[January 9, 2002]

Garuda Networks Releases Enterprise Device Designed To Supply Voice, Video And Data Over Broadband

Garuda Networks announced the availability of Proteus, a device designed from the ground up to supply voice, video and data applications over broadband lines. By combining the softswitch, voice gateway, media server, video server, and broadband line concentrator into the core architecture, Garuda has released a new generation of scaleable broadband services for the enterprise market.

Proteus' integrated functionality, radically simplifies network requirements for providing the most requested services and content. As a stand-alone device or as a complement to existing equipment, Proteus brings a cost-effective solution for delivering multiple services over broadband. Proteus' integrated functionality makes multi-service broadband possible by dramatically reducing capital and operational expenditures.

Proteus is unique in the broadband market because it addresses both the technical and business requirements facing today's enterprise market. "Through Garuda's core technology we were able to create a targeted product that's highly scaleable. We've created a product that radically lowers our customer's opportunity cost," said Sanjay Gidwani, CEO and founder of Garuda Networks. "Not only is this good for our customers, it raises the bar for our industry."

Leading analysts agree that providing multiple services over each broadband line would significantly enhance a service provider's balance sheet as well as the end-user's experience. "Providing multiple services over broadband is becoming a necessity", said Norm Bogen, Director of WAN Services at Cahners In-Stat Group. "Garuda's product goes beyond solving the technical issues; they've also addressed the business issues surrounding minimal capital expenditures and the need for ROI."

Proteus supports traditional telephony as well as voice-over-IP phone services coupled with a powerful "class-5" softswitch to provide a whole new class of phone services to the Enterprise customer. "Garuda's equipment is solid. We've been switching live phone traffic through it for months," says Robert Blaisch, President and CEO of Telecenter inc. "We're delighted with its performance and are planning to further our offering with new services like Video-on-Demand using Garuda's gear."

As a video server, Proteus is shipping with 300 Gigabytes of buffer capacity along with its MPEG2 video compression circuits, to enable a library of 100 full length movies for Video-on-Demand, gaming, or software application services. End-users simply select the movie through an on screen GUI and it's served immediately. Proteus delivers the phone and video services to the end-users either though its own line-cards, or if desired through an OC3 connection to legacy equipment.

"A 'one-box' solution that enables a service provider to provision voice, video, and data applications is a 'win-win' for that provider and, perhaps more importantly, the subscriber," said Kurt Scherf, vice president of Parks Associates, a market research and consulting firm. "Lowering the costs to both the provider and the customer is one crucial way that bundled services will deploy to the larger market."

Similar to the birth of the IC from a transistor or the development of the PC from a mainframe computer, Garuda's release of Proteus signifies an evolutionary leap in broadband networks. Telco equipment, which has traditionally been expensive, centrally located and required specially trained staff to operate is now evolving through new technologies. These improvements provide a means to distribute better and simpler telecommunications applications for the end-user. Garuda's Proteus embraces emerging technologies to bring new voice, video and data services to the enterprise market. Whether end-users receive their services through an old network or a new one, Garuda Networks is making broadband services better, simpler and more powerful.

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