Riverbed to Acquire OPNET for Network Visibility and Performance

Riverbed Technology agreed to acquire OPNET for $43 per share in cash and stock, representing an equity value of $1 billion and an enterprise value of $921 million. 

The deal will combine Riverbed's Cascade network performance management (NPM) business with OPNET's expertise in application performance management (APM) market.  The combination of Cascade and OPNET will have over $250 million in annualized revenue in a market that the companies characterize as a multi-billion dollar opportunity.

Riverbed and OPNET said their joint offering will provide "unparalleled visibility and insight into application and network performance." 

“The addition of OPNET establishes Riverbed as the clear leader in the high-growth and converging application and network performance management markets,” said Jerry Kennelly, Chairman and CEO at Riverbed. “This acquisition also transforms Riverbed into a billion dollar revenue company.”

“Riverbed and OPNET have natural synergies,” said Marc Cohen, OPNET’s Chairman and CEO. “Riverbed’s leadership in accelerating business technology combined with OPNET’s industry-leading suite of APM products provides customers with a single solution for monitoring, troubleshooting and actually fixing the application and network performance problems challenging them today.”

http://www.riverbed.com
http://www.opnet.com

• OPNET is led by Marc Cohen (CEO) and Alain Cohen (CTO).  The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Bethesda, Maryland.

• Earlier in October, Riverbed announced enhancements to its Cascade application-aware network performance management (NPM) solution with new capabilities for virtualized desktop infrastructure (VDI), server virtualization, and fully virtualized data centers using VXLAN software-defined networks (SDNs).  The upcoming Cascade 10.0, which will be released in Q4, is targeting these virtualization features for deployment by service providers as well as in public, private, and hybrid clouds. The company said Cascade 10.0 will help network operators to pinpoint, understand, and troubleshoot performance issues within these virtualized environments. This includes:
• For virtualized desktop infrastructure (VDI), Cascade 10.0 monitoring supports the most popular VDI protocols, providing visibility for VMware View (PCoIP protocol) and the Common Internet File Systems (CIFS) protocol.
• For monitoring VXLAN SDNs, Cascade 10.0 provides visibility into the UDP-encapsulated traffic and virtual tunnel endpoints. This helps control and understand VXLAN virtual overlay network performance.
• Cascade 10.0 adds the ability to monitor and troubleshoot software-defined data centers (SDDC) and the physical network.
• Riverbed is also introducing two new virtual editions of its Cascade product family that enable managed service providers (MSPs) to deliver application-aware network performance management (NPM) as a service to their small-to-medium-sized and enterprise customers. Riverbed said its new Cascade Profiler Virtual Edition and Cascade Gateway Virtual Edition, in addition to the existing Cascade Shark Virtual Edition, provide a completely virtualized NPM solution portfolio that allows MSPs to deliver continued value in a virtualized world with the next-generation of performance management.

Read More

Gigamon Extends and Scales its Traffic Visibility

Gigamon has enhanced its Traffic Visibility Fabric solutions with a new, 400 Gbps processing card for its high-density, GigaVUE H Series chassis. The platform supports a range of GigaSMART applications to enable the deduplication, modification, manipulation and transport of network traffic as it is delivered to management, monitoring and security tools and systems.

The enhancements represent the second step in Gigamon's four-phase evolution of its Visibility Fabric.  Subsequent phases are expected to include an Active Visibility Fabric and Living Visibility Fabric.

Gigamon emphasized that its solution represents the highest port density of any network visibility switch and that the packet processing cards as a game changer for managing, analyzing and securing IT infrastructure.

"As the volume and speed of network traffic continues to increase, the need to converge on a single platform – a fabric – that not only simplifies and automates traffic visibility, but also provides built-in intelligence, will drive the way organizations choose to monitor and manage their networks," said Paul Hooper, VP of Marketing at Gigamon.  "We see the features offered by GigaSMART as an anticipated and necessary next step in the evolution of the Visibility Fabric."

http://www.gigamon.com/traffic-visibility-fabric

Read More

PMC Posts Q3 Revenue of $131.7 Million

PMC posted Q3 revenue of $131.7 million, a decrease of 4% compared to net revenues of $137.8 million in the second quarter of 2012 and a decrease of 24% compared to $173.3 million in the third quarter of 2011. GAAP net loss for Q3 was $274.4 million, or a loss of $1.31 per share.

Third quarter GAAP results included impairment write-downs of goodwill and intangible assets of $276.1 million related to the Passave and Wintegra acquisitions, completed in 2006 and 2010, respectively. This compares to a GAAP net income of $26.5 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, including a $28.5 million benefit from the recognition of certain U.S. tax credits, mainly arising from foreign withholding taxes paid in the second quarter of 2012.

“Our third quarter results were in line with expectations despite a tough macro environment,” said Greg Lang, president and chief executive officer of PMC. “With business uncertainty weighing on infrastructure purchases in every geography and market segment, we remain focused on best-in-class product execution, design wins and controlling operating expenses.”

http://investor.pmcs.com

Read More

Google Launches Nexus 4 Smartphone, No LTE

Google introduced its Nexus 4 smartphone, a 4.7" handset built by LG and powered by Qualcomm's quad core, Snapdragon S4 Pro processor.

The phone is priced at $299 in the U.S. for an unlocked version. It uses GSM/HSPA+ radios but it does not offer LTE connectivity.

The Nexus 4 runs Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) and features integrated Google Maps, Gmail, Chrome, Play, etc.
http://officialandroid.blogspot.com/

Read More

China Telecom's Profit Slides as Revenues Rise

China Telecom reported Q3 revenue of CNY 71.9 billion, up 15.6% over the same period last year.  Profit attributable to equity holders in the company amounted to CNY 3.75 billion, down 7.8% compared to a year earlier.

China Telecom now has 152.62 million mobile subscribers, of which 59.72  are on the 3G network.

http://www.chinatelecom-h.com/eng/ir/kpi.php?cat=monthly

Read More

Juniper's QFabric Completes EMC Compatibility Testing

Juniper Networks' QFabric products  have completed testing through EMC's E-Lab, certifying their interoperability with EMC VMAX and VNX storage arrays. In addition, Juniper's QFabric system has been added to EMC's Support Matrix.

EMC E-Lab tested the QFabric solution in an end-to-end, multivendor environment, which included testing and qualification of solutions with hypervisors, operating systems, Converged Network Adapters (CNA), Fibre Channel, Ethernet Switches, and EMC VMAX and EMC VNX storage systems.

The qualification adds Juniper Networks QFX3500 10GbE top-of-rack switch, QFX3000-M QFabric System and QFX3000-G QFabric System to EMC's Support Matrix.

http://www.juniper.net

Read More

Ceragon Says Mobile Operators Showing Extreme Caution in Spending

Ceragon Networks reported Q3 revenue of $118.0 million, up 2% from $116.1 million for the third quarter of 2011, and down 1% from $119.1 million in the second quarter of 2012.  Net loss (GAAP) was $(2.7) million or $(0.07) per basic share and diluted share, compared to net loss of $(6.7) million in the third quarter of 2011, or$(0.19) per basic share and diluted share.

"We are pleased to achieve a gross margin near our target and reach an operating profit margin of 4%," said Ira Palti, President and CEO of Ceragon. "We are making excellent progress toward our profitability goal. We remain optimistic about the business because we are well-positioned in an attractive sector that is likely to enjoy numerous growth drivers for years to come, but we are not immune to macroeconomic factors that are causing the second half of the year to be slower than originally expected.  After a dramatic pickup in bookings to record levels in Q2, we experienced a reversal in the order pattern in Q3. Although a portion of this change is accounted for by some large orders being delayed until Q4, due to the macroeconomic environment, we expect Q4 revenues to decline sequentially. With operators showing extreme caution regarding spending, sales cycles are lengthening and we are assuming no improvement from Q4 levels as we move into 2013."

http://www.ceragon.com/na/news_item.asp?ID=274

Read More

Wireless Charging Builds Momentum

The Power Matters Alliance (PMA), which is creating an ecosystem and open standard for smart wireless power, has added AT&T, Google and Starbucks as members. Vint Cerf will serve as honorary chairman of the organization.

"An Internet of 'smart things' is rapidly evolving and most of them are powered electrically. Google cares greatly about a future where power can be wireless, smart and environmental," said Vint Cerf, Chief Internet Evangelist at Google. "The PMA is about doing for power what the Internet did for data.  With the help of Starbucks, AT&T, P&G, Powermat and so many others I believe this goal is finally within reach."

PMA announced the following milestones

• AT&T has begun selling PMA-compatible wireless power cases and charging surfaces in select markets.
• Delta airlines installed PMA-compatible Wireless Charging Spots in lounges and gates in leading airports.
• Duracell has begun a nationwide retail rollout of PMA-compatible wireless charging accessories through its Duracell Powermat joint venture.
• General Motors – the world's largest automaker – will include PMA-compatible wireless charging for smartphones in upcoming models.
• Jay Z has installed PMA-compatible Wireless Charging Spots throughout his 40/40 Club in New York.
• Madison Square Garden, 'The world's most famous arena,' has begun installing hundreds of PMA-compatible Wireless Charging Spots throughout the arena, as has the brand new Barclays Center, in Brooklyn.
• Powermat Technologies – the world's leader in wireless power – has contributed its core technology to the PMA and has committed that all its products will comply with the PMA specification.
• Starbucks is testing PMA-compatible Wireless Charging Spots in select Boston stores.
• Westfield - one of the world's largest shopping center portfolios – has installed PMA-compatible charging spots in Westfield Garden State Plaza Mall.

http://www.powermatters.org

Read More

Xilinx Announces Defense-Grade 7 Series FPGAs

Xilinx introduced its fourth generation secure architecture with Information Assurance and Anti-Tamper IP core support for defense-grade 7 series FPGAs and Zynq-7000 All Programmable SoCs.

The reprogrammable Xilinx FPGAs and SoCs use 28nm process technology and include Information Assurance methodology and DoD 5000 Series compliant Anti-Tamper Security Monitor IP core (SECMON) technology for aerospace and defense systems.

"In addition to the secure capabilities, the defense-grade 7 series FPGAs and Zynq-7000 All Programmable SoCs offer mask set control, ruggedized packaging with fully-leaded (Pb) content for harsh environmental operation, full extended temperature range testing, long term availability and anti-counterfeiting features," stated Yousef Khalilollahi, senior director, Aerospace and Defense at Xilinx.

http://www.xilinx.com/applications/aerospace-and-defense/index.htm

Read More