APconnections Adds Voice, Video Support To Bandwidth Management Appliances

APconnections has announced that it is adding voice and video traffic support to its expanded line of NetEqualizer bandwidth management appliances.

NetEqualizer tracks network applications and creates a dynamic traffic hierarchy to allocate bandwidth, prioritizing latency-sensitive applications like voice and video. Typical business applications like Web browsing and e-mail are then apportioned greater bandwidth than point-to-point traffic and large downloads. In effect, NetEqualizer slows down resource-intensive but latency-insensitive traffic like large file transfers while providing wider bandwidth for voice and video. All the traffic gets through, but its shape is determined by built-in "fairness rules."

According to APconnections founder and CTO Art Reisman, the real benefit of NetEqualizer is that all of this functionality comes in a compact, plug-and-play appliance. "Unlike the alternatives, NetEqualizer installs in minutes and does not require the user to build and manage extensive policy libraries," Reisman said in a statement. "The products seamlessly integrate with existing network infrastructure and do not require router upgrades or other network changes."

NetEqualizer is compatible with all major IP PBXes, and is available at prices starting from $995 for an entry-level 2 Mbps appliance.