Stoke, Inc.

Products: SSX Advantages

Deployment Costs: Stoke Session Exchange Vs. Legacy Systems
Network components perform best when applied to the task for which they were designed. Attempting to re-purpose legacy systems to meet new requirements can create significant performance limitations and result in operators paying 4 to 5 times more per subscriber as compared to the Stoke Session Exchange.

Retrofitting Possible, But Not Practical
Routers have proven extremely proficient at performing the function for which they were designed - forwarding traffic. Adding contemporary edge requirements significantly compromises routing performance, capacity, and functionality, and is often very expensive. Moreover, when required functionality cannot be inserted into the router chassis, separate appliances are recommended, creating another bump on the wire, another set of systems to manage, and more rack space and power consumed.

Take an example of refitting a popular edge router to meet broadband mobile session management requirements. Two key functions that need to be added are IPSec for securing subscriber communications, and applications awareness for classifying and controlling traffic. This vendor offers application specific IPSec processor blades for the chassis, but application awareness is accomplished through discrete-function DPI appliances. As adjunct functions, IPSec and DPI appliance processing capacities do not line up with the router's capacity, and operators have to balance functional or capacity deficiencies in some areas against overbuilding in others.

When configured to secure all subscriber sessions, system throughput is reduced from 100s of Gbps to 25 Gbps, and 25 Gbps of traffic requires many 2 Gbps DPI appliances to process all of the traffic. The resulting configuration supports 80,000 encrypted sessions, but total equipment price rises to more than $1.3M, or more than $16.00 per subscriber. What's more, the system nearly consumes an entire 7' rack.

The Cost Benefits of Stoke's Contemporary Architecture
An equivalent function SSX-3000 solution delivers the contemporary access network requirements for 1/4 of the cost of a retrofit router. With Stoke's solution there are no extraneous appliances to deploy or manage, and it delivers greater encrypted throughput (16 Gbps) for more subscribers (96,000), while consuming only 5 rack units.

Stoke delivers breakthrough price / performance benefits when compared with legacy equipment, and when operational costs are 2 or 3 times the equipment purchase cost, the differential cannot be ignored. The SSX dramatically reduces the cost and complexity of retooling the network edge.

One Edge Fits All
Operators no longer have the option to build discrete networks for delivering new services, and must plan instead on networks and network elements that deliver maximum service flexibiity.

With its innovative architecture and contemporary design focus, the Stoke Session Exchange enables the transition to a "one edge fits all" world. With its combined set of session management capabilities, multi-access support, performance scalability, and pay as you grow economies, the SSX enables operators to deliver service over current and future access network technology without disruptive network modifications, new equipment evaluation and certification, and without clumsy bolt-on functionality.

Aligning with Evolution to 4G
Radio access technologies and core network architectures are on standards-driven evolutionary paths, however "anywhere" Internet service demand is driving an evolution at the edge ahead of 4G standards. Stoke assures alignment with network and air interface evolution by delivering many of the objectives the standards are being developed for, including lowering overall network latency, providing greater throughput downstream and up, supporting multiple access technologies, and optimizing for packet and IP. In addition, SSX system design provides the horsepower and flexibility needed to support WiMAX and LTE access networks, and meets evolving session management requirements. Stoke's active participation in standards bodies and deep engagement with network operators ensures feature alignment with customer needs.