Agilent Technologies Announces Comprehensive Service Assurance Solution for Microsoft Mediaroom Deployments

Triple Play Analyzer Accelerates IPTV Development and Deployments, Enables Monitoring, Troubleshooting and Quality Assurance of Microsoft Mediaroom-Based IPTV Networks
LAS VEGAS, NXTcomm 2008, Booth SL1912, June 2008

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today introduced one of the industry’s first test and measurement service assurance solutions that monitors and analyzes Microsoft’s Mediaroom Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and multimedia software platform. Designed as a component of the Agilent J6900A Triple Play Analyzer platform, the solution enables service providers and network equipment manufacturers to accelerate deployments of Microsoft Mediaroom-based IPTV services. It also offers service providers the tools needed to ensure the highest Quality of Service (QoS) for their IPTV deployments.

Microsoft Mediaroom is a comprehensive, end-to-end IPTV platform that delivers high-quality, live-broadcast TV and video-on-demand content over diverse IP network infrastructures. Many premier service providers around the world have deployed Microsoft Mediaroom. While traditional IPTV is highly susceptible to packet loss and jitter, as well as inconsistent or long channel-change times, Microsoft Mediaroom is highly resilient to network impairments, offers instant channel changing and delivers high-quality content.

The Agilent J6900A Triple Play Analyzer is the most complete test solution for network equipment manufacturers and communication service providers who develop, install, maintain, troubleshoot and monitor IP-based voice, video and data systems such as Microsoft Mediaroom or other IPTV and multiplay networks. It is the ideal tool for detecting and resolving signaling, transport, platform and general Quality of Experience (QoE) problems -- before customers can be impacted. It provides the essential measurements and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that enable engineers and technicians to quickly and proactively identify customer issues before they become problems, resulting in faster and higher-quality IPTV network deployments.

The Agilent Triple Play Analyzer provides specific measurement and KPIs for Microsoft Mediaroom, including:

analysis of instant channel changing bursts and the respective timing parameters;
ladder diagrams of the command and control traffic between Microsoft Mediaroom servers and clients;
analysis of A/V packet rates with correlation to transport events;
real-time playback of Microsoft Mediaroom video with audio and PIP streams;
comprehensive error reporting and thresholds for network- and transport-stream events violating the Microsoft Mediaroom specifications;
detection of critical network performance losses causing irrecoverable client video quality errors; and
protocol analysis and decodes of the Microsoft Mediaroom command and control protocols and parameters.

“We are pleased to be working with Microsoft Corp. on test and measurement solutions for worldwide Microsoft Mediaroom deployments,” said Rick Pearson, general manager of Agilent’s IP Network Convergence operation. “Our joint solution will let service providers reduce operating costs, improve QoS and accurately monitor their connected TV service offerings.”

Availability

The Agilent J6900A Triple Play Analyzer with Mediaroom test capabilities is available for order now.