Adds Virtualization and Wi-Fi Enhancements
PerfTech announces a major upgrade, Version 4, of its Bulletin System in-browser messaging product. Bulletin System currently delivers more ISP communications to more devices in North America than any other in-browser communications product. Version 4 offers significant increases in:
· capacity and performance
· Wi-Fi network capabilities
Capacity and Performance
As mergers and acquisitions result in bigger and bigger networks, capacity and performance become key factors in tools designed for managing networks and, in the case of PerfTech, in reaching subscriber populations for in-browser message delivery. Version 4 can attribute its exponentially larger capacity and faster performance to these two factors:
· 64-bit operating system foundation, and
· virtualization
Implications of 64-Bit OS Architecture
Version 4 represents a rewrite of the Bulletin System product using 64-bit operating system architecture, enabling the product to scale to handle hundreds of millions or even billions of subscribers, depending on memory availability. It also incorporates certain operating system enhancements, including a much higher performance file system and more opportunity for direct integrations with external facilities that will propel future enhancements. Using existing Bulletin System hardware that is currently deployed in dozens of ISP networks, upgrading to Version 4 will increase capacity of the Bulletin Manager from 15M to 50M+ subscribers, while more than doubling performance of the Bulletin Director.
Implications of Virtualization
With Version 4, ISPs have the option to execute the Bulletin System Manager in a virtual machine, enabling the system to take advantage of the features associated with VM ware. Operating in virtual mode, Bulletin System’s capacity is constrained only by available memory, and can support monster networks with subscriber populations that are essentially unlimited in number.
Increased Capacity and Performance While Maintaining Centralized Management
Note that unlike competing in-browser messaging systems, Bulletin System maintains a complete, active subscriber database that retains subscriber preferences, data, and opt-in/outs on a permanent basis. Given that the system is able to track and time-stamp multiple pending, prioritized, and delivered messages and responses per individual subscriber and accommodate all subscribers simultaneously, the ability to so vastly increase capacity while improving performance is dramatic.
Wi-Fi Enhancements
Due to the desire of many ISPs to expand the scope of messaging use cases within their Wi-Fi environments, Version 4 recognizes and supports port-block allocations by wireless access gateways, enabling ISPs to tie Wi-Fi network activity to an individual and target communications by various criteria for a playbook of use cases. Bulletin System uses responsive techniques for creating message content that inherently format content for a wide scope of devices.
Ease of Upgrading to Version 4
The goal of this initial release of the new-generation product is to retain functional compatibility with the previous version, 3.4. All external interfaces and internal databases are compatible. The GUI, API, and CLI remain the same for now. The product can thus be upgraded or downgraded between versions with no noticeable loss in functionality—the significant differences are capacity and performance. This strategy allows customers to move seamlessly to the new version while using a familiar interface.
Availability
Version 4.1 has been installed in two major customer sites for approximately 6 months, as well as in various labs, and is available on request. The upgrade is free of charge for all current licensees.