BCD Forum Proposes Solution for Assuring Predictable Quality of Service Across the Internet; Solution Will Enable Carriers to Offer Premium-Quality Services.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 30, 2001

The Broadband Content Delivery Forum's (BCD Forum) Technology Work Group has identified the characteristics of a new technology needed to transparently negotiate the various quality of service (QoS) levels required to transport content and interactive services over the Internet's diverse network resources.

Dubbed a Primary Policy Control Vehicle (PPCV), this new breed of technology will function as an automated assistant for the data communications end-user, coordinating the services of different carriers along the data path to assure predictable end-to-end QoS. By integrating new access, transport and content delivery services into an end-to-end solution, carriers will be able to offer profitable, tiered service platforms.

"The current Internet protocol was not designed to deliver various QoS levels needed for today's sophisticated applications requiring guaranteed minimum bandwidth, multicasting capabilities or other specialized services," explained Wil Walkoe, co-chairman of the BCD Forum's Technology Work Group and a Sprint Corp. director of corporate strategy and development.

"So individual subscribers must subcontract with half a dozen different companies every time they want to specify the QoS for a data session -- an arduous task! The PPCV will absorb this complexity, making QoS management a reality."

The BCD Forum's proposed PPCV technology will reside in network servers. It will function by first distinguishing the delivery needs of the end-user's data session and will flag packets requiring special handling. Next it will trade control and status information with all service providers in the data path to learn what level of QoS is available to the inquiring subscriber.

If the QoS target can be met, the PPCV will enable the data session to take place at the specified time. Otherwise, the PPCV will send the subscriber a warning message containing available options, which may include delaying or canceling the session, accepting a lower QoS level or purchasing a higher level of service from the carrier. More details about PPCV characteristics are now available in a landmark document on QoS architecture residing at http://www.bcdforum.org/public/library/forum_docstech.html.

"The PPCV offers a win-win situation for all members of the value chain and an extra plus for the companies that create the technology," stated Michael Vernick, co-chairman of the BCD Forum's Technology Work Group and principal researcher for Lucent Technologies' Bell Labs.

"Carriers can use a PPCV to attract more customers by guaranteeing QoS, and ultimately, application quality. Carriers can sell premium services at a higher profit to help recoup their investment in network infrastructure."

The BCD Forum is collaborating with other leading industry consortia working on QoS issues, including the Open Group (www.opengroup.org/qos) and TeleManagement Forum (www.telemanagement.org), both focused on QoS for the enterprise market.

The BCD Forum is also preparing an informational Request for Comment (RFC) for review of the proposed PPCV at the next Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) meeting. Additionally, the BCD Forum's Business Work Group is creating a companion to the Technology Work Group's PPCV document on the business advantages of predictable QoS.

"The BCD Forum's QoS recommendations are a major asset for the broadband industry, developed in a cooperative environment by representatives from many of the leading broadband infrastructure companies," stated Will Biedron, chairman of the board. "The BCD Forum is extremely proud of this and our other accomplishments, and we're confident that we can help propel our industry forward."

Aside from QoS recommendations, the BCD Forum's Technology Work Group has recently refined and finalized its Requirements for End-to-End Delivery of Broadband Content document, available for viewing on http://www.bcdforum.org/public/library/forum_docstech.html.

This document will soon be submitted to the IETF for review. Other Technology Work Group efforts include multicast and caching uses, integrating broadband network elements in relation to the end-to-end delivery reference model and developing requirements for broadband personalization.

About the BCD Forum

The Broadband Content Delivery Forum (BCD Forum) is an independent, non-profit trade association that addresses both the technology and business issues affecting the end-to-end delivery of broadband content and services to consumers and businesses.

Members, which include some of the most important players in the broadband industry, work collaboratively to gain consensus on technology and business requirements, document collective thinking and share findings with standard bodies.

For more information about the BCD Forum, visit www.bcdforum.org.