OCTOBER 9, 2008 By Stephen Hardy -- Sterlite Technologies Ltd. (search for Sterlite), a fiber and cable manufacturer headquartered in India, is in the initial stages of implementing a strategy to increase its footprint in North America. Company sources say that fiber and structured data cable might play a leading role within this effort.
Standing at the Sterlite booth at last month's FTTH Conference in Nashville, TN, Dr. Amol Joshi, vice president - business development at Sterlite, said that the company plans to offer its complete line of cable and related services to the North American market. In addition to optical fiber and cables, Sterlite markets structured and other forms of copper cabling, CPE (mainly ADSL 2+ modems), and power transducers. The company also provides telecom integration and managed services, which include project and network management.
Sterlite has customers in 60 countries, according to Joshi, and expects that international experience to serve it well as it seeks a greater share of the North American market. Joshi said at the show that the company had been actively gearing up its efforts in North America for about three months. The company expects to serve the market through a combination of direct sales (Brad Hendrix, senior sales executive, Telecom Business, was also in the booth) and major distributors.
The company makes a range of singlemode fiber at its facility in Aurangabad, India, using an atmospheric vapor deposition process on which it holds several patents. The fiber is targeted at access, metro, and long-haul applications. It offers cabled products for the same applications, as well as enterprise networks. Joshi said that the company's integrated approach to fiber manufacture -- it makes its own glass, silicon tetrachloride, etc. -- provides it with a competitive advantage through lower costs and more control over its supply chain.
Sterlite will need an advantage or two if it is to grab share in a North American market dominated by well-established suppliers. Joshi says that the company will emphasize its ability to lower total cost of ownership, its broad portfolio of products, and the ability to pair products with services in executing its strategy.
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