UMOBILE Documentation

AFA Systems srl is a successful ICT company specialized in network solutions and advanced IP communications. AFA Systems was founded in 1991 and it is headquartered in Termoli (IT), with offices and active projects throughout Italy. AFA Systems operates in two business units, coordinated and complementary:

• AFA Engineering (networking projects and systems integration);
• AFA Industrial (production of MajorNet®, an integrated IP platform, for IP security, IP messaging, VoIP, etc).

AFA Engineering business unit deals with design and building of large-scale wireless networks, telecommunication systems, video-surveillance systems, network solutions and advanced IP communications. In the AFA Engineering b.u. the company software group operates. In Italy, AFA Systems was a pioneer delivering innovative ICT infrastructure solutions for SMBs and government institutions and providing solutions, services and technologies for mission and business critical processes. Its success lies in bringing quality and innovation to the customers’ IT assets in a timely and cost effective manner.

At the end of the 90s, from its production of special computers for machinery automation, AFA Industrial business unit started the production of the MajorNet® platform, a solution for Unified Communications that provides all the voice and data communication services required by business users, SMBs, administrations, schools, etc. The MajorNet® aims to capture the massive SMB market opportunity created by low cost broadband internet access and migration to VoIP that generates demand for sophisticated, reliable, integrated and easy-to use communication services. MajorNet® is sold through a network of channel partners; there are currently thousands of MajorNet® users, mainly in Italy, growing rapidly.

AFA Systems has a significant background and expertise, suitable for the project. In terms of telecommunications infrastructure, the company designs and installs large-scale heterogeneous networks, using routing protocols over both (wired) Telcos' IP networks and its own wireless networks (Hiperlan, Wi-Fi, SDH), with MPLS techniques. The company currently operates many Wide Area Networks (mainly radio), from its NOCs.

In terms of systems, the company manufactures an integrated IP platform (called MajorNet®), with functions of smart gateway with different interfaces: embedded interfaces, as ADSL2+, 3G, Frame Relay (V.35); Ethernet interfaces to: Hiperlan, Wi-Fi, SDH, Satellite. The platform can manage multiple IP links, also of different nature (delay, packet loss, etc.), in bonding aggregation and redundancy. The platform provides mechanisms of QoS (L3 and L4 (ToS) queuing). The platform is used in Internet access architectures and in end-to-end internetworking architectures (L2 or L3); it supports optimizations (Van Jacobson, RoHC, etc.) based on the underlaying network's performances.

The integrated company's IP platform delivers “rich communication” solutions for standard applications (control of access to the Internet, Wi-Fi hotspot management, SIP PBX, video streaming).

http://www.afasystems.it

http://www.majornet.it

Role in UMOBILE project

AFA Systems will provide the framework for collecting and distributing data, and for processing them by understanding their context; the company will care of the set up and the deployment of the trials. AFA will be involved in disseminating the results of the project to interested parties, included governments and local organisations and other potential stakeholders.