IneoQuest jumps on wireless video quality

Following up on the success of its Video Quality Management System, IneoQuest Technologies this week introduced a new system for reducing network operational expenses related to video deployments that uses multi-dimensional monitoring and analysis technology.

The new IQPinPoint integrates the company’s iVMS with distributed probes that help form a view of video quality across the network to the customer equipment. The probes, called Crickets, combine with the iVMS to monitor and analyze thousands of video streams simultaneously across all network subsystems.

IQPinPoint supports IP video over cable, Ethernet, HPNA, ASI, xDSL, and wireless and presents network and program information via a Web-based management interface.

“Our HPNA Cricket is huge announcement,” said Marc Todd, president and CEO of IneoQuest. He said that with the number of last-mile technologies emerging, operators need a new multi-dimensional approach to quality and service assurance.

Jeff Heynen, directing analyst for broadband and IPTV at Infonetics Research, said one-dimensional video monitoring solutions simply do not provide the level of granularity needed for proactive problem resolution. He said IQPinPoint addresses the issue of analyzing, predicting and resolving IP video issues anywhere in the network.

Todd said IneoQuest plans to support WiMAX, as well as the new video broadcast technologies MediaFlo and DVB-H later this year.

The company also announced a new family of Cricket probes called Singulus Lite, including those with interfaces for 3G and Wi-Fi interfaces.

The Crickets can be used from the network edge to the premises to monitor and analyze multiple video flows and to automatically alert service providers to pending quality issues. The Wi-Fi interface provides visibility into service quality of IP video streams over 802.11 networks. The 3G interface receives streaming signals to monitor, troubleshoot and test 3G streaming video quality from the base station to any point throughout the network.

“I am not sure what wireless platform will win. I just need to make sure I provide unbiased measurements to help operators get IP video distribution to the next level,” Todd said.