Lucent Bell Labs-developed technology enables operators to dynamically
allocate network resources for high quality multimedia services and
applications
CHICAGO and MURRAY HILL, N.J., June 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
GLOBALCOMM(TM) BOOTH #13015 -- Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) today
introduced a key enhancement to its portfolio of next generation network
solutions that helps ensure the quality of services and allocates bandwidth
based on individual subscriber or service needs, helping service providers
better support bandwidth-intensive multimedia services.
The Lucent Resource Manager -- an element of the Lucent Acuity next-
generation network architecture that also was introduced today (see
separate announcement) -- provides policy-based network resource
management. Using policy management, an operator can specify rules to be
applied to various types of communications in order to allocate network
resources. These rules or policies determine how the network handles each
communication session, including whether it is admitted and ensuring the
availability of particular resources provided by specific network elements,
such as the bandwidth needed to support a particular video application.
This capability will help enable operators to guarantee end-to-end quality
for "blended" services (that combine voice, data and video) over a
converged IP (Internet Protocol) core network, including VoIP, IPTV and
other demanding applications. It also will help enable operators to tailor
network bandwidth dynamically to address changing customer demand.
Network congestion can severely undermine the quality and reliability
of more advanced multimedia applications, leading to reduced customer
satisfaction and limiting revenue opportunities for the service providers.
Most IP networks today operate under a "best effort" system, which means
the network element makes its best effort to deliver services but there are
no guarantees for service quality when there's network congestion.
A policy-based management approach is needed to allow service providers
to easily tailor the allocation of network bandwidth based on individual
subscriber's needs such as total bandwidth, time of day, instant bandwidth
boosts etc.
"With the convergence of networks and the demand for personalized
multimedia services, it is critical that operators have a way to offer
end-to- end quality to support the kind of experience people expect," said
John Marinho, corporate strategic marketing vice president, Lucent
Technologies. "The industry is moving to standards-based resource
management strategies that will enable the highest quality of services
across access and core infrastructure. There is a clear need for
policy-driven, customized and dynamic bandwidth management within a
carrier's network and across multiple operators' networks for both IP
Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and non-IMS-based services. This new offering
from Lucent will make that possible."
The Lucent Resource Manager will work in combination with a distributed
bearer gateway function that Lucent intends to offer as well. The two
products will work in tandem to support the dynamic allocation of
bandwidth, with the resource manager making the policy decisions (or laws)
and the bearer gateway function, much like a traffic cop, implements and
enforces those decisions by inspecting, monitoring and treating network
traffic based on the policy.
Revenue Producing Quality of Service For IMS and Non-IMS Networks
Adding the policy-based resource management capability to their
networks will enable operators to guarantee high-quality services, and also
easily establish specific levels of billable service since not every
application will always require the same treatment. Also, the dynamic
resource allocation support for both IMS and non-IMS applications for fixed
and mobile services enables guaranteed quality of service levels for
blended applications and services. The flexibility of Lucent's solution
allows carriers the option of integrating resource management with Lucent's
IMS portfolio or deploying it as a standalone element and growing IMS
functionality as they evolve their networks to the next generation.
Lucent Bell Labs Award-Winning Technology
The Lucent Resource Manager is a software system implemented on Lucent
hardware platforms. This system is based on Lucent Bell Labs research and
intellectual properties in advanced packet network resource management and
QoS control including a patent (U.S. patent No. 6,529,499) that was
selected by MIT Technology Magazine in April 2004 as one of top "killer"
patents awarded for 2003.
"Bell Labs has long been doing research into the protocols, resource
management architecture and algorithms needed to imbue IP networks with the
quality and reliability that real-time IP multimedia services require,"
said Dr. Y.T. Wang, co-inventor of QoS control patent and Director of
Network Performance and Reliability Research at Bell Labs. "Many of our
recent breakthroughs and insights into IP network resource management are
found in the Lucent Resource Manager, giving it the ability to dynamically
support latency- and loss-sensitive services such as IPTV."
Standards-Based Product
The software system is the company's implementation of the emerging
Resource and Admission Control standards known as RACF in the International
Telecommunications Union and RACS in the European Telecommunications
Standards Institute. The similar standards support the dynamic allocation
of network resources for quality of service (QoS) across network transport
and access (wireless and wireline) elements. The Lucent Resource Manager
enables the network to automatically respond to and correct any capacity
issues that could cause service to deteriorate. RACF in particular will
align the frameworks for quality-of-service management in 3GPP, 3GPP2 and
CableLabs. Bell Labs researchers serve as co-editor of the RACF standard as
well as chair the corresponding study group in the ITU.
Being Demonstrated on an IMS Network at GLOBALCOMM
Lucent is demonstrating its resource management solution in booth 13015
at GLOBALCOMM in Chicago. The demonstration will be run remotely off an IMS
network operating in a Lucent lab at its facility in Lisle, Illinois.
About Lucent Technologies
Lucent Technologies designs and delivers the systems, services and
software that drive next-generation communications networks. Backed by Bell
Labs research and development, Lucent uses its strengths in mobility,
optical, software, data and voice networking technologies, as well as
services, to create new revenue-generating opportunities for its customers,
while enabling them to quickly deploy and better manage their networks.
Lucent's customer base includes communications service providers,
governments and enterprises worldwide. For more information on Lucent
Technologies, which has headquarters in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, visit
http://www.lucent.com.
SOURCE Lucent Technologies
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Related links:
http://www.lucent.com
CONTACT:
Mike Alva, at GLOBALCOMM, Booth #13015,
+1-510-747-5148 office, +1-510-449-1902 mobile, malva@lucent.com;
or Kurt Steinert, +1-973-386-8438 office, +1-908-285-1641 mobile,
ksteinert@lucent.com
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