The Flow Control Platform is essentially netVmg’s old platform, with the reporting capabilities of Sockeye Networks’ old offering added on. But executives said the new version 3.3 allows companies to control their routing based on traffic priority.
The system is billed as more efficient than BGP routing, which manages how networks pass traffic between each other. Internap and its rivals say their products can update BGP routers on the fly, so traffic is always sent over the best ISP link.
Best is dependent on what the administrator is trying to achieve. Previous versions have allowed administrators to write routing policies based on performance and the changing cost of bandwidth.
Version 3.3 allows policies that make routing decisions based on application type. Administrators can choose to route voice over IP always over the fastest link regardless of cost, for example, while relegating email to more sluggish links, the firm said.
Internap’s roots are in providing similar functionality as a hosted service. At 29 points of presence it advertises IP addresses of its customers, and routes traffic to their data centers based on which internet backbone is performing fastest.
Chief marketing officer David Abrahamson said the company intends to aggressively build out its network internationally, in Europe, Asia and Latin America. The firm hopes to have a total of 70 to 75 points of presences at major peering points.
Abrahamson said the company is also currently developing a third tier of offering – a managed service offering under which it will manage the FCP devices on behalf of its customers, which would pay a monthly service fee.
