MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 3, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Allot Communications (Nasdaq:ALLT), a leader in IP service optimization solutions based on deep packet inspection (DPI) technology, has announced that the State of Arkansas Department of Information Systems (DIS) has chosen the Allot NetEnforcer AC-1020 broadband management device to manage the statewide IP network used by Arkansas state government agencies, public schools and junior colleges.
The DIS helps state government agencies and institutions gain access to the most modern and sophisticated data processing and telecommunications systems available. Managing the network infrastructure can be a challenge, with multiple different agencies and network usage levels with varying needs. Because state agencies and educational institutions are both critical to the success of state operations, each must have a guaranteed level of Internet access and a high level of network quality, speed and availability.
The DIS implemented the Allot NetEnforcer AC-1020 to first determine what was running on the network and which government groups were utilizing the most bandwidth. The department was hoping to end a costly cycle of doubling its bandwidth every 18 months by optimizing its existing network resources.
"We were constantly upgrading and adding bandwidth to meet the needs of different agencies and institutions. But we didn't really know what was using up all that bandwidth or which departments had excess bandwidth," said Rick Martin, network engineering, State of Arkansas, Department of Information Systems. "We looked to Allot to help us understand what types of applications or protocols were running over the network to see if we could optimize traffic over our existing network without adding more bandwidth."
NetEnforcer inspects, identifies and analyzes hundreds of applications and protocols to determine what type of traffic is traveling across a given network. Based on traffic levels, Martin can view real-time traffic and allocate more or less bandwidth to specific applications or groups (such as departments, agencies, schools or users). Policies for minimum bandwidth levels can be set for groups, and bandwidth levels can be re-allocated in real time for situations where a group might temporarily need extra bandwidth.
Martin found that peer-to-peer applications were utilizing a significant amount of bandwidth at the state's public schools. To ensure that teachers and students had a high level of network quality, speed and availability for school and administrative work, Martin was able to identify and shut down peer-to-peer applications running on the public school network.
"By developing user 'groups' through NetEnforcer, we are able to define exactly how much bandwidth each particular group requires," said Martin. "This allows us to accurately allocate bandwidth when and where it is needed, but more importantly, we can also accurately bill each group for their exact usage. Previously, we were billing groups based on network usage estimates, which were not always accurate."
The Allot NetXplorer centralized management dashboard works with NetEnforcer devices to give the DIS one view of its entire network system. Through NetXplorer, Martin has access to granular and aggregate usage data, through intuitive and adaptable graphical reports with extensive drill-down capabilities. Martin can now provide these usage reports to each agency and institution on the network.
"Having this level of visibility in our network has really helped us create a more efficient network. Without NetEnforcer, we couldn't provide the level of network quality or availability that our agencies and institutions require," said Martin. "We also feel much better now about our billing process. We know that we're billing accurately based on usage and we don't have any disputes over usage reports. We're just really happy we have these solutions in place."
"Running a statewide network effectively involves the need for a great deal of visibility," said Rami Hadar, president and CEO of Allot Communications. "DPI technology is a huge benefit to helping Arkansas's department of information provide and allocate appropriate levels of bandwidth and identify bandwidth-intensive P2P applications to keep things running smoothly and keep their customers satisfied."
About Allot Communications
Allot Communications (Nasdaq:ALLT) is a leading provider of intelligent IP service optimization solutions. Designed for carriers, service providers and enterprises, Allot's solutions apply deep packet inspection (DPI) technology to transform broadband pipes into smart networks. This creates the visibility and control vital to manage applications, services and subscribers, guarantee quality of service (QoS), contain operating costs and maximize revenue. Allot believes in listening to customers and provides them access to its global network of visionaries, innovators and support engineers. For more information, please visit www.allot.com.
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