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The Test & Measurement Channel
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News Highlights
Key Words: Optical, Wireless; IMS, Triple Play, Video/IPTV, MPEG, FTTP/FTTH/FTTx,
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CDMA, TD-SCDMA, WiMax, Wi-Fi, WLAN, RF; Tester, Analyzer, Monitor, Probe,
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T&M News
Tollgrade to acquire Teradyne's Broadband Test Division
Fluke intros new MicroScanner2 Cable Verifier
Agilent integrates Net-O2's software into its multiservices tester |
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Agilent accelerates 3G troubleshooting
Agilent Technologies Wednesday introduced functionality that extends its
existing assureME session trace solution beyond a 3G core network to the UTRAN.
The enhanced solution now enables end-to-end correlation of wireless
transactions, single-screen visibility, and quick and easy troubleshooting.
Agilent added these capabilities as part of its Power of 3 service assurance
initiative to provide carriers with comprehensive, three-minute detection of key
performance indicator (KPI) violations; three-click root cause identification;
and three-dimensional business intelligence across networks, services and
customers.
Agilent's extended session trace solution addresses the extreme complexity of
UMTS networks, substantially cutting time to repair, reducing operational
expenses and preventing the loss of customer revenues. Ordinary wireline calls
usually require six to seven messages for setup and clearance; 3G wireless
transactions require hundreds to thousands, making it nearly impossible to
correlate messages and identify any particular one as the cause of a service
problem. UMTS complexity is so great that typically only a company's Tier 3
engineers understand it.
Although Agilent's proven session trace tool has been available for the core
network, until now carriers were blind to the UTRAN, where more than 60 percent
of service problems originate. By extending session trace, Agilent simplifies
and accelerates near-real-time UTRAN monitoring and troubleshooting so that Tier
1 and Tier 2 personnel can easily detect and diagnose ordinary network problems.
This enables carriers to maintain high-quality service and allows Tier 3
engineers to focus on more complicated issues.
"Sustained service quality requires simple, fast and effective monitoring and
troubleshooting across an entire 3G network," said Neil Haydon, marketing
manager, Assurance Solutions Division. "If a session trace solution ignores the
UTRAN, carriers can't locate the source of most service problems, and customers
suffer and leave as a result. Agilent's enhanced tool removes this huge blind
spot and allows carriers to deliver a consistently high-quality customer
experience."
Related Channels:
Test,
Wireless,
OSS
Ixia launches L2-7 Ethernet tester
California-based Ixia, a leading, global provider of IP performance test
systems, Wednesday announced the first L2-7 tester with a 10GBASE-T Ethernet
interface capable of testing 100 meter links. The recently approved IEEE
802.3an-2006 for 10GBASE-T is a standard to provide 10 Gigabit/second
connections over conventional unshielded or shielded twisted pair cables. The
ability to use low cost copper cabling is expected to trigger wide-spread
adoption of 10 Gigabit Ethernet in enterprises and eventually SMBs. Ixia will
showcase its 10GBASE-T Ethernet technology at Interop Las Vegas 2007, May 20-25
at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center Booth # 1024. Ixia also will be
demonstrating its Ethernet capabilities with the Ethernet AllianceR at Booth
#2265, and with Solarflare Communications, Booth #1774.
Ixia's new 10GBASE-T Adapter combined with the 10GE LAN Services Module (LSM)
enables performance, scalability, and conformance testing of Layer 2-3 routing
protocols with IxNetwork and high performance Layer 4-7 testing with IxLoad for
products that are looking to conform to the new standard. The 10GBASE-T adapter
features Solarflare Communications 10XpressR SFX7000 10GBASE-T PHY, a 100-meter
reach, standards-compliant transceiver that supports installed and new copper
cabling infrastructures.
The new module provides network equipment vendors with the ability to ensure
their new 10GBASE-T Ethernet products conform to the new standard as well as
meet the requisite performance and scalability requirements. Equipment vendors
can use real-world traffic generated by the 10GE LSM with the 10GBASE-T adapter
to verify the quality of the 10GBASE-T interface. As products incorporating the
new standard are rolled out, enterprises, government agencies and service
providers will use the 10 GBASE-T Ethernet load module to ensure performance and
interoperability prior to deployment of this new technology.
"As with any new technology, testing plays a key role in bridging the gap
between its promise and its reality," said Victor Alston, senior vice president
of product development at Ixia. "Ixia has been the established leader in the
growth of Ethernet as a cost effective solution to increase productivity and to
deliver new services. With the first testing capability for the new 10GBASE-T
Ethernet transport standard, we look forward to helping foster the growth of
this exciting technology."
Related Channels:
Test,
Optical
Networking
Ixia tests security
Ixia Wednesday announced new capabilities for thorough testing for all forms of
authentication on switches and routers including Layer 2 and Layer 3 testing of
Cisco network admission control (NAC). In an Infonetics Research study User
Plans for Security Products and Services: North America 2006, Cisco tops the
list of vendors respondents think about when it comes to NAC.
The distributed nature of today's enterprises is changing network security
requirements. With anywhere connectivity on the horizon, companies must open
their sensitive data to users with many different profiles that require various
levels of network privileges. Many large enterprises are struggling with
maintaining multiple directory stores, so managing user access has become a
challenge. Increasingly, they are turning NAC, a set of technologies and
solutions that uses the network infrastructure to enforce security policy
compliance on all devices seeking to access network computing resources, to
limit damage from emerging security threats.
"Enterprises and service providers are turning to NAC to meet the ever
increasing threat and impact of worms, viruses and other forms of malware to
networked businesses," said Victor Alston, senior vice president of Product
Development at Ixia. "However, NAC places greater demands on the network than
traditional anti-virus approaches. IxNetwork 5.30 enables comprehensive testing
of NAC and other avenues of identity authentication to ensure that businesses
stay up and running and productivity is running at peak highs."
Related Channels:
Test,
OSS & Security
Spirent touts remote testing and diagnostics for IPTV service assurance
U.K.-based Spirent Communications plc, a global provider of performance analysis
and service assurance solutions, announced Wednesday that results from a white
paper published by the Alcatel-Lucent on the IPTV Ecosystem for MSTV, support
the company’s unique testing and diagnostic solutions and the critical role they
play in ensuring IPTV services and subscribers’ quality of experience (QoE).
The white paper, titled “IPTV Test and Measurement Best Practices White Paper,”
identified the need to generate measurements that go beyond traditional network
performance monitoring, such as jitter and loss, and to include video content
analysis in order to ensure a superior IPTV subscriber QoE. According to the
results, “due to added quality, optimisations in MSTV, generic standard
measurements do not always produce an accurate reflection of video quality…”
Spirent’s SmartSight solution is highlighted in the paper as the only ecosystem
partner to demonstrate a comprehensive end-to-end remote testing and diagnostic
capabilities. In addition, the white paper outlines the requirement for
strategically placed probes within the network and states, “due to accuracy
concerns or scalability concerns an operator should put equipment in the network
specific to service assurance...” Spirent’s SmartSight is the only IPTV service
assurance test system on the market today that enables remote diagnostics from
the DSLAM to capture accurate subscriber experience data based on content
analysis rather than just network performance indicators.
“The Alcatel-Lucent white paper has validated Spirent’s IP service assurance
strategy which focuses on network performance indicators that goes one step
further to more accurately measure subscribers’ QoE,” said Jeff Schmitz, vice
president of marketing at Spirent Communications. “This strategy enables
carriers to measure the QoE of IPTV services prior to installation, ensuring
deployments are right the first time. In addition, the system will enable our
customers to more economically scale IP service delivery and reduce the cost
associated with maintenance.”
Related Channels:
Test,
Video/IPTV
Agilent monitors and troubleshoots IMS
Agilent Technologies Monday announced that its NgN Analysis System now offers
end-to-end monitoring and troubleshooting of IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)
networks. This major product extension facilitates the delivery of multimedia
services via a converged wireless, cable and wireline signaling domain and
enables complete visibility of IMS, VoIP and PSTN networks.
The solution’s new functionality correlates IMS, VoIP and traditional protocols
and integrates IMS monitoring with Agilent’s acceSS7. Agilent’s IMS initiative
is part of its broader Power of 3 service assurance strategy, which provides
carriers with three-minute detection of KPI violations, three-click root cause
identification and three-dimensional business intelligence across networks,
services and customers.
Building on five years global experience in complex call modeling, VoIP and
Push-to-Talk over Cellular, Agilent is well positioned to help carriers exploit
the opportunities and meet the challenges of IMS. IMS offers service providers a
standard, cost-effective, access-independent domain for implementing
Internet-type applications such as voice and video telephony, audio and video
conferencing, dual mode telephony, multimedia streaming, and presence and buddy
services. The successful convergence of so many services depends on complex
interactions among devices within the IMS infrastructure and between that
infrastructure and VoIP and SS7 networks. Carriers must manage these
interactions effectively to maintain high-quality customer service, which
requires a comprehensive solution for monitoring and troubleshooting.
Agilent’s NgN Analysis System connects at key signaling points within an IMS and
VoIP infrastructure, and provides the OSS industry’s most complete network-wide
correlation across all protocols, on demand on a per-call basis. Newly
incorporated protocols include Diameter, MAP, CAMEL and ENUM. Complete protocol
correlation enables the NgN Analysis System to provide end-to-end visibility of
IMS-based services. It also performs real-time and historical call monitoring,
call trace and ongoing management of service quality. The solution’s integration
with acceSS7 extends these capabilities to SS7 components of any service.
“Although carriers are keen to provide IMS-based services, they are wary of the
potential complexity and do not want to disrupt their existing service quality,”
said Neil Haydon, worldwide marketing manager of Agilent’s Assurance Solutions
Division. “To retain and attract customers, they need to get IMS right from the
start -- as well as support their adjacent VoIP architecture. Agilent’s NgN
Analysis System has already proven itself with VoIP and will enable carriers to
roll out reliable new IMS services. The solution provides end-to-end visibility
for quick and effective troubleshooting.”
Related Channels:
Test,
OSS, VoIP,
Wireless
Agilent intros cell-based 3G analyzer
Agilent Technologies Monday introduced its Cell-Based Analysis solution for
monitoring, troubleshooting and optimizing UTRAN performance in 3G networks.
This industry-first solution simplifies end-to-end management of complex 3G
processes so that operators can repair network problems quickly, reduce reliance
on high-paid experts, ensure high-quality customer experience, and plan the most
efficient and cost-effective use of resources.
Cell-Based Analysis is a key element in Agilent’s Power of 3 service assurance
strategy, which provides carriers with three-minute detection of key performance
indicator (KPI) violations; three-click root cause identification; and
three-dimensional business intelligence across networks, services and customers.
Agilent’s Cell-Based Analysis is specifically designed for 3G UTRANs, which are
far more complex than 2G radio networks because they require many more cell
sites and because 3G mobile phones communicate with multiple cell sites at once.
The solution’s probes capture all UTRAN signaling and display real network
traffic in near real time. The dashboard’s straightforward row-and-column format
uses colors to signify when specific cell sites exceed KPI thresholds. Users
simply click for detailed measurements and troubleshooting. The drill-down
capabilities enable operators to analyze a variety of critical issues,
including:
- how to regulate signaling between adjacent cell sites;
- why handovers fail, calls drop or calls drift onto competitors’ networks;
- how to optimize cell sites for a high-quality customer experience;
- how to allocate network equipment efficiently; and
- when to purchase additional equipment.
- The solution also complements Agilent’s Wireless Network Optimization
Platform, a proven “drive test” tool, which measures network performance with
respect to simulated calls. The Agilent Cell-Based Analysis helps operators
determine where drive testing will be most effective.
“Agilent’s Cell-Based Analysis solution not only provides a complete view of
actual customer traffic, it simplifies network management and can save carriers
money and increase revenue,” said Neil Haydon, worldwide marketing manager,
Assurance Solutions Division. “In particular, the solution monitors key UTRAN
parameters and presents data in such an uncomplicated way that non-specialists
can quickly respond when values exceed pre-specified thresholds. Higher-paid
experts can devote themselves to the most complicated problems and network
optimization. Operators pay less for employees, avoid unnecessary equipment
purchases, fix problems faster, and provide the kind of service that attracts
customers and encourages them to spend more.”
Related Channels:
Test,
OSS, Wireless
JDSU's John Peeler joins Veeco as CEO
Veeco Instruments Inc. announced that John R. Peeler, age 52, will join the
Company as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Edward H. Braun, age 67, who will
remain Chairman of the Board. This announcement follows Veeco's November 2006
announcement that it had initiated a CEO succession search.
Mr. Peeler will join Veeco from JDSU, where he served as President of the
Communications Test and Measurement business, its largest and most profitable
business segment, with annualized revenues of approximately $600 million. Mr.
Peeler brings to Veeco nearly thirty years of diversified global management
expertise in growing multi-product equipment and instrumentation technologies.
Previously, Mr. Peeler was CEO of Acterna Inc. which was acquired by JDSU in
2005 and had revenue exceeding $1 billion at its peak. It is expected that Mr.
Peeler will join Veeco as CEO in early July and that he will be appointed to the
Veeco Board within thirty days of his start date.
Mr. Braun commented, "John brings a proven track record of leadership, managing
complex technology in high growth markets. His experience will be vital in
leading Veeco to new levels of growth and profitability."
Mr. Peeler said, "I see in Veeco great breadth of technology and strong growth
opportunities. I want to thank Ed and the Board for their confidence in me. I
look forward to working with them to deliver value to Veeco's shareholders,
excellence to our customers and additional opportunities for growth and success
for our employees."
Irwin H. Pfister, Veeco's Lead Director, commented, "John possesses the
experience, leadership and vision to guide Veeco forward, and Ed's perspective
and industry acumen will greatly benefit Veeco as he continues in the role of
Chairman. The Board will work closely with John, Ed and Veeco's senior
management team as Veeco enters a new phase of its growth."
Related Channels:
Appointments,
Test
JDSU appoints Helmut Berg as head of its Communications Test & Measurement
business
JDSU announced that Helmut Berg has been appointed to lead its Communications
Test & Measurement business, replacing John Peeler who has announced his plans
to leave the company in June.
Berg has served JDSU CommTest for 14 years in a variety of senior executive
positions, most recently as senior vice president of its Lab & Production
product division. Berg will now report to Kevin Kennedy, JDSU's president and
chief executive officer, and will oversee the Communications Test and
Measurement senior management team.
Since joining the company in 1993, Helmut has led the conceptualization and
development of some of JDSU's most successful test and measurement innovations
and managed every product line across its Lab & Production, Field Service and
Service Assurance Solutions portfolio. He also served on the Board of the
Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS).
"We are very pleased to have the established leadership and experience of Helmut
Berg managing JDSU's Communications Test and Measurement business as we continue
to capitalize on our strong market leadership in this segment," said Kennedy.
"We also want to thank John Peeler for his dedication, significant contributions
and years of service and support of JDSU."
"I am proud to have been a part of this great team and look forward to taking on
new challenges in a new industry," said Peeler. "I leave JDSU's Communications
Test and Measurement business knowing that it is in good hands and well
positioned to build on its long history of test and measurement innovation and
leadership."
Related Channels:
Appointments,
Test,
Photonics
Testing software provider Fanfare secures $12M in VC funding
California-based Fanfare, a provider of software solutions to high-tech
equipment vendors that simplify and accelerate device testing, Wednesday
announced that it has secured $12 million in funding, added a new lead investor
-- Focus Ventures, a top-performing venture capital firm that invests in
expansion-stage leaders in the software, semiconductor and communications
industries -- and signed contracts with six new customers in the first quarter
of 2007. This news, coupled with more than 20 new deals Fanfare closed last
quarter with existing customers, represents the company's strongest quarter to
date and demonstrates the company's growing momentum as the demand for test
automation tools in the networking market continues to rise.
Aztek Networks, SilverPeak, and Edgewater Networks, as well as three of the
world's leading networking equipment vendors, have each deployed Fanfare's
flagship product, the FanfareSVT(TM) test automation solution. FanfareSVT
enables these companies to increase their product quality, maintain their
time-to-market objectives, and improve the productivity of the testing team by
simplifying and accelerating test automation. Testing activities that took weeks
or months can now be conducted in hours or minutes, at the push of a button.
"Our customers expect the highest quality devices," said Jeff Wright, Director
of System Test, Aztek Networks, the leading provider of Emergency Stand Alone (ESA)
switching systems for the independent telephone operator market. "With Fanfare,
we will continue to lead the market by expanding test coverage and building an
automated approach to testing that will speed our products to market and exceed
the expectations of our customers."
Related Channels:
Investment,
Test
Ixia emulates 10 GbE traffic
California-based Ixia, a leading, global provider of IP performance test
systems, announced the XMV12X Load Module, the first test solution on a single
blade that emulates line-rate, real-world (stateful) 1 Gigabit and 10 Gigabit
Ethernet (10 GbE) traffic.
The ability to emulate real-world application traffic such as voice, video and
massive amounts of data prior to deployment addresses the pressing need for
enterprises and equipment manufacturers to prevent costly service degradation
and outages. Ixia's XMV12X Load Module with its IxLoad test application will be
demonstrated at Interop Las Vegas, May 22-24 in booth #1024.
This test solution allows the processing power of multiple onboard, high
performance CPUs to be aggregated through one or more ports, providing the
required performance to test and verify the most resource-intensive mix of
services and applications. It uniquely combines the power of multiprocessing
with the convenience of using 1 GbE and 10 GbE interfaces on a single blade.
10 GbE is the catalyst for rolling out new advanced networking and security
applications that are being incorporated into enterprise networks. It powers the
performance required for bandwidth-intensive Triple Play services such as video
conferencing, telepresence, VoIP and database applications.
Additionally, enterprises are employing security products that use traffic
policing techniques for deep packet inspection (DPI) at 10Gbps speeds.
Delivering converged services at 10G speeds securely, while ensuring quality of
service (QoS) is a must.
"Convergence is a key trend in enterprise networking. Network equipment vendors
are integrating video, voice and data in their networking solutions; as well as
integrating security into their networking devices," said Zeus Kerravala, Yankee
Group senior vice president of Enterprise Research. "This new level of
connectivity means that rolling out a new service can have far reaching and
unintended effects, such a new video application affecting voice call quality or
network security. Failing to conduct pre-deployment testing that accurately
emulates real-world conditions can lead to performance and security failures
resulting in potential loss of revenue, security breaches, the inability to
conduct business, and impact brand perception."
Related Channels:
Test,
Optical
Networking
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China Unicom to test WiMax in 21 provinces
China Unicom, the second largest mobile service provider in China, is reportedly
planning on a test project for WiMax. The test network will be built in 21
provinces in which the company has licenses for using the 3.5Ghz band.
Related Channels:
China,
Wireless,
Test
Agilent tests triple play
Agilent Technologies Inc. announced that its N2X multiservices test solution was
used by Isocore Corp. to validate the performance of the Alcatel-Lucent Triple
Play Service Delivery Architecture (TPSDA). The N2X was the exclusive test
system employed in Isocore's independent evaluation of the forwarding
performance, service prioritization and recovery mechanisms of the
Alcatel-Lucent TPSDA.
The test was the first in the industry to validate an entire end-to-end network
architecture under a highly scaled mix of residential triple play and enterprise
VPN services. The resulting test measurements offer service providers excellent
insight into how the network architecture will perform in real-world deployment
scenarios, and give confidence that services can meet subscribers' quality
expectations.
Emulating the architecture, subscriber profiles, traffic types and protocol
state characteristics of today's multi-service networks within a controlled lab
environment was a significant challenge. The test bed included multiple
Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Routers and 7450 Ethernet Service Switches, as well
as 58 GbE/10 GbE ports of the Agilent N2X. Isocore chose N2X for its ability to
simulate, scale and make measurements for the magnitude of subscribers and
service traffic required to emulate mass deployment conditions.
"Before service providers deploy IPTV and other multi-play services, they need
the confidence that their network can deliver those services at scale and with
the quality their customers expect," said Rod Unverrich, business manager of
Agilent's Data Networks Operation. "N2X allows NEMs and service providers to
cost-effectively simulate the scale and complexity of real-world multi-play
deployments and validate that their network architectures can meet strict
performance, reliability and QoS requirements."
Related Channels:
Test,
Video/IPTV,
VoIP,
Optical
Networking
Isocore validates Alcatel-Lucent triple-play service delivery architecture
Alcatel-Lucent announced that Isocore Internetworking Lab, a leader in product
validation and interoperability of emerging and next generation Internet and
Wireless technologies, has released a comprehensive report
(www1.alcatel-lucent.com/tripleplay/isocore.jhtml) validating the Alcatel-Lucent
Triple Play Service Delivery Architecture (TPSDA) for mass deployment of
converged residential triple play services. The independent performance
verification is an industry first and establishes a new benchmark for network
level solution certification that extends beyond traditional node-level
certification that is available today.
The primary objective of the test was to evaluate the readiness of
Alcatel-Lucent’s advanced triple play solution in terms of its ability to meet
the strict requirements for a scaled residential deployment. Alcatel-Lucent’s
willingness to subject TPSDA to rigorous third party testing reflects its
commitment to bring independently validated solutions to the market. As service
providers transition their IPTV and other triple play services to a mainstream
market, they can have complete confidence that TPSDA will provide a target
network architecture that is future proof in meeting multidimensional
scalability and performance requirements.
The Isocore test is also an industry first in terms of emulating the scale and
complexity of real-world deployment scenarios for any triple play network. The
network − based on the Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Router (SR) and 7450 Ethernet
Service Switch (ESS) − included 120,000 active subscriber hosts and, to further
validate IP service convergence, more than 43,000 enterprise class Layer 2 and
Layer 3 VPN services representing a dense metropolitan region. The test also
included an in-depth evaluation of Alcatel-Lucent’s enhanced subscriber
management, hierarchical quality of service (H-QoS), security, subscriber host
authentication, high availability, and operations, administration and
maintenance (OAM), as well as a thorough analysis of architecture flexibility to
support deployments in any mode of operation. IPTV service scalability was
tested by concurrently delivering 400 Standard and 100 High Definition channels,
which considerably exceeds what most service providers will be delivering for
the foreseeable future.
“The overall results indicate that the tested solution is one of the most
comprehensive triple play service delivery solutions available in the industry,”
said Dr. Bijan Jabbari, president of Isocore. “Isocore feels comfortable in
stating the scalability and feature richness of the Alcatel-Lucent TPSDA
solution and believes, based on certifiable results, that the set up evaluated
during this testing series is fully deployable in its current form for
delivering comprehensive triple play services in any network environment.”
Related Channels:
Test,
Video/IPTV,
VoIP,
Optical
Networking
JDSU to buy Innocor
JDSU announced an agreement to purchase Ottawa, Canada-based Innocor, a leading
provider of broadband test solutions for network equipment manufacturers.
Innocor's products complement JDSU's existing Lab and Production test solutions
and will be integrated with JDSU's Communications Test and Measurement (CommTest)
business, one of the leading providers of test solutions for the research and
development, service verification testing and production needs of network
equipment manufacturers. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed
and JDSU expects to complete the acquisition in the current fiscal fourth
quarter ending June 30, 2007. Innocor expands JDSU's product portfolio for the
lab and production test market by capitalizing on a number of key assets,
including Innocor's successful TestPoint product family, Innocor's established
verification and production test expertise and innovation; the close customer
relationships Innocor has with leading network equipment manufacturers
worldwide; JDSU's strong product development capabilities; and JDSU's global
direct sales organization and other distribution channels.
Related Channels:
M&A,
Test
Bill Mortimer to lead JDSU CommTest Lab & Production Product Group
JDSU announced the appointment of Bill Mortimer as vice president and general
manager of JDSU CommTest's Lab and Production division, overseeing the company's
fiber optic, optical transport and Innocor business units. Mortimer -- who
brings more than 20 years of communications test experience, including 13 with
Agilent Technologies/Hewlett-Packard -- offers a depth of management, product
development and marketing experience to JDSU, and will play a lead role in the
company's initiative to expand its set of test solutions for network equipment
manufacturers.
Comprehensive and cost-effective test solutions for network equipment
manufacturers are crucial due to the accelerated growth in core networks to
accommodate the widespread adoption of broadband services. These new, high
bit-rate networks create new challenges for equipment manufacturers by pushing
the boundaries of physics and demanding that every network element be designed,
installed and tuned with precision. Network operators are also challenged by the
need to reduce operating expenses while adding new revenue- generating services
that increasingly require lab and production test equipment that supports data
rates up to 40G.
"The surge of broadband traffic, especially IPTV-related services, means
equipment manufacturers will require test solutions that continuously evolve in
lock-step with high-performing and dependable next-generation technologies,"
said Mortimer. "With the addition of Innocor's product portfolio, JDSU has an
unmatched set of solutions designed to help equipment manufacturers meet the
challenges associated with the development, production and operation of
high-bandwidth networks."
Related Channels:
Appointments,
Test
Ixia touts highest GigE port density
California-based Ixia, a leading, global provider of IP performance test
systems, announced the new XMV16 LAN Services Module, providing the highest
Gigabit Ethernet port density available. By combining the ability to test router
and switch performance (layer 2-3) and triple play subscriber experience (layer
4-7), the XMV16 allows Ixia customers to perform more testing in less space and
in less time while providing the highest performance to price ratio in the
industry.
Leveraging Ixia's premier IP test applications, IxLoad and IxNetwork, the new
XMV16 LAN Services Module offers unprecedented performance for complete Layer
2-7 network and application testing functionality in a single Optixia XM test
system. This architecture provides exceptional performance and flexibility for
testing routers, switches, broadband and wireless access devices, web servers,
video servers, secure gateways, firewalls, and many other networking and
application-aware devices that are required to scale advanced Triple Play
networks. Service providers and system vendors can now transmit billions of
flows while tracking up to one million of them simultaneously with the ability
to perform wirespeed data capture and measure network and application
performance metrics.
The XMV16 module provides auto-negotiable 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet over copper
as well as Gigabit Ethernet over fiber. Each of the module's 16 test ports
supports wire-speed Layer 2-3 traffic generation and analysis, high performance
routing/bridging protocol emulation, and the industry's highest performing Layer
4-7 application traffic generation and subscriber emulation. A single Optixia
XM12 chassis fully populated with XMV16 modules provides 192 Gigabit Ethernet
test ports in 10 units of rack space. The XMV16 can generate over 240,000 HTTP
connections per second (nearly 3,000,000 per chassis) with application layer
throughput of 16 gigabits per second for a single load module (192 gigabits per
second per chassis).
"There is a vital need for testing solutions to achieve higher performance,
greater density and the ability to perform more sophisticated tests to keep up
with increasingly advanced network elements and devices that are transporting
video, voice and data," said Victor Alston, senior vice president of Product
Development at Ixia. "The XMV16 LAN Services Module combined with Ixia's XM12
Chassis, IxLoad and IxNetwork keeps Ixia ahead of the curve and fills that vital
need."
Related Channels:
Test,
Optical
Networking
Agilent intros fixed, mobile WiMax manufacturing tester for CPE
Agilent Technologies Inc. introduced a WiMAX Manufacturing Test System for WiMAX
Consumer Premises Equipment (CPE) and PC card manufacturers seeking a
calibration and tuning solution optimized for high-volume environments. The
Agilent MXZ-1000 supports both fixed (802.16-2004) and mobile (802.16e-2005)
"last mile" broadband wireless access systems using a point-to-point or
point-to-multipoint architecture.
As the industry's leading WiMAX manufacturing test system offering Beceem's
BCS120 chipset library, MXZ-1000 is optimized to directly control Beceem's
BCS120 baseband and RF chipset and the WiMAX modem software, enabling the
highest possible measurement throughput. Beceem is the leading supplier of
chipsets for the recently ratified, IEEE 802.16e-2005 standard on which Mobile
WiMAX is based. Beceem will certify Agilent's test systems for use by
manufacturers that are developing mobile WiMAX products based on the BCS120
chipset.
"MXZ-1000 is not only ideal for WiMAX CPE manufacturers who use Beceem chipset,
but also manufacturers who require an optimized solution for a high-volume
environment," said Daniel Mak, wireless business general manager of Agilent's
Measurement Systems Division. "We are working closely with several chipset
leaders on the WiMAX collaborations to ensure that the MXZ-1000 offers the most
complete chipset selections for our customers and continues to be the
best-in-class WiMAX manufacturing test system."
Related Channels:
Test,
Wireless,
Chips
Spirent restructures executive team
U.K.-based Spirent Communications, a global provider of performance analysis and
service assurance solutions, announced a newly structured executive team charged
with optimizing investments, coordinating resources across the company and
leveraging Spirent’s breadth and depth of technology.
“Spirent has a significant opportunity to organize its resources to improve
efficiency and profitability in order to compete more effectively in the test
and measurement marketplace,” said Edward Bramson, executive chairman of Spirent
Communications plc. “The newly structured executive committee will allow Spirent
to benefit from more than 50 years of combined leadership in the telecom
business. This experienced group of executives already is making the right
decisions to lead Spirent into a more profitable future. I look forward to
working closely with the new leadership team.”
In addition to Bramson, members of the executive committee include:
- Robert Piconi, hired in January as president of Spirent’s Performance
Analysis-Broadband division, will serve as Chief Operating Officer for Spirent’s
Communications Group. Piconi will continue to lead the Performance
Analysis-Broadband division and also will coordinate operations across the
Group, manage Spirent’s manufacturing and supply chain operations, and oversee
its IT functions. Prior to joining Spirent, Piconi held several executive
management roles across various industries in general management, engineering
and operations. He was involved with some of the largest IP video and Triple
Play deployments in the world. Piconi also brings significant market, operations
and technology expertise in the areas of Wireless and Wireline Broadband Access,
Data Networking, Video and IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS).
- William Burns, president of Spirent’s Service Assurance division, will serve
as Executive Vice President of the Communications Group and will assume
additional responsibility for sales and corporate marketing. Prior to joining
Spirent, Burns held positions as Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and
Senior Vice President of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Tellabs, Inc.
- Charles Simmons, president of Spirent’s Wireless & Positioning division, will
continue to lead the effort to capture market share in wireless markets. He has
more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. He served
as Vice President of engineering and manufacturing at Telecom Analysis Systems
(TAS) which he co-founded in 1984.
- Eric Hutchinson, chief financial officer, will continue to direct Spirent’s
financial operations.
Spirent’s new executive committee will optimize the company’s investments across
the entire business to deliver on Spirent’s promise of inspired innovation.
Spirent’s test and measurement solutions give customers a true strategic
advantage to gain a greater return on investments, improve productivity and help
ensure the quality of experience for end users. From the lab to the live
network, Spirent's solutions align with customers' needs, allowing them to take
full advantage of today’s technologies while protecting their test and
measurement investments in the future.
Related Channels:
Test,
Appointments
General Photonics releases PolaWise polarization measurement system
California-based General Photonics Corporation, a leader in dynamic polarization
and timing management technology, is pleased to announce the production release
of its new polarization measurement system, PolaWise™ (PSGA-101).
The PSGA-101 is a powerful measurement system that accurately characterizes all
polarization-related properties of light waves and optical materials. Based on
General Photonics’ patented binary magneto-optic polarization state generation (PSG)
and analysis (PSA) technology, PolaWise™ effortlessly performs multiple
functions, including polarization mode dispersion (PMD), polarization dependent
loss (PDL), polarization extinction ratio (PER), state of polarization (SOP),
and degree of polarization (DOP) measurements, as well as Mueller Matrix
characterization of optical components.
PolaWise™’s powerful, user-friendly graphic interface allows real-time SOP
display on a Poincaré sphere, as well as plots of PDL or PMD vs. wavelength, on
a large integrated flip-top LCD screen - an industry first that provides large
viewing area on a compact, portable enclosure. A VGA port also enables the use
of larger, external graphic displays for more detailed viewing. Finally, a
front-panel 2x20 character LCD screen allows quick, simple control and data
display for applications that do not require graphics. This high-performance
instrument comes complete with an internal tunable laser for PDL and PMD
measurement, as well as the ability to control third party tunable lasers via a
GPIB port. An Ethernet port is provided for easy PMD measurement of installed
fiber. For added convenience, removable USB storage media can be used for easy
data storage and transfer. PolaWise™ - a wise instrument and a smart choice!
Related Channels:
Test,
Photonics
EXFO touts IPTV QOS test capabilities
Quebec-based EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc. announced the release of a
suite of IPTV quality-of-service (QoS) test capabilities for its successful
Packet BlazerTM Ethernet test module product line.
EXFO’s FTB-8510B Packet Blazer has established the standard for portable IPTV
testing with a series of industry-leading features like 100-channel parallel
monitoring capability and the support of ETSI TR 101 290 metrics as outlined by
digital video broadcast measurement guidelines. This new software suite also
includes user-configurable alarm thresholds for media delivery index (MDI) and
other key IPTV metrics, as well as customizable test sequences. In addition, a
unique stream discovery capability that automatically identifies valid IPTV
streams within the Ethernet layer and links them to user-definable stream names
is available, thus simplifying overall QoS analysis for field technicians.
The FTB-8510B IPTV feature set also includes MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 support, MDI,
program clock reference jitter, stream-rate metrics, bandwidth utilization and
IP metrics to provide users with more than 35 different IPTV metrics and
statistics, forming the industry’s most powerful portable IPTV test set
available today. With the FTB-8510B and CoLT-450P DSL IPTV test set, customers
can now take advantage of EXFO’s IPTV technology to equip their field
technicians with the most effective tools to support IPTV service rollouts and
on-going troubleshooting activities within the core and access networks.
“EXFO has once again proven its commitment to customers and the IPTV testing
industry by delivering an innovative solution with a full set of features,
capabilities and test metrics to enable networks operators to efficiently deploy
their IPTV services, while ensuring a great user experience,” said Etienne
Gagnon, EXFO’s Vice-President of Protocol and Optical Product Management. “We
are confident that our products will deliver the IP video testing performance,
usability and price points our customers need in order for them to offer fast,
cost-effective and, above all, high-quality IPTV services.”
Related Channels:
Test,
Video/IPTV,
Optical
Networking
EXFO enhances its 10GigE tester
Quebec-based EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc. announced the release of new
test enhancements for its FTB-8510G Packet Blazer 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GigE)
test module.
With this new software release, the FTB-8510G Packet Blazer 10 Gigabit Ethernet
test module supports stacked virtual local area networks (VLANs), also known as
IEEE standard 802.1ad Q-in-Q. This software upgrade allows network service
providers (NSPs) to validate transparent 10 GigE services that preserve and
extend their customers’ VLAN groupings and associated access privileges across
metropolitan and wide-area networks. EXFO’s new software suite also validates
the integrity of traffic up to Layer 4 on the open systems interconnection (OSI)
stack through IP header and user datagram protocol (UDP) checksum validation;
they are key performance parameters to ensure that network and transport layers
are delivering the level of performance required for mission-critical and
time-sensitive applications.
In addition, this new software suite introduces a unique feature called Dual
Test Set, which allows users to perform bidirectional RFC 2544 testing, an
established Ethernet-based test methodology to measure key performance
parameters. Unlike other test instruments that offer only round-trip
measurements, EXFO’s Dual Test Set feature provides better insight into the
service under test by displaying measurements in both directions. This allows
users to better assess the true expected performance of the service and, more
importantly, isolate the source of degraded performance to a specific direction.
“The FTB-8510G Packet Blazer test module within the FTB-200 Compact Platform
offers the most compact 10 Gigabit Ethernet test solution on the market today,”
said Etienne Gagnon, EXFO’s Vice-President of Protocol and Optical Product
Management. “These new enhancements raise it to a whole new level and, combined
with the FTB-8510B Packet Blazer Gigabit Ethernet test module, it provides a
uniform and consistent Ethernet test solution at all standard rates extending
from 10 Megabits to 10 Gigabits per second.”
Related Channels:
Test, Optical
Networking
KDDI R&D Labs tests Novera Optics' λ-PON DWDM
California-based Novera Optics announced that KDDI R&D Laboratories has
concluded lab trial testing on Novera's λ-PON™ (Lambda-PON) dense wavelength
division multiplexing (DWDM) technology to conduct a feasibility study for use
in next-generation transport services as both parties start to develop advanced
next-generation products. KDDI R&D Laboratories is a subsidiary of KDDI
Corporation, a leading Japanese service provider offering both mobile and fixed
communications services. KDDI enables next-generation services such as IP
networks, mobile communications, ubiquitous broadband, network security, and
seamless multimedia applications.
Over a three-month period of laboratory testing, KDDI R&D Laboratories has
recorded positive results for Novera's DWDM technology for providing future
services. KDDI R&D Laboratories also will begin a study of new products for
broadband services with WDM-PON technologies.
"Novera's DWDM technology tested very positively in our lab trials," said Dr.
Yukio Horiuchi, senior manager of the Optical Access Network Laboratory in KDDI
R&D Laboratories. "With the testing completed, we are now starting to discuss
potential next-generation products and applications, and we are excited about
the possibilities of working with Novera Optics."
With an extensive research and development organization, KDDI addresses a wide
range of next-generation communication technologies, including IP applications,
accelerated mobile communication services, and third- and fourth-generation
networks.
"A company in the optical networking industry has many potential partners with
whom to engage in service trials, so we feel fortunate in having chosen KDDI,
whose track record of innovation and technical rigor is second to none," said
Bernd Hesse, vice president of marketing and business development at Novera
Optics. "It is a great honor to have our DWDM-PON technology validated by this
industry leader and have an opportunity to study more advanced products and
applications with KDDI R&D Laboratories. We are thrilled with the results."
Related Channels:
FTTP,
Optical
Networking,
Photonics,
Test
Kasenna, HP and Intel test IPTV
California-based Kasenna has teamed with HP and Intel to complete a one-
million-IPTV-subscriber benchmark test for broadcast television and bandwidth-
intensive Video on Demand (VOD) services. The benchmark test proved that an IPTV
infrastructure developed by Kasenna, together with HP and Intel, can support one
million subscribers.
The IPTV-infrastructure test-bed, built around Kasenna's Portal TV product
suite, consisting of the LivingRoom(R) middleware platform and MediaBase video
server software, utilized industry-standard HP ProLiant servers powered by
Intel(R) low-power Dual-Core Xeon(R) processors. The test was conducted in a
simulated access network environment at the HP Communications, Media and
Entertainment (CME) Solution Center in Grenoble, France.
An Executive Summary and Engineering report with detailed results of the
benchmark test is available at http://www.kasenna.com/1m and http://www.hp.com/go/iptv.
Carriers and service providers are invited to visit the HP CME Solution Center
in Grenoble, France, for a guided tour, to witness the test, and to run
customized tests for a variety of simulated traffic patterns.
As part of the certification process, the test center stress-tested the PortalTV
infrastructure using a traffic model that subjected it to peak traffic patterns
typical of Friday or Saturday evening consumer viewing. The test bed, which can
be tuned to specific subscriber and traffic scenarios, is designed to allow
service providers to test the infrastructure for their own user-generated
traffic patterns - both traditional and anticipated traffic - and a variety of
stand-alone, centralized, and distributed-content distribution architectures as
a means of proving the resiliency and scalability of the IPTV infrastructure
before deployment. The network supports a multi-user configuration in which
multiple HP ProLiant DL380 G5 or BL480c servers running LivingRoom middleware
software, each supporting up to 120,000 active subscribers, may be tested.
"As an independent Market Analysis Group, MRG recognizes the value of
independent, objective IPTV benchmark testing such as that spearheaded by
Kasenna, HP and Intel," said Gary Schultz of MRG, a firm providing market
analysis of new technologies for the communications industries. "Although
scalability of VOD is crucial to the IPTV industry, objective benchmark testing
has been missing. MRG congratulates Kasenna, HP and Intel for removing the veil
of mystery about what it takes to scale IPTV to subscriber levels of one million
while achieving fast channel change."
Related Channels:
Test,
Video/IPTV,
Chips
Fluke unveils NetFlow Tracker 3.0
US-based Fluke Networks, which purchased Crannog Software in January of this
year, announced the availability of NetFlow Tracker version 3.0, the first
version of NetFlow Tracker to carry the Fluke Networks brand. NetFlow Tracker
3.0 is a critical analysis tool for network managers tasked with demanding
performance requirements in a converging enterprise network environment.
“This is another milestone for Fluke Networks,” said Jeff Lime, Fluke Networks’
Senior Vice President of Marketing. “Combined with our concurrent announcement
of new Visual UpTime products, and our existing enterprise solutions, we feel
that no other company can offer the depth and breadth of solutions for
Enterprise Performance Management that we can.”
A better view of configuration changes and flow data, plus broad
interoperability
NetFlow Tracker, long known for its ability to monitor all flows, all the time,
now has the ability to attach a vrf/VPN value to each Tracker interface id. This
allows NetFlow Tracker to detect changes in the VPN and reconfigure itself to
monitor new connections without user intervention, saving time and removing the
possibility of human error.
NetFlow Tracker version 3.0 also offers significantly enhanced filtering and
reporting capabilities that make it faster and easier to collect the flow data
and report the results. New filtering options are simpler to use yet offer more
flexibility, and permit the filters to be saved for future use. A new report
editor makes it easier for the user to customize the entry page for creating
dashboard executive reports.
NetFlow Tracker offers strong support for carrier applications, and interfaces
with many of the most important suppliers in the industry. NetFlow Tracker is a
Cisco-certified solution, and Fluke Networks’ Dublin office, which developed
NetFlow Tracker, is a Cisco Technology Development Program Partner. In addition
NetFlow Tracker is a Nortel-certified Open Development Partner product (with
Nortel IPFIX support), a Juniper-certified Select Solutions/Alliance Partner
product and has proven interoperability with Packeteer, Expand, Enterasys,
Riverbed and Huawei.
NetFlow Tracker is part of Enterprise Performance Management
The release of NetFlow Tracker 3.0 is Fluke Networks’ latest addition in the
rapidly growing area of Enterprise Performance Management, defined as the
delivery of application, VoIP and network performance management in a converging
enterprise network environment. Fluke Networks’ Enterprise Performance
Management solutions provide broad enterprise visibility, deep analysis and
troubleshooting capability in an integrated system. This allows IT organizations
to maximize the value and performance of their IT infrastructure and deliver a
superior end-user experience. For more information on Fluke Networks Enterprise
Performance Management products and solutions, visit www.flukenetworks.com/epm.
Product availability
Fluke Networks’ NetFlow Tracker 3.0 is available for immediate delivery from
Fluke Networks’ sales partners worldwide.
Related Channels:
Test,
OSS, VoIP
Fluke partners with WorldSkills International
Fluke Networks, provider of innovative of Network SuperVision Solutions™ for the
testing, monitoring and analysis of enterprise and telecommunications networks,
has entered into a Global Sponsor Partnership with WorldSkills International.
The first major sponsor event involving Fluke Networks will be the
“International Skills Festival for All” to be held during November, 2007 in
Shizouka, Japan.
WorldSkills (formerly known as the "Skill Olympics") has come to symbolize
excellence in vocational education and training. The WorldSkills Competition
draws the best students from regional and national skill competitions held
currently in over 45 countries/regions. Competitions are held in 40 official
categories, including network-related fields such as telecommunication
distribution technology and IT/software applications.
“Our partnership with WorldSkills International allows Fluke Networks to help
support, train and develop the workforce of tomorrow,” said Paul Caragher, Fluke
Networks President. “The young people demonstrating their skills at this year’s
competitions will be the ones entering the workplace in the very near future.
This type of real-world vocational training benefits everyone.”
“WorldSkills International welcomes Fluke Networks as our newest Global Sponsor
Partner,” said David Hoey, Secretary General for WorldSkills International. “We
recognize and thank Fluke Networks for their support of local and national
events in past years, and look forward to the company’s involvement on a global
scale.”
Fluke Networks’ Global Sponsor Partnership is further example of the company’s
ongoing commitment to education and skill development in the workplace.
Additional activities in this area include Fluke Networks’ continuing
partnership with Cisco Systems, providing Cisco Networking Academies with access
to essential test tools. Fluke Networks has also developed a networking lab
course for vocational schools, college, and universities. Titled “Enterprise
Network Testing, Monitoring & Analysis Solutions,” this course helps both with
career development and preparation for the WorldSkills competition.
The 39th WorldSkills Competition will be held in Numazu City, Shizuoka
Prefecture, Japan, November 14 to 21, 2007. Over four days of competition, more
than 850 young people drawn from over 45 member countries/regions will test
themselves against tough international standards in 47 key skills and
technologies. These competitors will be contending for gold, silver and bronze
medals in each skill category.
Related Channels:
Test,
OSS
Fluke offers new Performance Advantage Partner program
Fluke Networks, provider of innovative Network SuperVision Solutions™ for the
testing, monitoring and analysis of enterprise and telecommunications networks,
is announcing a new Performance Advantage Partner Program, targeted at Value
Added Resellers with expertise in selling advanced VoIP, LAN, server, and
application performance solutions.
The Performance Advantage Partner program is designed to provide incremental
revenue and margin opportunities for Solution Providers accompanied by the
support expected of a comprehensive partner program. Fluke Networks has designed
the Performance Advantage Partner program to serve the fast growing Enterprise
Performance Management space, providing the most complete suite of solutions for
Value Added Resellers.
“The Enterprise Performance Management space is one of the most attractive
market opportunities we see out there,” said Sherri Conover, General Manager of
Allied Network Solutions from Sacramento, CA. “We like the idea of partnering
with Fluke Networks as an incremental business opportunity. Joining this partner
program allows us to offer our customers a line of products that can solve some
of the more difficult problems they face every day, such as trying to keep their
voice and data network applications running smoothly.”
“Fluke Networks is aggressively investing in the Enterprise Performance
Management market. We feel that no other company offers the depth and breadth of
solutions for delivery of application, VoIP and network performance management
in a converging enterprise network environment,” said Rick Laporte, Fluke
Networks Vice President of Worldwide Sales. ”This partner program can help us
build long-term successful relationships with Solution Providers around the
world who look to us to offer the premier portfolio of Enterprise Performance
Management solutions.”
Program elements help VARs succeed
The Performance Advantage program offers VARs a chance to incrementally grow
their margins by providing both unique enterprise management products and
comprehensive sales support.
“Our company has been focused on providing equipment and systems for testing and
managing networks for over twenty-five years and we are thrilled to see that
Fluke Networks is making such a commitment to the channel,” said Marcy Clapp,
Vice-President of Sales for Boca Raton, FL, based Network Orange. “We are
already seeing the business benefit of working with Fluke Networks and can tell
that all the elements of a successful channel partnership are in place.”
Key elements of the program include opportunity registration, sales leads,
VAR-specific marketing programs, access to evaluation and demo systems,
pre-sales engineering support as well as field sales and engineering support
both in-house and on customer opportunities. Channel emails with information on
product updates, releases, announcements, training webinars and marketing
programs are available, as are sales and technical training, and access to the
Performance Advantage Partner Program extranet.
Related Channels:
Test,
OSS, VoIP
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Fluke's new LinkRunner Pro offers faster closure, fewer
escalations of connectivity trouble tickets
Fluke Networks announces the new LinkRunner Pro Network Multimeter, the first
and only tool in its class to reduce trouble ticket escalation by providing
front-line technicians the power to troubleshoot Gigabit Ethernet links, resolve
802.1X security conflicts, and provide comprehensive link status test reports.
The new LinkRunner Pro also performs Power over Ethernet (PoE) verification to
the IEEE 802.3af standard and identifies the nearest switch with Cisco, Extreme,
and Link Layer Discovery Protocols (CDP/EDP/LLDP).
"As we roll out Gigabit to the desktop, I expect Gigabit related problems to
comprise 15-20% of our connectivity trouble tickets,” said Sean Kliger, Network
Engineer Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. “LinkRunner Pro will
help us detect those issues at the front line."
Technicians increasingly need tools that can deal with the speed of today’s
networks. LinkRunner Pro is the first tool of its kind to help resolve Gigabit
connectivity problems. With LinkRunner Pro a technician can negotiate a link
with the network up to 1000 MB/s, and ping up to 10 key devices or URLs.
Currently, Gigabit connectivity problems are often escalated to engineer levels
because existing link tools do not support Gigabit speeds. These escalations
take valuable engineering time away from solving more complex problems.
LinkRunner Pro frees up this time by helping to resolve problems at the front
line.
Unlike any other connectivity tool, LinkRunner Pro can help technicians quickly
resolve 802.1X conflicts. This is critical due to the growing use of the 802.1X
protocol for wired networks because of the added security it provides. Desktop
support technicians are increasingly responsible for the deployment of this new
technology, and need tools to assist in troubleshooting user authentication
problems.
Test documentation speeds trouble ticket resolution
LinkRunner Pro helps technicians who need objective documentation of
connectivity problems to prevent redundant testing of higher levels. "Our
environment is complex. The network often gets falsely blamed for lack of
connectivity,” said Craig Bartholomew, Network Engineer for Fannie Mae.
“LinkRunner Pro's reporting capabilities will help us provide proof as to the
real cause of basic connectivity problems."
Prior to LinkRunner Pro, these reporting capabilities were only available in
more complex and costly tools. LinkRunner Pro offers a new alternative to
expensive, complicated test solutions. The test tool comes with LinkRunner
Connect software, which allows technicians to record all test results and upload
to a PC for routing with trouble tickets.
Digital toning speeds cable identification process
LinkRunner Pro also serves as a digital toning device, with signals detected by
Fluke Networks’ IntelliTone probe. Digital toning is immune to electrical
interference and safe on active networks, making cable identification faster and
more accurate in LAN environments.
Product availability
The new LinkRunner Pro is available for immediate delivery from Fluke Networks
sales partners worldwide.
Related Channels:
Test,
Optical
Networking
Keynote Systems builds on-demand mobile test and measurement network
US-based Keynote Systems, the global leader in mobile and Internet test and
measurement services, has announced the build-out of the world's largest
globally distributed mobile test and measurement network for interactive testing
and monitoring of wireless content, applications and services using both real
and emulated mobile devices on live wireless networks. Keynote's "shared
infrastructure" will provide mobile content developers, service providers and
carriers with a complete testing and monitoring service - on an "as-needed"
basis - to better ensure the quality of their mobile content, services and
applications.
Keynote's on-demand, global testing and monitoring service will initially allow
companies to measure and monitor their mobile applications, services and content
quality on both real and emulated devices from 20 cities, across more than 50
carriers worldwide, with additional cities and carriers to be added as dictated
by demand. Using the Keynote service, mobile operators, developers and content
providers will, for the first time, be able to cost-effectively measure, monitor
and manage the quality and performance of their mobile applications, services
and content - all from their own desktops.
Customers will access the global network using Keynote's two products: Mobile
Device Perspective (MDP) and Mobile Application Perspective (MAP). Mobile Device
Perspective addresses the challenge of testing and managing the subscriber
experience of today's increasingly complex mobile applications by providing
mobile operators, content developers and service providers with an easy way to
test and measure mobile content and services using real devices, on live
wireless networks, from multiple geographic locations around the globe. MDP
allows users to perform remote tests on real devices, on more than 50 wireless
networks, from multiple geographic locations globally, all from their own
desktops via the MyKeynote Web portal.
A complementary service, Mobile Application Perspective, provides customers with
an efficient, reliable, repeatable, interactive way to test and validate mobile
content and applications on thousands of emulated device profiles. All tests are
done with an extensive, up-to-date library of 1,000+ different emulated devices
and user profiles, with the added ability to load additional device profiles
into the library as needed.
To date, both MDP and MAP have been sold strictly as dedicated services to
companies with more extensive mobile testing and monitoring needs. With today's
announcement of Keynote's expanded infrastructure, offered as a shared service,
a wider range of companies will now be able to take advantage of MDP and MAP.
Keynote's hosted, on-demand solution for both monitoring and testing of mobile
content and services will be extremely attractive to small and mid-sized
companies, or to larger companies who are just starting to test and measure
their mobile applications and content. Testing will be sold by the daily time
block, and measurements will be sold by the transaction. Prices start at $500
per day for interactive testing services and $500 per month for transaction
monitoring.
The two services that will now be offered on an "as-needed" basis are as
follows:
- Monitoring - This service provides companies with the ability to book emulated
and/or real handsets, for a block of time, for mobile content or services
monitoring. Keynote's mobile monitoring infrastructure will provide BOTH a
limited number of real handsets and modems and access to more than 1,000
emulated handsets in up to 20 locations globally.
- Testing - This service provides companies with the ability to book an emulated
or real handset, for a block of time, for mobile content or services testing.
Keynote mobile testing infrastructure will provide a range of real handsets in
two geographic locations, or access to more than 1,000 emulated handsets in up
to 20 locations globally, connected to live networks via modems.
"With the announced build-out of our shared mobile test and measurement network,
Keynote is now able to provide our mobile test and measurement service to the
hundreds of small to mid-size mobile content developers and operators looking
for a cost-effective testing and monitoring solution," said Umang Gupta,
chairman and CEO of Keynote. "For the mobile Internet to reach the next level,
users need to be confident that they will receive consistent quality of service
from their premium data services, content and applications. As we have done with
the broader Internet, Keynote intends to provide the trusted third-party
performance data that will allow the mobile Internet to more fully mature and
grow into a mass medium."
Related Channels:
Test,
Wireless
Agilent intros WiMax protocol conformance tester for 802.16e 2005
Agilent Technologies Inc. announced its IEEE 802.16e 2005 Protocol Conformance
Test (PCT) Solution, which is based on the new Agilent E6651A Mobile WiMAX Test
Set. Created in conjunction with Innowireless Co. Ltd., this breakthrough PCT
capability will enable WiMAX designers to verify protocol implementations and
quickly get products to market. Demonstrations of the Agilent mobile WiMAX PCT
System will occur this week in Booth 1863.
When equipped with the PCT capability, Agilent's E6651A Mobile WiMAX Test Set
allows equipment developers and test houses to run validated protocol test cases
to verify that their implementations conform to WiMAX standards. Developers can
also create custom TTCN-3 test cases to fully stress the limits of their
designs. Beginning in June 2007, Agilent plans to support subscriber station
testing for WiMAX profiles 1A and 3A. Base station test and other WiMAX profiles
will be supported in subsequent releases.
"With the new PCT capability, the E6651A is the only product to blend protocol
conformance, RF and real-world protocol application testing in a single
package," said Niels Fache, vice president and general manager of Agilent's
Mobile Broadband Division. "Together, Agilent and Innowireless have created an
innovative and powerful feature set to ensure that equipment developers quickly
deliver robust products to the market."
Related Channels:
Test,
Wireless
QuikCycle's new software automates test lifecycle
California-based QuikCycle™, Inc, a leader in solutions for lab and test
automation, announced the release of unique, new AutoLab software designed to
provide a powerful, easy-to-use solution for automating laboratory test
environments for telecommunications companies and network equipment
manufacturers. As a result, companies can accelerate the time to market for new
services or products through better optimizing test resources.
QuikCycle AutoLab™ software provides test organizations with the ability to
create an automated lab environment that better supports collaboration,
scheduling and use of valuable resources at each step in the testing lifecycle,
combined with lab access and control from anywhere in the world at any time of
the day, for 24 X 7 lights-out testing.
Service providers can use AutoLab to meet critical test requirements for device
inventory and control, resource scheduling and allocation, connectivity and
configuration management, tracking and reporting. Similarly, network equipment
manufacturers can also realize these same benefits, along with the ability to
have one test harness and one central repository to enable easier control and
access to all tests by all stakeholders in the testing process. Further, tests
created are re-usable, so there’s no wasted effort in re-creating the same test
at a later date.
"Service providers and network equipment manufacturers are breaking new ground
in the delivery of innovative customer services ranging from VoIP to IPTV, and
beyond to the next generation of wireless offerings. But with new opportunities
come new challenges in managing increased network and technology complexity,"
said Nariman Teymourian, QuikCycle CEO. "Put simply, the delivery network and
connected devices can’t fail if these services are to succeed. Vital to their
success is automated testing that can reliably accelerate their time to market.
New AutoLab software makes it possible."
Related Channels:
Test,
Video/IPTV,
VoIP,
Wireless
IMS Forum schedules 2nd IMS Plugfest for June 4 - 8
Following the successful completion of the first IMS PlugfestT in January, 2007,
the IMS Forum is announcing the second IMS Plugfest scheduled for June 4--8th at
the IMS Forum UNH InterOp Lab (IOL) in Durham, New Hampshire. The second IMS
Plugfest will test interoperability for IMS voice, VoIP and Fixed-Mobile
Convergence (FMC) services including IP PBX functionality, features management,
billing and operational testing.
This IMS Plugfest is the second of a series of testing events open to Forum
members and non members that will run through 2008. IMS Plugfests examine the
interoperability of IMS "Quadruple Play" applications and services under
real-world conditions. The extended program will also establish an industry
certification to identify products and services as having achieved
interoperability for voice, video, and mobility across multiple wireline,
wireless, and cable broadband networks.
"The IMS Forum Interoperability and Test Working Group consists of
representatives from dozens of member companies and service providers who are
currently contributing to the test plan," said Michael Khalilian, chairman and
president, IMS Forum.
"We continue to receive inquiries from service providers and equipment vendors
interested in the interoperability program and quickly becoming involved so they
too can to contribute to the IMS Plugfest test plan."
The IMS Forum is committed to bringing together all participants, including
vendors, service providers, enterprises, industry forums, standards bodies,
system integrators, and software and middleware providers, to deliver on the
promise of IP convergence..
Interoperability veterans Empirix and Ixia will be Platinum level sponsors, and
Sonus Networks a Gold level sponsor.
The list of companies announcing today their participation include Amdocs,
Argela Technologies, Aricent Communications, CopperCom, Ditech Networks, Empirix,
Ixia, Mu Security, Reef Point Systems, Starent Networks, Sonus Networks,Tekelec,
and Tektronix.
Related Channels:
Test,
Video/IPTV,
