London, UK. February 16, 2012 – JDSU today introduced PacketPortal™, a Smart Network Application Platform (SNAP), that allows communications service providers to profitably scale to unprecedented bandwidth demand while providing the highest quality subscriber experience.
PacketPortal uses microprobe technology to cost-effectively gather intelligence anywhere in the network for use with a suite of customer care, marketing and other applications. These applications give service providers a new way to drive revenue, build strong brands and command subscriber loyalty.
PacketPortal reportedly provides ubiquitous, real-time access to critical network data, replacing traditional methods that cannot scale to the number of connected devices that some analysts predict could grow to 50 billion by 2020. It uses intelligent microprobes that are easily embedded in existing routers, switches and other network elements without increasing their footprint or power consumption.
These microprobes are auto-discovered and registered with the PacketPortal software platform, securely providing network intelligence for the service provider’s application environment. The first generation of PacketPortal captures network data from optical transceivers about the size of a USB memory stick.
“Anyone who has suffered through dropped calls, download delays and slow streaming video should welcome the arrival of PacketPortal,” said David Heard (pictured), president of JDSU’s Communications Test and Measurement business segment. “Our vision is to expand the number of PacketPortal-enabled devices, eliminating blind spots across the network and providing service providers with the intelligence needed for profitable growth and a consistent, high-quality end user experience.”
Several unnamed major network equipment manufacturers are engaged in the PacketPortal certification process and more than 10 service providers are already in active field trials.
Cloud-based, open development platform
PacketPortal aims to cost-effectively provide service providers with remote visibility all the way to the network edge – where it is needed most – and uses an innovative cloud-based approach to separate data collection and filtering from management and analysis. PacketPortal was introduced today with five customer experience management applications, including those for 4G/LTE, triple-play and consumer content analysis. Its benefits to communications service providers include:
Today’s commercial launch of PacketPortal follows a five-year development effort based on JDSU’s decades-long collaboration with many of the world’s leading network equipment manufacturers and service providers. Leveraging its deep knowledge of network management methods and procedures, JDSU has created an open application development platform designed to support new and innovative ways to leverage PacketPortal for improved customer experience and business results.
Speaking about PacketPortal, Michael Howard, co-founder and principal analyst of Infonetics Research, said, “Service providers are concerned with end-to-end performance of applications, so monitoring, measuring, and assurance solutions have to be flexible, not restricting carriers by limiting where data is captured within a network. PacketPortal’s capability to be moved around the network to its most congested points is what operators want for optimal performance of their next-generation networks.”
Graham Bishop, engineering director, TalkTalk Technology, added, “TalkTalk is focused on delivering the best value broadband services to consumers and businesses. Partnering with JDSU to take early advantage of PacketPortal’s ability to obtain unique customer intelligence will allow us to improve our customers’ experience while delivering significant operating efficiencies and setting the foundation for innovative, exciting new services.”
