Ciena Introduces 8700 Packetwave Ethernet/DWDM Platform

Ciena introduced its programmable, 8700 Packetwave Platform, a multi-terabit Ethernet/DWDM switch designed to transform metro and inter-data center networks.

The new 8700 Packetwave integrates Ethernet and MPLS-TP switching with Ciena’s WaveLogic Photonics into a single, scalable platform. It leverages Ciena’s Service-Aware Operating System, OneControl Unified Management System, and SLA portal.  It can also be deployed in conjunction with Ciena’s V-WAN software to give customers performance-on-demand cloud service connectivity.

The 8700 supports the following applications:

• High-capacity 10GbE to 100GbE Ethernet aggregation and switching over DWDM applications to support reliable and secure high-bandwidth services.
• Packet applications including MPLS-TP, G.8032 Ethernet rings, and IEEE 802.1ad (QinQ) for more resilient and scalable architectures.
• 40GbE/100GbE service demarcation support for differentiated MEF 2.0 compliant services.
• Automated virtual cross-connect, enabling exchange operators to offer enterprise customers on-demand direct connectivity to cloud providers and network operators with collocated PoPs to greatly reducing cross-connect provisioning time to just minutes.

The 8700 represents the first in what Ciena believes will be a new class of networking product to help network operators rapidly deliver high-capacity services, efficiently aggregate users, and provide express connections to data centers. The platform seamlessly integrates 100GbE and 10GbE packet aggregation and switching, taking advantage of the performance and efficiency of modern merchant silicon, with Ciena’s 100G WaveLogic coherent optics and photonic technologies.

“The metro network is the new battleground and we are taking the best of the data center with the best of the metro to create a new, disruptive market opportunity and set the benchmark for metro core network builds. Our 8700 Packetwave Platform builds on our established leadership in packet networking, leveraging the convergence of carrier-grade packet switching and aggregation along with coherent optical networking and programmability to help transform metro networks into ‘on-demand’ platforms that can provide greater customization of communication services and applications," stated Francois Locoh-Donou, Senior Vice President, Global Products Group, Ciena.

Ciena’s 8700 Packetwave Platform will be generally available in the summer of 2014.

http://www.ciena.com/products/8700/

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Cisco: Four Billion Internet Users, 21 Billion Devices in 2018

By 2018, there will be nearly four billion global Internet users (about 52% of the world’s population), up from 2.5 billion in 2013, according to Cisco's newly updated VNI Global IP Traffic and Service Adoption Forecasts, 2013 – 2018. By that time, there will be 21 billion networked devices and connections globally, up from 12 billion in 2013.

More users, more connected devices and more usage means that global Internet Protocol (IP) traffic will increase nearly three-fold over the next five years to reach an annual run rate of 1.6 zettabytes – more than one and a half trillion gigabytes per year by 2018. Ultra HD video (4K) is a wildcard that could drive traffic even higher.

Some highlights from Cisco's VNI:

• Video streaming and IP broadcast of the World Cup is anticipated to generate 4.3 exabytes of IP traffic, which is three times the amount of monthly IP traffic currently generated by Brazil. 
• Globally, the average fixed broadband connection speed will increase 2.6-fold, from 16 Mbps in 2013 to 42 Mbps by 2018
• The majority of broadband connections, estimated at 55 percent, will be faster than 10 Mbps by 2018. Average broadband speeds in Japan and South Korea will approach 100 Mbps by 2018.
• Globally, IP video will represent 79% of all traffic by 2018, up from 66% in 2013.
• At the end of 2013, 33% of IP traffic and 15% of consumer Internet traffic originated from non-PC devices. 
• By 2018, 57% of IP traffic and 52% of consumer Internet traffic will originate from non-PC devices.
• By 2018, wired networks will account for 39% of IP traffic, while Wi-Fi and mobile networks will account for 61% of IP traffic. 
• In 2013, wired networks accounted for the majority of IP traffic at 56%, Wi-Fi accounted for 41%, and mobile or cellular networks accounted for 3% of total global IP traffic.
• IP video will be 79 percent of all IP traffic by 2018, up from 66 percent in 2013.
• The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region will generate the most IP traffic by 2018, with 47.6 exabytes (36 percent of the global IP traffic) per month.
• By 2018, the highest traffic-generating countries will be the United States with 37 exabytes per month and China with 18 exabytes per month.
• Mobile network connection speeds will increase two-fold by 2018. The average mobile network connection speed (1,387 Kbps in 2013) will exceed 2.5 megabits per second (Mbps) by 2018.
• By 2018, 4G will be 15 percent of connections, but 51 percent of total traffic. By 2018, a 4G connection will generate 6 times more traffic on average than a non-4G connection.

"Our first Cisco Visual Networking Index nine years ago established the zettabyte as a major milestone for global IP traffic. Today, we are firmly in the ‘Zettabyte Era' and witnessing incredible innovations and shifts in the industry. The reality of the Internet of Everything (IoE), the increasing demand for network mobility, and the emergence of 4K video are among the key trends highlighted in this year's forecast that represent significant opportunities for service providers today and in the immediate future," stated Doug Webster, Vice President of Products and Solutions Marketing, Cisco.

http://blogs.cisco.com/news/cisco-visual-networking-index-vni-global-ip-traffic-and-service-adoption-forecast-update-2013-2018

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Google to Acquire Skybox Imaging

Google agreed to acquire Skybox Imaging, a start-up using a new generation of micro-satellites to capture HD video imagery, in a deal valued at $500 million.

SkySat-1, the first of Skybox’s planned constellation of 24 satellites, began capturing high-resolution views late last year.  The satellite can capture up to 90-second video clips at 30 frames per second. The resolution is high enough to view objects like individual shipping containers. The company says it is capable of sub-meter native color and near-infrared imagery.

Skybox is based in Mountain View, California.

“The most revolutionary fact is that SkySat-1 was built and launched for more than an order of magnitude less cost than traditional sub-meter imaging satellites,” said Tom Ingersoll, CEO of Skybox. “This extremely high performance satellite is made possible by proprietary technologies developed by Skybox, including the integrated satellite and imaging systems designs, which enable Skybox to launch a constellation of satellites that can provide imagery timeliness, quality and dependability that was never before possible.”

http://www.skyboximaging.com/

• Skybox has raised $91 million from Khosla Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Canaan Partners and Norwest Venture Partners.
• SkySat-2, an identical version of SkySat-1, is scheduled to launch in 2014. More unique capabilities based on Skybox’s proprietary technologies will be announced in the near future.

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Small Cell Forum Release 4 Improves HetNet Integration

The Small Cell Forum announced the launch of Release Four aimed at overcoming barriers associated with urban small cells.

Release Four covers a range of issues that may concern an operator wishing to deploy urban small cells. There is a particular focus on learnings from market leading early deployments in North America and Asia across airports, theme parks, sporting venues, subways and at street level.

Release Four identifies operators’ main barriers and looks at solutions in the different disciplines of network architecture, radio access, backhaul, deployment, regulatory and services and security. The release also reports progress on cross industry activities to strengthen the ecosystem through multivendor interoperability.

Release Four also sees updates to the location services enabled by small cells, allowing venues or businesses to track the flow of people and potentially target messages or offers through data stored on the small cell.

Small Cell Forum and partner ETSI’s ongoing roadmap of Plugfest interoperability events is shown to play a key role in both debugging vendor implementations as well as driving resolution of standards ambiguities and gaps. Within the release, current standards for multivendor HetNets are reviewed, demonstrating that whilst basic multivendor HetNets are currently possible, further X2 standardization effort would enhance their performance.  There is also an overview of the security issues for small cells, and the standards in place to address them.

"This Release is the outcome of a very fruitful collaboration between the operator and vendor communities to harness the significant potential of the urban small cell market,” said Gordon Mansfield, Chair of the Small Cell Forum.

"Today small cells are an essential part of urban networks and Release Three started to address many of the challenges and perceived barriers to deployment faced by operators and network managers," said Sue Monahan, CEO at the Small Cell Forum. "What we’re announcing today is the final piece of the puzzle and shows how small cells are already delivering capacity and coverage for operators and subscribers around the world as part of multi-faceted urban networks."

http://www.smallcellforum.org/

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Sequans Targets Colibri LTE Platform at Internet of Things

Sequans Communications introduced its "Colibri" LTE chipset targeted at the Internet of Things (IoT) modules and M2M devices.

The Colibri LTE Platform comprises Sequans’ latest baseband and RF chips (SQN3221 and SQN3241), an integrated network and application CPU platform running Sequans’ carrier-proven LTE protocol stack, an IMS client, and a comprehensive software package for over-the-air device management and packet routing.

Key features:

• 3GPP Release 10, software upgradable to Release 11
• FDD and TDD, up to 20 MHz channels
• Throughput up to category 4 (150 Mbps DL / 50 Mbps UL)
• Integrated enhanced network and application CPU
• Wafer-level packaging
• Embedded IMS VoLTE client and digital voice interface
• Supports Linux, Android, ChromeOS, Windows, and MAC OS
• IoT friendly interfaces, including USB 2.0, SDIO 3.0 and high-speed UART
• Includes Sequans AIR™ interference cancellation technology for superior cell-edge performance

“In developing Colibri, our goal was to pack it with great IoT features while making it so cost-effective that it would immediately solidify the business cases for adding LTE to numerous new M2M and IoT devices,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. “I’m proud to say we’ve reached our goal and Colibri offers the best price/performance in the industry, enabling 4G LTE modules to approach 2G price points.”

Sequans expects modules based on the Colibri platform to be available from various module manufacturers beginning in Q3.

http://www.sequans.com

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CommScope Partners with Hydrogenics on Indoor Fuel Cell

CommScope announced a partnership with Hydrogenics to offer an indoor, fuel cell solution that can provide back-up power in a data center.

The scalable, hydrogen fuel cell solution can provide up to 30 kilowatts (kW) of reliable, environmentally-friendly backup power to enterprise computing systems.  Commscope said multiple power racks can be installed to scale in 30kW increments and sustain a variable runtime from hours to days, based on customer requirements and hydrogen tank options. The unit has the width of a standard server cabinet.

“Space within most data centers is at a premium and this backup power solution takes up the least amount compared to a battery rack or other backup power solutions,” said Daryl Wilson, chief executive officer, Hydrogenics. “Operating expense is another growing concern for data centers and, depending on the configuration, the indoor hydrogen fuel cell solution can be a lower cost solution than traditional power solutions after just two or three years.”

CommScope said that while deployments of outdoor fuel cells are taking off, it believes this indoor fuel cell is first-to-market.

http://www.commscope.com/

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Ixia Debuts 400GbE Test Platform

Ixia unveiled the world’s first proof of concept 400 Gbps Higher Speed Ethernet test solution.

The Ixia 400GbE Jumpstart Test System is a developer tool kit to help network equipment manufacturers shorten development and test time, accelerating pre-standard 400GbE networking hardware. Key features of the 400GbE Jumpstart Test System include wire rate packet generation at 400 Gbps below the minimum and above the maximum Ethernet frame sizes.

Ixia said the solution enables customers to create, test and verify the interoperability of their next Higher Speed Ethernet technologies while maximizing their 400GbE test investment.

Ixia already has completed the first 400GbE interoperability test with Ciena,.

"In an exceedingly competitive market, equipment manufacturers must deliver increasingly higher-speed networking solutions.  We’re committed to providing the solutions our customers need to develop, test and validate the networking technologies of the future,” said Errol Ginsberg, Chairman of the Board and Acting Chief Executive Officer of Ixia. “Ixia developed the world’s first 40 and 100GbE test platforms, now with 400GbE, we continue to lead the industry in creating the solutions that enable the network to work every time and everywhere.”

http://www.ixiacom.com

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HP Adds Encryption Capabilities for On-Premise and Cloud Data

HP announced new encryption capabilities for data at rest, in motion or in use—across cloud, on-premises and mobile environments. The new HP Atalla solutions deliver advanced protection for data stored on-premises and in the cloud, as well as unstructured data such as confidential emails, payment information and electronic health records. Some highlights of the announcement:

• HP Secure Encryption with HP Enterprise Secure Key Manager (ESKM) 4.0 unifies and automates encryption controls across a distributed infrastructure.  It secures and manages encryption keys without slowing server performance and also fully supports the OASIS Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP), bringing open standards to encryption key management.
  
• HP Atalla Cloud Encryption reduces the complexity of encryption and key management in public, private and hybrid cloud environments with split-key encryption, a method for combining and splitting keys during the encryption process. In addition, customers can leverage integration with HP Enterprise Secure Key Manager to automatically manage and protect master keys on-premises in FIPS 140-2 Level 2 validated security appliances.
  
• HP Atalla Information Protection and Control (IPC) software protects sensitive enterprise data at every stage of the data life cycle—from creation to collaboration to storage. The software uses an information-centric encryption approach that applies persistent protection to follow the data throughout its life cycle, no matter where it resides. The encryption technology is easily incorporated into business processes without adding complexity or time consuming and costly integration.

http://www.hp.com

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