Huawei, Ericsson, Cisco top Infonetics’ telecom vendor scorecard

Market research firm Infonetics Research has named Huawei as the top-ranked supplier of telecom infrastructure, software, and services in its 2013 Telecommunications Equipment Vendor Leadership Scorecard, but says the competition was very close.

Infonetics’ telecom scorecard evaluates the six leading telecom equipment vendors on such criteria as direct feedback from buyers, vendor market share, share momentum, financials, and solution portfolio. The aim of this approach is to eliminate subjectivity and ensure vendors are assessed accurately and fairly, the company says.

“The six vendors profiled in our telecom scorecard together earn more than half of the world’s telecom equipment and service revenue and share a common thread: They offer products and services across the entire telecom spectrum,” said Michael Howard, co-founder and principal analyst for carrier networks at Infonetics Research.

“The race for top ranking was tight this year,” he continued. “The top three vendors – Huawei, Ericsson, and Cisco – are bunched closely together due to different strengths, but financial stability sets them apart from the other three vendors – Alcatel-Lucent, NSN [Nokia Siemens Networks], and ZTE.”

With a solid performance in market share, market share momentum, and solution breadth, Huawei received the highest overall score for telecom vendor equipment and services.

Ericsson, the world’s largest provider of telecom equipment and services, took the number two spot, finishing a whisker behind Huawei; Ericsson nabbed above-average scores overall and, thanks to its radio access network offering, is in a good position to grow as the world continues to go mobile, Infonetics says.

Cisco, number one in Infonetics’ companion enterprise scorecard, comes in third in the telecom infrastructure scorecard, earning high marks for financial stability and technology innovation.

Alcatel-Lucent, NSN, and ZTE are well behind the top three, but each has corrective measures in place for 2013. Through its Shift Plan, Alcatel-Lucent is prioritizing its product portfolio and investing in fewer segments going forward (see “Alcatel-Lucent shifts and optical transport, FTTx shift with it”). Nokia has announced the buyback of Nokia Siemens Networks from Siemens (see “Nokia to assume full ownership of Nokia Siemens Networks”). ZTE is re-strategizing and has a strong Chinese service provider base to fund global expansion plans, according to Infonetics.

For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.