NetScout Adds Session-Level Analysis for Mobile IP Subscriber Intelligence

Management World — Mobile data usage is causing service assurance vendors to step up their game. This week, NetScout Systems extended its nGenius solution with a subscriber intelligence module that provides session-level analysis for IP networks, particularly mobile IP.

Mobile operators can use the platform to track real time and historical performance metrics from aggregate service views to individual subscriber sessions and down to deep packet-level analysis. This will help them simplify and accelerate the identification of service delivery problems in 2.5G and 3G wireless technology environments.

Steve Shalita, vice president of marketing at NetScout, said that traditional service assurance approaches are not aligned with how IP networks operate and have hampered efforts to monitor both user plane and control plane traffic, which is necessary for continuous visibility into all traffic.

NetScout’s service assurance solution is deployed in more than 120 service provider networks in 39 countries. Adding the subscriber intelligence modules has already added to that count.

“We’re just announcing this product but it is available and shipping today. Three North American Tier 1 providers have purchased the product and we’ve completed four additional trials with four more in progress,” Shalita said.

The nGenius solution captures and analyzes both user-plane and control-plane IP traffic. This gives operators a more granular understanding of the subscriber experience along with network, application and service performance.

Patrick Kelly, research director at Analysys Mason, said in a statement, that this is a challenge for operators. “Just as the nature and volume of mobile traffic is changing, so must the way in which it is managed,” he said. “Operators need service monitoring capabilities that have been specifically designed for IP networks, with a complete view of traffic, to help them deliver a high quality subscriber experience, minimize service outages and manage the explosive traffic growth. NetScout has gained critical mass and credibility in the service provider market, growing its business at triple digit growth rates over the past two years.”