Some companies to keep an eye on:
Data Communication's top 25 startups
(...in alphabetical order)
Accelerated Networks Inc.
(Moorpark, Calif.)
Focus, focus, focus. That's the mantra at this outfit, which wants to do one thing and one thing well: build integrated access gear for on- demand services. If this market takes off, Accelerated could grab a speedy lead. It's the only vendor that boasts boxes for both central offices and customer premises.
www.acceleratednetworks.com
Advanced Switching Communications Inc.
(ASC, Vienna, Va.)
This vendor is betting its venture capital on a stack 'em high, sell 'em cheap scheme. Its multiservice access concentrators can be racked and stacked like Ethernet hubs and should save CLECs (competitive local exchange carriers) a bundle on traditional telco gear. Its Rbox series could give RBOCs a run for their money: They get CLECs in the door at central offices (COs) for an initial outlay of just $10,000.
www.asc1.com
Allot Communications Inc.
(Los Gatos, Calif.)
What's in a name? Clearly a lot at this vendor of IP tools: Its AC200 and AC300 pack a traffic tuner, policy server, load balancer, network cache, firewall features, and accounting services into one box-all linked through common traffic and management policies.
www.allot.com
Argon Networks Inc.
(Littleton, Mass.)
Here's a vendor with flex appeal. Argon's gigabit router/ATM switch can be configured for either protocol on a port-by-port basis-without changing interfaces. The vendor hopes its double-whammy will grab a piece of both markets. Beta shipments begin the first half of next year.
www.argonnetworks.com
Bridgewater Systems Corp.
(Kanata, Ontario)
One-size-fits-all: That's been the Internet thus far. Bridgewater's Widespan IP-provisioning software allows ISPs to offer different classes of Internet service-say, Bronze, Silver, and Gold-and charge accordingly.
www.bridgewatersys.com
Castle Networks Inc.
(Westford, Mass.)
This startup has big plans on a small budget: It's building a Class 5 circuit switch that can go head to head with offerings from market leaders Lucent Technologies Inc. (Murray Hill, N.J.) and Northern Telecom Ltd. (Nortel, Mississauga, Ontario)-at about one-tenth the price. What's the key to keeping costs down? A distributed architecture that leverages the intelligence of brainier boxes at bigger COs. If CLECs want to get into smaller COs and deliver local service, this gear could save them millions.
www.castlenetworks.com
Copper Mountain Networks Inc.
(Palo Alto, Calif.)
It's easy to complain about telecom reform. Copper Mountain turned it into an opportunity. Its SDSL (symmetric digital subscriber line) equipment turned out to be just the ticket for CLECs eager to deploy DSL to corporate customers. The vendor's DSLAMs (DSL access multiplexers) are already up and running at several serious service providers, including Uunet Technologies Inc. (Fairfax, Va.).
www.coppermountain.com
Flowwise Networks Inc.
(San Jose, Calif.)
Profit from other vendors' problems? It's a time-honored tradition in free-market capitalism, and Flowwise is in the vanguard of vendors building products to address the poor performance of Cisco's 7000 Series routers. Its Router Accelerator 7000 goes to the heart of the hassles: It actually slots into Cisco's chassis.
www.flowwise.com
Indus River Networks Inc.
(Acton, Mass.)
So what if end-users at remote sites can't tell a modem from a mouse? Indus River's VPN (virtual private network) hardware lets thousands of far-flung users dial in over the Internet, while its desktop/laptop software automates the connection process. The vendor says its central- site software is just as easy on net managers. They can set policies and config files and then download them across the 'Net.
www.indusriver.com
Infolibria Inc.
(Waltham, Mass.)
Three years of academic research spawned Infolibria, a developer of high-end distributed caching devices. Despite its ivory-tower antecedents, however, the vendor has a down-to-earth focus on ISPs and large corporate accounts. It's working with GTE Internetworking (Cambridge, Mass.) to deploy distributed caches on the ISP's backbone, and the company's executive team includes veterans from Motorola Inc. (Schaumburg, Ill.), Netedge Systems Inc. (Research Triangle Park, N.C.), and Tylink Corp. (Norton, Mass.).
www.infolibria.com
Juniper Networks
(Mountain View, Calif.)
Remember David and Goliath? Juniper's M40 Internet Backbone Router is being billed as a Cisco killer, which could make this vendor the acquisition target of the year. Even Cisco Systems Inc. (San Jose, Calif.) admits that Juniper's core router outperforms its 12000 Series routers.
www.juniper.net
Manage.Com Inc.
(Santa Clara, Calif.)
Rather than just slapping a browser onto an SNMP platform, Manage.Com relies on Java applets to gather performance stats from network devices and connections. What's the payoff? The vendor's Frontline Manager outperforms today's management systems, costs half as much, and doesn't demand pricey add-ons and customization.
www.manage.com
Mirapoint Inc. (Menlo Park, Calif.)
Setting up and overseeing e-mail doesn't have to be a task for computer scientists. Mirapoint's MX100 and MX1000 are goof-proof e-mail systems in a single box. Once the rackmounted product is plugged into the network, it configures itself and steps even the most technically challenged user through a series of screens to set up Internet mailboxes. The whole deal takes about 10 minutes.
www.mirapoint.com
Net Insight AB
(Stockholm, Sweden)
Who says circuit switching is yesterday's technology? Net Insight has revamped the retirement-age scheme. Its DTM (dynamic synchronous transfer mode) switches set up 2.5-Gbit/s circuits in a fraction of a millisecond. Different types of traffic run over different connections, radically simplifying QOS (quality of service) for carriers.
www.netinsight.se
Nexabit Networks Inc.
(Marlborough, Mass.)
This vendor's terabit router could be either the hottest box or the biggest flop-depending on how fast the Internet grows. Nexabit is counting on DWDM (dense wavelength-division multiplexing) to send Internet core capacity supernova. If that happens, Nexabit will be ready: Its switching fabric can field 6.4 Tbit/s, and it has the only router with OC192 (10-Gbit/s) interfaces. What if Nexabit guesses wrong? Say bye-bye.
www.nexabit.com
Ratexchange Inc.
(San Francisco)
Buy! Sell! This online bandwidth brokerage lets carriers and corporate networkers auction off or snap up spare capacity and circuit- and packet-switched minutes-undercutting the deepest discounts offered in long-term contracts. Successful bidders can access their telecom throughput instantly through Ratexchange's own switches.
www.ratexchange.com
Redstone Communications Inc.
(Westford, Mass.)
Redstone clearly wants to be a heavy hitter. It and Nortel are the only vendors out there with edge-aggregation routers targeted at ISPs (Internet service providers). And big backing from former Cascade execs puts some solid weight behind its scheme. What's the pitch? Instead of using frame switches or Cisco 7500s to aggregate traffic at the edge, install this box and save a bundle.
www.redstonecom.com
Rhythms Netconnections Inc.
(Englewood, Colo.)
This nationwide, facilities-based CLEC is a real mover and shaker when it comes to business-class services for remote offices and telecommuters, like DSL (digital subscriber line), Internet access, frame relay, and legacy network integration. Competitive pricing, aggressive SLAs, and outstanding customer service add up to a very impressive alternative provider.
www.rhythms.net
Shasta Networks Inc.
(Sunnyvale, Calif.)
ISPs have a big problem: They can't make any money on flat-rate Internet services. Shasta has a big box that it says solves the problem: Its broadband RAS (remote access server) terminates thousands of IP connections and lets ISPs apply different service classes to each-charging their customers different prices for, say, encryption or top-priority transport. Shasta's top management team is as smart as its scheme: Wu-Fu Chen-one of Cascade's founders-is chief exec, while marketing and engineering talent was siphoned from Cisco's carrier division.
www.shastanets.com
Shoreline Teleworks Inc.
(Mountain View, Calif.)
Shoreline thinks it can blow away traditional PBX vendors like Lucent and Nortel with a low-cost alternative. Its CrystaLAN uses IP to carry voice calls across a campus backbone and then switches them to the desktop over existing phone wiring. Will corporate networkers buy it? They may not have a chance, if acquisition fever continues to rage. Cisco snapped up Shoreline's nearest competitor, Selsius Systems Inc. (Dallas), in October.
www.shorelineteleworks.com
Sonus Networks Inc.
(Westford, Mass.)
This startup is betting its VC bankroll on voice over IP. In fact, it thinks that all voice traffic will eventually be transported over IP, and it's building the box that can carry it. The Sonus Gateway Switch replaces conventional Class 4 CO gear and converts up to 72,000 simultaneous voice calls into IP streams.
www.sonusnet.com
Sycamore Networks Inc.
(Tewksbury, Mass.)
A wee outfit with a grand plan: Build all-optical switches that meld DWDM bandwidth brawn with high-end router brains. Once the boxes are in place there's no need to set up point-to-point DWDM links over Sonet (synchronous optical network). Sycamore is the latest project of Desh Deshpande, one of Cascade's founders.
www.sycamorenet.com
Technauts Inc.
(Morrisville, N.C.)
Remember the Internet toaster? Technauts wants to make setting up 'Net and Web services about as easy as browning bread. Its Linux-based appliance packs plenty of features into a small package-including e- mail server, Web server, publishing tools, remote access servers, and firewall.
www.technauts.com
Ukiah Software Inc. (Campbell, Calif.)
IP tools are this outfit's bag. It's been shipping a traffic shaper since January 1998. Now it's announced the other piece of the equation: a policy server that centralizes traffic management. Its APS (Active Policy System) is the first to monitor application performance and automatically adjust policies to changing network conditions.
www.ukiahsoft.com
Xacct Technologies Inc.
(Santa Clara, Calif.)
Who says the Internet is free? Xacct-usage tracking creates the equivalent of call-detail records for IP sessions. That gives ISPs like Teleglobe Inc. (Montreal) a way to bill customers for exactly the bandwidth they use, session by session.
www.xacct.com
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