Vendors exhibiting at the three-day ISPCON event in San Jose, Calif. Last month targeted ways to deliver content more rapidly and creatively to the mass of information-hungry users prowling the Internet.
Competition remains fierce for those trying to speed the flow of data across the Web and handle the network requirements posed by the information surge. Mainstays in the market looked to fortify their dominant positions, while smaller players tried to showcase innovative technologies and grab a chunk of the ISP pie.
Some highlights from ISPCON included:
Lucent Technologies Inc. released two new models of its Stinger digital subscriber line (DSL) Access Concentrator, developed to help service providers provide clients with faster broadband connections. The new Stinger Remote Terminal systems were made to handle inclement weather conditions, allowing customers to deploy them in outdoor cabinets instead of in a central office. This should help lower some of the distance limitations service providers experience when providing DSL to end users.
The Stinger RTs come in two models. Model 1 mounts on 19-inch racks and has five line interface module (LIM) slots with up to 240 ports capacity. Model 2 mounts on 23-inch racks with seven LIM slots and up to 336 ports capacity. They should be available by the first quarter of 2001, Lucent said. Lucent, based in Murray Hill, N.J., can be reached at (908) 582-8500 or at http://www.lucent.com/.
Adwise US Inc. looked to push advertising on the Web when showcasing its Behavioral Real-Time Intelligent Targeting Engine (BRITE) software. BRITE monitors a user’s online activity, geographical location and system characteristics. BRITE does not require personal information and discards all click-stream data, practices which the company said maintain user anonymity and privacy.
The application can deliver usage tracking results to customers on PCs as well as mobile devices. New York-based Adwise also said that Dan Schwartz would become chief executive officer of the company, replacing Meir Yedidia, cofounder and former CEO. Adwise can be reached at (212) 551-7828 or http://www.adwise.net/.
Inktomi Corp. and TeleGlobe Inc. joined forces to attack the broadband media and Web content delivery market. Reston, Va.-based ISP TeleGlobe plans to have a full commercial service based on the work in the alliance readied by December of this year.
Internet software maker Inktomi will provide its Traffic Server network cache platform, Media-IXT streaming media caching software, and Content Delivery Suite applications with TeleGlobe’s network and customer sites. Inktomi will tune its Traffic Server applications to help TeleGlobe identify and pre-load some of the most popular content in its caching and streaming warehouses and media servers. Inktomi, based in Foster City, Calif., can be reached at (650) 653-2800 at http://www.inktomi.com. TeleGlobe can be reached at http://www.teleglobe.com/.
Novell Inc. unwrapped its Internet Messaging System 2.6 software to give ISPs and ASPs (application service providers) its latest wireless messaging system. The application allows for secure e-mail hosting and delivery of e-mail content to wireless devices as well as over the Net. Instant Messaging System 2.6 runs on the Linux, Solaris and NetWare operating systems. The product is available now to corporate customers. Novell, based in Provo, Utah, can be reached at (801) 222-6000 or via the Internet at http://www.novell.com/.
The iSpark Group Inc. announced its BillMax Version 1.5.3 with several new features designed to smooth the billing process for ISPs, ASPs, Web hosts and cable systems. The BillMax application runs on a number of Unix platforms, including Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD and BSDI.
The latest version of the software adds on-line sign-up and registration for the company’s services and allows old customers to change or remove users over the Internet. iSpark, based in Fort Worth, Tex., is at http://www.ispark.group.com/.