Vendors admit to slow sales over standard confusion

Lucent Technologies has conceded that confusion over modem standards has adversely affected channel sales, as distributors are reluctant to purchase the technology due to a lack of standardisation.

Charles Louisson, marketing director for modem products at Lucent and developer the K56Flex technology along with Rockwell Semiconductors, said: 'The K56 muddied the water and made people unsure about purchasing modems, so they are deferring their decision to buy.'

Bob Bowden, director of marketing for the client access division at 3Com - the company which represents the alternative x2 modem technology - agreed that standardisation over modems had to be resolved in order to reassure the customer.

However, Mark Purdom, European corporate marketing manager at Ascend, said he was doubtful whether confusion over a modem standard had a great affect on sales. 'It will mean that we will have to upgrade once the standard is in place, but we can do that cheaply,' he commented.

The modem debate has taken a step closer to resolution this month, as a three-day meeting in which Lucent presented a number of proposals to the International Telecommunications Union was deemed a success. Technical experts resolved final issues over modem standardisation, increasing the chances of a global standard. The proposals are to be voted upon at a meeting to be held at the end of January next year.

In an attempt to resolve vendor conflict, the proposals by Lucent laid out included further definition and refinement on modem procedures and data rates.