Extreme adds streaming media acceleration module

Extreme Networks is offering a new module for its BlackDiamond Gigabit Ethernet switch that is designed to help customers deliver high volumes of multimedia traffic efficiently:

Extreme’s Streaming Media Accelerator (SMA) module is a new product based on Triumph. With the hardware-based streaming technology, the company says SMA-based streaming is easier to manage and less expensive to deploy than a network full of IP multicast-enabled routers.

SMA lets up to 80,000 subscribers attach to media streams replicated from one server and a BlackDiamond switch. The SMA module acts as a proxy between a streaming media server and subscriber PCs, and recognizes clients that are subscribers to a certain media stream. Streamed content from the server is buffered in the SMA module and sent to subscribers over the network. No other network gear needs to be configured for supporting multicast protocols, the company says, and fewer servers are required to serve up the content.

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