HP IDs IP-bound traffic

Hewlett-Packard has introduced two applications, the HP acceSS7 ISP Finder and the HP acceSS7 Interconnect ISP-Analysis, designed to help carriers identify and monitor Internet service provider-bound traffic. Carriers could use the applications to create more equitable interconnection agreements.

The HP acceSS7 ISP Finder recognizes and tracks ISPs at a carrier's various interconnection points while the HP acceSS7 interconnect ISP-analysis application measures the volume of ISP-bound traffic.

"Before carriers analyzed the traffic within the network," said Paul Gowans, product marketing manager for business intelligence at HP. "Network operators tended to adopt traffic estimates based on previous analyses."

While carriers can get some aggregate information from a tandem switch, HP's tools can break the traffic down based on carrier, type of call and trunk group. "It can drill down and slice the information any way you want," said Gowans.

Carriers entering into new interconnection agreements can use the traffic data to create service level agreements and pricing schemes. They can also use it for re-engineering and network expansion. "It gives carriers data that they can use to make more informed decisions, rather than using historical estimates," said Gowans.

Previously, carriers have not needed detailed records of calls that terminated in their network. But with the FCC's recent reclassification of ISP-bound calls as interstate, carriers may be required to identify those calls meant for the Internet.

If these tools can prove themselves useful in predicting future reciprocal compensation revenue, they could find an eager audience.

"It would be useful to have tools that would support us in identifying revenue that would come from reciprocal compensations," said Ken Hunter, vice president and chief IT architect for ICG Communications.