Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Networking

    Packeteer, Cisco Pick Up Speed on WAN

    Written by

    Paula Musich
    Published April 17, 2006
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Packeteer and Cisco Systems—a pair of old-guard vendors in the traffic management space—are waking up to new opportunities around application acceleration and WAN optimization.

      A week after Cisco released its multifunction ACE (Application Control Engine) module, Packeteer will launch on April 17 a new release of software for its PacketShaper appliance that accelerates applications that use TCP and HTTP and boosts the performance and visibility of voice and video over IP.

      Though “late to react to developments” in the application acceleration and WAN optimization space, both vendors are playing to their strengths and installed bases in advancing their technologies, said Joe Skorupa, an analyst at Gartner, in Stamford, Conn.

      Version 8.0 of the PacketShaper appliances software leverages the visibility PacketShaper provides into how applications use network bandwidth, as well as the granularity of its application-layer quality of service prioritization.

      /zimages/1/28571.gifClick here to read more about Packeteers efforts to expand into network acceleration.

      “First you need to know what to control before you try to control it,” said PacketShaper user Arun DeSouza, chief information security officer at Inergy Automotive Systems, in Troy, Mich. “Today we can actively prioritize because we can see whats going on.”

      The HTTP/XML acceleration is key for Inergy as it Web-enables business applications and consolidates remote file servers to a central location.

      The Xpress TCP software module streamlines TCP communications by localizing acknowledgment of packets received. The Xpress HTTP/XML acceleration also speeds the connection setup at the application layer and parses through the HTTP code to request objects and sends them before they are requested by the browser client.

      In support of VOIP and video traffic over IP, the release adds the ability to measure jitter, delay and packet loss for real-time traffic and provides reporting. Packeteer also added compression for voice and video traffic. Thats also a plus for Inergy. “It is our dream to converge everything on the same network to reduce long-distance tolls,” DeSouza said.

      /zimages/1/28571.gifRead details here about Ciscos application network services.

      Meanwhile, Ciscos ACE, as a first effort to combine multiple acceleration and optimization functions in the same device, may not be ready for prime time for a lot of enterprises, Gartners Skorupa said.

      “Its a completely new hardware platform, a completely new software platform,” he said. “It cant do more than HTTP load balancing, the security feature set isnt complete and it is at a critical location in the network. If it hiccups, your applications go away. No enterprise should consider deploying it until late 06 or early 07.”

      Although Cisco removed some barriers to acceptance by making it a module for its Catalyst 6500 switch, and by reducing the administrative overhead required to prepare the infrastructure for deploying new applications, it will require significant testing, said Rob Whiteley, an analyst with Forrester Research, in Cambridge, Mass.

      “Customers will have to spend time in the lab beating this up. Deployments will be streamlined, but we still see pretty aggressive testing required,” Whiteley said.

      Still, at least one Cisco user testing ACE doesnt see any need to hold back. “Weve tested all the features we need, and we believe its on par with anything out there. It looks solid. Theyre right in the game,” said Michael Tardif, vice president and general manager of global hosting services for Savvis, in New York.

      Editors Note: This story was updated to correct Arun DeSouzas title.

      /zimages/1/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, views and analysis on servers, switches and networking protocols for the enterprise and small businesses.

      Paula Musich
      Paula Musich

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×