Looking into broadband networks

Atlantech Technologies Ltd. today will introduce the AccessVision Management Toolkit, which will allow telecom manufacturers and service providers to-within days-configure management systems for networks using high-speed access services, including digital subscriber line, cable and voice over IP. The Glasgow, Scotland-based software vendor also detailed the CycleTech framework behind the toolkit, which allows scalable, distributed management over large networks.

The company, which says it was the first to develop network management for DSL, believes broadband data should be as easy to deploy as narrowband voice, said Rob Faw, vice chairman and president of Atlantech.

"The configuration of network management systems tends to be a black hole for equipment manufacturers," he said. "It's remarkably profound to develop a network management system in three days."

This speed is due to the toolkit's ability to let users develop customized applications with little or no software code development. It has a graphical user interface and operates on Unix workstations.

Unlike other management systems that tend to be designed for enterprise networks, Atlantech's framework allows for carrier-class management, Faw said. The framework enables the management of 300,000 devices within a network, and the company expects it eventually to manage 1 million, he said.

Although there will be an initial demand for DSL management systems, the Atlantech solution will be needed for other services such as IP telephony, Faw said. "Anything that happens in the access network arena, we're interested in."

Network management systems for DSL are unusual but will be helpful in DSL deployment, said Danny Briere, president of TeleChoice. "The more control you have, the more ability to see what's going on in your network, the more you'll shrink time all over the place."

Atlantech has provided management systems for Cisco Systems and competitive local exchange carrier Covad Communications, Faw said. The company will soon announce agreements with two large equipment manufacturers, he added.