By Tammy Parker –
Diametriq, the newest player trying to make a name for itself in Diameter signaling control for LTE networks, is targeting smaller operators that need a more flexible platform.
Control signaling for LTE networks is built around the Diameter protocol, which is replacing the SS7 protocol found in older networks, and is becoming the de facto signaling standard between gateways, billing systems, subscriber databases and policy controllers. “This is the biggest change on the signaling network side that’s happened since the early 90s when SS7 was coming around and mobility was being defined,” said Anjan Ghosal, CEO of Diametriq.
The new company was derived from key assets including executive leadership, engineering and technologies associated with Ghosal’s previous company, IntelliNet Technologies, which sold off its mobile data offload business last year to Ruckus Wireless.
Diametriq’s go-to-market strategy includes offering lower costs and more platform flexibility, which is what smaller operators need, Ghosal said. Motorola uses the IntelliNet/Diametriq Diameter platform for its LTE deployments, and Diametriq is seeking other OEM partners, Ghosal said.
Diametriq’s Diameter Routing Engine (DRE) is designed to provide load balancing, roaming and interworking that can be customized to an operator’s specific requirements. Ghosal said Diametriq took a novel approach in that its DRE functions as an application on the Diametriq Diameter platform, which can be extended to other applications such as roamer steering or analytics. “We boast an open platform that not only provides DRA (Diameter Routing Agent)/DRE capability but you can actually put third-party apps on that platform,” he said. “This is a different way of looking at the market.”
Tekelec is the market’s early leader, but Infonetics Research says it expects at least 15 vendors to have Diameter signaling controllers by the end of 2012. Earlier this week, Tekelec announced a new policy server release, available in June 2012, which will let service providers introduce shared data plans, location-based LTE service options and enhanced over-the-top (OTT) applications with unique quality-of-service rules.
In a February report, Infonetics predicted a 106 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in vendor revenue from the Diameter signaling controller market through 2016. Besides Diametriq and Tekelec, other vendors in the arena include Acme Packet, Alcatel-Lucent (NASDAQ:ALU), Alepo, Amdocs, Aricent, Comptel, F5 Networks, Openet and Traffix.
