Acterna Unveils PathTrak Version 2.3 Return Path Monitoring System at The Western Show 2003, Booth # 815.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

The Western Show 2003

GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 2, 2003

Directly Impacts Quality and Performance of VoIP and Other Services by Monitoring HFC Return Path for Unwanted Ingress and Noise

Acterna today announced the availability of the PathTrak Version 2.3 Return Path Monitoring System, the latest version of the company's innovative return path solution. This newest version offers industry-first capabilities and is a critical monitoring component for the deployment of trouble-free high speed services such as VoIP. On display at The Western Show 2003, Anaheim, CA, December 3-5, booth # 815, version 2.3 simplifies the complex task of monitoring HFC return path for the noise disruptions that typically strip the network of effective return bandwidth and service quality.

Specifically, the new features of PathTrak version 2.3 enable administrators to automatically create a baseline monitoring plan from performance history, saving several hours of labor associated with manually setting alarm levels for every frequency point. It also allows users to automatically record and analyze massive amounts of data on every return, even while field technicians are troubleshooting live headend spectrum views with Field View option on their Acterna meters. Other features include hardware independent server software and enhanced back-up server software.

"If you are deploying VoIP or other critical real-time services you need a system that ensures you can provide service without interruptions due to excessive noise and ingress -- Acterna's PathTrak system is the only return-path solution powerful enough to deliver real-time monitoring, data log-in and remote spectrum views on field meters," said Bill Robertson, vice president of marketing for Acterna's cable networks division. "Now, PathTrak Version 2.3 can either run on the customer's existing PathTrak server or on new hardware purchased separately by the customer for increased speed, data capacity, and consolidation of network data to a single server for complete central control."

PathTrak continues to provide an effective and proactive solution to return path management. Return plant issues are monitored continuously so that threatening noise and ingress can be pinpointed to a specific node before it impacts service performance. The three-dimensional monitoring view of multiple ports or nodes makes the system highly efficient to use. Also, PathTrak Field View option on SDA and DSAM field meters enables technicians to isolate the specific branch of the node that is responsible for the plant degradation, greatly reducing MTTR (Mean Time to Repair), increasing customer satisfaction and improving maintenance efficiency by reducing multiple truck-rolls.

About Acterna

Acterna is the world's largest provider of communications test solutions for telecommunications and cable network operators. A trusted communications test partner for more than eight decades, Acterna offers an unmatched portfolio of award-winning instruments, systems, software and services that help its customers reduce network costs while improving performance and reliability. Headquartered in Germantown, Maryland, USA - with European and Asia-Pacific operations based in Eningen, Germany and Hong Kong - Acterna serves nearly every major communications service provider and equipment manufacturer around the world through a skilled sales and support organization in 31 countries.