Spirent Expands Testing Platform into UMTS Market

US : Spirent Communications announced significant enhancements to the company's flagship APEX Application Test System, including support for UMTS air interfaces and a new modular software architecture. The enhancements allow service providers and wireless device manufacturers to react swiftly and cost-effectively to leading-edge data services coming to market.

The Spirent APEX Applications Test System plays a key role in testing performance and reliability of wireless data services for EV-DO handsets. Spirent has now expanded the APEX platform capability to include UMTS air interfaces for application testing, beginning immediately with a test software module that addresses the unique needs of HSDPA data throughput performance.

The data rates and services offered by 3G technologies have led to an explosion of application deployments and subscribers. According to figures from market research firm Ovum, the total expenditure worldwide on application deployment alone is expected to reach $75 billion by 2008. As the user base grows, so does the need to reliably test high-speed data applications to ensure end-user satisfaction with new devices and the services they support.

"With the number and complexity of 3G applications constantly increasing, it's critical that operators and device manufacturers can smoothly deliver advanced features and applications to end users," said Rob Van Brunt, vice president of Marketing for Spirent's Wireless & Positioning Division. "The Spirent APEX Applications Test System is powerful enough to automate performance testing for the latest wireless data applications and flexible enough to grow as new test requirements evolve."

The Spirent APEX Applications Test System offers a future-proof extensible platform. Network operators and device manufacturers can select the software modules needed to address specific areas of application testing across major 3G air interfaces and emerging next generation interfaces. This translates into less complexity, lower testing costs and a future-proof solution that allows operators and device manufacturers to quickly and reliably test mobile-resident and network-based applications, such as video services. In summary, the key benefits of the Spirent APEX Applications Test System include:

-- Real-time state machine that provides repeatable, controllable and correct timing testing;

-- The ability for operators and device makers to pick and choose software modules needed to save on testing costs; and

-- Future-expandability to include testing for emerging technologies such as video services.

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