Ellacoya gets smart with gENIOS

Ellacoya Networks today unveiled a souped-up new version of its operating system, incorporating what it’s calling the full functionality of its gENIOS (pronounced like genius) into its IP Service Control System.

Aimed at broadband operators that are fighting bandwidth abuse and churn, the software gives carriers a new look at the traffic patterns within their network. The goal is not necessarily to penalize the small minority of bandwidth hogs, but to give service providers a new way of identifying them and the ability to create new services that cater to them. The software also lets carriers manage a fairly sizable network from a centralized location.

“Visibility really is the concept of what consumers are doing with the network,” said Jason Presement, director of MSO solutions for Ellacoya. “Once you understand that, you can put some control in and then start increasing the revenue proposition. It allows people to do things like sign up for bandwidth for a short period of time.”

The software, which comes packaged with the IP Service Control System, runs on both the 16000 and 4000 series switches or can be used as a suite of applications that power Ellacoya’s Service Logic Software server. Among the key applications is usage measurement. gENIOS gives carriers summary information on traffic and behavior patterns for both subscribers and applications by pulling information from across various elements of the network.

Ellacoya has had its greatest success with cable operators, but according to Presement, gENIOS could just as easily fit into a DSL network behind the broadband remote access server.