Maxtec Limited`s Open Workstations and Services (OWS), which focuses on Network Attached Storage (NAS) and e-commerce enabling infrastructure, competes in the newest and fastest growing segment of data communications market - the market for high-performance Web infrastructure products.
In 1999 the demand for value-added IP networking devices in speeding up Web traffic was expected to grow 157% from $290 million in 1998 to over $740 million in 1999; and as real businesses enter the virtual world, this figure is expected to double, or even triple in the future.
It is in this niche that OWS has formed a strategic alliance with Alteon WebSystems, a leading provider of next generation Internet infrastructure solutions designed to enable e-businesses to meet the demands resulting from the rapid growth of the World Wide Web.
Alteon`s award wining products include a family of modular and stackable Web switches, intelligent traffic control software and high speed Ethernet server adapters, delivering the ultimate in high performance traffic management functions including local and global server load balancing, application redirection, packet filtering, and support for content-intelligent switching such as URL-based redirection and load balancing.
Explaining the philosophy behind the server load balancing technology Robert Mustarde, Alteon`s regional sales manager in northern Europe said, "Web switches determine the best site based on server health, proximity to the client and server response time. Web switches automatically exchange this information with all other Web switches. With a global view of every site`s performance, each Web switch develops a list of the best responding sites, and then directs traffic in proportion to the sites` performance measurements."
Alteon WebSystems sells its products directly and indirectly through value-added resellers, distributors and OEM partners. "The OWS and Alteon alliance has already seen six successful web caching / hosting installations in Southern Africa amounting to R3 000 000 over the past 12 months; including installations at M-Web and Internet Solutions, as well as Shoprite Checkers," boasts Maxtec`s CEO George Talbot.
Maxtec will be recommending these products to a wide variety of customers including web site hosters, Internet service providers, content publishers, portals, e-commerce companies and traditional corporations to improve the scalability, performance and accessibility of servers on IP-based networks.
The Alteon range of products` enable local ISPs to save on their bandwidth requirements through local and global server load balancing. Since bandwidth is the single highest cost to the ISP, this product holds significant benefits for clients.
"If you rely on your Web site to make money, an Alteon switch investment should pay off in more satisfied customers," motivates managing director of OWS Ron Elvin, "The switch ensures that web store fronts are available and responsive to the browsing public 24 hours a day, avoiding situations such as server overloading or downtime. Upgrading of infrastructure can now also be done whilst remaining on-line, with traffic rerouted to other servers. Further, network managers can configure and monitor all switch functions via standard web browsers, SNMP applications and CLI from the console port or via Telnet."
Abroad, Alteon`s Web switching products have been selected by iBEAM Broadcasting(tm) Corporation to support its innovative Multimedia Distribution Network.
The partnership between the companies and integration of Web switching technology into iBEAM`s infrastructure satisfies an increasing customer demand by content providers and Internet Service Providers for the delivery of higher quality online multimedia services such as Webcasting and Multimedia On-Demand.
Unlike any other company to date, iBEAM(tm) has created the world`s largest satellite-based narrowband and broadband network infrastructure specifically optimized to deliver near DVD-quality audio and video content over the Internet.
The Web switch was also recently named as the Editors` Choice by Ziff Davis` PC Magazine UK, in one of the most comprehensive and independent server load balancing reviews performed to date, demonstrating its leadership in the market it pioneered.
Listed on the Nasdaq market as ATON, Alteon WebSystems has been in operation for 3 1/2 years and now has a staff complement of 300 professionals and has offices across the globe. The company expects to expand to a vanguard of 600 to 700 professionals by the end of the year if it grows in accordance with its market.
Share
