Acme Packet announced over 40 new features and enhancements that further extend the capabilities of its Net-Net session border controllers (SBCs) for controlling access to IP voice (VoIP), video and multimedia networks. The enhancements include new capabilities in the areas of security, service reach maximization, SLA assurance, revenue and profit protection and regulatory compliance.
The new access border control features in Net-Net OS Release 5.0 enhance the advanced signaling and media control required by service providers, enterprises and contact centers at their access borders.
Some highlights:
- Security -- several new enhancements improve the SBC's denial of service (DoS) and distributed DoS (DDoS) self-protection capabilities for session initiation protocol (SIP), transport layer security (TLS), media gateway control protocol (MGCP) and address resolution protocol (ARP) attacks or overloads. The SIP enhancement enables the Net-Net SBC to differentiate between a massive endpoint re-registration event and a malicious registration flood attack. TLS performance is optimized via TLS session caching and reuse. A collection of new SIP, H.323, SIP-H.323 interworking (IWF) and session description protocol (SDP) control features improve the ability of the SBC to deliver trusted services.
- Signaling and media control -- new features in Net-Net OS 5.0 further augment service/application support and maximize reach. Because session content is moving beyond just interactive voice and video, Acme Packet's control capabilities have been extended to the data, text, image and application content of multimedia sessions, such as gaming and multimedia collaboration. Admission control, quality of service (QoS) marking or mapping and bandwidth policing is now provided for these media types. Many new SIP, H.323, SIP-H.323 interworking and SDP enhancements facilitate greater interoperability to extend service reach.
- Overload and admission control -- new features assure service level agreements (SLAs) for incoming traffic and police network usage. Overloads on core signaling softswitches or IMS CSCF elements can be controlled by selective call rejection or diversion based upon telephone number, IP address or domain. Aggregate signaling constraints are now supported by individual SIP interfaces. Limits on individual SIP users in terms of the number of active calls or bandwidth being used can be enforced.
- Regulatory compliance For emergency (E911) service within IMS architectures, an ETSI TISPAN-compliant DIAMETER e2 interface to an external location server is now supported. This interface enables the SBC to add location information to SIP message headers and assists in routing to the appropriate emergency service center (PSAP). In the area of lawful intercept, Net-Net OS 5.0 supports the ETSI TISPAN interfaces--X1_1 for target provisioning, X2 for call data delivery and X3 for call content delivery.
