Telecoms provider fires up servers for benchmark testing

Intec Telecom Systems has completed a performance benchmark of its customer care system, Convergent Billing v6, using Sun Fire E6900 servers running a Solaris10 Operating System (OS).

The benchmark demonstrated the capability to handle sustained, minimal latency throughput for a tier 1 mobile carrier with a customer base equivalent to over 20 million pre-paid subscribers.

The benchmark was based on a current customer implementation and reflected realistic operating conditions and data.

Intec Convergent Billing v6 offers scalable, leading-edge performance for any combination of payment method and communications technology, including pre and post-paid, fixed, wireless, and next-generation services, for operators and service providers of all types and sizes.

Intec's COO, Gary Bunney, said the organization adds millions of new subscribers every year so its billing system has to support more than 20 million pre-paid subscribers on just two Sun servers, which is an outstanding result.

Conducted in April, 2007, the test was undertaken on two Sun Fire E6900 servers, each with 24 dual-core processors running at 1.8 GHz, in a clustered configuration with a shared database.

Sun Microsystems director of communications solutions, Kent Lockyer, said the benchmark demonstrated high performance and linear scalability across a range of real-time convergent rating, balance management, on-line transaction processing, charging and billing tasks from a typical large carrier environment.

"This benchmark shows that the Sun platform is ideal for large communications service providers," Lockyer said.

"We are proud that the system is able to manage the demanding workloads and deliver the real-time performance necessary for a modern, converged service provider."

The test included both on-line and off-line charging. While performing on-line charging (a standard requirement in pre-paid or now-paid services), Intec Convergent Billing v6 achieved sustained throughput representing 25 million service requests per hour.

Transaction latency averaged less than 32ms per service request.

Intec supplies solutions to over 60 of the world's top 100 telecoms carriers including AT&T, Cable & Wireless, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, Hutchison 3G, T-Mobile and Verizon.

Founded in 1997, Intec is listed on the London Stock Exchange (ITL.L) and has over 1,700 staff and 31 offices in 25 countries.

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