Juniper and Microsoft used this week’s GlobalComm 2006 conference to announce an agreement to deliver security systems for IPTV.
Juniper is offering its NetScreen network security systems to service provider customers of the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition, software that help network operators create and deliver digital TV services, such as interactive program guides, digital video recording, high-definition TV, and on-demand programming. The Juniper Firewall and Firewall IDP products complement the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition content security mechanisms to help protect the infrastructure from malicious traffic and attacks such as worms, trojans, spyware and application layer threats, Juniper said.
In addition, Juniper will offer various security consulting services that assist operators to assess service infrastructure vulnerabilities and design network security solutions, the company said.
The Juniper security products include:
* NetScreen-5200 and NetScreen-5400 Integrated Firewall/IPSec VPN appliances;
* Integrated Security Gateway (ISG) 1000 and 2000 with Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP) appliances;
* NetScreen-Security Manager, a centralized management system to control all of the Juniper Firewall/IPSec VPN appliances.
Separately, Juniper also announced at GlobalComm the Open IPTV and Multiplay Initiative, a program designed to enable providers to deploy IPTV and multiplay service offerings using “open, flexible and best-of-breed” networks. The first phase of this initiative is the Open IP Service Creation Program, which is designed to attract content and application service providers, complementary service infrastructure providers and third-party developers to write applications for Juniper’s SDX-300 Service Deployment System.
The SDX-300 controls network resources and provides service management functionality. To date, a number of companies have built interfaces to or software applications for the Juniper SDX-300, including Microsoft, Siemens, IBM, RealNetworks, Ellacoya and Tropos Networks.
Juniper also said it enhanced its E-series Broadband Service Routers with support for standards that enable providers to deploy converged voice, data, video and wireless – or “multiplay” – services.
The E-series now supports the IETF’s L2CP, a standard that enables the routers to communicate with third-party platforms, such as DSLAMs, sharing information about access line rates, service mix types and service agreements. The E-series also now supports the DSL Forum’s Technical Report 101 (TR-101), which facilitates multiplay service delivery over a range of broadband access technologies.
TR-101 enables service providers to evolve their DSL access networks to support faster access rates to introduce new services.
Juniper has taken heat recently for allowing rival Alcatel to gain market share in edge routing through its presence in IPTV. Juniper has been criticized by analysts for lacking the system integration component they deem necessary to gain substantial traction in IPTV.
Juniper has countered by claiming its routers are deployed in the largest IPTV networks in the world.
