THUS plc Chooses Ixia to Provide Remote Service Verification of L3 VPN Network and Services

Ensures Initial Service Provisioning, Allows Immediate Billing and Provides Service Verification
Spring Voice On the Net 2008
Convergence India 2008

Ixia (Nasdaq: XXIA), a leading, global provider of IP performance test systems, today announced that THUS plc, a UK-focused business telecommunications company, has deployed Ixia’s IxRaveTM IP service verification platform to provide service verification of its enterprise layer 3 VPN (L3 VPN) networks and services. THUS, located throughout the United Kingdom, provides enterprise-quality converged services to business customers. The company uses IxRave to verify that end-customers are receiving services that perform as expected, both at initial provisioning and on a continuing basis. Ixia is demonstrating its new platform this week at the Spring VON tradeshow in San Jose, Calif., booth 934 and at Convergence India in New Delhi, stand C-202.

“IxRave helps us to satisfy our customers’ needs by proactively demonstrating end-to-end service verification,” said Richard McCallum, development director of THUS plc. “IxRave helps us achieve our customer service goals while significantly reducing costs, which is a tremendous advantage in today’s ultra-competitive market.”

IxRave enables THUS to quickly and remotely verify that its new network services perform to service level agreements (SLAs) before turning up those services. Until IxRave, no remote tool existed for the customer care staff to use for measuring complex SLA metrics or verifying SLA commitments on demand. IxRave differs from legacy network monitoring platforms through its ability to send active user-centric traffic over a customer’s end-to-end path. IxRave is integrated into its customers’ operational support system (OSS) to provide an easy-to-use tool for tier one support personnel. IxRave’s payback versus standard network monitoring solutions is substantial and immediate – with ROI typically measured in months.

IxRave also permits THUS to remotely perform end-to-end application testing to verify its customers’ QoS and QoE (quality of experience). Inexpensive probes and virtual endpoints downloaded from the web enable THUS to quickly identify issues throughout a network and determine if a fault is in the network (edge and core) or in the access segment (edge to customer desktop).

Ixia brings its leading expertise in the pre-deployment lab testing of IP services such as VoIP and video to offer end-to-end quality of experience (QoE) test and service validation over live networks. The value to customers like this is that they can compare actual performance results in the live network with results they saw in pre-deployment testing.

“IxRave draws upon Ixia’s ten years of proven IP test and measurement expertise that enables THUS to conduct segment testing within the network, identify the device and interface where the performance issue is occurring and resolve it fast,” said Neal Roche, vice president of Ixia Converged Service Verification.

About THUS

THUS plc provides communication solutions to business customers throughout the UK under the THUS and Demon brands. In an industry punctuated by inexperience THUS can draw upon a knowledge base established over more than a decade in the delivery of data, telecoms and Internet services.

Delivering both standard and bespoke solutions, THUS endeavours to address customers’ existing business needs and works hand in hand with customers to develop new business opportunities. THUS’ record in the creation of innovative new services is complemented by an award winning focus on quality and full certification of its internal processes and procedures under the ISO9001 standard. THUS plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

For further information visit http://www.thus.net and http://www.demon.net.

About Ixia

Ixia is a leading provider of IP service verification platforms and performance test systems for IP-based infrastructure and services. Ixia’s test systems are used by network and telephony equipment manufacturers, semiconductor manufacturers, service providers, governments, and enterprises to validate the capabilities and reliability of complex IP networks, devices, and applications. Ixia’s triple-play test systems address the growing need to test voice, video, and data services and network capability under real-world conditions.

For more information, contact Ixia at 26601 W. Agoura Road, Calabasas, CA 91302; (818) 871-1800, Fax: (818) 871-1805; Email: info {at} ixiacom(.)com or visit our Web Site at http://www.ixiacom.com.

Ixia and the Ixia four-petal logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Ixia. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

This material is for informational purposes only and subject to change without notice. It describes Ixia’s present plans to develop and make available to its customers certain products, features and functions. Ixia is only obligated to provide those deliverables specifically included in a written agreement between Ixia and the customer.

Contacts

Ixia
Cathi Lane, Director of Public Relations, 818-444-2983
clane {at} ixiacom(.)com
or
PR@vantage for Ixia
Jason Aiken, 415-984-1970 x.110
jaiken {at} pr-vantage(.)com