|
ALU launches new solution for wireless networks |
|
|
|
Thursday, 13 March 2008 |
Alcatel-Lucent has unveiled the Alcatel-Lucent 9900 Wireless Network Guardian (WNG), the industry's first mobile network management solution that addresses a critical emerging need by carriers for enhanced visibility in third-generation (3G) and emerging 4G networks. Unaddressed, this gap in network visibility could lead to network disruption as wireless network operators increasingly support new data services, devices, and applications.
Canada's Bell Mobility is the first carrier to trial the Alcatel-Lucent 9900 WNG in a live commercial network. The product will be publicly unveiled at the CTIA Wireless 2008 Tradeshow on April 1. Wireless behavioral research conducted by Alcatel-Lucent's Bell Labs over the last three years shows that transmitting IP packet data and IP applications place significantly different load types on wireless networks than voice traffic due to differences between voice and IP. As an example, when considering common applications such as VPN, e-mail, Web-surfing, and peer-to-peer, some use up to 1,000 times more wireless network resources (airtime, signaling, etc.) per byte of data than others - potentially creating substantial network congestion if left unaddressed. This challenge is increasing with the growing adoption of more sophisticated, high-bandwidth services and the trend toward "open" wireless networks.
Until today, carriers did not have a single tool that could comprehensively track IP traffic across the many network layers and measure its consumption of wireless network resources - a situation that could cause service-affecting network problems as new applications are transmitted on wireless networks. By connecting usage sessions to wireless network resource consumption, the Alcatel-Lucent 9900 Wireless Network Guardian provides critical network visibility that service providers will need to manage the effects IP-based applications have on their wireless networks.
Invented by Bell Labs, the Alcatel-Lucent 9900 WNG is the third product to come out of its Alcatel-Lucent Ventures organization in less than one year - following the OmniAccess 3500 Nonstop Laptop Guardian and the OmniAccess 8550 Web Services Gateway. The 9900 WNG was developed in consultation with leading wireless operators. It is the first product that makes it possible for carriers to engineer wireless data flow with the level of granularity needed to understand each flow's impact on every layer and choke point in the wireless network, specifically the radio access network. With this capacity carriers are now able to efficiently and optimally accommodate demanding data applications through traffic optimization and/or strategic network expansion.
The Alcatel-Lucent 9900 WNG is composed of two network elements: a wireless network detector, for deployment in the data center, and a wireless network central, for deployment in a network or security operations center. The Alcatel-Lucent 9900 WNG monitors network traffic at a granular level, identifies anomalous wireless behaviors which could degrade network performance and impact subscriber's experience, and enables carriers to strategically use Alcatel-Lucent and 3rd party products to mitigate disruption and optimize networks. The Alcatel-Lucent 9900 Wireless Network Guardian also enables carriers to detect and protect their networks from a new class of wireless-specific denial of service (DOS) attacks targeted at the signaling layer and exhausting RF channels.
www.alcatel-lucent.com |
