[May 16, 2002]

Acme Packet's Session Aware Networking Products Support Service Providers Delivering IP-Based Communications

Acme Packet announced new capabilities in its Net-Net family of Session Aware Networking products to support cable and DSL providers delivering high-quality interactive voice, video and multimedia communications. Enhancements to the Net-Net family include MGCP proxy/NAT support and a robust session admission control feature. These new capabilities, together with previously introduced features, enable service providers to satisfy critical address preservation, security, SLA assurance, revenue and profit protection, and law enforcement requirements for interactive communications over broadband networks.

With this announcement, all of Acme Packet's previously introduced capabilities for SIP networks are now available for MGCP. The ability to simultaneously support both protocols enables coexistence and the gradual migration from MGCP to SIP. The patents-pending Net-Net products now also satisfy both PacketCable 1.1 and 1.2 signaling protocol requirements.

Acme Packet's enhanced session admission control feature complements DSLAM aggregation and CMTS equipment to ensure premium, high-quality service, including instant voice and video calling using SIP-based softphones on Windows XP PCs. All voice and video traffic using the provider's call signaling infrastructure can be guaranteed priority delivery over any other traffic. Policies can be established that limit the number and type (e.g. voice vs. video) of simultaneous calls from or to any individual business or residence, or logical or physical segment of the access network. Additionally, call set-up requests will not be accepted if there is any congestion within the required segments of the access network so that call quality for currently active calls remains high.

At cable and DSL access network aggregation points, Acme Packet Net-Net performs critical security, SLA assurance, revenue and profit protection and law enforcement functions:

• Security - To protect internal network resources, such as softswitches, SIP servers, gateways, and application servers, from DoS attack, Net-Net explicitly authorizes incoming sessions and hides all internal network topology information in both signaling messages and media flows.
• SLA assurance - Acme Packet Net-Net performs session admission control based upon the available bandwidth on shared access network segments connecting multiple subscribers to the core network. If no bandwidth is available, the call will be rejected because acceptance would deteriorate the quality of all active calls. Net-Net further assures SLA performance and optimal traffic management within the core network by explicitly assigning required QoS markings at both Layer 2 and 3 for signaling messages and media flows. Reporting capabilities include per-flow, end-to-end QoS measurements for SLA reporting, problem alerting and problem isolation. The source of poor quality can be isolated to the source network, core network, or destination network.
• Revenue and profit protection - A bandwidth policing feature protects revenue and profits by preventing a low bandwidth voice call from turning into a high bandwidth video call without explicit authorization. Comprehensive per session accounting records are produced for tracking or billing purposes.
• Law enforcement - Acme Packet Net-Net satisfies law enforcement requirements, such as CALEA, by supporting transparent session replication and routing of signaling messages and media flows to law enforcement agencies.

In addition to performing these critical functions at access network aggregation points for SIP or MGCP communications, Acme Packet Net-Net performs several other important roles within core SIP networks. Interactive communications services such as unified messaging, conferencing, and others, require multiple SIP application servers to satisfy redundancy and capacity requirements. Similarly, PSTN connectivity requires multiple distributed gateways.

Acme Packet Net-Net assures SLA performance by distributing calls to the least-loaded available server or gateway, protecting against failure and overload, and routes sessions to the appropriate gateway, minimizing PTSN termination charges. Extending the reach and value of their IP network demands that broadband operators establish business and network relationships with other service providers for IP-based session transit and termination, and PSTN origination and termination. Acme Packet Net-Net performs security, SLA assurance, and revenue and profit protection functions required for connecting these IP networks to the core network.

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