SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Harmonic Inc. (Nasdaq: HLIT) today announced that it recently received TL 9000 certification, making it the first provider of dedicated video transport solutions for telco fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks to earn this distinction. TL 9000 compliance is a critical requirement for providing network infrastructure solutions to most telcos around the world including the Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOC) in the United States. As such, Harmonic now offers one of the most comprehensive portfolios of ready-to-deploy solutions for enabling and delivering broadcast quality video over DSL and fibre-deep networks. This certification clears the way for Harmonic and its partners to broadly deploy the FTTP video transport solution for Verizon Communications Inc. and other telecom providers.

TL 9000 represents a telecommunications industry specific extension to the globally important ISO 9001 quality standard. TL 9000 validates the quality of a vendor's products, services and customer care, thereby protecting the integrity of the resulting communications infrastructure and services. TL 9000 is also designed to drive supply chain efficiencies and improve relationships with suppliers.

With increased competition in the voice and data markets, video is becoming a critical part of a telco's service offering. To be competitive, operators will need to deliver more than a hundred broadcast TV channels as well as video-on-demand, each with a broadcast-quality picture, while leveraging as much of their existing infrastructure as possible. The two primary methods of provisioning such services are video-over-DSL, which relies on highly efficient digital video encoders, and a video overlay to a FTTP network that is capable of delivering traditional analogue television in addition to digital channels.

"Harmonic has quickly and firmly established itself as the global leader in IP-based digital headends using MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) for video-over-DSL services," said Anthony Ley, President and Chief Executive Officer of Harmonic Inc. "We are working with telcos of all sizes in the Americas, Asia and Europe and, in doing so, have deployed our DiviCom encoders to establish the world's largest MPEG-2 as well as the first operational MPEG-4 video-over-DSL services. To complement our successful video-over-DSL solution and to support the growing number of fibre-to-the-premises networks, we offer a high-performance and high-capacity video delivery system using our industry leading MAXLink Plus 1550 nm Transmitter. Harmonic, as a result, has one of the most comprehensive, ready-to-deploy and proven telco video product lines in the market today."

Harmonic Inc.