DAILY NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE GLOBAL GRID COMMUNITY / SEPTEMBER 15, 2003: VOL. 2 NO. 37    ( Table of Contents )

Breaking News - Networking:

Allot Expands P2P Support In NetEnforcer AC-1000 Version 5.1

Allot Communications announced expanded P2P support across its NetEnforcer AC-1000 product line as part of a series of initiatives designed to help universities, service providers and large corporations monitor and control P2P traffic across their networks.

NetEnforcer is a policy-based traffic management solution that enables network administrators to monitor, classify and optimize network traffic. By allocating bandwidth based on business priorities, Allot's products help companies maximize the performance of critical applications like CRM, ERP and voice/video over IP applications, while throttling applications such as P2P. Many service provider and university networks have seen P2P traffic volume consume as much as 80 percent of their available bandwidth without the controls provided by traffic management devices, such as Allot's NetReality and NetEnforcer products.

"The P2P problem is multi-faceted: the massive size of music and video files can cripple network performance and force organizations to buy more bandwidth -- while at the same time -- exposing organizations to computer viruses and a host of delicate legal issues associated with sharing copyrighted material," said Azi Ronen, executive vice president of technology and marketing for Allot. "Our mission isn't about stopping P2P file sharing, but rather to supply the tools and technologies our customers need to intelligently grow and manage their business, while positioning them to respond quickly to an evolving legal landscape. Controlling P2P is a current priority for our university customers, and we believe our offerings address their concerns head-on."

"Non-critical applications were consuming more than half of our bandwidth, primarily benefiting outside users connecting to our campus servers," said Kevin Miller, network systems developer at Carnegie Mellon University. "We're now using Allot's NetEnforcer to monitor and control the bandwidth usage of these applications, such as IRC, P2P, and Internet Gaming applications. As a result, we have more bandwidth available for critical services and we've improved the performance of our network."

The NetEnforcer AC-1000 is designed to centrally manage P2P traffic for up to 100,000 end-users, helping universities, service providers and major enterprises manage P2P traffic via the following capabilities:

• Advanced New P2P Architecture -- P2P protocols and application signatures change constantly, but NetEnforcer's advanced architecture enables Allot to add fast and ongoing updates to address changing P2P protocols -- including Kazaa, Gnutella, WinMX, eDonkey and the leading P2P application in Japan -- Winny -- as they evolve.
• Layer Seven Protocol Classification And Monitoring Support -- With full Layer 7 control, the NetEnforcer can utilize advanced packet inspection techniques to identify and address the "Port Hopping" processes P2P applications use to disguise file sharing transfers. AC-1000 identifies P2P protocols, regardless of the port they use or the application they imitate.
• Performing On Wire-Speed Gigabit Networks -- NetEnforcer monitors and controls P2P traffic over bi-directional gigabit interfaces.
• Dedicated P2P Support For Universities -- As part of the announcement, Allot is also announcing a new dedicated support group to assist universities in controlling P2P traffic on campus networks. As an active member of technology-focused organizations within the higher education arena, like ACUTA and EDUCAUSE, Allot is working to promote awareness of P2P issues and available solutions.

Allot also announced that it has submitted its response to a request for information (RFI) by the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) "Joint Committee of the Higher Education and Entertainment Community Task Force" to provide technology solutions that will help Universities monitor and manage the P2P sharing of copyrighted material. Allot has submitted its NetEnforcer product line to the Joint Committee as part of an industry-wide RFI to provide technology solutions that help higher education institutions monitor and control P2P file sharing on campus networks.