Seranoa Networks has introduced new “service edge concentrators” to help carriers manage the flow of traffic between different network segments and make the most of their infrastructure.
The Boxborough, Mass., company’s IP Exchange (IPeX) packet-aware switching products are designed for the edge of the network — central offices or co-location facilities.
The gear helps carriers transport traffic between their IP core networks and their small and medium business customers’ T1 connections.
Sally Bamet, Seranoa’s vice president of marketing, said the offerings — the IPeX 200 and IPeX 400 — reduce capital equipment costs, improve the efficiency and allows carriers to offer Voice over Internet protocol
The offerings are meant to provide a less expensive alternative to edge router TDM
That said, the product have been tested for interoperability with Alcatel , Cisco
, Juniper
and Nortel
infrastructure.
The IPeX 200 is currently available, and the IPeX 400 will be in trials starting July 2004.
Michael Howard, principal analyst and co-founder at Infonetics Research, said there is a need for products like Seranoa’s.
“Carriers are pushing to offer new and profitable IP-based services, and the technology is maturing,” he said in a statement. “The challenge is that the cost model is still a barrier for profitability.”
Seranoa is privately held and has about 50 employees, most in engineering. The company is backed by venture capital investors St. Paul Venture Capital, YankeeTek Ventures, Advent International and FA Technology Ventures.
It expects to add more sales and marketing staffers as it moves out of testing and into deployment of these new products.