NTAP--RuleSpace and Network Appliance Partner to Provide New Generation of Network Services
BUSINESS WIRE - May 08, 2000 06:16
LAS VEGAS, May 8, 2000 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
"Content-Aware" Applications to Utilize ICAP Standard to Enable Value-Added Solutions
RuleSpace Inc., the leader in instant Web content recognition, and Network Appliance, Inc. (Nasdaq:NTAP), the leading provider of network-attached data access and content management solutions, today announced plans to jointly develop several value-added services utilizing the Internet Content Adaptation Protocol (ICAP).
Under the agreement, the two companies will use the standard protocol to integrate RuleSpace's Web content recognition technology with Network Appliance(TM) network caching appliances. These ICAP-enabled applications will enable consistent, accurate Internet filtering, more efficient network management, anonymous user profiling and relevant, targeted online advertising.
ICAP is an open protocol that enables communication between edge content devices, such as Web caches, and application servers that modify content for the edge content device. Companies that use these scalable, content-aware, intelligent applications will be able to create new revenue opportunities by delivering value-added services such as family-friendly online services and prioritized traffic management. These solutions, built specifically for large ISPs, online advertising networks, enterprise/corporate networks, portals and Web sites, will be available in the second half of 2000.
"By using ICAP to tightly integrate RuleSpace's automated Web content categorization services with the NetCache(TM) platform, companies will have a scalable, cost-effective solution that improves network performance and better manages access to Web content," stated Amit Pandey, director of NetCache for Network Appliance. "RuleSpace's unique ability to effectively categorize Web pages on-the-fly, especially dynamic content, is really what makes this large-scale approach to intelligently managing Web content possible."
Based on rules defined in NetCache's access control list, NetCache will post content to RuleSpace's Contexion Services. Contexion either serves a category rating for the URL if the page is known or analyzes the page's contents in real time. The category rating enables NetCache to take further action, such as potentially blocking access to the Web page.
"Delivery of value-added services is the ultimate benefit of ICAP. Using the protocol to integrate Web content recognition within the infrastructure makes the NetApp(R) NetCache platform `content-aware' and enables a new generation of Internet applications," commented Charlie Kawasaki, president and CEO of RuleSpace. "Working closely with an innovator like Network Appliance validates the usefulness of Contexion Services, and will enable the quick delivery of intelligent solutions to address our mutual customers' network access challenges."
The Contexion Approach
Contexion Services uses two complementary techniques for categorizing the Web: content and context analysis. The content analysis component of Contexion examines all textual attributes of an incoming Web page in real-time including words, phrases, meta data and page structure. Once the attributes have been recognized, they are compared to a "rulespace" -- a unique set of attributes for each category created by RuleSpace's neural networks. If the attributes of the Web page resemble those of the rulespace, the page is classified as a member of that specific category. Rulespaces are integrated within an application, enabling the quick and precise analysis of massive amounts of live data in a fraction of the time it would take for manual review.
The second technique, context analysis, places a category rating to a Web page by analyzing its association to its subdirectory and parent Web site. Web pages themselves often do not contain enough text to resolve the natural ambiguities of words. To address this challenge, Contexion continually categorizes the Web offline to determine the category ratings of all known Web sites and high-level subdirectories. These ratings provide context for any Web page. The Category Name Server, which stores these ratings, currently contains millions of pre-categorized Web sites -- effectively representing the entire Web.
The combination of both techniques-content and context analysis-results in instant Web content recognition, providing scalable, precise categorization of all Web content for Internet applications and services.
About ICAP
The ICAP Forum is hosted by Akamai Technologies and Network Appliance, and is joined by leading Internet companies including content delivery service providers, application developers, and Internet infrastructure companies. Forum members participating in the development of ICAP include: AdForce, Advertising.com, Allaire Corporation, Anystream, Appliant, Inc., BroadVision, Capella, Cidera, Cobalt Networks, Compaq, Direct Hit, DoubleClick, eBuilt, Ecliptic, eColor, Engage, Entera, Finjan Software, Fresher Information, Frictionless Commerce, Gomez, Google, Idiom, Idini, iKnowledge, InfoLibria, Ingeniux, iWeb.com, Izar, Kanda Software, Lionbridge Technologies, Mirror Image Internet, Navisite, Network Associates, Novell, N2H2, Oki, Open Market, Optibase, Oracle Corp., Pandesic, Predictive Networks, PictureWorks, RuleSpace, Secure Computing, SightPath, StarBurst Software, Symantec Corp., Trend Micro, Inc., Vignette Corporation, Websense, and WWWhoosh. Instructions on how to participate in development of the protocol are available on the ICAP web site at www.i-cap.org or by contacting partners@i-cap.org.
About RuleSpace, Inc.
RuleSpace, Inc. is a privately held corporation located in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1996, RuleSpace provides automated Web content recognition technology and services that instantly recognize Web content and facilitate the delivery of relevant Web information. Solutions powered by RuleSpace technology enable Network Access Vendors, Online Marketers, and Portals and Dot-coms, to deliver more meaningful and appropriate information to users as they surf the Web. Unlike human review using keyword technologies, RuleSpace technology keeps pace with the explosion of Web content.
About Network Appliance
Network Appliance, a veteran in network file serving and caching, has been providing data access solutions since 1992, and is a member of both the S+P 500 and NASDAQ 100 index. Major corporations and ISPs, including Lycos, Yahoo!, Citicorp Securities, Siemens, Lockheed, Cisco, Motorola, and Texas Instruments have deployed NetApp solutions. NetApp Internet caching solutions (NetCache appliances) and file servers (filers) deliver fast, simple, reliable and cost-effective access to network-stored data and enable simultaneous shared file services for UNIX(R), Windows NT(R) and the World Wide Web.
The company pioneered the concept of the "network appliance," an extension of the industry trend toward dedicated, specialized products that perform a single function. Network Appliance(TM) filers and NetCache appliances are based on the company's innovative data access software known as the Data ONTAP(TM) operating system and standards-compliant hardware. More information is available at www.netapp.com.
NetApp and the Network Appliance logo are registered trademarks and Network Appliance, NetCache, and Data ONTAP are trademarks of Network Appliance, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S and other countries. UNIX is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Limited. All other brands or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and should be treated as such.
RuleSpace and Contexion are trademarks of RuleSpace, Incorporated. Answering the World Wide What is a service mark of RuleSpace, Inc. All other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies.
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