Frost & Sullivan Recognizes Anritsu for Its Distinctive Service Assurance Solution in the World Wireless Network Monitoring Systems Markets

Business Wire, Feb 12, 2008

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Based on its recent analysis of the world wireless network monitoring systems markets, Frost & Sullivan presented Anritsu with the 2007 World Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Differentiation Innovation.

This Award has been conferred upon Anritsu for its MasterClaw, an integrated service assurance solutions platform for converged wireless and wireline networks.

"The MasterClaw service assurance solution from Anritsu provides network operators with end-to-end network and service visibility across GSM, GPRS, UMTS, VoIP/SS7, and triple play networks," explains Frost & Sullivan Industry Manager Jessy Cavazos. "With one platform supporting all technologies, the level of convergence investment protection in the platform as well as in end-user training needs is unmatched in the market."

MasterClaw (renamed from MasterQuest in 2006) is an integrated application suite that combines network monitoring and troubleshooting with service and customer quality monitoring.

The solution's converged monitoring data feature provides information on network, services, customers, and partners, enabling service providers to monitor the whole value chain. MasterClaw also provides accessibility to all system applications using a standard Web browser. This enables employees in different departments to customize their key performance metrics and view them in their dashboards.

While other vendors provide aggregated and predefined statistics in their data warehouse (DWH) solutions, the MasterClaw system offers 10 to 30 selected and pre-defined KPIs per DWH (Service) and stores all raw data records, which empowers its customers to create customized reports.

The MasterClaw system also has the ability to perform network wide tracing of all signaling related to a certain action/procedure handled by the network. It supports near real-time and historical tracing by default through its architecture.

The solution uses Linux as its base operating system. Along with the support for interfaces such as SQL, SNMP, CORBA, and html/xml, this gives the user added flexibility and the chance to move faster when the required changes are to be made.

The MasterClaw traffic observer offers full configuration of customized real time KPIs for the network operations center and works with any technology. Some competitors' solutions are pre-configured and their legacy platforms do not support IP.

"While many of the products offered by other market participants include some of these services in either their base system or as an additional add-on, Anritsu includes all of them in the MasterClaw's default configuration," cites Cavazos.

The Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Differentiation Innovation is presented each year to the company that has best demonstrated the ability to develop and/or advance products with more innovative capabilities than competing vendors and products. This Award recognizes the company's successful adoption of new or existing technology that has become a part of its well-designed product family. Such innovation is expected to significantly contribute to the industry in terms of product performance and degree/rate of technical change.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

About MasterClaw

MasterClaw is an integrated service assurance platform for converged next generation networks. Based on non-intrusive probes, MasterClaw provides full end-to-end network and service visibility across GSM, GPRS, UMTS, VoIP, IMS and triple play networks. The integrated application suite combines network monitoring and troubleshooting with service and customer quality monitoring. MasterClaw is a vital instrument for service providers looking to ensure high end-user service quality while increasing the return on investment in network infrastructure and reducing the cost of operations.

About Anritsu

Anritsu Corporation (www.anritsu.com) has been a provider of innovative communications solutions for more than 110 years. The company's test and measurement solutions include wireless, optical, microwave/RF and digital instruments, operations support systems and solutions that can be used during R&D, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance. Anritsu also provides precision microwave/RF components, optical devices, and high-speed devices for design into communication products and systems. Following its acquisition of NetTest in 2005, it has expanded its offering to provide complete solutions for existing and next-generation wireline and wireless communication systems and service providers. Anritsu sells in over 90 countries worldwide with approximately 4,000 employees.