Nokia Buys OSS Specialist Comptel for $370 Million

Both companies are based in Finland.

Nokia makes bid for Comptel to boost its software business

Network equipment vendor Nokia wants to buy a software company that helps customers make do with less hardware.The Finnish networking giant competes with the likes of Ericsson, Huawei Technologies, and Cisco Systems to sell networking equipment, software, and services to telecommunications operators and large enterprises.On Thursday, it offered to buy Finnish neighbor Comptel, which develops software to help network operators manage their networks and deliver additional services.Nokia said the deal, valuing Comptel at around €347 million (US$370 million) would help it toward its goal of building a standalone software business.The bid is a logical move, said Sylvain Fabre, a research director at Gartner: "The days of proprietary infrastructure from network equipment providers are numbered. Virtualized infrastructure will increasingly be procurable from alternative vendors, so focusing on software and applications for telecommunications functions is the way forward for any large vendor that seeks longevity."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Nokia makes bid for Comptel to boost its software business

Network equipment vendor Nokia wants to buy a software company that helps customers make do with less hardware.The Finnish networking giant competes with the likes of Ericsson, Huawei Technologies, and Cisco Systems to sell networking equipment, software, and services to telecommunications operators and large enterprises.On Thursday, it offered to buy Finnish neighbor Comptel, which develops software to help network operators manage their networks and deliver additional services.Nokia said the deal, valuing Comptel at around €347 million (US$370 million) would help it toward its goal of building a standalone software business.The bid is a logical move, said Sylvain Fabre, a research director at Gartner: "The days of proprietary infrastructure from network equipment providers are numbered. Virtualized infrastructure will increasingly be procurable from alternative vendors, so focusing on software and applications for telecommunications functions is the way forward for any large vendor that seeks longevity."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

HCI’s Scale Out Architecture Can Stress the Network

Hyperconverged infrastructure requires IT organizations to consider a scale out architecture.

As third RSA Conference without ‘booth babes’ nears, no one seems to miss them

In March 2015, RSA Conference organizers made news by contractually insisting that vendors pitch their security wares without the help of “booth babes,” a first such ban for the technology industry.Next week’s RSAC in San Francisco will be the third without the babes, so I checked in with event staff to see if the policy had evolved at all and how it has been accepted by various stake-holders.  Here’s how the contract language read in 2015: All Expo staff are expected to dress in business and/or business casual attire. Exhibitors should ensure that the attire of al staff they deploy at their booth (whether the exhibitor’s direct employees or their contractors) be considered appropriate in a professional environment. Attire of an overly revealing or suggestive nature is not permitted. Examples of such attire may include but are not restricted to:To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

As third RSA Conference without ‘booth babes’ nears, no one seems to miss them

In March 2015, RSA Conference organizers made news by contractually insisting that vendors pitch their security wares without the help of “booth babes,” a first such ban for the technology industry.Next week’s RSAC in San Francisco will be the third without the babes, so I checked in with event staff to see if the policy had evolved at all and how it has been accepted by various stake-holders.  Here’s how the contract language read in 2015: All Expo staff are expected to dress in business and/or business casual attire. Exhibitors should ensure that the attire of al staff they deploy at their booth (whether the exhibitor’s direct employees or their contractors) be considered appropriate in a professional environment. Attire of an overly revealing or suggestive nature is not permitted. Examples of such attire may include but are not restricted to:To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Apple’s iPhone declines in China, and this year could be a struggle

Perhaps the next iPhone 8 will be Apple's next shot at achieving greatness in China.The current iPhones aren't helping Apple gain market share in China, according to Canalys. Markets like China and India are at the top of Apple's agenda to grow the iPhone business.China accounts for a third of worldwide smartphone shipments. Buyers in the market are leaning toward local brands like Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi, which formed the top four smartphone vendors in China in 2016, according to Canalys.Apple was in the fifth spot, and Samsung doesn't figure in the top five.In 2016, Apple's phone shipments in China totaled 43.8 million units, a drop of 18.2 percent compared to 2015. It's not looking any better for Apple in 2017.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Worth Reading: Security and the Internet of Things

Last year, on October 21, your digital video recorder ­- or at least a DVR like yours ­- knocked Twitter off the internet. Someone used your DVR, along with millions of insecure webcams, routers, and other connected devices, to launch an attack that started a chain reaction, resulting in Twitter, Reddit, Netflix, and many sites going off the internet. You probably didn’t realize that your DVR had that kind of power. But it does. —Schneier on Security

The post Worth Reading: Security and the Internet of Things appeared first on 'net work.

Python – Learning Python with Kirk Byers Python for Network Engineers

As you have seen lately on the blog I’ve been fiddling around in Python. One of the best resources out there to learn Python for Network Engineers is the free e-mail course by Kirk Byers. Kirk is a CCIE emeritus with extensive knowledge and experience of Python. He offers both free and paid courses over at his site. Kirk is very active in the community and the guy behind Netmiko and the IOS driver in NAPALM. He’s also an active member of the Network to Code Slack group. I recommend that you check out Kirk’s stuff!

I plan to go through all of his exercices and write about them on my blog. That will help me in my learning and hopefully it can help you as well. Kirk publishes the answers to the exercises at Github but my plan is to be a bit more verbose and explain the code. I plan to write my posts here and also put up my answers on Github to get some exposure to using Git. My code will likely not be elegant, the most effective or good looking but hopefully we can learn from each other as I put these posts up. I Continue reading

Cisco Umbrella cloud service shapes security for cloud, mobile resources

In these days of always-on, but zero trust enterprise applications, concerns over how to keep the bad guys out 24-7 is a huge IT challenge. In an attempt to address such anxieties Cisco today announced Umbrella, a secure, cloud-based gateway, based on technology from OpenDNS and other technologies it acquired such as CloudLock as well as existing Cisco security services that together ultimately promises to offer secure business access to resources even when users are not using the safety of a VPN.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cisco Umbrella cloud service shapes security for cloud, mobile resources

In these days of always-on, but zero trust enterprise applications, concerns over how to keep the bad guys out 24-7 is a huge IT challenge. In an attempt to address such anxieties Cisco today announced Umbrella, a secure, cloud-based gateway, based on technology from OpenDNS and other technologies it acquired such as CloudLock as well as existing Cisco security services that together ultimately promises to offer secure business access to resources even when users are not using the safety of a VPN.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Intel’s Ticking Atom Bomb

It started somewhat innocently. Cisco released a field notice that there was an issue with some signal clocks on a range of their networking devices. This by itself was a huge issue. There had been rumblings about this issue for a few months. Some proactive replacement of affected devices to test things. Followed by panicked customer visits when the news broke on February 2nd. Cisco looked like they were about to get a black eye.

The big question that arose was whether or not this issue was specific to Cisco devices or if it was an issue that was much bigger. Some investigative work from enterprising folks like Tony Mattke (@tonhe) found that there was a spec document from Intel that listed a specific issue with the Intel Atom C2000 System on Chip (SoC) that caused it to fail to provide clock signal for onboard chips. The more digging that was done, the more dire this issue turned out to be.

Tick, Tick, Tick

Clock signaling is very important in modern electronics. It ensures that all the chips on the board are using the correct timing to process electronic impulses. If the clock signal starts drifting, you start Continue reading

30% off Microsoft Foldable Keyboard for iOS, Android, and Windows devices – Deal Alert

This folding keyboard from Microsoft pairs with any combination of 2 iPads, iPhones, Android, Windows tablets, and Windows Phones. It features a water repellent keyset and fabric to protect against accidents. Unfold to turn on, and fold to turn off. Pairs quickly and reliably with Bluetooth 4.0 technology. Its built-in rechargeable battery lasts up to 3 months on a single charge. It currently averages 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon (read reviews) from nearly 200 reviewers, and its list price of $100 is currently reduced to $70. See the discounted Microsoft keyboard now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Review: Arlo Pro cameras offer true flexibility for home security

Netgear’s Arlo brand of home security, network-connected cameras continues to improve, defeating every real or perceived criticism about the devices with an upgrade or improvement. Want to place in an area where there’s no network cable? Bam! Wi-Fi connection. Need to place in an area where there’s no power outlet? Bam! Battery powered! Don’t like replacing batteries? Bam! Rechargeable batteries and a quick-charge battery adapter.The latest version of this system is the Arlo Pro – it’s the most flexible camera system I’ve come across so far. After a few weeks of testing, I’ve determined that anyone who has a problem with this system (or think that it can’t do something) is just a cynical old crank.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Review: Arlo Pro cameras offer true flexibility for home security

Netgear’s Arlo brand of home security, network-connected cameras continues to improve, defeating every real or perceived criticism about the devices with an upgrade or improvement. Want to place in an area where there’s no network cable? Bam! Wi-Fi connection. Need to place in an area where there’s no power outlet? Bam! Battery powered! Don’t like replacing batteries? Bam! Rechargeable batteries and a quick-charge battery adapter.The latest version of this system is the Arlo Pro – it’s the most flexible camera system I’ve come across so far. After a few weeks of testing, I’ve determined that anyone who has a problem with this system (or think that it can’t do something) is just a cynical old crank.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cisco grows cloud menu, brings Microsoft Azure Stack into UCS

Cisco today said it would expand its hybrid cloud offerings by integrating Microsoft Azure Stack into its Unified Computing System. The turnkey package, officially known as the Cisco Integrated Solution for Microsoft Azure Stack, grows Cisco’s Microsoft portfolio and let application developers and IT managers more easily deploy, manage and grow enterprise applications. Azure Stack expands Cisco’s hybrid cloud offerings for customers who want the advantages of a single API for private and public cloud applications. +More on Network World: Cisco: Faulty clock part could cause failure in some Nexus switches, ISR routers, ASA security appliances+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cisco grows cloud menu, brings Microsoft Azure Stack into UCS

Cisco today said it would expand its hybrid cloud offerings by integrating Microsoft Azure Stack into its Unified Computing System. The turnkey package, officially known as the Cisco Integrated Solution for Microsoft Azure Stack, grows Cisco’s Microsoft portfolio and let application developers and IT managers more easily deploy, manage and grow enterprise applications. Azure Stack expands Cisco’s hybrid cloud offerings for customers who want the advantages of a single API for private and public cloud applications. +More on Network World: Cisco: Faulty clock part could cause failure in some Nexus switches, ISR routers, ASA security appliances+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Microsoft readies Vista for retirement

Microsoft will stop all support for Windows Vista in two months, ending the problem-plagued operating system's usefulness when it issues final patches on April 11.The OS won't be missed: According to analytics vendor Net Applications, which estimated user share by counting unique visitors to tens of thousands of websites, Vista ran on less than 1% of all personal computers powered by Windows last month. Still, even that small percentage translated into approximately 14 million PCs when using Microsoft's claim that 1.5 billion devices run Windows.Vista was never a break-out hit for Microsoft, as were both its Windows XP predecessor and its successor, Windows 7.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Facebook shareholders would have uphill climb ousting Zuckerberg from board

A move by a watchdog group and a small group of shareholders to oust Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg from his post as chairman would be an uphill battle that would be unlikely to succeed and could hurt the company, analysts said.It would completely destabilize Facebook," said Patrick Moorhead, an analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy. "Zuckerberg still makes most of the key decisions and without him it would be a major risk… I don't see a single piece of upside in removing Zuckerberg from the board."It's also unclear whether Zuckerberg could even be removed as chairman, since any shareholder vote would be advisory only.The proposal is being led by Facebook shareholders who are members of SumOfUs, an international consumer watchdog group focused on "curbing the growing power of corporations."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Kim Stevenson’s exit from Intel hints at problems in the PC business

Kim Stevenson, who served as the second-in-command at Intel’s PC chip division, has left the company after just six months in her new role.Stevenson tweeted last week that she had left the company after serving more than seven years at Intel, and she would move “on to new adventures.”  She served as the chief operating officer for its Client and Internet of Things Business and Systems Architecture group—a catchall for Intel’s consumer-focused products, including its traditional PC business. Stevenson reported to Murthy Renduchintala, the group’s president. LinkedIn Kim Stevenson has left Intel for "new adventures."ent.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here