Ixia Raises the Bar for Cellular Offload Testing

CALABASAS, CA, (October 18, 2011) – Ixia (NASDAQ: XXIA), a leading, global provider of converged network testing solutions, today announced the availability of an innovative testing methodology that redefines the process for evaluating Wi-Fi cellular offload. Ixia’s IxVeriWave validates true Wi-Fi service capacity and quality, as opposed to current solutions that are limited to simply checking network availability. By expanding beyond traditional site surveys, operators can now gauge and fine-tune Wi-Fi networks to deliver a much higher quality of experience (QoE) for end users.

Cellular offload introduces new demands well beyond those of traditional Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi access has been viewed as non-mission-critical, and the network often saw relatively light use. Historically, Wi-Fi operators have optimized for network “coverage,” rather than capacity and service quality. In modern offload networks, however, service providers are using Wi-Fi networks as an extension of their 3G/4G networks. Cellular offload demands that the Wi-Fi network deliver a satisfactory experience to many concurrent users in high-density, high-demand locations. In this environment, the Wi-Fi access network becomes a critical infrastructure element for the cellular network, and unsatisfactory user experiences on Wi-Fi can result in the loss of high-margin smartphone customers.

“Wi-Fi is now essential to the future success of cellular operators everywhere,” said Craig Matthias, a Principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm Farpoint Group. “Site surveys yield little useful information beyond coverage alone. Test and verification solutions like Ixia’s IxVeriWave are essential in fully understanding the capacity of carrier Wi-Fi networks and the QoE experienced by customers. Today, it’s all about capacity, which is truly the key to success.”

Ixia’s IxVeriWave is designed to test wireless LAN networks using a client-centric model. This approach delivers repeatable, large-scale, real-world test scenarios that are virtually impossible to create by any other means. By emulating large numbers of clients, traffic mixes, and Wi-Fi-connected devices rather than rolling hundreds of devices on carts, IxVeriWave's functional and performance analysis system reduces test cycles from months to days and delivers value unobtainable in any other alternative. As a result, IxVeriWave offers efficiency gains and cost reductions, along with the capability to identify problems early in development and QA cycles.

Ixia has developed a standardized methodology for testing Wi-Fi, outlined in Cellular Offload: Site Deployment Best Practices Guide. This comprehensive guide defines key principles and best practices for testing next-generation Wi-Fi deployments, including:

Using application traffic in addition to signal strength as measurement sources

Reporting customer satisfaction metrics

Using the same high-value client devices as network users

Testing network scalability prior to heavy usage at events

Isolating client behavior from network behavior

“Ixia’s Wi-Fi solution improves the customer experience by maximizing the capacity and performance of Wi-Fi cellular offload, while simultaneously lowering the cost to deliver data for the service provider,” said Joe Zeto, senior manager, marketing development at Ixia. “IxVeriWave introduces a new testing paradigm that highlights not just Wi-Fi availability, but service quality that affects users’ experience.”