Redback Networks Inc., a leading provider of next-generation broadband networking systems, today announced immediate availability of NetOp Policy Manager 2.0, a policy and service management software solution for building Smart Broadband Networks for new applications such as on-demand video and broadcast IP TV services. Redback’s NetOp Policy Manager 2.0 tightly integrates with the SmartEdge platform to help service providers quickly deploy a wide range of revenue generating IP services in a cost-effective manner.

“Redback’s industry expertise continues to drive innovative solutions like the NetOp Policy Manager 2.0 to enable advanced IP services that give service providers an edge in the increasingly competitive broadband market space,” said Arpit Joshipura, vice president of product management & product marketing at Redback. “The new capabilities demonstrate Redback’s continued commitment to expanding revenue opportunities for service providers and enabling advanced and compelling services for end users.”

The NetOp Policy Manager 2.0 solution is a strategic tool for Internet Service Provider (ISPs), Application Service Providers (ASPs) and wholesale customers to achieve their business objectives of increasing subscriber penetration, reducing provisioning costs, improving customer retention and delivering new revenue streams. Through enhanced features such as dynamic bandwidth control and operational consistency, the NetOp Policy Manager enables on-demand control for vigorous IP video network requirements.

"The new release of NetOp Policy Manager enables service providers to personalize broadband services further and to accelerate time to market for future services,” said Mark Bieberich, director of communications network infrastructure at Yankee Group. “The integrated solution of NetOp Policy Manager and SmartEdge makes possible differentiated triple play services tailored to the needs of each individual customer.”

Expanded IP Video Capability Through Integration With SmartEdge
The NetOp Policy Manager 2.0 tightly integrates with the Redback SmartEdge Service Gateway to assure high-quality on-demand video services by auto-adjusting bandwidth and expanding Quality of Service (QoS) functionality. From the content entry point into the network through the content delivery to the end customer, the NetOp Policy Manager intelligently identifies bandwidth and QoS requirements to ensure seamless appropriation of network resources within the Smart Broadband Network environment.

Operational Consistency With New Service Introductions
Redback’s NetOp Policy Manager 2.0 provides an operationally consistent network management solution that simplifies operations without effecting backend integration. The NetOp Policy Manager 2.0 offers service providers time and download-based service capabilities that automatically adjust the bandwidth available once the subscription limit is reached to ensure that all service offering capabilities are optimized.

Enhanced Service Delivery and Customer Service
The ease-of-integration capabilities of NetOp Policy Manager 2.0 gives customer service representatives greater visibility into user accounts for network troubleshooting, cross marketing and up-selling to higher end services. Now service representatives have in-depth granular views of start and stop times of user sessions, bandwidth usage and the number of devices using the broadband connection.

New NetOp Policy Manager 2.0 Capabilities:

• Open and flexible Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for seamless integration and customization with CRM and call center systems
• Intuitive and scalable GUI allows service providers to easily define bandwidth and QoS profiles for tiered service offerings
• Security lockdown features, including anti-virus, firewall, and automated password administration, to prevent login attacks

Based on the industry standard RADIUS protocol, the NetOp Policy Manager 2.0 is designed to work over residential and business broadband access technologies including DSL, Wi-Fi, Cable, Leased Lines, ATM/Frame Relay and Ethernet.

The NetOp Policy Manager 2.0 product can be licensed as a run-time software with feature enhancements based on feature roadmap, or the entire source code can be licensed which gives service providers the ultimate flexibility to customize the product.