Open Insight #12
(Click here to read the Swedish version)
Welcome to Open Insight, our blog for investors. This is where you can find out more about our offering and market position, our progress, our challenges and our growth.
The first six months of the year delivered significant progress. Our forward looking approach to 5G synch resulted in us developing a new, innovative product for the market. This development project is currently going through an intense phase with several workstreams running in parallel, but as with all major technology projects, it is important to be patient and understand that they often take longer than originally hoped. In this issue, we will tell you more about our current activities.
Field testing provides valuable in and output for all parties
Work is currently underway to improve our algorithms. The changes are driven from the experiences we have gained from our installations in the field. The constant inflow of data from the 5G mobile networks and other networks where time synchronization is a system critical function, together with the close relationship we have with our customers, ensure that we can deliver in the most demanding user situations. This area is one of the most important ones in our product development. By constantly developing, gathering results and repeatedly testing, the field testing of the actual network becomes an integral part of what benefits both us and our customers.
The customers often want to test the most challenging network scenarios. It is always satisfying to witness how impressed they are by the results.
Focus on user friendly functionality and security
Other areas that we are currently focusing on are user friendly functionality and security. As the networks progress towards cloud architecture with increased virtualization, it is vital that our products and solutions meet the security requirements whilst still being user friendly. In this area, we again work together with our customers to make the transition to cloud as smooth as possible, whilst at the same time, maintaining current operational routines.
Operational costs reduced and faster 5G roll-out
The biggest advantage with our 5G solution is that we are disaggregate the actual synchronization from the hardware so the mobile operator can handle the synch in the same way as other network functionality. Another important aspect of the solution is that we gather and show a large amount of synch related data which is then presented to the user in a flexible manner.
Telemetry and data, the foundation of data driven decision support
In addition to the synchronization functionality, the customer also receives a completely different service solution, which is invaluable. Enabled by telemetry, data collected remotely from the networks, our algorithms can optimize solutions. A big advantage is the new unique way the customer can visualize how the network works, analyze where the problems lie and as a result perform data driven trouble shooting and optimization. The operators can therefore monitor and continually improve their networks in a better and more operatively reliable way.
Promising results with our unique algorithm
The biggest challenge with the 5G networks is handling the asymmetries that arise in the networks, that is, the variation in latency in the uplink compared to the downlink. This creates significant constant time errors which previously, in the 3G and 4G networks, had not been notable.
Rather than trying to eliminate the asymmetry hops with different, often costly technological solutions, we identify the change immediately when it occurs and directly and automatically compensate for the new asymmetry.
This is completely unique to Net Insight’s solution. The results of our algorithms that we are currently developing in collaboration with our customers in their networks are very promising and provide us with valuable competitive advantage.
Robust solution for variations in latency
Another major challenge is the variation in latency. We have a solid patent portfolio and vast experience of synch from digital TV networks which we have utilized and developed further for the mobile networks. Due to our innovative algorithms, we have a robust solution for variations which enables us to handle completely different situations compared to our competitors.
Evidence of this is a comparison that one of our customers carried out between Net Insight’s technology and the more traditional “Precision Time Protocol” which is used by other synch providers in the market. The requirement of the 5G technology is a maximum time error of one microsecond, which Net Insight succeeded in delivering with a good margin of error, whilst the competitor delivered 10-100 times outside of this requirement.
Increases in Nimbra Edge sales continues
The leading service provider Globecast, with its head office in France, has been a customer of ours for many years. The company has a large installation base of Nimbra products in its global media network in which they have now also installed our cloud based, Nimbra Edge solution. The main cluster is located in Globecast’s own cloud environment in Paris, which together with nine other regions provides media services and other temporary services 24/7/365. Our latest deal with Globecast contributes to the positive trend of increased Nimbra Edge sales.
Happy Summer!
It has been a hectic and eventful first six months for Net Insight. I am very pleased with what we have achieved so far and it is with confidence I look forward to a continuously strong fall.
I would like to wish you all a happy Summer!
Crister Fritzson, CEO Net Insight