW), which also announced the acquisition of Cobalt (Nasdaq: COBT) Tuesday, was down 0.56 to 114.69.

With the integrated platform, broadband service providers can deploy new offerings such as video-on-demand, live streaming media and the rental of software applications. Service providers will also be able to distribute rich content from the edges of the network, manage and track the use of content, manage subscriber accounts, and automatically bill subscribers.

The broadband service delivery solution is based on caching and content distribution products from Inktomi and the Infranet real-time customer management and billing platform from Portal Software, which run on scalable Sun Enterprise Server and the Solaris Operating Environment, and the Redback Subscriber Management System.

The deal marks a milestone in the distribution and monetization of content over broadband networks, according to companies involved in the deal.