IDG Contributor Network: Catching the SD-WAN wave: the cost savings hype and MPLS misconceptions need more explanation

I recently had the pleasure of speaking as a panelist at an event break-out session discussing the benefits of SD-WAN. The session, “Catch the Next Wave of Cost Savings,” mirrored much of the current SD-WAN hype, and the abstract further stimulated excitement:“With the promise of savings as high as 90%, are you ready to make the leap from MPLS?”While the benefits of hybrid networks with SD-WAN are already proven and groundbreaking for many companies, the claims of totally replacing MPLS with SD-WAN are becoming bold and perpetuating unrealistic expectations. And it’s not just at events; I have seen white papers lately advertising 10X savings with pure SD-WAN. The issue: enterprises need help clarifying the line between hype and reality.To read this article in full, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Catching the SD-WAN wave: the cost savings hype and MPLS misconceptions need more explanation

I recently had the pleasure of speaking as a panelist at an event break-out session discussing the benefits of SD-WAN. The session, “Catch the Next Wave of Cost Savings,” mirrored much of the current SD-WAN hype, and the abstract further stimulated excitement:“With the promise of savings as high as 90%, are you ready to make the leap from MPLS?”While the benefits of hybrid networks with SD-WAN are already proven and groundbreaking for many companies, the claims of totally replacing MPLS with SD-WAN are becoming bold and perpetuating unrealistic expectations. And it’s not just at events; I have seen white papers lately advertising 10X savings with pure SD-WAN. The issue: enterprises need help clarifying the line between hype and reality.To read this article in full, please click here

New solar panel creates power from rain, as well as sunlight

With an upcoming data tsunami expected to absorb up to 20 percent of global electricity by 2025, according to some experts, data center energy sources are a hot talking point — the photovoltaic solar panel being one of the hottest and most viable fossil fuel alternatives.However, there’s an obvious problem with the solar panel as electricity source: When sunlight drops off on cloudy or rainy days, so does power output.Chinese scientists, though, think they have a solution, and that’s to develop a generalized hybrid panel that also harnesses the power of rain. It compensates for lack of sun on iffy days and at night.To read this article in full, please click here

New solar panel creates power from rain, as well as sunlight

With an upcoming data tsunami expected to absorb up to 20 percent of global electricity by 2025, according to some experts, data center energy sources are a hot talking point — the photovoltaic solar panel being one of the hottest and most viable fossil fuel alternatives.However, there’s an obvious problem with the solar panel as electricity source: When sunlight drops off on cloudy or rainy days, so does power output.Chinese scientists, though, think they have a solution, and that’s to develop a generalized hybrid panel that also harnesses the power of rain. It compensates for lack of sun on iffy days and at night.To read this article in full, please click here

Check Out Our New Certified Wireless Security Professional (CWSP) Course!

This course covers WLAN Security Basics, Wifi Attack Vectors, 802.11 Security Design Considerations, and 802.11 Authentication.

 

Instructor: Steve Evans

Course Duration: 2hr 44min


What You’ll learn:

The first module discusses the need for Wi-Fi security and provides the background of decision and standards making bodies. It also discusses 802.11 in the Enterprise. In the second module, you will learn typical modes of attack on Wi-fi implementations and how different attack methods expose the vulnerability of the Wi-Fi network. Module 3 describes the need for performing a risk assessment, as well as establishing a security policy. It also discusses management and monitoring of the enterprise Wi-fi network. The last module details the different 802.11 authentication methods used from password based to enterprise based. It provides details on the complexities of more stringent authentication methods.

Ready To Watch? Click here to view on our streaming site. Don’t have an All Access Pass? No problem, you can also purchase this course at ine.com.

DHL Gets Logical – And Logistical – About Machine Learning

For the past several years, machine learning as evolved by the hyperscalers has been trickling down from on high, through frameworks and services, into enterprises.

Machine learning is becoming a regular technique underpinning applications in a growing number of industries like manufacturing, energy, telecommunications and engineering, where companies see it as a way to not only reduce the costs and improve the efficiencies in their operations but also to more quickly detect patterns in and gain insights from the huge amounts of data they are generating. The goal is to making better and faster business decisions, and to …

DHL Gets Logical – And Logistical – About Machine Learning was written by Jeffrey Burt at The Next Platform.

IDG Contributor Network: IoT in agriculture: farming gets ‘smart’

We continue our theme of looking at different industry verticals, big and small, that are getting the IoT treatment. Previously we have looked at the largest IoT deployment, the Smart Electric Grid, as well as some innovative IoT implementations that are transforming healthcare. Today, it is time to look at Agriculture. While it might not seem to be a ‘cool enough’ vertical to get the ‘Smart Treatment’, this couldn’t be further from the truth.Why is it vital to even implement Smart Farming? Two reasons – carbon dioxide and human population growth. The increase in CO2 in the atmosphere leads to lower production, while the steady growth in human population leads to increased demand. Many predict that unless we increase our food production, we are very close to a global food shortage. Since it is not easy to dramatically increase arable land size, one way to achieve our goal is to improve the yield per unit area (or lower waste). Here is where IoT comes in.To read this article in full, please click here

New Space Race Could Beam Broadband Everywhere

A new space race is developing, bringing with it the potential to spread broadband to unserved areas of the world.

A handful of satellite companies, including SpaceX, are planning to deploy large-scale, low-orbit constellations that could bring high-speed broadband service to wide geographic areas. SpaceX’s main competitor is one-time partner OneWeb, which like its rival, is planning a huge network of satellites that could blanket most of the Earth with high-speed broadband service.

Other companies are competing as well. While SpaceX and OneWeb plan to launch thousands of satellites in the coming years, Canadian firm Telesat is also planning to offer global coverage through a polar-orbit constellation of just 117. Space Norway plans to cover the Arctic area, and LeoSat plans to specialize in high-speed encrypted services for large businesses.

These proposed services would be in addition to incumbent satellite Internet providers like HughesNet and Exede Internet, which focus on serving the United States.

Proponents of the proposals say they have the potential to offer broadband at speeds that rival wired fiber service. The new providers could achieve faster speeds and lower latency than current generation satellite Internet service using a combination of low orbits, a large number Continue reading

Datanauts 130: The Good, Bad And Ugly Of The VAR Life

If you work for a Value Added Reseller (VAR) as an engineer, the value being added is YOU.

What is VAR life? Projects, customer meetings, deadlines, bills of materials, RFP responses, and trying to turn the promises of sales unicorns into an actual design you can install for the customer.

We’ve worked for VARs at one time or another, as has our guest Eric Gullickson, who is now Enterprise Architect at Vortex Optics. We thought we d run down the good, the bad, and the ugly of the VAR life on this episode of the Datanauts podcast.

We start the show by distinguishing the different roles a VAR can have. Then we dive into the good, which includes access to new technology, paid certifications, a flexible work schedule, and exposure to a wide variety of businesses and operating environments.

For the bad, the Datanauts and Eric discuss the blunt reality that you have to generate profit, and you may find yourself having to navigate the competing interests of manufacturers, sales, distributors, and customers.

On the ugly side, we swap stories about greasy salespeople, bad project management, and other nightmares.

Show Links:

Eric Gullickson.com

Eric Gullickson on Twitter

The Continue reading

Episode 26 – Networking War Stories Part Deux

To celebrate the first anniversary of Network Collective, we invite a stellar panel of guests to share their networking war stories.  We discuss challenging outages, difficult problems, and what we’ve learned along the way.

Terry Slattery
Guest
Ethan Banks
Guest

Jordan Martin
Host
Eyvonne Sharp
Host
Russ White
Host

Outro Music:
Danger Storm Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The post Episode 26 – Networking War Stories Part Deux appeared first on Network Collective.

City & Guilds Group deploys SD-WAN to improve Office 365 performance

There are many reasons to deploy a software-defined WAN (SD-WAN), including saving a boatload of money, improving network agility, and increasing WAN resiliency. However, those all pale in comparison to the ROI that a business would see by making its employees more productive.One of the biggest drags on worker productivity is poor application response time. In 2016, ZK Research conducted a study that found on average, workers were 14 percent less productive than their optimal state because of poor application performance. (Note: I am an employee of ZK Research.) There’s nothing that frustrates a worker more than clicking on an icon and sitting around waiting for it to open or update, but that’s exactly what happens to global organizations that need to access resources over a long distance.To read this article in full, please click here

City & Guilds Group deploys SD-WAN to improve Office 365 performance

There are many reasons to deploy a software-defined WAN (SD-WAN), including saving a boatload of money, improving network agility, and increasing WAN resiliency. However, those all pale in comparison to the ROI that a business would see by making its employees more productive.One of the biggest drags on worker productivity is poor application response time. In 2016, ZK Research conducted a study that found on average, workers were 14 percent less productive than their optimal state because of poor application performance. (Note: I am an employee of ZK Research.) There’s nothing that frustrates a worker more than clicking on an icon and sitting around waiting for it to open or update, but that’s exactly what happens to global organizations that need to access resources over a long distance.To read this article in full, please click here

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