Klaus has always been a computer hobbyist interested in networks. He started programming in his youth. This was not so easy in times without the Internet. However, with the only book from his local library: 'From Pascal to C' he taught himself both languages. Through the organisation of LAN parties (also without Internet and without WLAN) he acquired detailed network knowledge. During his studies he deepened his know-how in network development and created a product with which he founded his first company. After Klaus had successfully led his first two companies into exit, he heard of a project in 2014 looking for an innovator. He invested his expertise and was the right person for the job.
Katrin has always had a penchant for numbers and studied mathematics. After her studies, she initially worked as a programmer. When she heard about Klaus' project in 2014, the plan to found a company out of this project matured. Here she was able to contribute her technical knowledge and her organisational and strategic talent.
Together with three experienced software architects Georg Müller, Martin Weiser and Dr. Ralf Hoffmann, we founded Allegro Packets with the aim of creating software in our special field. "We are well versed in data processing and know how to quickly forward data in networks. So we built (= programmed) a packet processing machine that could process and forward packets incredibly fast" said Klaus. "The 'Allegro' in our company name stands for fast. Since data is encapsulated in packets, the word 'Packets' reflects this. Allegro Packets is therefore meant here in the sense of fast (data) packets and describes our technology" Katrin explained.
Our original idea was that organisations could buy our software and integrate it into their projects. Although the software worked well, success was less than we hoped for. Our revenue financed us in the meantime, but it was clear this did not match our expectations.
We started looking for new solutions with the combination of our know-how and a fast packet processing engine. We visited several trade shows, but nothing matched our design and performance objectives.
We evaluated existing troubleshooting tools, i.e. appliances and software used to measure and analyse wired networks. Most were difficult to use, could only be financed by organisations with large budgets, were slow and offered few features. We believed we could do better and build a device that would allow you to 'look inside the cable.' Network administrators should be able to use such appliances to ensure trouble-free network operation without the need of extensive modifications and a disproportionate amount of time. The device should also be affordable and easy to use. During our design phase, we thought about how we would debug networks and put this into practice. Our appliances therefore are not similar to any other devices which are already on the market - hence our leitmotif 'Rethink Troubleshooting.'
We often hear this objection from people who have not examined our solutions. Network administrators see it differently; they say "finally someone understands what I need." Before our appliances existed, an administrator had little option but to purchase a monitoring solution for a 6-digit sum. If this was not possible, they were forced to solve network problems by trial and error. For example, shutting down a service on a trial basis, updating test software then restarting in the hope that everything would work as expected. Or, they could connect a computer, install Wireshark and search specifically for the issue, (Wireshark files can contain millions of packets). This can be a time-consuming and tedious task, especially when you don't know exactly what is at fault. Debugging in this way can create user frustration and network administrator overloads. The Allegro Network Multimeter helps make an administrator's task easier to maintain a reliable network.
Our customers' system administrators have networks to manage. They have enough daily tasks to handle without having to deal with tedious, hard to understand and complex network analysis tools. They are the first port of call for colleagues who need help with their urgent network problems. With the Allegro Network Multimeter an administrator can quickly identify a problem, minimise downtime and maintain smooth, efficient network flow. Thanks to our design, our appliances were soon well received and appreciated by administrators.
We started out with the small and portable Allegro 200 (End of Sales 2023), and customers soon expressed wishes such as "we need more ports" or "we need more memory and a higher data rate" etc. So we responded with the Allegro 1000 (End of Sales 2024), with more ports and a larger memory capable of handling higher data rates. The customer base increased rapidly and more features were requested. We quickly added the features to meet the customers expectations. We now have a complete range of appliances to choose from for bandwidth capacity from 1 to 400 GBit/s and increased storage capacities. We have customers all over the world and in all markets - with the most diverse network sizes, data rates and storage requirements. The software, developed entirely by us is identical on all our appliances. All include the same features, a strategy which is appreciated by all our customers.
The Allegro Network Multimeter has now been on the market for several years and the company's mission statement has not changed. We continue to focus on fast, affordable troubleshooting appliances for everyone and we work closely with our customers to stay ahead of the increasing complexity and needs of the market. Allegro products are constantly being developed, more features added at every release and the troubleshooting capability of our appliances is second to none.
We plan to stay with troubleshooting in the future; networks are becoming more complex and crucial. Data networks fuel the economies and health of nations, so a troubleshooting tool like the Allegro Network Multimeter is a vital component in the smooth and efficient operation of every organisation. The more dependent we become on networks, the more important their efficient and reliable operation needs to be. A troubleshooting tool is indispensable for this.
Do you have questions ?
0341 / 59 16 43 53
info@allegro-packets.com
