Acme Packet Extends Service Accountability Toolset

Acme Packet® (APKT), the leader in session border control solutions, today announced important extensions to how Acme Packet’s Net-Net family of session border controllers (SBC), multiservice security gateways (MSG) and session routing proxies (SRP) are managed. These include support for Acme Packet products by IBM Tivoli Netcool, an industry-leading service management platform, as well as Acme Packet product enhancements: voice quality measurements using R-factor and MOS scoring; and customizable call detail records (CDRs) with any SIP message content. Together these build upon Acme Packet’s already broad support for fault, configuration, accounting, performance and security (FCAPS) management tools and features. They further enhance the ability to depend upon Acme Packet products in the delivery of trusted, first-class interactive IP voice (VoIP), video and multimedia communications.

“The combination of these feature enhancements and Acme Packet’s integration into IBM’s service management framework add new dimensions to the ability of Acme Packet’s products to measure IP interactive communications’ ‘service accountability’ and satisfy service level agreement (SLA) requirements,” stated Seamus Hourihan, vice president of marketing and product management at Acme Packet. “Acme Packet products are uniquely positioned to measure both service performance and availability spanning both IP transport network elements and signaling infrastructure elements such as softswitches, IMS CSCF elements, IP PBXs and unified communications servers.”

IBM Tivoli Netcool support

Acme Packet’s Net-Net family of products is now supported by IBM Tivoli Netcool, a comprehensive, modular approach to integrated service visibility and control across complex technology infrastructures. Using Netcool, users can now manage Acme Packet products in addition to other network and service infrastructure elements. This support includes two Netcool applications:

Netcool/OMNIbus - IBM’s real-time event and fault management tool has been fully tested and certified by both IBM and Acme Packet. This module enables Netcool/OMNIbus to receive and analyze SNMP traps generated by Acme Packet systems, which provides Netcool/OMNIbus users greater flexibility and improved access to real-time fault and event correlation for faster troubleshooting of networks that feature Acme Packet products. The Netcool/OMNIbus integration module is currently available via download from IBM’s Tivoli Open Process Automation Library (OPAL) website.

Netcool/Proviso - IBM’s carrier-class performance management and service-level reporting software now supports Acme Packet Net-Net products through the development of a new application pack. Netcool/Proviso application packs extend Proviso’s basic functionality to include technology-specific support for third-party products. The application pack for Acme Packet uses historical performance statistics generated and transferred as files by Acme Packet platforms to Proviso servers or data collectors. The Proviso software generates reports aimed at improving end-customer satisfaction through faster problem resolution and adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs). The file transfers are configured via the Acme Packet command line interface (ACLI) or Acme Packet’s Net-Net Element Management System (EMS) and run automatically at configured intervals, providing a high degree of flexibility.

Interim and end-of-call R-factor and MOS score reporting

Acme Packet session border controllers (SBC) now calculate and report R-factor and mean opinion score (MOS) information for SIP calls. R-factor is a calculation of voice quality that uses the “E-Model” described in ITU-T G.107, taking into account QoS statistics as well as other voice impairment factors. MOS, the widely-accepted scalar representation of voice quality, is derived from the calculated R-factor. Reports may be generated either mid-call on a periodic basis or in end-of-call Call Detail Records (CDRs), which are compiled from statistics collected over the duration of the call.

For interim call quality reporting, R-factor and MOS scores are periodically calculated during the call, compiled into comma-separated value (CSV) formatted files and transferred to network management tools such as Infovista® VistaBridge®, which are able to generate real-time graphical representations of call quality data based on the R-factor calculations for each bi-directional media RTP flow. End-of-call quality reports are included in the SBC’s RADIUS Call Detail Records.

R-factor and MOS scoring extend Acme Packet’s portfolio of session quality of experience (QoE) measurement tools. They complement network Quality of Service (QoS) measurements of packet latency, jitter and loss, as well as signaling-based Answer Seizure Ratio (ASR) measurements of call completion rates. These tools enable more efficient troubleshooting, isolation and resolution of network and signaling infrastructure issues when call quality levels slip to sub-optimal levels and provide quantitative validation of service level agreement (SLA) compliance.

Customizable call detail records (CDRs) with any SIP message content

User-customizable CDRs allow Acme Packet customers to define vendor-specific attributes (VSAs) used to populate call detail records (CDRs) with content derived from SIP messages. In addition to the 140 predefined CDR fields already supported by the Acme Packet Net-Net family, 30 new fields can be populated with content from any user-defined portion of SIP messages, including SIP header information, Session Descriptor Protocol (SDP) parameters, embedded Extendible Markup Language (XML) and others.

A practical example of this important capability would be a service provider’s ability to generate customized billing statements from Acme Packet CDRs that are the result of proprietary information generated by SIP-enabled equipment. Equipment vendors often incorporate proprietary fields in their SIP implementations, and service providers are unable to incorporate this information into useful accounting data due to its proprietary nature. Acme Packet’s ability to modify the information and incorporate it into CDRs results in the service provider’s ability to use the proprietary data in customer billing statements without requiring expensive changes to their own systems or forcing peering partners to make alterations to their own networks or back-end systems.

Further insight into Acme Packet’s new management tools and features

Acme Packet will be discussing this and other product advancements at the NXTComm08 event from June 16 to 19, 2008 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in booth SL 5312.

About Acme Packet

Acme Packet, Inc. (APKT), the leader in session border control solutions, enables the delivery of trusted, first class interactive communications—voice, video and multimedia sessions—and data services across IP network borders. Our Net-Net family of session border controllers, multiservice security gateways and session routing proxies supports multiple applications in service provider, large enterprise and contact center networks—from VoIP trunking to hosted enterprise and residential services to fixed-mobile convergence. They satisfy critical security, service assurance and regulatory requirements in wireline, cable and wireless networks; and support multiple protocols—SIP, H.323, MGCP/NCS and H.248—and multiple border points—interconnect, access and data center. Our products have been selected by more than 500 customers in 85 countries, including 29 of the top 30, and 84 of the top 100 service providers in the world. For more information, contact us at +1 781.328.4400, or visit www.acmepacket.com.