QoSmetrics, an award-winning leading provider of network performance assurance solutions for triple play networks, today announced the availability of two new hardware probes, the NetWarrior 200 (NW200) and NetWarrior 101 (NW101). The products are designed to offer carrier-grade, cost-effective and scalable end-to-end network performance visibility and assurance for service providers offering triple play services such as Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) and Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP), streaming media and more.
The NW200, which is ideal for video applications, offers configurable test capacities of 10/100/1000 unshielded twisted pair (UTP) and SX ports. This makes it an ideal complement to QoSmetrics? NetWarrior 301 (NW301) probe, for the distributed monitoring of backbones. The NW101, which is ideal for core IP Performance Metrics (IPPM) monitoring, offers a test capacity of one 1000 UTP test port. This makes it an ideal complement to the NW200 and NW301. Designed for live IP networks, both new products offer a cost effective solution for large-scale deployments, when multiple endpoints are needed, for example at small Point Of Presences (POP) or with Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), to provide end-to end visibility of network performance. The NW200 also comes equipped with a GPS option or a Temperature-Compensated Crystal Oscillator (TXCO) that provides excellent synchronization required for accurate measurements of key metrics such as IP Performance metrics (as defined in RFC 2330, ITU-T 1540 and ITU-T 1451).
As with all other QoSmetrics? NetWarriors, these new products are fully compatible with QoSmetrics? centralized management and reporting software (NetAdvisor) and software agents (NetAgent) to make a complete suite of monitoring solutions. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is supported for easier deployment and Secure Shell (SSH) is added for security. NetWarrior probes are synchronized via QoSmetrics? patented timing scheme using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) for increasingly accurate real-time reporting results.
?Our probes are carrier-proven, being deployed in some of the most advanced networks around the world,? commented Chris Girardeau, CEO of QoSmetrics. ?The NW200 and 101 products continue our effort to meet the unique service assurance requirement of service providers around the world. Now, with five generations of products under our belts, QoSmetrics is entrenched as a leader, empowering service providers with the cost-effective, highly scalable and thorough triple play network performance assurance solutions.?
Both new probes support all relevant Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standards for IP performance metrics and the internationally accepted ITU Y.1541 specifications. Both also support IPv4 and IPv6 protocols and the NW200 series is particularly dedicated to support unicast or multicast-based RTP/RTCP applications such as Television over IP (TVoIP, IPTV) or VoIP, as well as MPEG2 transport streams along with MPEG4 (H264/AVC part 10) video streams. The NW200 is able to run the entire library of QoSmetrics? software, which gives capabilities for using QoSmetrics? award-winning and patent pending V-Factor? product, for optimum assurance of video/audio performance.
V-Factor Details
QoSmetrics was first to market nearly two years ago with a product called V-Factor? made to score end-to-end video quality based on Quality of Experience (QoE) and not just traditional Quality of Service (QoS) measurement. V-Factor was based on an adaptation of the Motion Picture Quality Metrics (MPQM) model. QoSmetrics adapted the model specifically for end-to-end video quality scoring, creating a benchmark that helps service providers evaluate the perceptual impact of video quality artifacts introduced by video transmission over a network. V-Factor capabilities include taking into account network impairments such as delay variation and packet loss episodes that impact the video buffer used to restitute a video image. The buffer's characteristics are also taken into account as well as image complexity and the type of codec.
The video stream is analyzed using models that are part of the V-Factor product combined with specifically designed algorithms. The audio stream is analyzed using MOS and R-Factor models that are well entrenched in VoIP quality scoring. The data stream is analyzed using the metrics described in the standard ETSI TR101290. The result is the ability to actually measure video performance with pinpoint accuracy from the core using QoS methods, as well as the ability to measure performance right down to the home set top box using QoE. Using QoS methods alone can only infer quality the user might be experiencing, by metrics assessed in the core network. However, these metrics are not always in line with the reality of what a user is actually experiencing. V-Factor can actually measure video and audio quality end-to-end, by combining QoS with QoE. So, service providers can rest assured by knowing the quality they are delivering as well as the quality the customer is actually witnessing.
Product Pricing and Availability
In addition to active monitoring solutions, QoSmetrics offers a standalone passive monitoring probe version of the NW200 (NW200 PAM) that provides IP traffic flow data. Both the NW200 and NW101 can come with a 48-volt DC power supply as an option. The probes are available in various types of hardware and connectivity configurations. Therefore, pricing varies by quantities and configuration. Interested parties can contact QoSmetrics for specific pricing details. Both new probes are available today worldwide.
About QoSmetrics
QoSmetrics is an award-winning leading provider of integrated network performance assurance solutions for carriers, service providers and enterprises who seek end-to-end network performance assurance for high availability mission-critical service offerings tied to revenues and/or productivity. Products sold and deployed worldwide, through a network of channel partners, are ideal for a variety of applications including, triple play, voice, video, data and other converged network applications and services. QoSmetrics? complete suite of products provide comprehensive real time multi-protocol, end-to-end and scalable testing, monitoring and diagnostics capabilities to troubleshoot network problems prohibiting or hindering access to applications or the delivery of promised levels of services. Founded in 1999, QoSmetrics maintains corporate and R&D facilities in Camarillo, Calif., just west of Los Angeles, and in Massy, France, near Paris. A privately held company, QoSmetrics has secured funding from leading investors and has been generating revenues since 2003 via five generations of products. More information about the company can be found online at www.qosmetrics.com.