nology P Tech rovid DU er M s — 2014 — MDU property owners rely these outstanding providers on to provide technology amenities to their residents. A BBC Staff Report ince 2012, BROADBAND COMMUNITIES • Design, build or manage broadband networks has presented a Top 100 list dedicated in multifamily properties under contract to Sspecifically to companies that serve the property owners or service providers MDU market. This list is more technology • Offer expertise to property owners or service neutral than the FTTH Top 100 list that providers about the legal, financial and BROADBAND COMMUNITIES publishes each July. marketing aspects of delivering broadband A property owner whose most urgent priority is • Provide equipment for wired broadband to improve indoor cellular coverage, get satellite networks in MDUs dishes off balconies or add more high-definition • Provide equipment for video headends and stations to a community’s channel lineup can video distribution in MDUs find resources here. • Provide equipment for wireless broadband The list does not address all possible (either cellular or Wi-Fi) in MDUs applications of technology in multifamily • Provide back-office software or services for subscriber management, customer care, housing. It focuses on technologies used to make billing and related functions properties more attractive to residents. • Offer solutions for MDU technology Included are companies that do one or more amenities beyond the triple play. of the following: Some sell products and services directly to • Sell video, Internet, telephone and related property owners, and others sell products and services to residents of multifamily services to their providers, such as private cable properties, either individually or in bulk, operators. However, whether property owners through agreements with property owners deal directly or indirectly with these companies, they all provide solutions that property owners should be aware of. CRITERIA AND SELECTION It takes an ecosystem to deliver PROCESS To select the Top 100 MDU technology technology amenities in multifamily providers, BROADBAND COMMUNITIES relied on housing – from service providers to a panel of industry experts that included both property owners and their advisers. Because equipment vendors to engineering firms. experts don’t always agree and because changes 30 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | OCTOBER 2014 MDU TOP 100 AT A GLANCE Alphabetical List ....................................................| 32 Service Providers ...................................................| 34 Design, Engineering, Installation and Service Management .......| 38 Other Consulting and Contract Negotiation........................| 40 Equipment – Wired Broadband .....................................| 42 Equipment – Video Headend, Video Distribution and Related .....| 46 Equipment – Wireless Broadband ..................................| 48 Back-Office Software and Services..................................| 50 Broadband Applications ............................................| 54 Companies to Watch for 2015 .......................................| 56 were taking place in the industry as panel members based on firsthand this feature was researched and knowledge or may have been prepared, the magazine’s editors made subjects of case studies in this the final selections. magazine or elsewhere. All companies operate in the • Identification of MDUs as a target U.S. market. Other criteria include market the following: Many technology products are • Provision of products or services frequently used in MDUs but are that help property owners create not specifically marketed to or for technology amenities to attract them. For example, cable set-top and retain residents boxes are found throughout MDUs The technology amenities that everywhere, but they cannot be attract and retain residents vary depending on the residents an specifically classified as MDU owner is trying to attract and retain. products. Though only a minority Some demographics are looking for of the companies on this list focus blazing Internet speeds, over-the- exclusively on the MDU market, top video solutions and ubiquitous for the most part they have sales wireless coverage; others want a divisions or specialized offerings wide variety of linear TV channels; that address this market, and they others may want specialized understand its needs. channel lineups or the option of Don’t miss the “Companies health-monitoring solutions. Of the to Watch” list, a dozen companies companies on this list, some offer that may not be as large or well- services targeted to a specific niche, and others offer flexible solutions established as the Top 100 but are that can be tailored to the needs of a making names for themselves with particular community. innovative offerings. • A history of innovation and successful deployments To nominate your company or a Companies on the list may have technology partner for next year’s list, been recommended by advisory write to [email protected]. OCTOBER 2014 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 31 MDU REPORT TOP 100 MDU TECHNOLOGY PROVIDERS FOR 2014 3M Company/Communication Markets Division Healthsense Access Media 3 Hotwire Communications ADTRAN Hubacher & Ames Advanced Media Technologies InfiniSys Electronic Architects Advanced Multimedia Inspire WiFi AFL KABA/Saflok Airwave Networks KGP Logistics Alcatel-Lucent Korcett Holdings Allegion Legrand Allied Telesis Leviton Manufacturing Alpha Technologies Mac-Gray AT&T, AT&T Connected Communities Mesh Networks ATX Networks Mobilitie Aurora Networks Momentum Telecom Axell Wireless Multicom Bandwidth Consulting Multilink Blonder Tongue Laboratories National Wi-Fi Bright House Networks North American Cable Equipment Broadband Consulting (dba Broadband Planning) NorthStar TeleSolutions Broadband Enterprise OFS Bulk TV & Internet Pace International Cablevision Systems Corporation Pavlov Media Calix Pico Digital Campus Technologies Power & Tel Carl Kandutsch Law Office RCN CenturyLink, CenturyLink MDU Solutions RealPage Charles Industries RealtyCom Partners Choice Property Resources Ruckus Wireless Cielo Systems SeniorTV Cisco Systems, Cisco Meraki Speedcast Connect Clearfield Comcast Corporation Spot On Networks Control4 Suddenlink Communications Corning, Corning Optical Communications Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Cox Communications Suttle Davis, Craig & Taylor TE Connectivity Dell The Broadband Group DirecPath Time Warner Cable, TWC Community Solutions DIRECTV Toner Cable DISH Network Ubiquiti Networks Display Systems International Verizon Communications, DrayTek Verizon Enhanced Communities Dura-Line ViewTEQ Elauwit Networks Walker and Associates EnGenius Technologies Wilson Electronics Foxcom Windstream Frontier Communications WOW! Google, Google Fiber zBoost Gray Robinson ZCorum Graybar ZeeVee Great Lakes Data Systems Zhone Technologies 32 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | OCTOBER 2014 3M Company/Communication Markets Division housing. It serves more than 70,000 student housing beds in www.3M.com/telecom 30 states with video, wired and wireless Internet, phone and security services. 3M specializes in fast and easy connectivity for in-building fiber, copper and coax networks – everything from building entrance terminals to frames to pathways and connectors. Alcatel-Lucent www.alcatel-lucent.com Access Media 3 Alcatel-Lucent is a worldwide leader in wired and www.am3inc.com wireless broadband access equipment, IPTV and IP video solutions, connectivity hardware and other categories of Access Media 3 is the single largest private cable operator communications equipment. in the U.S. and the largest private triple-play media services provider to MDU properties. It offers bulk DIRECTV programming, wired and wireless Internet and voice services Allegion in 1,350 communities in 23 states. The company has grown us.allegion.com rapidly through acquisitions and organic growth and is is on pace to achieve revenue of approximately $65 million in 2014. Allegion, a new company spun off from Ingersoll Rand, manufactures security and safety products and provides security consulting and systems integration to create more ADTRAN secure and safe environments for residents and building staff. www.adtran.com ADTRAN is a supplier of IP/Ethernet-based products that are Allied Telesis used throughout the global communications infrastructure, www.alliedtelesis.com both wireline and wireless. Allied Telesis is both a global provider of IP/Ethernet network equipment and a deployer and operator of IP triple-play Advanced Media Technologies networks. Its solutions for service provider and enterprise www.amt.com networks include IP/Ethernet-based core, access and AMT is a value-added reseller with a complete line of RF and customer-premises products as well as technology to support fiber distribution, video, data, IP and HDTV products. In IPTV and over-the-top video applications. addition to providing technical support for RF and IP video distribution systems, AMT provides turnkey solutions for Alpha Technologies digital TV headends, CMTS and VoIP deployments. www.alpha.com Widely used in cable television, communications and data Advanced Multimedia networks worldwide, Alpha’s line of power products includes www.advancedmultimediacom.com standby, non-standby and uninterruptible power supplies, surge Advanced Multimedia provides consulting services to owners, suppressors, enclosures, batteries and powering accessories. developers