Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) has been working with KPN Telecom NV (NYSE: KPN) to open up some of the Dutch carrier's network application programming interfaces (APIs) to third-party developers. KPN is hoping this will stimulate the development of new content services for its fixed broadband network.

Why it matters
KPN is one of AlcaLu's first publicly announced customers for its applications enablement strategy, which the vendor launched late last year. The vendor wants to become the trusted broker between service providers and application developers to help operators create compelling new services by unlocking their network assets. Since working with AlcaLu on this project, KPN said it has set up an Applications Enablement function inside the company that will further work on ways to open network capabilities to third parties.

The focus of the project at KPN has been on improving network control and policy management. For example, the capabilities that the companies worked on included: how to improve consumers' quality of experience for premium content over broadband; how to allow customers to set broadband usage preferences; and how to use the bandwidth that's reserved for IPTV to deliver other content services as well.

For more…
AlcaLu is serious about applications enablement and reinforced its own capabilities with the acquisitions of ProgrammableWeb and OpenPlug this year. For more on AlcaLu's applications strategy and operators' progress with embracing open network APIs, see these stories:

• AlcaLu Shows Off Its Apps Abs
• AlcaLu Announces App Suite
• AlcaLu Turns Apps Broker
• AlcaLu Buys Some API Smarts
• AlcaLu OpenPlugs Away at Apps Enablement
• AlcaLu's New Vision: More Convergence
• Telcos' App Problem
  
  

— Michelle Donegan, European Editor, Light Reading Mobile