Kasenna, the IPTV company, today announced a technology breakthrough that sets a new standard for next-generation VOD systems while lowering their cost of ownership. By developing its own high-performance I/O enhancements to the Linux kernel and capitalizing on advances in Intel's processor and system architecture, Kasenna has ported its award-winning MediaBase platforms to 64-bit processing architecture. In addition to industry-leading performance, this breakthrough delivers better space utilization, higher switch port densities and increased reliability for cable MSOs and Telcos deploying advanced on-demand services.

Using the 64-bit capability of Intel Xeon® processors, Kasenna MediaBase achieved 3.2 Gbps of streaming throughput and (853 streams at 3.75 Mbps) from a dual-CPU, three rack-unit (3RU) disk-based server. The Kasenna RAM-based server achieved 5.4 Gbps from a 1RU system. At the CableLabs® specification of 3.75 Mbps for streaming video, this amounts to 1440 streams per 1RU server or 60,000+ streams per rack (42RU). Using a hybrid system of disk-based clusters and RAM-based clusters and its patent-pending Stream Clustering technology, Kasenna has achieved breakthrough densities in streaming performance.



"Kasenna's standards-based approach to IPTV enables them -- and their customers -- to capitalize on Intel's continued advancements in processor and system performance," said Dalibor Vrsalovic, vice president and general manager of Intel's Service Providers Program Office. "Kasenna's innovative software-based VOD solution and Intel's record in delivering leading-edge server performance create a potent combination that results in one of the most efficient IPTV solutions in the market today."

Leveraging a 64-bit architecture, such focused power at the server enables advanced services such as network-based Personal Video Recording (NPVR) at the headend or central office. These capabilities afford telcos, cable operators and next-generation broadband service providers the ability to deliver compelling offerings that attract new customers, reduce customer churn and increase revenues. Kasenna's highly available, clustered architecture also enables operators to separate storage from streaming capacity, putting greater processing power behind the streaming application for faster delivery.

These video servers are an integral part of the company's Video Content Delivery Network (V-CDN) suite of products, which includes library servers, cache servers and network-based digital video recording servers for deployment in centralized or decentralized architectures. Combined with the company's web services based Video Service Delivery platform, the products form an integrated offering that is easy to deploy, manage and maintain.

"Our experience in building media servers for cable and IP networks allows us to continue driving innovations in real-time content delivery, while reducing the costs and complexities of building these types of large-scale networks," said Kasenna CEO and Chairman Mark Gray. "We not only provide the highest performance components for IPTV systems, but our emphasis on the end-to-end architecture ensure that we also deliver the most scalable, reliable, and complete solution in the world."

Products based on 64-bit Intel Xeon systems and a 64-bit port of Kasenna's server platforms will be available to customers beginning Q2 2005.