CableLabs® Streamlines Testing
in System Evaluation Group

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CableLabs® has established the System Evaluation Group, a new unit within CableLabs that aggregates its extensive testing resources, which were previously situated in three different projects, into one integrated department. The System Evaluation Group is now responsible for certification, qualification, and verification testing across all products in all projects.

The reorganization responds to the growing number of products which are integrating functionality—such as DOCSIS®-enabled set-top boxes and residential gateways with CableHome®, DOCSIS, and PacketCableTM capabilities—to meet the cable industry's business needs. "Our members are asking the manufacturing community to produce highly integrated products that require coordination across all technical initiatives," said CableLabs President and CEO Dr. Richard R. Green.

Green added: “And, true to form, our industry's suppliers are meeting that challenge in very innovative ways. We have responded by assuring that these suppliers will have a single point of contact for whatever evaluation or testing is requested for their products. This will accelerate our ability to get products through testing and into the marketplace where they belong.“

“Moving to an integrated test program puts CableLabs on the path that we are walking with integrated devices coming from the manufacturers,” said Dave Fellows, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Comcast and Chairman of the CableLabs Technical Advisory Committee. “This will make for a more natural fit for our industry's very important certification and qualification programs,” he added.

Said Jay Rolls, Vice President of Telephony and Data Engineering at Cox Communications and Chairman of the DOCSIS Certification Board: “Although we‘re quite pleased with the excellent work that’s been accomplished by CableLabs in this area, we welcome and endorse any improvements that will support expeditiously placing additional integrated devices into the hands of our customers.”

Heading this group is Craig Chamberlain who was promoted to a new post, Vice President of System Evaluation. Chamberlain had been Director of Certification for Broadband Access at CableLabs. He is now responsible for testing across CableHome, DOCSIS, Digital Program Insertion (DPI), PacketCable, and OpenCableTM initiatives.

“Our group will conduct certification testing, including practice runs and wave rehearsals, we will run the Interoperability and Development Labs, we will manage the laboratories and the CableLabs headend, we will coordinate all certification programs, and we will provide support for CableLabs demonstration events,” Chamberlain said. “We are already experiencing operating efficiencies through integration of testing efforts in our first certification wave which began January 17,” he added.

The group will have six unit heads: Mark Meyer, Director of Interops; Maria Stachelek, Director of Program Management; Mark Guzinski, Director of Lab Facilities; Jesus Lopez, Program Director of Certification for Data; Robin Sam Ku, Manager of Certification for Multimedia; and Craig Richardson, Manager of Certification for Video.

Advanced Platforms and Services—New Hire
CableLabs has hired Clarke Stevens as a Senior Architect, Digital Video, in the Advanced Platforms and Services Department. He previously worked for 5Bridge, Qwest, SonicBlue, and AT&T Broadband Labs (Media One Labs) and USWest Advanced Technologies. Stevens has an MSEE in Digital Signal Processing, Communications, and Computer Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA (strategy) from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

Other CableLabs staff promoted recently include:

Advanced Platforms and Services
Frank Sandoval is promoted to Director, OpenCableTM Applications Platform (OCAPTM) Specifications, from Senior Software Architect. He is taking on increased management responsibilities and leading the development of new capabilities to be added to the OCAP middleware specification.

Legal Department
Jud Cary is promoted to Deputy General Counsel from Assistant General Counsel. He is taking on more strategic responsibilities in the OpenCable initiative, in addition to his legal responsibilities.

Systems Evaluation Group
Tamara Nation has been promoted to Project Manager, Data Automation from Database Specialist. In this new role, she will manage development of all CableLabs Certification Program tools.

Cynthia Metsker has been promoted to Senior Program Manager from Program Manager. Her vendor liaison role has expanded to support all CableLabs Certification Program vendors including PacketCableTM, OpenCableTM, CableHome® and DOCSIS® manufacturers. Metsker also will become the point-of-contact for all CableLabs lab-related events including Development Lab and Interoperability Lab events.

Kristen Matsutani has been promoted to Senior Program Coordinator, Technical Data Management from Program Coordinator, Technical Data Management. In this new role, Matsutani will support Certification Program activities for all CableLabs projects including PacketCableTM, OpenCableTM, CableHome® and DOCSIS®.

Jerry Weaver moves to Test Development Engineer from Broadband Test Support Engineer. His new responsibilities move him to an engineering role and he will be responsible for Broadband Access TEP development, including documentation, scripting, quality assurance, engineering changes to tests, implementation of ECNs, new tests for future products, etc.

Mark Ambrozic advances to manager of certification from project manager in certification in the Systems Evaluation Group. His new responsibilities include managing day to day activities for the data certification team. He is responsible of coordinating effort across the team so that we can meet our deadlines and still support other testing groups like the video, multimedia or interop groups.

Bruce Fenicle is promoted to Engineering technician II from Engineering technician I, reflecting his knowledge in physical layer test expertise.

Pat Quinby also rises to Engineering Technician II from ET I based on advanced technical understanding of key testing issues in Broadband Access.

John Aragon joins them as ET II based on advanced knowledge of OSS and other technical test areas.

Communications Department
Mary Ellen Byers is promoted to Senior Web Program Manager from Web Program Manager reflecting a beefed up technical background on Internet matters. Byers has also contributed significantly to the move within CableLabs to a new document retention and management area called DocZone.

Information Technology Department
Kevin Divine is promoted to Senior Systems Engineer from Senior Windows Systems Administrator. He is now responsible for overall architecture and evolution of CableLabs’ Windows environment (including Exchange, Active Directory, and other Windows core services), Windows security, systems support for the CableLabs disaster warm site equipment, and increased tactical support for Unix/Linux operations.

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