Device manages advanced data services - Technology

Cable operators providing high-speed Internet access are trying to increase revenue by offering new applications as well as tiered or premium services; doing so, however, means keeping close track of how subscribers use their cyber connections.

A company called P-Cube has just introduced the second of two networking servers it says can provide exhaustive information and control of broadband usage, giving operators everything they need to begin that process.

"In a world of value-added premium services, like voice over IP [Internet protocol] or gaming or multimedia downloads, there may be different policies applicable to individual subscribers for each of those activities," says David Mayes, P-Cube's VP-business development. "Our box is able to--at very, very high rates of speed and capacity--individually determine those micro-applications flows, which includes blocking unauthorized services or redirecting applications," he says.

With headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif. and a research facility in Israel, P-Cube has drawn its staff from such companies as Cisco, 3Com and Conexant and is on its third round of financing after having raised $30 million in the first two rounds.

The company's SE1000, which sits between the network and the edge server--the cable modem termination system (CMTS) in the case of cable operators--can monitor and allow viewing of up to a million transactions at a time, which translates into 100,000 subscribers, Mayes says.

Those numbers were confirmed last month by eTesting Lab's benchmark testing program, he added. The SE1000 is designed for a 19-inch rack and is currently available.

The new SE100, which will be deployed later this year, was developed for smaller systems and can serve 10,000 subscribers, making it ideal for cable operators with many smaller systems, Mayes says.

The company is also working on solutions for open access, as cable operators prepare to offer multiple Internet service providers.

"It's a hairball, but we stand a very good chance of being a solution to this problem," Mayes notes.

The SE1000 is currently in trials with about a dozen service providers, including cable operators, DSL and wireless companies, Mayes says. It is installed in telecom companies in Europe and Singapore.

The company won't discuss costs, but P-Cube CEO Yuval Shahar has said that with only $3 to $5 per subscriber in extra revenue from premium services, cable operators can expect a total return on investment in as little as 12 months.

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