Agilent Technologies and Cheetah Technologies Announce Strategic Alliance to Deliver Integrated Cable - Company Business and Marketing

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, Dec 20, 1999

Agilent Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard Company, and Cheetah Technologies, a global leader in automated monitoring and management solutions for the cable television industry, Tuesday announced a strategic alliance aimed at providing cable system operators with integrated solutions for testing and monitoring the infrastructure used to deliver interactive services over cable systems.

Product integration efforts are targeted at providing transparent communication and control between central, headend and field equipment that is used to monitor and maintain two-way cable plant. Initially, the companies will focus on supporting combined use of Cheetah's headend-based Phasor Return Path Monitoring System and Agilent's portable 3010 Sweep/Ingress System. With this integrated solution, for example, field maintenance technicians and system control center operators can remotely request ingress measurements for specific nodes, and view spectrum analysis and return path test results from both systems to isolate and solve problems, such as return path interference.

"Traditionally, the lack of communications standards and equipment compatibility has handicapped operators seeking to share and communicate plant information between remote status and performance monitoring systems, and test equipment used in the field. In reality, maintenance personnel need access to both types of data to identify and resolve problems quickly," said Peter Shaw, marketing manager of Agilent's Service Test Division. "Our joint demonstration here at the Western Show is just the first step we plan to take together to deliver the solutions that cable system operators require to support the bi-directional services that will drive future growth."

"Through our combined solution with Agilent, we are demonstrating the value of an open approach to integrating critical plant information. Cable operators will leverage their investment in Agilent field analyzers by linking them with their Cheetah network management system. This will help field technicians to isolate ingress problems quickly, reduce repair time and increase service quality," said Brett Price, president of Cheetah Technologies.

Agilent's 3010 sweep/ingress analyzers support reverse monitoring, dual path sweeps and the detection of ingress which can corrupt upstream communications. Multiple remote units can be controlled by a headend system, allowing maintenance technicians to quickly isolate alignment problems, noise and ingress sources in the field.

Cheetah's Phasor Return Path Management System is a state-of-the-art automated return path management solution. The system consists of the Phasor Core Server, DSP565 and RPS (Return Path Switch). Using DSP-IF technology, system operators can identify, locate and quantify extremely hard-to-characterize return path impairments almost instantaneously, with measurement of 500 spectral data points on a single node, from 5 to 42MHz, in a single 20-millisecond sweep.

Other areas identified by the companies for future exploration include development and integration of next-generation test and data collection devices such as meters, software agents and other instruments, as well as the integration of new and existing equipment with network management systems.

Cheetah Technologies is the global leader in automated test, monitoring, and management solutions for cable television and telecommunications networks. Through its internationally established product line, Cheetah Technologies provides the world's largest cable and telecommunications companies with the most extensive broadband network management systems available.

Information about Cheetah Technologies can be found on the Web at www.cheetahtech.com.

Agilent Technologies, Inc. is a diversified technology company, resulting from Hewlett-Packard Company's plan to strategically realign itself into two fully independent companies. With 42,000 employees serving customers in more than 120 countries, Agilent Technologies, as a subsidiary of HP, is a global leader in designing and manufacturing test, measurement and monitoring instruments, systems and solutions, and semiconductor and optical components. The company serves markets that include communications, electronics, life sciences and healthcare. The businesses comprising Agilent had net revenues of nearly $8 billion in fiscal year 1998.

Information about Agilent Technologies can be found on the Web at http://www.agilent.com.