FMC Vendor Tango Takes Another Half-Step

Tango Networks is yet another player in the enterprise FMC (fixed-mobile
convergence) space, but focused on a carrier-centric implementation rather
than carrier-agnostic, as is the case with DiVitas Networks and FirstHand,
just to name two.

Tango has hooked up with Strata8 Networks, something of a wireless carrier
and enterprise MVNO at the same time. In an interview with Tango for this
announcement, the two partners apparently fell into each other's arms
because both were looking for wireless carrier partners. Strata8 is focused
on providing enterprise FMC products, but doesn't have nationwide footprint
of using licensed and unlicensed spectrum and needs a roaming partner. They
also needed an FMC enabler, which Tango can provide. Tango has the FMC
product, Abrazo but needs a willing partner who can open up larger
opportunities. [editorial note: 'Abrazo' is Spanish for 'hug' or 'embrace',
an appropriate product name for the Tango Networks]

Most of the trial and production enterprise FMC implementations to date have
taken a wireless carrier-agnostic approach for at least three reasons: for
the vendor it provides a faster time to market; for the customer it allows
implementation across its entire employee base, regardless of the carrier
that their employee may be using, plus it provides the flexibility to move
to other carriers as necessary. According to Tango, this doesn't mean that
enterprises don't want to work with their carriers -- they're begging the
operators to take a higher interest in FMC -- but enterprises don't want to
be locked in. Of course, for Tango to deliver on this flexibility they need
to work with at least, three, if not the four leaders: AT&T, Verizon
Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile. That's a tall order and it's unlikely that
they'll see success everywhere. Sprint already has their own "Sprint
Wireless Integration" initiative with PBX vendors Avaya, Cisco, and Nortel,
and Verizon has teamed up with RIM's Ascendant Systems. There's room for
multiple partners within each carrier, but it will take several months to a
year to see at least the initial lineup, and then several more years for it
to shake out.

Tango does not have any commercial deployments at this time, a symptom of
the long product evaluation and purchase cycles of wireless carriers. Tango
Networks shared that they plan to have meaningful revenue in 2008, so it
appears that they will have some kind of carrier announcement(s) in the
coming months. Enterprises will want to wade the carrier-centric/agnostic
approaches carefully and choose a path that best suits their needs and
future plans.