What DPI can do to you

(7/25) Despite the very public black eye given to deep packet inspection (DPI) technology following its use to block peer-to-peer traffic and to target ads to unsuspecting Web surfers based on their browsing habits, a growing number of technology companies are incorporating DPI or similar technology into their products. While this may seem like contrary behavior to those outside the telecom industry, the truth is that DPI is simply too valuable a technology to be set aside. Instead, telecom companies are pursuing ways to make it more palatable. "This is another situation where the technology is advancing faster than the understanding of how to apply it," said Mike Coward, chief technology officer of Continuous Computing, which provides components to DPI vendors. "All the things we can do with the technology would scare the average consumer. The dance at this point is to figure out exactly the right set of controls and constraints to put on the network that consumers will accept."