Gartner: Top 3 chip buyers are Samsung, Apple, Huawei

Samsung Electronics and Apple were once again the top two semiconductor chip buyers in 2018, according to a new report from Gartner, and together represent 17.9 percent of the total worldwide market.

Buying by Samsung and Apple slowed in 2018 but spending by Huawei accelerated, pushing it to number 3 amongst semiconductor purchasers.

“Four Chinese original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) — Huawei, Lenovo, BBK Electronics and Xiaomi — ranked in the top 10 in 2018, up from three in 2017. On the other hand, Samsung Electronics and Apple both significantly slowed the growth of their chip spending in 2018,” said Masatsune Yamaji, senior principal analyst at Gartner. “Huawei increased its chip spending by 45 percent, jumping in front of Dell and Lenovo to the third spot.”

Some highlights from Gartner:

• Eight of the top 10 companies in 2017 remained in the top 10 in 2018, with Kingston Technology and Xiaomi replacing LG Electronics and Sony. 
• Xiaomi rose eight places to the 10th position, increasing its semiconductor spending by $2.7 billion in 2018, a 63 percent growth year over year.
• Semiconductor spending by the top 10 OEMs increased significantly, and their share reached 40.2 percent of the total semiconductor market in 2018, up from 39.4 percent in 2017. 
• Gartner predicts that the share of total memory chip revenue in the total semiconductor market will be 33 percent in 2019 and 34 percent in 2020, higher than its 31 percent share in 2017.

https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2019-02-04-gartner-says-four-chinese-oems-were-among-the-top-10-

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Dell'Oro: Huawei led in Network Equipment Services for 2018

Cumulative revenue for Network Equipment Services to service providers is projected to range between $200 and $250 billion over the next five years, according to a new report from Dell’Oro Group.

The top four vendors comprise more than 80 percent of the market.

• Huawei had the highest market share since 2016, over 30 percent in 2018.
• Huawei’s services share improved more than 70 percent between 2013 and 2017.
• Professional services such as consulting are projected to grow at the fastest pace over the forecast period, however, Network Rollout will remain the largest segment.

“While we envision that the coupling between equipment and services will remain strong for product attached services, we are increasingly optimistic about the role non-product attached services will play to help operators navigate the network of tomorrow,” said Stefan Pongratz, Director of Network Equipment Services Research at Dell’Oro Group. “We believe that network complexity will dramatically increase in the future as service providers strive to incorporate SDN/NFV and deliver new products related to IoT and 5G. As a result, we believe the software component of networks and the amount of Services will be larger in the future,” continued Pongratz.

http://www.delloro.com/news/network-equipment-services-revenue-approach-250-billion-next-five-years

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Google encrypts Kubernetes secrets with Cloud KMS

Google Cloud, which was already encrypting data at rest by default, including data in Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), is adding application-layer secrets encryption using the same keys in its hosted Cloud Key Management Service (KMS).

Application-layer secrets encryption, which is now in beta in GKE, protects secrets with envelope encryption: secrets are encrypted locally in AES-CBC mode with a local data encryption key, and the data encryption key is encrypted with a key encryption key managed in Cloud KMS as the root of trust.

Google Cloud said the new capability provides flexibility for specific security models.

https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/containers-kubernetes/exploring-container-security-encrypting-kubernetes-secrets-with-cloud-kms

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Molex showcases Enhanced Automotive Ethernet Network Platform

Molex will showcase the next evolution of its 10 Gbps Automotive Ethernet Network Platform at this week's annual Automotive Ethernet Congress (AEC) in Munich, Germany.

At the system’s core is the Molex gateway, a secure networking hub that aggregates and processes data from all domains and devices, seamlessly integrating multiple hardware and software systems as well as legacy automotive protocols.

Molex’s multi-layered security approach includes enhanced hypervisor capabilities that allow the platform to run multiple virtual machines and applications simultaneously, giving automakers more flexibility, while also providing powerful encryption and certification technology for a more layered and secure network. Safety enhancements include new multi-zone, fail-functional, and redundancy capabilities. The reliable interface necessary to seamlessly connect the high-bandwidth, data-intensive applications is the Molex HSAutoGig high-speed Ethernet cabling solution designed for greater vehicle autonomy, delivering best-in-class 20 Gbps+ data speeds.

“We are deeply committed to a leadership role addressing increased demand for a high-bandwidth end-to-end Ethernet-based open architecture solution,” stated Alex Bormuth, director of business development for the German market, Molex. “The next evolution of our Ethernet-based platform delivers fast and reliable data transmission, support for IP protocols, network traffic prioritization, and stringent security protocols that are all essential to designing next-generation intelligent, autonomous and connected vehicles.”

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NTT Group saw a slight uptick in 2018 for mobile and fixed revenue

The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NTT) reported that operating revenues for the nine months ending 31-December-2018 grew 0.6 percent to 8.80 trillion yen (approximately U$80 billion) from 8.75 trillion yen last year. Net income attributable to the company for the period increased 1.4 percent to 792.13 billion Japanese yen, while operating income amounted to 1.53 trillion yen, up 8.3 percent from 1.41 trillion yen last year.

In terms of key metrics, NTT's mobile business and its data communications business both increased in revenue, while its regional communications businesses declined.

http://www.ntt.co.jp/news2019/1902enhd/dwgm190207.html

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Verizon raises $1 billion "Green Bond"

Verizon Communications has closed a $1 billion "Green Bond" to fund a variety of new and existing green investments. The company expects to allocate a majority of the funds within three years to support its long-term commitment to minimize its environmental impact, drive operating efficiencies and benefit the communities it serves.

Investments will focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, green buildings, sustainable water management, and biodiversity and conservation,

“Verizon is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its operations, and this funding will support those efforts,” said Chief Sustainability Officer Jim Gowen. “As good corporate citizens, we have made it a priority to deploy more green energy resources, such as solar and fuel cell technology, into our facilities.”

Verizon launched its first formal sustainability program in 2009. The company has committed to source renewable energy equivalent to 50 percent of its total electricity usage by 2025.

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Digital Realty plans new data center in Singapore

Digital Realty acquired a long-term ground lease on a parcel totaling 12,800 square meters and adjacent to its second Singapore facility – Digital Loyang I (SIN11), located at Loyang Drive on the east side of Singapore. 

The land will be used for a new, multi-story Digital Loyang II (SIN12) Singapore data center. The facility is expected to be fully operational by the third quarter of 2020, marking a significant expansion and further development of the Digital Realty Loyang connected campus.  The new data center will be located less than 25 kilometers from Singapore's central business district and will provide up to 50 megawatts (MW) of critical power capacity to regional and global customers.

Both the existing SIN11 and planned SIN12 facilities are strategically located close to the Changi North Cable landing station, a key sub-sea internet landing station for the region. 

"Digital transformation is set to contribute US$10 billion to Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2021," said Mark Smith, Managing Director APAC for Digital Realty.  "With leading global technology companies increasingly looking to expand their digital footprint in Singapore, there is a significant opportunity for leading infrastructure providers like Digital Realty to provide the trusted foundation for the nation's technology landscape.  Our customers are constantly investing in digital services to transform their businesses, and we remain committed to supporting them through these transformations."

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Illumio raises $65 million for microsegmentation security

Illumio, a start-up based in Sunnyvale, California, raised $65 million in Series E funding for its cybersecurity solutions based on micro-segmentation.

The Illumio Adaptive Security Platform provides real-time application dependency and vulnerability mapping coupled with micro-segmentation that works across any data center, public cloud, or hybrid cloud deployment on bare-metal, virtual machines, and containers.

The funding round was led by clients advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Illumio has now raised over $332.5 million in funding to date.

“Regardless of industry or size, every organization has crown jewel or regulated assets running in their environment, and the only way to protect them effectively is ringfencing and segmentation,” said Andrew Rubin, CEO and co-founder of Illumio. “With this latest round of funding, we’re continuing to invest in scaling our global go-to-market as well as the innovation of our platform.”

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HashiCorp launches Professional Services for Multi-Cloud Automation

HashiCorp, a start-up based in San Francisco, is launching a professional services program to help large enterprises implement its multi-cloud automation products.

The HashiCorp software suite helps organizations to adopt consistent workflows to provision, secure, connect, and run any infrastructure for any application. The toolset covers the four main components of infrastructure automation -- provisioning, security, networking, and application runtime.

• In November,  HashiCorp announced that it has raised $100 million in Series D funding, at a company valuation of $1.9 billion. This brings the total funding that HashiCorp has raised to $174 million. The round was led by new investor IVP, with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, also a new investor. Existing HashiCorp investors GGV Capital, Mayfield, Redpoint Ventures, and True Ventures also participated in this round.

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