Intel Corp previewed some future products aimed at internet service providers at the ISPCon show in San Jose yesterday, including a new web-caching infrastructure appliance and a multi-function network appliance aimed at small businesses. Intel also announced an upgrade of its Intel Express 550 Stackable Switch, for immediate availability, and demonstrated related technology from three of its recent acquisitions: Dialogic Corp for computer telephony, IPivot Inc for traffic management, and commerce acceleration products, and Shiva Corp for virtual private networks.
The web-caching device, developed in conjunction with Inktomi Corp, is set to be available next year, and will be the first product to incorporate a new OEM version of Inktomi’s Traffic Server software, Traffic Server Engine, also announced yesterday. It uses the Solaris operating system from Sun Microsystems Inc running on Intel hardware. Intel says the system will be sold as a turnkey appliance product.
Also demonstrated was a new small business appliance expected to ship later in the year. ISPs and VARs are expected to sell the multi-function device as a network-in-a-box, with features such as file, printer and internet access sharing, file storage and backup. It will be marketed with various operating systems.
Software upgrades to the Express 550 Switch come courtesy of SkyCache Inc, and give users the ability to add transparent web-caching capabilities to the switch, redirecting Layer4 traffic to cache servers, including the forthcoming Intel device. It speeds up response times and reduces bandwidth costs for ISPs, says Intel. The upgrade is free, and can be downloaded from Intel’s website.
Intel launched its ISP Program channel initiative at the end of June, aiming to provide bundled systems to ISPs, application service providers and VARs. Intel plans to focus on selling server and networking products to small-and medium-sized ISPs and ASPs via its traditional sales channels, and also sell web hosting services. Current offerings include hubs, switches and network appliances, routers and remote access concentrators, and VPN gateways. Intel also, of course, hopes to entice the same ISPs to buy more of its Pentium-based services, including some with special form factors.
