Openet, which specializes in real-time transaction management software and services (B/OSS), has acquired Forkstream, a start-up working on technology to define policies for routing mobile data streams within and between different access networks while ensuring a seamless user experience. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Forkstream, which was spun out of University College Dublin and supported by Enterprise Ireland, helps enable consumer devices to discover and communicate with non-3GPP networks such as Wi-Fi or WiMAX. Its ANDSF-compliant client for Android devices interacts with the network core via Openet Interaction Gateway, enabling operators to manage network access policies using their Policy Controls Rules Function (PCRF). The technology is fully compliant with 3GPP Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) standards.
Openet’s portfolio combines policy and charging control with device and third party interaction to enable innovative charging models, to control operating cost and to personalize services.
“Integrating Forkstream into the Openet PCC ecosystem enables our customers to overcome many challenges related to seamlessly integrating multiple access networks with cellular services,” said Openet CTO Joe Hogan. “They developed an elegant solution to ensure cross-network session continuity and flow management, which is key to a quality user experience.”
Forkstream technologies extend the functionality defined within the 3GPP standards to include dynamic network selection as well as analytics and monitoring.
“We are thrilled to join the world’s leading PCC vendor at a time when Operators are investing heavily in multi-access networks and cross-network services,” said Forkstream co-founder John Fitzpatrick. “Supporting network access decisions within the policy and charging infrastructure makes it easy for operators to deliver more to their customers.”
By interacting with the PCC infrastructure through Openet Interaction Gateway, Forkstream technology enables a mobile device to direct data flows across multiple networks simultaneously depending on defined PCRF policies. This provides granular control of traffic offload policies and enables new business models that include service options specific to an access network.
