Monday, August 22, 2016

PLUMgrid's CloudSecure Targets Containers and OpenStack Clouds

PLUMgrid introduced a "CloudSecure" solution that builds on micro-segmentation and security service insertion trends.  It features a policy-based virtual tap capability, visualization of security policies, and a growing ecosystem of security partners.

“Data centers are increasingly built on ephemeral infrastructure that only lasts for hours or days, instead of months or years,” said Larry Lang, CEO, PLUMgrid. “CloudSecure provides significant protection for increasingly ephemeral, multi-directional traffic flows in container and OpenStack Clouds. Combining it with CloudApex’s simplified visualizations that make it easy to monitor and diagnose breaches, enabling our customers to benefit from the agility and flexibility of these technologies without having to struggle to secure the network infrastructure.”

PLUMgrid said it designed CloudSecure precisely to protect ephemeral infrastructure from malware, and its micro-segmented Virtual Domains contain and isolate any potential breaches from spreading to the larger environment.

Key features of CloudSecure include:

  • CloudApex Security View - Visualizes security flows, and behaviors in an easy to view chord graph to diagnose security breaches.
  • Micro-segmentation - Creates zero-trust domains by isolating tenant traffic and enforcing security policies for containers and virtual machines. In the event of a breach, each segmented domain contains attacks to minimize spread of malware.
  • Security Policies - Provides in-depth security definitions and group-based policies that can be enforced per tenant, virtual machine, or container.
  • Policy-based Virtual Tap - Deploys virtual tap points with policies to select traffic to be mirrored for monitoring, troubleshooting, and remediation.
  • Security Service Insertion - Enables any third party security software to be added to PLUMgrid’s virtual network to introduce or update the latest security quickly.
  • Encryption - Supports encryption between segmented virtual domains to ensure privacy and protection of data. 

The ecosystem of security offerings includes Intel’s Open Security Controller, Fortinet Fortigate NGFW, Check Point security solutions and Rackspace® Private Cloud.

http://www.plumgrid.com

AT&T Reaches Interconnect Agreement with Cuba

AT&T has reached agreements Empresa De Telecomunicaciones De Cuba (ETECSA) enabling direct interconnection of its voice network and roaming service for its mobile customers.

AT&T said it will announce commencement of wireless roaming availability and pricing for AT&T customers visiting Cuba at a later date.

"Cuba is a growing international calling destination for our customers," said Bill Hague, executive vice president, AT&T Global Connection Management. "With this agreement, AT&T customers soon will be able to seamlessly connect with talk, text and data while visiting Cuba."

http://www.att.com

Equinix Activates Latest Data Center in Sydney

Equinix opened SY4, its latest International Business Exchange data center in Sydney.

SY4, which represents an investment of US$97 million, already has more than 20 customers, including managed hosting provider Servers Australia, cloud provider Zettagrid, managed network service provider Connectivity IT, and independent broadband network The Grex Group. SY4 will also be an additional Point of Presence (PoP) for network providers including TPG Telecom and Vocus, and the location of the Australian submarine cable head for Hawaiki, the second trans-Pacific cable route connecting Australia and New Zealand to Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States.

SY4 is located in Alexandria, less than three miles from Sydney's central business district. Phase one provides a total capacity of 1,500 cabinets.  Upon completion of the second and final phase, the facility will provide a total capacity of 3,000 cabinets with a total usable floor space of more than 135,000 square feet.

SY4, Equinix now has 5 data centers in Australia, including SY1, SY2 and SY3 in Sydney, and the recently expanded ME1 facility in Melbourne. In total, Equinix has 29 IBX data centers in APAC, across five countries and eight metros, and operates more than 146 data centers globally across 40 metros.

http://www.equinix.com

InfoVista to Acquire Ascom's Network Test Business

InfoVista agreed to acquire Ascom’s TEMS business, which provides network testing, monitoring and optimization.  The companies said the platform is deployed by the world’s top 20 mobile network operators, major infrastructure suppliers and network engineering services providers. Financial terms were not disclosed.

InfoVista specializes in network performance orchestration solutions.

InfoVista, which was itself recently acquired by the private equity investment firm Apax Partners, said its acquisition of TEMS will complement the recent acquisitions of Mentum, Aexio and Ipanema, broadening the amount of network data and intelligence that can be used to improve the network, applications and user experience.

“TEMS is a well-established and well-respected business that already helps most of the world’s largest mobile network operators to manage and optimize the capacity and quality of their wireless networks,” said Philippe Ozanian, CEO, InfoVista. “By bringing the TEMS portfolio into InfoVista, we are creating the most scalable, powerful and flexible platform for network performance orchestration to CSPs, mobile operators and enterprises.”

http://www.infovista.com

IHS: LTE-Advanced Goes Mainstream

Barriers to deploying 4G are nonexistent at this point, and the main driver for 4G is the lower cost per megabyte of data, according to a survey of 24 global service providers that was conducted by IHS. 84 percent of IHS Markit’s service provider respondents are already running LTE‑Advanced (LTE-A) networks.

IHS said the most deployed LTE-Advanced feature among operator respondents is inter-band carrier aggregation, followed by enhanced inter-cell interference coordination and LTE‑Advanced coordinated multipoint.

The IHS survey also found that Voice over LTE (VoLTE) is exploding: three-quarters of those surveyed are offering VoLTE, up from just a quarter last year. This will not necessarily lead to imminent 2G or 3G shutdown, but 2G is rising on the agenda.  In addition, over 50 percent of respondents plan to deploy LTE in unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) by 2018.

https://technology.ihs.com/571834?

ZeroStack Integrates with Trilio's OpenStack Data Protection

ZeroStack, a start-up that offers a private cloud solution that combines on-premises deployment and a SaaS platform, announced that it is the first to integrate Trilio Data’s OpenStack optimized data protection and recovery technology.

ZeroStack said its Cloud Platform delivers full OpenStack functionality without IT operational burden.  It now supports integration of Trilio Data’s TrilioVault OpenStack back-up and recovery.

“As business-critical enterprise workloads move from DevOps into production-ready clouds in OpenStack, the requirements change slightly," said David Safaii, CEO, Trilio Data. "We've partnered with ZeroStack to help deliver enterprise-ready solutions for long-term success not just in accelerating, accepting and growing OpenStack clouds, but maintaining and assuring the application and data integrity customers deserve.”

http://www.zerostack.com


  • ZeroStack, which is based in Mountain View, California, was founded by senior engineers from VMware and Google. The company is funded by Formation 8 and Foundation Capital.