Thursday, October 9, 2014

Nutanix Debuts all-Flash Hyper-converged System

Nutanix introduced its NX-9000 appliance -- an all-flash hyper-converged platform for scale-out applications and services.

While all previous Nutanix solutions have incorporated flash new NX-9000 appliance pushes the envelope to run applications with large working sets, such as databases supporting online transaction processing (OLTP).  Flash capacity is optimized using Nutanix’s scale-out compression and de-duplication technologies that leverage unused compute resources across all nodes in the cluster, avoiding performance bottlenecks common in both traditional storage and all-flash arrays that depend on dual-controller designs. List pricing for the NX-9000 all-flash hyper-converged system starts at $110,000 per node.

Nutanix also introduced metro networking capabilities for ensuring continuous data availability in the event of a data center outage or planned maintenance. Using synchronous mirroring, Metro Availability stretches datastores for virtual machine clusters across two or more sites located up to 400km apart. All functionality is natively integrated into Nutanix software, and supported across all Nutanix platforms with no hardware changes. This enables the migration of virtual machines between sites during planned maintenance events, providing continuous data protection with zero recovery point objective (RPO) and a near zero recovery time objective (RTO).

Nutanix is also supporting the option for customers to deploy different configurations for primary and secondary sites, and support one-to-many and many-to-one topologies. Customers are no longer forced to have identical platforms and hardware configurations at each siteMetro Availability will be available in the upcoming 4.1 version of the Nutanix Operating System (NOS), and will be included in Ultimate Edition.

http://www.nutanix.com

In August, Nutanix, a start-up based in San Jose, California, announced a $140 million Series E funding round at over a $2 billion valuation.

Nutanix offers a Virtual Computing Platform, which integrates compute and storage into a single solution for the data center. Its web-scale software runs on all popular virtualization hypervisors, including VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V and open source KVM, and is uniquely able to span multiple hypervisors in the same environment.

The latest round brings Nutanix's total funding to $312 million.

Nutanix reports annualized bookings exceeding a run rate of $200 million.  The company has over 800 customers, including 29 customers who have purchased more than $1 million in aggregate products and services.  Nutanix's growing list of customers includes Airbus, China Merchant Bank, Honda, ConocoPhillips, Total SA, Toyota, US Navy and Yahoo! Japan. 

"The convergence of servers, storage and networking in the datacenter has created one of the largest business opportunities in enterprise technology, and Nutanix is at the epicenter of this transformation," said Dheeraj Pandey, co-founder and CEO, Nutanix. "We are proud of the progress we have made, and are confident in capitalizing on the enormous opportunity that lies ahead of us. We recognize the importance of building relationships with leading public market investors, and are honored to welcome them as partners in driving the long-term success of our Company."

In June, Nutanix announced an OEM deal under which Dell will offer a new family of converged infrastructure appliances based on Nutanix web-scale technology under an OEM deal announced by the firms. The companies said the combination of Nutanix’s software running on Dell’s servers delivers a flexible, scale-out platform that brings IT simplicity to modern data centers.

Google Backs Massive Undersea Cable Linking Brazil and Florida

Construction is set to begin on a major new undersea cable linking Santos and Fortaleza in Brazil with Boca Raton, Florida.  Backers of the project include Google, Algar Telecom (Brazil), Angola Cables (Angola) and Antel (Uruguay).

The new cable will span 10,556 km (6,560 miles) and have six fiber pairs. Overall system design capacity is a massive 64 Tbps.

TE Connectivity SubCom was awarded the construction contract for the project.  Work will start immediately. Completion is targeted for the end of 2016.

http://www.subcom.com/company/view.aspx?id=363&type=Press

AT&T Develops Wi-Fi Hub Powered by Accuris, BSG

AT&T is working with Accuris Networks and BSG Wireless on a new AT&T Wi-Fi Hub that enables other wireless operators to deliver turnkey Wi-Fi roaming services to their customers.

The AT&T Wi-Fi Hub, which is expected to launch later this year, addresses common issues that operators face in delivering Wi-Fi roaming services, such as the time-intensive process of identifying Wi-Fi providers, negotiation of terms and implementation of Wi-Fi services.

The AT&T Wi-Fi Hub is being developed using Accuris Networks’ AccuROAM platform, which uses SIM-based account credentials to enable smartphone and tablet users to automatically connect to Wi-Fi hotspots when roaming internationally.  The solution provides a secure authentication framework without the need to enter cumbersome usernames and passwords. It also fully supports Hotspot 2.0 and WBA’s Wireless Roaming Intermediary eXchange (WRIX) specifications.  AccuROAM enables any Wi-Fi to work as a full extension of GSM or CDMA networks for billing, policy and authentication.

AT&T’s Wi-Fi Hub will utilize the advanced reporting and settlement infrastructure capabilities of BSG Wireless, specifically interconnection for the operators, data clearing and financial settlement services.

“Our collaboration with Accuris Networks and BSG Wireless means that we’ll be able to launch our hub quickly and deliver a wholesale Wi-Fi solution that is seamless and secure,” said JR Wilson, Vice President, Partnerships & Alliances, AT&T Mobility.  “For the end user, all they will need to do is download an app from their Wi-Fi provider to access Wi-Fi roaming.

"The AT&T Wi-Fi Hub is an operator-focused hub," said Jeff Brown, CEO of Accuris Networks. "AT&T has spent the time and made the investments to solve the key issues that have challenged many operators who have wanted to offer Wi-Fi roaming. Operators can become part of a Wi-Fi roaming ecosystem on which they can quickly build services and products. Using the hub benefits operators as well as their customers, since it offers Wi-Fi roaming that is secure, simple and easy to use."

http://about.att.com/story/att_accuris_networks_and_bsg_wireless_announce_att_wifi_hub.html

http://www.accuris-networks.com/

In September, Accuris Networks, a start-up based in Dublin, Ireland with offices in the U.S., Malaysia, Brazil and Japan, completed a $15 million equity funding round for its platform for connecting current and emerging mobile broadband networks such as GSM, CDMA, LTE and Wi-Fi.  The company also announced the appointment of Jeff Brown as CEO.

The Accuris AccuROAM platform, which includes smartphone client software, access server/gateway technology and billing integration support, helps service providers interconnect various network technologies and domains for a better subscriber roaming experience.  The platform can be used for Wi-Fi Offload and Wi-Fi Roaming, including Wi-Fi Calling and Wi-Fi Texting. This enables carriers to include Wi-Fi as a full service-capability alongside 3G/4G Mobile, fixed broadband, etc.

The newly named CEO Jeff Brown previously was president and CEO of mobile technology company Kineto Wireless. He held similar positions at RadioFrame Networks and was earlier the CEO of Data Critical, a wireless healthcare company.

Symantec to Split in Two: Security and Information Mgt

Symantec announced a plan to split into two, independent publicly traded companies: one business focused on security and one business focused on information management (“IM”).

The security business, which will retain the Symantec name, generated revenue of $4.2 billion in fiscal year 2014 -- twice the size of the nearest competitor, according to the company. Product lines include consumer and enterprise endpoint security; endpoint management; encryption; mobile; Secure Socket Layer (“SSL”) Certificates; user authentication; mail, web and data center security; data loss prevention; hosted security; and managed security services. Michael A. Brown will be the President and CEO of Symantec and Thomas Seifert will continue to serve as CFO.

The IM business generated revenue of $2.5 billion in fiscal year 2014. The Information Management business will include: backup and recovery; archiving; eDiscovery; storage management; and information availability solutions.  This division will also look at new opportunities, such as integration with cloud providers that enable customers to help manage data across public and private clouds, such as cloud connectors for NetBackup and Recovery-as-a-Service (RaaS) for Azure Cloud.  John Gannon will be General Manager of the new information management business and Don Rath will be its acting CFO.

“As the security and storage industries continue to change at an accelerating pace, Symantec’s security and IM businesses each face unique market opportunities and challenges. It has become clear that winning in both security and information management requires distinct strategies, focused investments and go-to market innovation,” said Michael A. Brown, Symantec president and chief executive officer. “Separating Symantec into two, independent publicly traded companies will provide each business the flexibility and focus to drive growth and enhance shareholder value.”

CyrusOne Secures $600M for Data Center Expansion

CyrusOne closed a new $450 million senior unsecured revolving credit facility and a $150 million senior unsecured term loan. The revolving credit facility replaces the company’s $225 million secured credit facility which previously bore interest at a rate of LIBOR + 3.25%. The new revolving credit facility will initially bear interest at a rate of LIBOR + 1.70%.

CyrusOne specializes in highly reliable enterprise data center services and colocation solutions. The company operates 25 carrier-neutral data center facilities across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

http://www.cyrusone.com/


  • This year, CyrusOne has announced major data center project or expansions in Houston, San Antonio, Phoenix and Dulles (Virginia). When completed, CyrusOne’s new Houston West III facility is going to have 640,000 square feet of infrastructure, class A office and raised white floor space. The San Antonio II shell is set to accommodate nearly 570,000 square feet of infrastructure, class A office and raised white floor space when complete.


  • CyrusOne has also opened a National Internet Exchange (IX) that leverages low-cost connectivity to virtually link more than a dozen of its massively scaled enterprise facilities and third-party locations in multiple metropolitan markets.

Ruckus Supports Latest Hotspot 2.0 Spec

Ruckus Wireless' Hotspot 2.0 Online SignUp, Policy, and Subscription Management Server will be part of the Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) Hotspot 2.0 Release 2 certification testbed. Several Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi products, including the Ruckus ZoneFlex 7372 access point (AP) and the Ruckus SmartCell Gateway (SCG) 200 are now Wi-Fi CERTIFIED for Passpoint Release 2.

Ruckus is predicting that Hotspot 2.0 is will revolutionize the process of connecting to a Wi-Fi network while roaming on a mobile device, making the connection process as automatic and secure as the cellular experience.  This will transform the countless islands of Wi-Fi connectivity to be woven together into one seamless and ubiquitous service offering.  The larger this web of connectivity becomes, the greater the utility of the network.  In addition to a totally automatic connection experience, all user traffic over the airlink is encrypted.

Ruckus is also providing the NGH network for the WBA Wi-Fi Global Congress being held this week in San Francisco.  NGH is the WBA program that is tasked with commercializing Hotspot 2.0 technology.  The Ruckus-powered Wi-Fi network for the ‘NGH Live Experience’ at the Congress consists of equipment that carries the WFA Passpoint designation.  This network is also able to roam with the Ruckus Hotspot 2.0 networks that were recently deployed by the City and County of San Francisco and the City of San Jose, CA, as well as the San Francisco network operated by TowerStream.

“We believe this demonstration NGH network at the Wi-Fi Global Congress is just the beginning of how Hotspot 2.0 will revolutionize wireless broadband connectivity,” said Selina Lo, president and CEO of Ruckus Wireless. “In time, we see thousands, tens of thousands, and eventually millions of islands of Wi-Fi connectivity being woven together through roaming consortiums between the operators.”

http://www.ruckuswireless.com/

Radisys’ MPX-12000 MRF Delivers Cloud Conferencing for Zoom

Zoom Video Communications has deployed the Radisys MPX-12000 Broadband Media Resource Function (MRF) to provide scalable and reliable HD media processing for its cloud-based video conferencing service.  The solution is being used in Zoom's Santa Clara, California and New York, New York data centers.

The MPX-12000 Broadband MRF is based on Radisys’ telecom-grade T-Series platforms. It supports narrow and wideband audio codecs, including Adaptive Multi-Rate Wideband (AMR-WB) for Voice over LTE endpoints, G.722 for Voice over Wi-Fi, and Opus for WebRTC-based services. For video, it supports H.264, VP8, H.263 and MPEG-4 mobile codecs.

Our company is dedicated to providing high quality cloud collaboration services that are flexible, bullet proof and easy to consume,” said Eric S. Yuan, chief executive officer and founder, Zoom. “Our team was very familiar with Radisys’ leadership in VoIP conferencing having used them in prior solutions, and we knew they were well equipped to address our needs. By integrating Radisys’ MPX-12000 into our cloud infrastructure, Zoom is able to deliver significantly improved HD multi-media conferencing experiences for our customers.”

Big Switch is First with OpenStack Compatible Mark

Big Switch Networks is the first networking vendor to be gain the OpenStack Foundation’s OpenStack Compatible mark. Its solution combines bare metal Ethernet switch hardware, SDN controller software, and OpenStack integration.


The OpenStack Compatible mark indicates interoperability with recent releases of the OpenStack software stack. The company collaborated with Mirantis to secure the OpenStack Compatible mark and is currently the only vendor recognized as OpenStack Compatible for a data center networking fabric optimized for both Neutron and Nova networking environments.

“Our users are deploying OpenStack pods ranging from 2 racks to 16 racks this quarter,” said Kyle Forster, Co-founder at Big Switch. “Even at that scale, our users need to operate less like traditional enterprise IT and more like hyperscale data center architects.  We are accelerating the broad adoption of OpenStack, and OpenStack is accelerating the broad adoption of hyperscale network design.”

http://www.bigswitch.com/openstack-data-centers


In July 2014, Big Switch Networks unveiled its new flagship product -- Big Cloud Fabric, a switching fabric designed for hyperscale data centers powered by SDN software and bare metal switch hardware.

The Big Cloud Fabric leverages the company’s Switch Light Operating System on physical leaf and spine bare metal switch hardware.  It supports the latest Trident II silicon from Broadcom and is designed for 10G and 40G scale and resiliency, featuring headless mode high availability, zero-touch provisioning, L2/3 forwarding options, application-centric policy and service chaining. Management is available via OpenStack, Cloudstack, REST, CLI, or GUI.

Ciena Provides 100G Upgrade for AAG Trans-Pacific Submarine Cable

The Asia America Gateway (AAG) consortium, which operates a 20,000 km submarine cable system connecting Southeast Asia with the U.S. mainland, will deploy Ciena’s GeoMesh submarine solution, including the 6500 Packet-Optical Platform, powered by WaveLogic coherent optics with Flexible Grid technology.

The upgrade features Ciena’s plug-and-play programmable network elements and 100G coherent technology, which will enable the AAG consortium to cost-effectively extend the lifetime lifespan of its network by increasing the ultimate cable capacity by as much as three times the original design capacity in some segments.

In addition, Ciena’s OneControl Unified Management System together with the integrated test set capabilities of WaveLogic will provide the operators of AAG end-to-end network management and visibility for early detection, diagnosis, and prioritization of any faults, ensuring that the operators of AAG can resolve issues proactively and maintain network availability.

AAG provides connectivity between Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Hong Kong SAR, Philippines, Guam, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast.

http://www.ciena.com
http://www.asia-america-gateway.com/

Obama Renominates Mike O'Rielly for FCC Commissioner

President Obama renominated Mike O'Rielly for a new five-year post as FCC Commissioner.  The posting must be approved by the Senate.

O'Rielly took over the seat Robert McDowell, who stepped down in 2013 before his term was over.

O'Rielly previously was a congressional staffer for Senator John Cornyn, a Republican for Texas.

http://www.fcc.gov