Qosmos (www.qosmos.com), the industry leader in information extraction solutions based on advanced Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) technology, today announced the launch of its next generation software and appliances, Qosmos ixEngine and Qosmos ixMachine. The new solutions expand the capabilities of traditional DPI with unique features that extract information traveling on networks and open new markets for DPI technology.
Traditional DPI solutions monitor and analyze network traffic. DPI enables network operators - whether service providers or enterprises - to optimize performance, shape traffic flows, identify potential security threats and track quality of service. Qosmos´ patented technology extends the capabilities of DPI with its ability to not only monitor, but also extract information traveling over networks in real–time, what it calls "ixDPI" (for information extraction using DPI).
The information gleaned through Qosmos´ solutions shifts networks from "dumb" pipes to value–added conduits for revenue–generating services, personalized content delivery or enhanced security. "The explosion in network traffic in recent years created the market for DPI solutions that improved performance," said Thibaut Bechetoille, CEO of Qosmos. "The next frontier for DPI solutions lies in information extraction, which opens the market horizontally to all sorts of companies who can create new applications based on this network intelligence, whether in telecom, market research, entertainment, financial services, government or elsewhere."
Use cases for Qosmos´ innovative and patented ixDPI solutions include telecom operators who can capture "aware" billing; market research companies who can provide more granular audience analysis; regulatory bodies who can ensure authorized downloads; financial traders who can track order–to–execute flows; enterprises who can prevent leakage of strategic data or control enforcement of corporate compliance policies; and organizations who can respond efficiently to lawful intercept requests, to name a few. "With the launch of our ixEngine and ixMachine products, Qosmos delivers "˜deeper´ DPI "“ moving it from mere traffic shaping to the extraction and monetization of network information with complete accuracy and reliability," said Jérôme Tollet, CTO and Co–Founder of Qosmos.
Qosmos ixEngine is a Software Development Kit used by network equipment providers, telecom equipment manufacturers, and software or solutions vendors to design ixDPI features into their product offerings. ixEngine enables metadata and content extraction for a truly unique database view of the network. Drawing on the largest, regularly–updated library available on the market today, it can analyze more than 300 different communication protocols representing thousands of applications, and extract over 3,000 characteristics in information flows on any IP network, whether public, private or mobile. Custom protocol and application signatures can be developed on demand by Qosmos´ engineering team or by Qosmos´ customers; the software was designed for easy integration with fully documented APIs.
According to recent Yankee Group research, some operators with DPI deployments report that up to 30% of traffic can still come up as "unknown" because it does not match recognized signatures. The inability to identify, and therefore manipulate, control, track or otherwise affect this traffic, undermines the inherent value of DPI. Qosmos´ ixDPI solutions offer the highest application and protocol recognition rate of all solutions on the market (95% recognition observed in actual use). A powerful layer 2 to 7 classification engine extracts information at the finest granular level, in real time and at the network line rate.
Available as a turnkey hardware or software–only solution, the Qosmos ixMachine series is used by system integrators to feed third party systems with highly specified, valuable information. The probes can be connected anywhere on the network, from the router level up to the network´s core, and offer a broad range of scalable solutions, from ixM 10 series to ixM 10 000 series, with throughput rates ranging from 50Mbps up to 20Gbps and beyond, depending on the machine.
"Many of the great promises of a converged IP network (push content, targeted advertising, subscriber personalization, horizontal application architectures, complete subscriber profiles) are not only augmented by DPI–enabled intelligence drawn from the network, but are actually dependent on this level of knowledge," said David Vorhaus, Associate Analyst at Yankee Group. "This signals a new paradigm for DPI and broader network infrastructure as a whole, where the value of network information transcends the network and becomes transparent to disparate actors in other verticals."
Both Qosmos ixEngine and Qosmos ixMachine are significant enhancements of the company´s previous versions of its Qoala software and Q–Work appliances, which have been deployed by network service providers, network equipment manufacturers, systems integrators and market research companies in a wide variety of value–added services and applications, such as digital home audience measurement, carriers´ service usage analysis, customer experience management, flow monitoring and optimization, content–based billing and data leakage prevention.
"Qosmos´ solutions can enable real–time audience measurement analysis that has not been possible before," said Gérard Hermet, President of the Retail and Technology Division of GfK Group AG, the world´s fourth largest market research company. "The intelligence offered can be invaluable to IPTV or Video on Demand vendors, as well as their online advertisers, who can create and charge for truly targeted content and advertising campaigns." GfK recently announced a minority investment in Qosmos, further underscoring the market potential of its solutions.
About Qosmos
Qosmos is leading the next generation of Deep Packet Inspection solutions with patented ixDPI technology that detects and extracts information traveling over networks in real time. Qosmos´ products recognize IP protocols and applications with unrivalled accuracy and reliability"“ and enable the creation of valuable business applications. Qosmos customers include network equipment manufacturers, software vendors and system integrators seeking to improve their product offering or create innovative solutions; market research firms measuring digital content flows; and service providers managing Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
Established in 2000 by members of the prestigious LIP6 Computer Research Laboratory in Paris, Qosmos is backed by Sofinnova Partners, Alven Capital and GfK AG. In 2007, Qosmos received Deloitte Technology Fast50 France and Fast500 EMEA awards, as well as the IEC InfoVision Award. For more information, please visit www.qosmos.com.
