BT Exact Creates Service Testbed

LONDON -- British Telecom's research, technology and IT operations business, BT Exact, has developed the Broadband Hotbed, a testing solution that allows the simultaneous trial of the functionality of multiple broadband services and platforms.

The Broadband Hotbed was developed in conjunction with net.com (NYSE:NWK), a provider of multi-service access solutions for service providers worldwide. The solution utilises net.com's SCREAM (Service Creation Manager) Broadband Remote Access Server. There are a number of ways in which BT provides broadband access for major businesses and residential users via Internet service providers, including the IPStream, DataStream and xDSL-based products such as BT Broadband. BT Exact selected the SCREAM100 Broadband Remote Access Server as it is currently the only single box solution that can replicate all types of access.

The Broadband Hotbed, developed over a period of six months, allows BT to simulate the impact on the access network of high priority voice or video traffic with lower priority e-mail access, all for unique ISPs and customer types.

Stewart Davies, chief executive BT Exact, said: "The Broadband Hotbed will enable BT Exact to evaluate how to provide dynamic bandwidth for revenue-generating applications like VoIP or video, all based on a new broadband service platform. More significantly it will move testing out of the lab into an environment where capabilities and compatibility can be assessed by a wider range of people at far lower cost."

Stephen Gleave, vice president of marketing for net.com, said: "net.com is pleased to be working on the future of broadband service creation with BT Exact. By utilising the flexible application developer interface on the SCREAM platform, BT Exact is able to develop new types of services based on access technology and ISPs."

BTexact Technologies