Like many IT products, SD-WAN products can sound insanely alike. Sit through presentations and read through the literature and then ask yourself what’s the practical difference between each vendor’s implementation? It can be difficult question to answer even for people in the business of answering those questions.A common approach for an initial cut in an evaluation process is to reduce the product list by focusing on features. By creating a table of specific product specifications, assigning a weighted scoring, many of my customer have come up with a score and by extension a tool for eliminating some products from their selection process.Such an approach while valuable in some respects, is insufficient even for an initial cut. There are too many elements to a purchase that are not measured by a features table. Or, there might be important unfamiliar features that you forget to include in the table.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Many organizations deploy new applications for their remote site users without testing it on a WAN. Not testing these applications across a simulated WAN increases the possibility of performance issues during the early stages of usage because you have no idea how the application will perform once latency or jitter come in between the communication path of the client and server. If the application uses large amounts of bandwidth that causes congestion, then it can negatively affect the performance of other applications that share the bandwidth. A WAN emulator can enable you to measure the average bandwidth that an application may use before you deploy it. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
In real estate, there’s a mantra that most agents use of “location, location, location,” meaning houses that may be equal in many ways will cost more the closer you get to something of value. For example, the San Jose Mercury News recently published a story about a house in Sunnyvale, California, that sold for $782,000 over asking price. Why such a ridiculous amount? Because it’s near Apple’s new campus — location matters.Does location matter with the cloud? Given how fast data travels, one might not think so, but location does indeed matter. A recent report from EdgeConneX and Cedexis, Cloud, Content, Connectivity and the Evolving Internet Edge, shows just how much it actually does. The study conducted uses Cedexis’ RUM-based internet performance measurement tools to test how cloud applications perform in different locations and with various optimization techniques.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Every day we hear how the network is changing. Virtualization, Cloud, Software-defined Networking, the Internet of Things — it’s clear big transformational change is happening. The technical aspects of these solutions seem to get the most attention, but if you manage IT/Network cost and delivery for a living, your success may depend more on understanding the changing network business models that accompany these new technologies and how to adapt your IT operations.I’ve assembled below what I think are five of the top operational challenges facing IT managers in the next generation network. Some of these are blocking and tackling fundamentals (excuse the seasonal American football analogy), while others are more strategic in nature. I’ll present a short rationale for why these are my top 5. I’d love to hear your perspective.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
John Chambers, who served two decades as CEO of Cisco and for the last two years has been executive chairman, announced today that he will be leaving Cisco’s board of directors this year.Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins will be appointed chairman of Cisco’s board of directors when Chambers vacates the position.(Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins is seen on the left in the above photo with outgoing Executive Chairman John Chambers.) “With Chuck Robbins as CEO and Chairman, the company is now clearly his,” says Zeus Kerravala of ZK Research, a Cisco watcher. “Robbins will have the ability to move the company in the direction he wants to.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, is best known for its outstanding business-grade Wi-Fi products. What’s less well known about Aruba is that it has always had excellent security products. In fact, I’ve often described the company as a security vendor dressed up as a Wi-Fi vendor, as Aruba and security have gone hand in hand like the New England Patriots and winning. However, Aruba’s security positioning has always been tactical rather than strategic because its products were used for specific purposes, such as end point protection or wireless security. That shifted this week at APAC Atmosphere in Macau when the company introduced its 360 Security Fabric, which enables it to provide end-to-end security to address the needs of a world that is becoming increasingly digitized. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
When discussing Ethernet data, the terms frame and packet are often used interchangeably. Frames and packets are the electronic containers that carry our data from point-to-point by navigating LANs and WANs and, as they both serve similar functions, their differences are often misunderstood.So what’s the difference?
To simplify matters, imagine frames and packets as envelopes of information that are going to be sent from one person to another. The key difference between a frame and a packet is how they encapsulate the information and that depends on where the information is being sent.Frames explained
Imagine a company with inter-department mail where a person can send documents to another person within their private/local organization. The contents are placed in an internal envelope and the sender writes their name and department in the “From” field, then writes the recipient’s name and department in the “To” field. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This bias lighting strip, currently discounted by 74% on Amazon from $49.99 down to just $12.99, reduces eye-strain caused by differences in picture brightness from scene to scene in movies, shows and games, by adding a subtle backlight to your monitor or TV. The LED lights can be changed with up to 20 color selections customizing and setting the mood of your workspace. The strip is easy to install and can be cut to size and plugs directly in the USB port of the TV or monitor. Just Plug-and-play!To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Scouring the online IT forums, it’s hard not to get sucked-in to all the talk about how MPLS is too expensive and can easily be replaced with high-bandwidth, fiber Internet circuits and an IPsec VPN. If you currently have an MPLS network, it almost makes you want to throw a blanket over it and hope nobody notices your “antiquated” Wide Area Network. [blushing]The final straw was when you read how username Pauly-Packet-Loss just saved thousands by scrapping his company’s MPLS and it works great. [single tear rolls down your cheek]To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Scouring the online IT forums, it’s hard not to get sucked-in to all the talk about how MPLS is too expensive and can easily be replaced with high-bandwidth, fiber Internet circuits and an IPsec VPN. If you currently have an MPLS network, it almost makes you want to throw a blanket over it and hope nobody notices your “antiquated” Wide Area Network. [blushing]The final straw was when you read how username Pauly-Packet-Loss just saved thousands by scrapping his company’s MPLS and it works great. [single tear rolls down your cheek]To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
It’s been about two months since Extreme Networks closed on the acquisition of Avaya Networking. As I pointed out, Extreme’s first partial quarter post close was a smashing success, which indicates the company is headed in the right direction. But now the real work begins.In the two months since the close, the company has been extremely busy (pun intended) doing a bunch of things to integrate the companies, such as onboarding workers, bringing systems together and holding a unified sales conference. These things are obviously interesting and important, but the question on most customers’ minds is how long before there is integration at a product level?To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This USB C to USB 3.0 cable from Anker merges seamless connectivity, premium materials and market benchmark production techniques. Features a double-braided nylon exterior, toughened aramid fiber core and laser-welded connectors for with superior toughness end-to-end, and super fast 5Gbps data transfer speeds. Right now you can pick up the 3-foot version for 61% off, or just $10.19. See it on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Five years ago, IT was decentralized at the University of New Mexico. “Every school or college had their own IT, and in most cases they were completely under-resourced – a one-person shop having to do phones, apps, email, desktop, servers, storage, disaster recovery, all of that,” said Brian Pietrewicz, deputy CIO at University of New Mexico.The university transitioned to a self-service model that enables each of its more than 100 departments to deploy infrastructure and application services itself and have them managed by the now-centralized IT team.Adopting VMware’s vCloud Automation Center enabled departments to consume cloud resources, but also give the management team the ability to curtail that consumption if necessary.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
As cloud computing continues to generate a huge amount of buzz and interest over its future, another phenomenon is gaining investor’s and developer’s interest with promises to upend the future of enterprise IT. Hybrid cloud tech, which has only recently come into its own, is increasingly being recognized as the cash-cow of the future. But what exactly is this tech, and is it worth all the hubbub it’s garnered?A quick look at today’s hybrid cloud tech shows that the attention it’s drawn to itself is entirely warranted; the idea behind it may not be new, but recent advancements in computing have enabled it to truly thrive in the marketplace for the first time, and it could very well be on the verge of redefining modern computing. So what exactly is the future of hybrid cloud, and how close is it to taking off?To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The fundamental principles of intent-based networking have been present for years, but only recently has this phenomenon grow to its full size today, where it stands to upend modern industry and business practices. So what exactly is intent-based networking, and is it really so marvelous to warrant the recent renewal in interest and support it’s gained?A brief foray into intent-based networking shows that, while it’s a very complex technology, it’s rather easy to grasp a basic understanding of it. Furthermore, a look at what some of today’s top companies are doing with this tech, and some ruminations about what they plan to do in the future, shows just how significantly intent-based networking can reshape modern markets.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Google is offering enterprises a new way to build hybrid infrastructure, with a service that extends corporate networks into its cloud platform.Called Dedicated Interconnect, it allows companies to treat servers in Google's cloud as if they were part of their own private address space. This can be useful for businesses operating in financial services, video editing, or other industries that need to be able to scale up processing capabilities, but want to keep their data on a private network, according to product manager John Veizades.By buying multiple 10 Gbit/s connections, customers can boost the throughput of the interconnect between the cloud and their on-premises networks, or improve its availability, or both.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Question: Remote users, IPsec VPN’s to other sites, Remote Desktop, VoIP, Cloud Apps… What do they all have in common?“Reasons why I keep Tums in my drawer?” … No.Answer: These are data center applications which might require your company to need a Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) circuit, instead of the average, cost-effective business Internet access types, like Fios, U-verse, business-class cable, and DSL.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
As today’s market continues to churn out new technologies which revolutionize entire industries overnight, many business leaders are scrambling to prepare themselves for the next disruptive innovation. Increasingly, astute corporations and bold startups alike are coming to realize that 5G is the next big thing which will reshape how they operate, and they’re taking steps to prepare for it.So how exactly are today’s leading brands and companies preparing themselves for 5G’s arrival? What common pitfalls have these preppers encountered, and how can a savvy businessman avoid making them himself? Is 5G really worth all of the sound and fury?A new type of telecom industry
While a market where 5G is ubiquitous will see a plethora of changes, few stand to be revolutionized more than the telecom industry. In the past few years alone, consumers all around the globe have flocked to digital devices like smartphones, tablets, and personal computers en masse, forcing businesses to up their wireless systems and the standards they follow. When 5G inevitably arrives, these same businesses will have an even greater hurdle set before them.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Whether you are streaming the latest boxing match or watching the most recent Game of Thrones episode, during its first run, the network is going to play a major role in determining your quality of experience like never before. There is unprecedented demand for content, and with the proliferation of smart devices capable of displaying video, every pair of eyeballs on the internet is a potential consumer.The widespread availability of video combined with streaming technology means our viewing expectations are now much more demanding on the infrastructure. We expect content to be there, wherever and whenever we want it. We want to watch it, pause it, play it in slow motion, watch it again, analyze it, save it for later, share it with friends. We want to watch it at home, on the train or at work – because there’s always the underlying risk of spoilers, or missing out on the next-day office discussion should we be unable to view it.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The panelists break down Cisco's intent-based networking strategy, which brings machine learning to the networking realm. Plus, they hash out the ramifications for the security industry.