Core Infrastructure Initiative Brings Support to Key Projects

In the wake of the Heartbleed OpenSSL crisis, a new Core Infrastructure Initiative backed by leading technology companies has been established to fund and support critical elements of the global information infrastructure.

The multi-million dollar Core Infrastructure Initiative, which is managed by The Linux Foundation, will provide assistance to open source projects  that are in the critical path for core computing and Internet functions.

The first project under consideration to receive funds from the Initiative will be OpenSSL, which could receive fellowship funding for key developers as well as other resources to assist the project in improving its security, enabling outside reviews, and improving responsiveness to patch requests.

Founding backers of the Initiative include Amazon Web Services, Cisco, Dell, Facebook, Fujitsu, Google, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, NetApp, Rackspace, VMware and The Linux Foundation.

“We are expanding the work we already do for the Linux kernel to other projects that may need support,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director of The Linux Foundation. “Our global economy is built on top of many open source projects. Just as The Linux Foundation has funded Linus Torvalds to be able to focus 100% on Linux development, we will now be able to support additional developers and maintainers to work full-time supporting other essential open source projects. We are thankful for these industry leaders’ commitment to ensuring the continued growth and reliability of critical open source projects such as OpenSSL.”

"Maintaining the health of the community projects that produce software critical to the security and safety of Internet commerce is in everyone's interest," said Professor Eben Moglen of Columbia Law School, Founding Director of the Software Freedom Law Center. "The Linux Foundation, and the companies joining this Initiative, are enabling these dedicated programmers to continue maintaining and improving the free and open source software that makes the Net work safely for us all. This is business and community collaboration in the public interest, and we should all be grateful to The Linux Foundation for making it happen."

http://www.linuxfoundation.org/programs/core-infrastructure-initiative

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Dell Taps Big Switch for SDN-Enabled Fabric Monitoring

Dell announced a reseller agreement with Big Switch Networks targeting next-generation SDN fabric monitoring.

Specifically, Dell will offer Big Switch Networks’ Switch Light OS on Dell Networking’s Ethernet switching portfolio, starting with the S4810 and S6000 series. Dell will also offer Big Switch Networks’ production-ready SDN controller applications starting with the Big Tap Monitoring – an innovative new SDN-based network monitoring solution unlocking hidden customer value and helping solve an age-old, costly networking challenge.

Dell said the deal extends its vision of a new, disaggregated model for networking hardware and software. The Big Switch Big Tap Monitoring provides an SDN-enabled fabric monitoring solution that empowers tapping network traffic everywhere and delivering it to security and other appliances to:
expand choice and capabilities for customers looking for best-of-breed Ethernet switch hardware, OS and SDN apps;
enable a range of next-generation SDN solutions; and
realize operational simplification for management, control and policies.

“Dell’s push into open networking, and this announcement with Big Switch and other vendors, are great examples of original thinking and innovation coming from the new Dell, “said Tom Burns, vice president and general manager, Dell Networking. “We’re seeing tremendous initial customer interest, especially among certain verticals such as large financials, Web 2.0 and mobile service providers. It’s drawing Dell Networking into additional business discussions where many customers may not have considered Dell before.”

“The early adopters of SDN were largely the hyper scale players. But with the advent of initiatives such as Open Networking from Dell, the path for all enterprises to enjoy the benefits of SDN is getting easier,” said Douglas Murray, CEO of Big Switch Networks. “The joint solutions coming from the Dell and Big Switch partnership will bring hyperscale data center design and choice to a broader audience.”

http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/uscorp1/secure/2014-04-24-dell-sdn-network-monitoring-big-switch
http://bigswitch.com/bigswitch-dell-partnership-announcement

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FCC Chairman Comments on New Open Internet Rules

In response to published reports that of new rules that would limit or do away with the principles of Net Neutrality, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler confirmed that he is circulating a proposal but that it is not his intention to limit the openness of the Internet.  In a blog posting, Wheeler confirms that he is looking to have new enforceable rules in place by the end of the year.

Wheeler states that the key elements of his proposal are:

• That all ISPs must transparently disclose to their subscribers and users all relevant information as to the policies that govern their network;
• That no legal content may be blocked; and
• That ISPs may not act in a commercially unreasonable manner to harm the Internet, including favoring the traffic from an affiliated entity.

The actual proposal has not yet been published.  The FCC will consider Wheeler's proposal on May 15.  The commission has also established an email inbox for public comment on the matter.

Public comment to: openinternet@fcc.gov
http://www.fcc.gov/blog/setting-record-straight-fcc-s-open-internet-rules

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Equinix to Offer ExpressRoute to Microsoft Azure

Equinix announced plans to offer high-performance, private connections from its International Business Exchange data centers to Microsoft Azure.

Specifically, Equinix will enable customers to directly connect to Azure in Equinix IBX data centers across five continents including: North America, South America, Asia, Europe and Australia.  Microsoft’s physical infrastructure for Azure ExpressRoute resides in Equinix data centers and is available via an Equinix switching fabric that provides secure connectivity and real-time provisioning.

Equinix is currently previewing the service from data centers in Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C. and London.

"Enterprises are drawn to hybrid cloud to benefit from cloud computing efficiencies, while maximizing their existing infrastructure. With 57 percent of Fortune 500 companies already using Microsoft Azure combined with Equinix’s global data center footprint, we look forward to working together to help customers bridge their cloud and on-premises technology to build hybrid environments with enterprise-grade control and reliability," stated Steven Martin, general manager, Microsoft Azure at Microsoft.

http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/expressroute/
http://www.equinix.com

• Equinix already offers an AWS Direct Connect Service.

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Microsoft Highlights Cloud Growth - 4 Million Office 365 Home Subscribers, Azure up 150% YoY

Satya Nadella, Microsoft's new CEO, gave a cloud spin to the company's quarterly financial report.

“This quarter’s results demonstrate the strength of our business, as well as the opportunities we see in a mobile-first, cloud-first world. We are making good progress in our consumer services like Bing and Office 365 Home, and our commercial customers continue to embrace our cloud solutions. Both position us well for long-term growth,” said Satya Nadella, chief executive officer at Microsoft. “We are focused on executing rapidly and delivering bold, innovative products that people love to use.”

Some highlights:

• Devices and Consumer revenue grew 12% to $8.30 billion.
• Windows OEM revenue grew 4%, driven by strong 19% growth in Windows OEM Pro revenue.
• Office 365 Home now has 4.4 million subscribers, adding nearly 1 million subscribers in just three months.
• Microsoft sold in 2.0 million Xbox console units, including 1.2 million Xbox One consoles.
• Surface revenue grew over 50% to approximately $500 million.
• Bing U.S. search share grew to 18.6% and search advertising revenue grew 38%.
• Commercial revenue grew 7% to $12.23 billion.
• Office 365 revenue grew over 100%, and commercial seats nearly doubled, demonstrating strong enterprise momentum for Microsoft’s cloud productivity solutions.
• Azure revenue grew over 150%, and the company has announced more than 40 new features that make the Azure platform more attractive to cloud application developers. 
• Windows volume licensing revenue grew 11%, as business customers continue to make Windows their platform of choice.
• Lync, SharePoint, and Exchange, our productivity server offerings, collectively grew double-digits.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2014/apr14/04-24fy14q3earningspr.aspx

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NTT's Dimension Data Acquires Nexus for ICT Integration

Dimension Data has acquired Nexus, a privately-owned provider of advanced IT solutions based in Valencia, California.

Dimension Data said the deal expands its operations in the U.S. by 40%, significantly increasing its presence throughout the West, Southwest and Southeast.  Nexus’ data center solutions and services complement Dimension Data’s focus in this area.

Nexus serves enterprises, mid-sized business and public sector clients, with industry specializations in education, retail, hospitality and healthcare.

“The acquisition of Nexus is a significant strategic step in enhancing the Group’s geographic coverage and depth of skills and capabilities to support our clients. For over three decades, Dimension Data has been building expertise and experience in ICT solutions and services that deliver real business value to our clients. Nexus increases our ability to support both our US-based and global clients with West Coast presence,” stated Brett Dawson, CEO of Dimension Data plc.

https://www.dimensiondata.com/

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Nuage Networks Cites 30+ SDN Trials

Marking the one-year anniversary of its launch, Alcatel-Lucent's Nuage Networks division announced that it has participated in over 30 SDN trials with Fortune 500 enterprises, leading cloud providers, and telecommunication companies.

“In the year since Nuage Networks was launched around the same time as my own arrival at Alcatel-Lucent, it has already become recognized by the industry for its game-changing technology and for understanding the way CIOs think about operating their networks,” said Michel Combes, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent. “It is the perfect example of the kind of entrepreneurial innovation Alcatel-Lucent, under its new specialist focus, is now bringing to market.”

http://www.nuagenetworks.net

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