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BrandPost: Mobile coverage: How SD-WAN improves performance
More than 100,000 attendees from around the world recently descended on Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona. They were able to witness many new and exciting communications technologies, including IoT, 5G, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, machine learning and SD-WAN.MWC also provided an opportunity to showcase how service providers are expanding their existing services footprint with tiered managed SD-WAN services. By leveraging existing Long Term Evolution (LTE) infrastructures, service providers are now offering new mobility-based 4G LTE managed SD-WAN services. In fact, Silver Peak and TPx Communications announced a new strategic agreement at MWC that underscores how TPx plans to expand their managed SD-WAN services into global markets with 4G LTE as one of the key underlying transport network choices for their global customers.To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: 3 Security Features to Look for in SD-WAN Solutions
The increasing adoption of SaaS and IaaS applications and infrastructure has been a catalyst for the rapid adoption of SD-WAN architectures. Directly connecting users to SaaS/IaaS instances from branch offices using lower cost internet services to augment (or even replace) MPLS provides the highest performance and user experience.But, since all web traffic is not created equal, active use of internet connections demands a new approach to security.At the same time, it’s simply not tenable to deploy an expensive, next-generation firewall at every branch. Therefore, a more intelligent, application-driven security model is enabled by more advanced SD-WAN solutions, such as Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect. These solutions place just the right amount of inspection at the branch and enable easy, cost-effective service chaining to more advanced – and more expensive – security services deployed in the cloud or in the enterprise data center.To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: How Wi-Fi Won the Super Bowl
With a thrilling win over the New England Patriots, the Philadelphia Eagles are this year’s Super Bowl Champions, the first championship in their franchise’s history. Game-changers weren’t exclusively on the field during this year’s game; they were in the stands as well and they come with unique post-game analysis.For the 5th straight year, Extreme Networks was named the Official Wi-Fi Analytics provider of the Super Bowl. ExtremeAnalytics provides granular insights into how the network performed throughout the event, as well as providing a detailed understanding of the mobile engagement behaviors of connected fans.To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: An Efficient Network: The Fabric of a Complex Paperless Hospital System
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 HeadachesWe decided to upgrade our network from Split Multi-Link Trunking to Fabric Connect to get the self-networking benefits of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) without the complexity. Fabric Connect is like having a carrier-class MPLS network, where you can put any network anywhere and only the right people can see it.To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: The Cloud Payoff: Ensuring Hybrid Works for Your Enterprise
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
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BrandPost: When SMBs Go to the Cloud, On-Premises IT Infrastructure Is Still Necessary
Cloud technology has been incredibly beneficial for organizations of every size and type. However, as the use of cloud increases, some common misperceptions are setting the stage for substantial operational problems in the future. The first misperception, and perhaps the most notable, is the belief held by many small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) utilizing cloud services that they don’t have to worry about their on-premises IT equipment and ensure it is housed in a reliable and protected physical environment.The reality is that ignoring your IT infrastructure and the physical hardware that supports it is as risky for SMBs that are heavily cloud dependent as it is for those with on-premises solutions. The primary reason is that the network infrastructure to support the cloud will have substantial demands for new features/capabilities, increased bandwidth, reliability, and scalability. Similar to traditional IT architectures, the cloud also requires more than a 1990s wiring closet or a section of the break room for IT hardware. You need a modern physical infrastructure to ensure your critical network and IT hardware are highly reliable, have effective thermal management, and can scale up to meet your needs for new cloud services.To read this article in full, Continue reading
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BrandPost: Being a Catalyst of Industry Change
Ciena’s Blue Planet team have won numerous accolades during this past year’s networking industry’s award season. I’m pleased to share the news about another recent award, won alongside our partner DGIT Systems, that recognizes the business impact our combined work is having on service providers’ business and operational agility. Ciena We earned our latest recognition from the TM Forum at the organization’s TM Forum Live! Asia event held in Singapore this past December. There, the Ciena Blue Planet team and DGIT were awarded Outstanding Catalyst for Business Impact for a collaborative proof-of-concept titled “Partnering Platforms for MEF Services.” The Catalyst demonstration, which was championed by Telstra, Vodafone Group and Orange, showcased the use of open APIs to automate the activation of inter-carrier Ethernet services.To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: From Autonomous to Adaptive: The Next Evolution in Networking
There have been many discussions about how to eliminate manual, labor-intensive network operations and the industry is using a wide set of terminology to describe the future lean and automated network operations, such as ‘intelligent’, ‘cognitive’ or ‘self-driving.’ Network providers are now able to rethink their operations with artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics to achieve their long-desired goal of end-to-end automation, but most of them don’t want to cede control to networks that decide their own direction and remove humans from the equation altogether. They want their networks and operations to become more ‘adaptive’ to thrive in an ever-changing competitive landscape and to meet consumer demands, which requires a coherent combination of human-controlled-and-supervised, analytics-driven intelligence, software controlled and automated operational processes and an underlying programmable infrastructure (see Figure 1).To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: Can an SMB Really Afford IT Downtime
A recent blog post about the negative impact of a 1990s server room talked about downtime and its tremendous impact on any organization. It is now incumbent upon the IT team to do all it can to ensure that IT systems—and the infrastructure that supports them—are as reliable as possible. The spread of digital systems to every aspect of the business makes any service interruption a serious problem for all employees and many of your customers.Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) depend on their servers, storage, and network equipment to keep the company running, but failures do occur. In many cases, these outages result not from the equipment itself, but the racks, cooling, and power infrastructure on which this equipment depends. Based on research from the Institute, cooling and power failures that result from outmoded rack or data center infrastructure cause more than one-third of all unplanned outages. However, an outage is more than just an interruption in business operations; it can result in substantial data loss. To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: What is the Adaptive Network?
Since the introduction of the first Public Switched Telephone Network, networks have continually evolved. Through the various stages of development—from fixed endpoints in the early Internet to today’s broadband networks that connect mobile users to massive data centers and bandwidth behemoths like Netflix, Amazon, and Facebook—networks have adjusted to accommodate new demands.The once-static infrastructure is undergoing a more profound transformation than ever before. The latest incarnation is autonomous networking, which is a trend that has been building for some time. The autonomous network runs without much human intervention. It can configure, monitor and maintain itself independently.To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: What Is Programmable infrastructure?
In an increasingly mobile world, network providers are grappling with a data explosion. Millions of mobile users are running video and other applications that require significant bandwidth.At the same time, those providers are saddled with legacy systems and protocols that leave them bloated and slow. Even to add simple services, they have to contend with hundreds of manual processes for set up, revisions, and tear down of even the simplest services.With challenges like that, anticipating and responding to dynamic traffic levels and service requests is nearly impossible. These legacy networks simply cannot handle the growing and unpredictable demands on providers, and the problem is only going to worsen.To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: What is Programmable infrastructure?
In an increasingly mobile world, network providers are grappling with a data explosion. Millions of mobile users are running video and other applications that require significant bandwidth.At the same time, those providers are saddled with legacy systems and protocols that leave them bloated and slow. Even to add simple services, they have to contend with hundreds of manual processes for set up, revisions, and tear down of even the simplest services.With challenges like that, anticipating and responding to dynamic traffic levels and service requests is nearly impossible. These legacy networks simply cannot handle the growing and unpredictable demands on providers, and the problem is only going to worsen.To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: What is Programmable Infrastructure?
In an increasingly mobile world, network providers are grappling with a data explosion. Millions of mobile users are running video and other applications that require significant bandwidth.At the same time, those providers are saddled with legacy systems and protocols that leave them bloated and slow. Even to add simple services, they have to contend with hundreds of manual processes for set up, revisions, and tear down of even the simplest services.With challenges like that, anticipating and responding to dynamic traffic levels and service requests is nearly impossible. These legacy networks simply cannot handle the growing and unpredictable demands on providers, and the problem is only going to worsen.To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: Your Roadblock to Becoming Digital: A 1990s Server Room
Digital transformation is fundamentally changing businesses of every size. Larger enterprises no longer have a unique advantage based purely on their scale. Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) can utilize new applications and services that allow them to compete toe to toe against a business or organization of any size. Not only do your customers want the latest and greatest, but employees demand it as well. If your employees can’t get the digital tools they need to be successful, they’ll go where they’re available.The focus of management and employees today is on exciting new apps and services. However, without the appropriate IT infrastructure to support them, an organization will not be able to move forward on the digital transformation journey. New apps and new devices are dependent on the servers, storage, and network gear that provide the data and back-end services. Unfortunately for many SMBs, IT equipment is stored in a 1990s server room that may be a repurposed conference room, cubicle, or spare office that cannot provide the physical environment the IT hardware needs to support a 21st century organization.To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: What Is Intelligent Automation?
The operations environment for service providers is growing increasingly complex. While advancements like Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) enable on-demand services, among many other benefits, existing network management and Operational Support Systems (OSSs) lack the scale and flexibility to meet the requirements of these more dynamic network technologies.Simple automation techniques like custom scripting are often used to reduce repetitive manual tasks, but providers are looking for more robust automation capabilities to reduce operational complexity and improve efficiency, at scale. By leveraging software purpose-built for dynamic SDN/NFV environments, and incorporating recent advancements in big data analytics and machine learning, network operators can make true intelligent automation possible from end-to-end and, as a result, run their businesses smarter and much more efficiently. To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: What is Intelligent Automation?
The operations environment for service providers is growing increasingly complex. While advancements like Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) enable on-demand services, among many other benefits, existing network management and Operational Support Systems (OSSs) lack the scale and flexibility to meet the requirements of these more dynamic network technologies.Simple automation techniques like custom scripting are often used to reduce repetitive manual tasks, but providers are looking for more robust automation capabilities to reduce operational complexity and improve efficiency, at scale. By leveraging software purpose-built for dynamic SDN/NFV environments, and incorporating recent advancements in big data analytics and machine learning, network operators can make true intelligent automation possible from end-to-end and, as a result, run their businesses smarter and much more efficiently. To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: What Is an Autonomous Network?
Automation itself, and the idea that technologies could be self-provisioning, self-diagnosing, and self-healing, has been around for some time. But with advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies, such fanciful notions are quickly becoming realities.Nowadays, most of us use AI-enabled apps when we ask Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa for help with a task. And even streaming services like Netflix help us pick movies and TV shows using AI.WHITE PAPERIntroducing the Adaptive Network VisionTo read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: How SD-WAN enhances & fortifies security options
Beyond basic network connectivity and network-centric features such as WAN optimization, security has been one of the promised next-wave roadmap features surrounding managed SD-WAN services.In early customer deployments, network connectivity was the spotlight feature, along with managing the mix of network types and diversity of providers. Security was a concern early on, but most customers have realized they can retain their existing security infrastructure and environment with little change. They can also enhance their security measures with the many security options available through managed SD-WAN.To read this article in full, please click here
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BrandPost: 5G, A New Era
Ryan Ding, Huawei Executive Director and President of Carrier Business Group, shared his views and vision for 5G with the industry at the "5G is Now" Summit during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018.During his remarks, Ding noted: "Looking back, we can see how technology has driven social change: 2G kicked off an era of global communications; 3G and 4G brought us mobile internet; and 5G marks the start of a new, intelligent world, with all things sensing, all things connected, and all things intelligent." Huawei supplied Ten years ago, when 4G was still just a pipe dream, it was hardly imaginable that we would be buying plane tickets, booking hotels, ordering taxis, and paying bills… all at the touch of a phone screen. Smartphones are our portals to the digital world. And in the coming 5G world, networks will connect things, as well as people. It will be a world where all things are sensing, all things are connected, and all things are intelligent. We are going to see the emergence of many things that we cannot imagine today. On the roads, self-driving cars will communicate through the 5G network, and traffic jams, accidents, and parking problems Continue reading
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BrandPost: Huawei and Partners Stride Towards a Fully Connected, Intelligent World
At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018, Huawei is presenting technologies and solutions for 5G, All-Cloud network, video, and IoT. Huawei will be engaging with industry leaders, sharing its experience and successes, and showcasing leading products and scenario-specific solutions. In particular, it will focus on the three key issues of better connections, better business growth, and better experience. With its carrier customers and partners, the company is helping to build a fully connected, intelligent world. Huawei booth in MWC 2018 The intelligent world is here. As they go beyond current boundaries in terms of capabilities, connections, business models, experience, and partnerships, carriers are set to become the cornerstone of a digital transformation market worth US$23 trillion. Huawei delivers ICT infrastructure and smart devices, and will act as a 'rich soil' of information, automation, and intelligence technologies. Within this 'soil,’ partners can grow their content, applications, and even clouds. Together, they can bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world.To read this article in full, please click here