Proxilliant Systems is pushing a system to increase HFC upstream capacity and reliability, particularly for VOIP applications. Founded in 2005, the company is headquartered in Framingham, Mass., with engineering operations in Stockholm, Sweden. Backed by Nordic VCs Northzone Ventures and Creandum, Proxilliant has raised $7 million and now counts 20 employees. The company says it is in trials with several top five MSOs in North America, as well as European cable operators.

Proxilliant's Cable Access Management System (CAMS) is an integrated hardware and software solution with two components. The CAMS Intelligent Access Controller hardware is deployed on the coaxial plant, near the last amplifiers to the customer premises. The CAMS Service Health Manager software monitors network health and performance on each coaxial network segment. As needed, the Controller dynamically blocks upstream ingress.

Proxilliant would be a perfect addition to C-COR's product portfolio, which is flush in both the HFC infrastructure category, including RF amplifiers and passives, as well as monitoring and management software.

Start-up: Proxilliant
Innovation factor: 7 (out of 10)
Likely Acquirers: C-COR
Handicap: 3-1 odds on C-COR