Sandvine has launched Usage Management 2.5, a software solution that enables fixed-line network operators to implement consumption-based billing models, real-time subscriber communications and multiple service plan tiers.

"Today's consumers are comfortable paying bills online, downloading music to their iPod and posting videos to Facebook or YouTube (News - Alert), but understanding the bandwidth consumed by their favorite applications is not as easy to grasp as minutes spent on a cell phone call," said Tom Donnelly, EVP marketing and sales, Sandvine (News - Alert), in a release.

Donnelly said that using a consumption-based model, network providers can design tiers based on consumption and speed to better satisfy consumer preferences and increase subscriber loyalty.

Company officials said that Usage Management 2.5 is an evolution of basic quota management, delivering the flexibility and reporting features that are required by end users and network operators today.

"The majority of subscribers see value in receiving an increase in bandwidth when they are streaming video, uploading or downloading bulk Internet applications," said Matt Davis, director of IDC's (News - Alert) Consumer Multiplay Services.

Davis said that the more subscribers understand their needs for broadband, the more they will embrace or even request personalized service tiers.

Sandvine officials said the platforms and products address the evolving needs of the Internet and its users by increasing the quality and dependability for the applications they desire.

Sandvine says that it is focused on protecting and improving the quality of experience on the Internet. The company’s network equipment helps DSL, FTTx, cable, fixed wireless and mobile operators better understand network traffic, increase customer satisfaction, mitigate the proliferation of malicious traffic, manage network congestion, and deliver QoS-prioritized multimedia services.

In September Sandvine announced the launch of its next generation Policy Traffic Switch 24000 (PTS 24000) platform.

The PTS 24000, the latest in Sandvine’s PTS lineup, offers throughput of up to 60 Gbps per box, and clusters to deployments of up to 240 Gbps, for market-leading performance.

Current customers deploying Sandvine’s PTS 24000 include a leading fixed and wireless service provider network serving close to 20 million mobile subscribers and a tier-one service provider with one million subscribers, both customers are located in Europe.