Deep Packet Inspection archives - Uncommon Wisdom
Home > IT Blogs > Uncommon Wisdom >

Uncommon Wisdom:

Deep Packet Inspection

Jul 30 2009   1:48AM GMT

Velocix purchase positions Alcatel-Lucent in CDN market



Posted by: Tom Nolle
content delivery networks, Alcatel-Lucent, Deep Packet Inspection, telecom equipment

The growing interest of telcos in content delivery networks (CDNs) is the driver behind the acquisition of CDN specialist Velocix by Alcatel-Lucent. We’ve noted both here and in our Netwatcher newsletter that operators like CDNs because it gives them a paying role in over-the-top content distribution, as well as a means of providing their own video-on-demand content services.

Obviously what’s interesting to carriers is interesting to carrier-focused equipment vendors. Velocix has been popular with carriers; the company has deep packet inspection (DPI) and content node assets that Alcatel-Lucent can use in gaining traction in the emerging CDN deals, which in turn may be critical to the emerging content plans of the carriers.

From a strategic perspective, Alcatel-Lucent is also interested in projects like CDNs because they represent both equipment and service revenue opportunities, and they’re likely early examples of the growing trend toward operators letting integration/management contracts for new service-driven infrastructure projects.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button     0 Comments     RSS Feed     Email a friend

Jan 27 2009   2:55PM GMT

DPI: Use it, but don’t use it



Posted by: Tom Nolle
Deep Packet Inspection, DPI, telecom service providers, equipment vendors, applications

Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) continues to be a contentious topic, and service providers are so leery of regulatory intervention that they avoid words with any of those letters in them.

They’ve told us to ask vendors not to use the term—they prefer “application-specific routing” or something similar. There are in fact a lot of valid applications of DPI, such as the XO model where it is used to monitor application performance.

But DPI is like firearms or interrogation or a lot of other stuff that has valid uses and egregious misuses, and it is typecast by the latter. We’ve not seen much interest in rehabbing the concept by renaming it, but operators have made their positions very clear, and we think there’s some indication that vendors are catching on. If that’s the case, then “xxx” might be a really hot concept in 2009.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button     0 Comments     RSS Feed     Email a friend