In 2017, many service providers introduced their initial managed SD-WAN services to meet early market demand. Throughout the year, they thoroughly tested multiple SD-WAN technologies with the intention of selecting a lead platform for the initial service launch. There were many proofs of concept and beta tests prior to building the services wrap around those initial platforms. Providers developed their own trial programs and started to introduce services to their customers while completing all the necessary support to develop the platform as a fully managed service. Early offers generally included a handful of customers and, at times, restricted the service provider’s own network services.To read this article in full, please click here
It seems that every three to five years, the impact of inclement weather, storms, and floods appears to peak. And the periods in between weather events seem to be getting shorter. As the number and severity of storms continues to increase far beyond what we have typically experienced, many small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) are now forced to re-evaluate how well their IT infrastructure can continue to support the organization when there is a weather event. This is becoming a critical issue, as many SMBs may find themselves without power for multiple days, which has been the case with the recent nor-easters plaguing the East Coast.Too many SMBs have not assessed the ability of their power and cooling infrastructure to support critical IT equipment in the event of a short- or long-term power outage. Despite frequent and substantial changes at the hardware and application levels, power management and UPS solutions may be decades old. The impact of today’s digital business could not even be conceived of, let alone considered, in the design of these older, legacy backup systems. Further, many of the batteries that provide emergency power haven’t been changed or maintained in years. And many older UPS products Continue reading
What’s old is new again. This statement rings true as the industry rallies behind fabric networking again. Fabrics are not a new technology; they’ve been around since 2011/2012. However, we’ve seen increased uptake for fabrics outside of the traditional data center and into the enterprise campus. As the use cases and the technology continue to evolve, this blog clarifies some common misconceptions you may have about fabric technology.1. They are only for the data center
Not anymore. Going back 5-6 years, network fabrics were originally designed to solve how to stretch L2 VLANs across subnets for VM migrations and mobility. We now see far more use cases for network fabrics that extend to the enterprise campus portion of the network. Examples include network automation, zero-touch provisioning, simplified network segmentation, and even high-performance multicast without the use of any complex PIM protocols.To read this article in full, please click here
Recently, we released our new analyst report: Rethinking Campus Networks of the Future. It examines trends that are impacting campus networks and includes a few practical solutions for bringing enhanced automation, security and visibility into the campus network overall. We’ll report on the specifics in this blog.To read this article in full, please click here
In a recent blog, we discussed connectivity options for enterprise data centers building hybrid clouds. One of the options was to connect cloud providers directly over the internet, which has the advantage of being able to use an existing internet connection. It’s the easiest option and you can connect to any number of cloud service providers. Following that article, we wrote about scaling the modern data center, covering interface density and other requirements for data center solutions, whether housed on enterprise premises or in colocation facilities. Here, we’ll focus on internet connectivity and some of the requirements, including scale.To read this article in full, please click here
Extreme networks recently released our brand-new report: Quantifying the Value of the New Extreme Networks Solution (an Enterprise Strategy Group Economic Value Validation report). We set out to show IT organizations like yours the costs and benefits of deploying Extreme Networks compared with alternative network vendors, and trust us, the results are pretty mind-blowing.“Extreme Networks convinced us that for a reasonable price you can get a technologically advanced and reliable solution that can be managed through a unified management console.” - Extreme CustomerTo read this article in full, please click here
We asked CIOs and IT managers from all industries around the world to find out how they are embracing the Internet of Things. They told us about their plans, concerns, benefits, and the issues they've encountered.The vast majority have already implemented or are planning to implement IoT projects. Building-related projects involving smart lighting and energy management are the most common, followed by video surveillance and data collection projects.On the concerns and drawbacks side, device security, an issue addressed by ExtremeControl, swamps all other challenges. Data privacy, fear of rogue control and hijacking, service interruptions, and data integrity are all issues that CIOs face when implementing IoT.To read this article in full, please click here
Every day, vendors are trying to sell you on digital transformation, but are they truly helping you transform? Most are simply looking for a sales pitch to move you to their latest and greatest products. They’re plying you with stories of operational savings and productivity numbers.However, they’re missing the key to a successful digital business: the experience. Be it customer, user, or administrator experience, the human interaction with technology is the difference between successful digital transformation and simply being on the cutting edge of technology.At Extreme, our tagline is Connect Beyond the Network. We understand the importance of the experience. Yes, we’ll offer you scalability, security, simplicity and all the other buzzwords touted throughout the industry; however, what we really offer are experience-driven outcomes.To read this article in full, please click here
The concept of digital transformation is rather simple, but the process to actually transform the organization is quite complex and far-reaching. Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are not exempt from this transformation and must meet many of the same challenges that far larger enterprises face. The reality is that SMBs need the same level of IT capabilities and services as their large competitors.One of the most elemental changes impacting the IT environment is the need to ensure that the physical infrastructure supporting servers, storage, and network equipment is up to the job of enabling digital transformation. A digital business is truly reliant on its systems, and any outages, downtime, or service interruptions have major consequences on both the business and the business’s customers. Given that substantial downtime is caused by power, wiring, or cooling problems that impact key hardware systems, investing in digital systems that have circa 2005 physical infrastructure supporting them is a losing proposition.To read this article in full, please click here
Digital transformation has crossed the chasm from visionary aspiration to practical implementation and in the process, it is disrupting technologies across the business landscape.As enterprises and governments transform their operations, many are finding their legacy wide area networks (WANs) cannot meet today’s digital-driven bandwidth demands. Rather than giving them a competitive edge and supporting business growth, their networks are stifling innovation and impeding flexibility.To address this challenge, software-defined WANs (SD-WANs) are emerging as a smart way to streamline connections among enterprise sites.Enterprise WANs are under pressure to keep pace with the cloud revolution, which plays a critical role in digital transformation. “Companies worldwide are aggressively consolidating their data centers, implementing new data models, and shifting development to agile, mobile-first, cloud-based models,” IDC Group Vice President and IT executive advisor Joseph Pucciarelli writes in the Winter 2018 Issue of CIO's Digital Magazine.To read this article in full, please click here
Stay informed with Ciena's Network Insights podcast each month and meet the innovators and thinkers who are building the infrastructure for our future. We'll be looking at system overload of our global networks due to increasing IoT traffic, emerging 4K and 8K video, and VR applications. To keep up and avoid hitting critical mass, networks have to work smarter, not harder.Tune into our Network Insights podcast each month for an in-depth discussion on the different ways these bandwidth killers force networks to push the boundaries of programmability and intelligence, and meet the innovators and thinkers who are building the infrastructure for our future.To read this article in full, please click here
Why now? The networking industry is being disrupted.There is an explosion in network demand, driven by ultramobile users who want the ability to access the cloud and consume high-definition content, video, and applications when and where they choose. This disruption of the network will only be exacerbated by the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G, the use of which involves billions of devices interacting with machines, users, and clouds to drive consumer and business interactions.For instance, what happens when users want to engage in a 4K-based virtual reality session hosted in the cloud, while traveling at high speed in their driverless cars? What happens when the physical devices currently used to support networking functions become virtual—and so do the user end-points? Network providers are now realizing the level of complexity and variability this type of demand will introduce, and that their current networks are not up to the challenge.To read this article in full, please click here
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a buzzword, and what once was realized only in sci-fi movies, is now a burgeoning reality in IT processes.There are significant savings — both in terms of time and money — to be had, as well as an increase in mission delivery.However, before organizations can take advantage of advancements like AI today, they must take a few key steps. One area is in the network. Let’s explore how enterprises can begin to evolve their network technology to leverage AI capabilities in the near future.AutomationNetwork automation is a meaningful step towards AI that can provide enhanced mission delivery today. By leveraging automation capabilities within the network, immediate efficiencies can be realized.To read this article in full, please click here
The mobile engagement app has emerged as a way to acquire, retain, and monetize loyal user bases. When designed properly, everyone gains from the app. Users are more satisfied, productive, and even safer. Businesses can enjoy larger and more predictable revenue streams. Executed poorly, mobile apps can have low download rates, and become abandoned, forgotten or deleted.To learn more about how businesses are using these apps and their plans for the future, we surveyed companies across all industries. A high percentage of organizations have already determined they need an engagement app. To date, most of the apps in use are being developed in-house; commercial off-the-shelf versions are up and coming, but not yet well-known. We learned there is still lots of room for improvement and that an important requirement of the apps is to track location.To read this article in full, please click here
Devin Akin, the Principal Wi-Fi Architect for Divergent Dynamics, recently gave a great webinar presentation on the upcoming release of the new 802.11ax standard.When any new technology is introduced, there is a tendency for companies to over-rotate and get caught up with the hype. Devin is anti-hype; he balances the discussion with education, and shares the detailed realities of the new underlying technology. As with past introductions of 802.11 enhancements, it is important to pay attention to the standard ratification date, silicon production schedules, and in particular, 11ax client introductions. What’s So Different About 802.11ax?To read this article in full, please click here
As CTO of a large regional hospital system, I know that the network is vital to everything. I consider the network in the same critical category as electricity, oxygen, and water. It needs to be available 24x7x365 to support Concord Hospital’s half a million patients and over 5,000 network users across our 30 locations.Because we don’t do anything on paper, the network can never go down. Extreme Fabric Connect has solved that problem for us. It provides a secure, self-healing, highly-available network to serve our patients effectively in our complex paperless environment. All the Benefits of MPLS, None of the HeadachesTo read this article in full, please click here
As more and more enterprises move to hybrid cloud, there are some interesting relationships among enterprises, Internet and cloud exchanges, and colocation providers to satisfy IT strategies through hybrid clouds. In its Strategic Roadmap for Data Center Infrastructure, Gartner notes that “by 2019, 80% of enterprises will have an IT strategy that includes multiple Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) providers.” This is up from only 10% in 2015, while “by the end of 2018, 10% of enterprises will close their on-premises data centers entirely.”To read this article in full, please click here
The combination of new technology, the emergence of the digital generation, and technology that dramatically reduces the impact of distance on learning has fundamentally changed K-12 education. It’s no longer a case of “engaging with technology,” but technology that actually empowers the learning process.To start, device-based learning is the new normal. Unlike decades ago when the use of technology was limited to an hour a day in the “PC Lab,” devices are now used constantly. And unlike the PC days, these new devices depend on central servers, storage, and the network to deliver the apps and information used for coursework. If your central IT—either the systems or the supporting data center—cannot provide very high levels of reliability, teachers and students will lose valuable class time.To read this article in full, please click here
Who doesn’t like to have choices? Whether it’s our choice of coffee in the morning, our make of car, or which browser we use – we enjoy being able to pick what we think is right for us. And the availability of choice empowers us, according to Susan Weinschenk Ph.D in Psychology TodayDATA SHEETSelect Support data SheetTo read this article in full, please click here
Rarely do I have a conversation about networking when the topic of software-defined WANs (SD-WANs) does not come up. It’s far and away the thing that network professionals care most about, even ahead of data center SDNs.In a data center, enterprises can steer people out of problems as there’s always an abundance of experienced engineers locally available to tackle any issue big or small. That luxury does not exist with the WAN because branch offices can be scattered across the globe and often, the best one can hope for in terms of a local resource is a branch administrator or someone who can check lights or confirm things are plugged in and powered up. Also, for many geographically distributed organizations, the WAN is their business – so having an agile, dynamic WAN that enables applications to perform better is a top priority.To read this article in full, please click here
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