Net Insight Introduces Complete DTM Solution Set for Broadband Networking to North American Market

Business Wire, Feb 8, 2000

Business Editors &High Tech Writers

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 8, 2000

Leading Provider of DTM Networking Equipment and ASIC Offers

Integrated Data, Voice, and Real-Time Video

Net Insight, Inc., the leading worldwide provider of Dynamic synchronous Transfer Mode (DTM) networking solutions, today announced its entrance into the North American market. Net Insight's DTM switches, access devices, and ASIC chip offer service providers carrier-class integrated data, voice, and real-time video with guaranteed quality of service (QoS). DTM -- which combines a dynamic time slot mechanism and fast circuit set up -- solves the QoS problem by imposing dynamic bandwidth on circuits as opposed to circuit emulation over packet technology. With this unique combination of dynamic bandwidth and end-to-end QoS, DTM is optimized as both a direct voice, video, or data connection as well as a broadband carrier network. Competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) are the initial target market for Net Insight's DTM solutions in North America.

DTM combines the advantages of guaranteed throughput, channel isolation, and inherent QoS found in SDH/SONET with the flexibility found in packet-based networks such as ATM and Gigabit Ethernet. DTM, first conceived in 1985 at Ericsson and developed by a team of network researchers including the three founders of Net Insight, uses innovative yet simple variable bandwidth channels. Channels are composed of one or more 64-bit time slots within a 125-microsecond (8000Hz) DTM frame; consequently, each channel is provisioned in 512 Kbps (8000 x 64) increments up to wire speed with guaranteed constant delay. DTM guarantees each channel a certain bandwidth and dynamically reallocates capacity between channels and nodes on demand. Through this traffic separation, DTM provides controlled and ensured QoS. There is no hop-by-hop decision-making in DTM: channels are rapidly set up, broken down, or adjusted in size as needed. With DTM's dynamic resource management, network operators have excellent network control, much greater flexibility, higher utilization, and simplified administration and maintenance.

&uot;As the fathers of DTM technology with more time invested in development, more patents and products, the first ASIC, and leadership in the standardization effort, Net Insight is excited to introduce the North American market to our unique solution to the bandwidth-QoS paradox,&uot; said Bengt Olsson, CEO of Net Insight AB. &uot;We believe that the combination of Net Insight's revolutionary technology along with a variety of product options offer service providers DTM solutions that afford simplified broadband networking and superior performance.&uot;

Bruce Sherman, Net Insight's Vice President of North American Operations, noted, &uot;Historically in the U.S., CLECs have struggled with the issues of cost and complexity of network technologies that, in the end, fail to meet their needs and the needs of their customers. Utilizing DTM, our customers can provide service options now unheard of, while increasing revenue per link many-fold. Not only can DTM lower TCO, but it can also dramatically increase revenue per fiber and enable service offerings not even considered with the inherent limitations of other network solutions. Given its simplicity of design and circuit characteristics, DTM is a complement to -- and even a potential substitution for -- much of the current transport network worldwide.&uot;

&uot;Our evaluation and testing of Net Insight's DTM solutions has shown us that it can establish a powerful broadband network for data, voice and real-time video,&uot; said Doug Woodson, Transport Systems engineer at ICG Communications, one of the nation's fastest-growing, Internet infrastructure service providers.

&uot;The merger of AOL and Time Warner signals the era of network convergence of voice, video, and data,&uot; said Michael Howard, Principal Analyst with Infonetics. &uot;DTM is a technology that solves the problems of such a bandwidth-intensive, QoS-dependent environment. DTM can provide a migration path more familiar to service providers, as DTM can run on existing transmission networks -- including SONET -- rather than being a complete replacement technology.&uot;

&uot;DTM is a breath of fresh air in a crowded space of proprietary QoS implementations for converged networks,&uot; said Laurie Gooding, Senior Analyst for Cahners In-Stat Group. &uot;Net Insight's DTM solutions enable service providers and CLECs to add pay-as-you-go offerings that aren't available today -- especially real-time video and voice. In addition, DTM's bandwidth-adjustable channels and dynamic resource reallocation let providers continually reshape their networks according to customer requirements. This means they can offer more unique, profitable services.&uot;

Net Insight's DTM Implementation

Net Insight offers a variety of one-box DTM solutions -- integrating transport and switching for data (IP and 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet), telephony (E1 and T1), and real-time video. Net Insight also offers the world's first DTM ASIC. Net Insight's DTM solutions can run on top of SDH/SONET or directly over fiber (1 Gbps, OC-48, etc.). DTM network features include: