HPE will transition networking portfolio to as-a-Service model

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) unveiled bold plans to transition its entire portfolio to subscription-based, pay-per-use and as a Service offerings, by 2022. The subscription-based program, which is called HPE GreenLake and was first introduced a year ago, includes new services for the edge, and new and expanded partnerships with CyrusOne, Equinix, and Google Cloud. In addition, HPE continues to invest and innovate in the company’s suite of software delivered via a subscription model, including HPE Aruba Central, HPE BlueData, HPE Cloud Volumes, HPE InfoSight, and HPE OneView.

HPE will also continue to provide its hardware and software in its current capital expenditure and license-based model.

The expanded partnership with Google Cloud in April 2019, HPE and Google Cloud are unveiling a collaboration includes a hybrid cloud for containers – with choice for as-a-Service delivery - and based on Google Cloud’s Anthos in combination with HPE’s on-premises infrastructure, HPE Cloud Data Services, and HPE GreenLake. In addition, HPE will offer advisory and professional services to accelerate hybrid cloud adoption.

“We are at an inflection point in the market,” said Antonio Neri, President and CEO, HPE. “Everyone recognizes that customers want technology delivered as a Service, but they also want it on their terms. HPE’s unique approach to as a Service, which empowers customers with choice, flexibility, and control, is driving HPE GreenLake’s tremendous success. We will continue to invest aggressively in this opportunity, to capitalize on our market leadership, leverage our world-class channel and partner ecosystem, and deliver our entire portfolio, from edge to cloud, under the HPE GreenLake portfolio. As a result, we will reshape HPE and transform the market, with a new and better way to deliver as a Service.”

For medium-sized businesses that do not have their own data center or lack IT staff to set up and manage infrastructure, applications, and workloads, HPE is introducing a range of targeted services that are pre-configured as a Service workloads – for compute, database, private cloud, storage, and virtualization.

HPE GreenLake for Aruba is available directly from Aruba and its global network of channel partners.

HPE first began talking about composable infrastructure three years ago and says that it now has over 3,000 customers. HPE composable infrastructure provides a consistent operating model for virtualized, containerized, and bare-metal applications. The key benefits cited by HPE include: 25% lower IT infrastructure costs by eliminating over-provisioning and stranded capacity 71% less staff time per server deployment and 30% higher application team productivity by increasing operational efficiency and rapid deployment of IT resources 60% more efficient IT infrastructure teams by reducing complexity and manual tasks

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HPE announces AI-powered IoT and Edge solutions

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is making a big push toward AI-powered edge solutions to help companies adapt to changes in real time by leveraging network telemetry.

Aruba Central is being positioned as a cloud-based platform for integrating network management, AI-powered analytics, user-centric service assurance and security for wired, wireless and WAN at the edge.

Significant advancements announced at this week's HPE Discover event in Las Vegas include:

• Advanced AI-powered analytics and assurance capabilities based on Aruba NetInsight and User Experience Insight. Aruba’s Analytics and Assurance capabilities can remediate intermittent network issues while also proactively identifying how to optimize customers’ infrastructures to ensure optimal experiences.
• Software-defined branch (SD-Branch) and SD-WAN, managed on Aruba Central, is now enhanced with improved branch management and orchestration capabilities to centrally define business-intent policies to meet the hybrid cloud connectivity needs for distributed enterprises and reduce operational costs. The new SD-WAN Orchestrator in Aruba Central makes it easier for IT professionals to deploy flexible and secure overlay topologies in a large-scale edge infrastructure, connecting thousands of branch locations with multiple data centers. Aruba Virtual Gateways now available for AWS and Azure, combined with orchestration, cost-effectively extends network and security policies to workloads running in the public cloud. The new SaaS prioritization feature not only enhances the performance of SaaS applications but also provides visibility about the end-user experience for business-critical applications, such as Microsoft Office 365 and Salesforce.
• Integrated in Aruba Central, Aruba ClearPass Device Insight provides IoT visibility and security via a single pane of glass, employing automated device discovery, and machine learning-based fingerprinting and identification. Used in conjunction with Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager and Aruba’s dynamic segmentation security capabilities, networking and security teams can automate unique policy enforcement down to each device and user.
• New network management workflow enhancements are integrated into Aruba Central to accelerate device provisioning with an automated mobile app to deliver network health views and troubleshooting across all locations allowing IT to focus on delivering the needs of the business.

“The edge has emerged as the new center of the digital universe, opening up opportunities for organizations to create new digital experiences and gain competitive advantages,” said Keerti Melkote, founder and president, Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. “Today, we announce innovations that will enable our customers to capitalize on these experiences and opportunities by dramatically simplifying, securing and accelerating the deployment of the Intelligent Edge.

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CyrusOne to deliver HPE GreenLake IT from its global data centers

CyrusOne confirmed that it has been selected by by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to extend HPE GreenLake consumption-based IT solutions at CyrusOne data center locations across the globe. The partnership will enable easy and fast access to public cloud providers through the CyrusOne interconnection platform in support of hybrid IT.

CyrusOne operates more than 45 data center facilities across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

“Our enterprise customers are all evaluating ways to modernize their IT infrastructure. Customers want the benefits of public cloud agility with the security and performance of on-premise (collocation),” said John Gould, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, CyrusOne. “We are thrilled to partner with Hewlett Packard Enterprise to help our clients achieve these goals while still providing them interconnection flexibility to the public cloud providers. Deploying HPE GreenLake at our data centers allows our clients the flexibility, peace of mind, and scalability to help enable their digital transformation.”

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FCC to overhaul 2.5 GHz band (2496-2690 MHz) for 5G

The FCC unveiled its proposal to make available for 5G lots of mid-band spectrum that is current fallow.

Specifically, the new rules would transform the regulatory framework governing the 2.5 GHz band (2496-2690 MHz), the single largest band of contiguous spectrum below 3 gigahertz.

This spectrum was set aside more than 20 years ago for future Educational Broadcast Services (EBS).

Some highlights of the FCC's Report and Order:

• Establish a priority filing window for rural Tribal Nations to provide them with an opportunity to
• obtain unassigned 2.5 GHz spectrum to address the needs of their communities.
• Make any remaining unassigned 2.5 GHz spectrum available for commercial use via competitive
• bidding immediately following the completion of the Tribal priority filing window.
• Adopt counties as the appropriate geographic area size for new overlay licenses and a band plan
• with two sizes of licenses: a 100 megahertz block and a 16.5 megahertz block.
• Adopt construction deadlines so that new licensees build out this midband spectrum.
• Eliminate outdated rules preventing this spectrum from being put to its highest and best use,
• including restrictions on who may be a licensee, restrictions on how licensees must use the
• spectrum, and restrictions on how licensees may lease spectrum to other entities.
• • Leave unaffected the terms of any private contractual arrangement or any provisions in existing
• leases that provide a licensee with airtime, equipment, or capacity—incumbent licensees are
• simply given more flexibility to put existing licenses to their best use

At its upcoming open meeting in July, the FCC will also consider application and bidding procedures for Auction 103, the incentive auction of Upper Microwave Flexible Use Service licenses in the Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands.

https://www.fcc.gov/document/transforming-25-ghz-band-5g

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MACOM restructures citing Huawei-effect and exits optical module business for data centers

MACOM announced a significant corporate restructuring that includes the closure of seven product development facilities, including locations in France, Japan, the Netherlands, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island. This incurs a workforce of approximately 250 employees, or 20% of the total workforce. These changes will result in approximately $14 million in restructuring charges including $7 million for employee severance obligations, a majority of which are expected to be incurred during the third fiscal quarter of 2019.

MACOM also announced that it will no longer invest in the design and development of optical modules and subsystems for data center applications. Going forward, MACOM will be a merchant supplier of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) and photonic devices and will support optical module manufacturers at the semiconductor component level.

MACOM cut its financial outlook citing the discontinuation of shipments to Huawei Technologies and certain of its subsidiaries and affiliates as a result of the U.S. Department of Commerce action of adding Huawei to its “Entity List.” In addition, the updated guidance also reflects reduced shipments to certain of MACOM’s distribution channel partners.

MACOM now expects revenue in the quarter to be between $107 million and $109 million, compared to prior guidance of $120 million to $124 million.  Non-GAAP gross margin is now expected to be between 39% and 41%, which includes approximately $14 million in inventory reserves, or 1,300 basis points of gross margin impact. These inventory reserves are primarily associated with certain Data Center products and products that would otherwise be shipped to Huawei. This compares to prior non-GAAP gross margin guidance of 53% to 55%.

“We do not make these decisions lightly, however, these actions are necessary in order to strengthen our strategic plan,” said Stephen Daly, President and Chief Executive Officer.

MACOM appoints Stephen G. Daly as CEO

Thursday, May 16, 2019  MACOM  

MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings appointed Stephen G. Daly as its new President and CEO, effective immediately, following the resignation of John Croteau.

Croteau had served as President and Chief Executive Officer since December 2012. Mr. Croteau will be available to MACOM in an advisory capacity for the next two months to ensure a smooth transition.

Daly has served on MACOM’s Board of Directors since March 2015 and has over 25 years of experience in the semiconductor industry. Prior to joining MACOM’s Board of Directors, Mr. Daly had served for almost ten years as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hittite Microwave, a provider of analog and mixed signal integrated circuits, modules and subsystems for commercial and military radio frequency, microwave and millimeterwave applications.

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Equinix expands collaboration with IBM Cloud

IBM Cloud is expanding its interconnect presence in the Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric™ (ECX Fabric). IBM Cloud Direct Link Exchange is deployed in more Equinix International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data centers worldwide than any other Direct Link Exchange provider. Current metros include Amsterdam, Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, New York, Paris, São Paulo, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto and Washington, D.C.

Additionally, Equinix has joined the IBM Cloud Direct Link Service Provider Program, providing at least one Direct Link point of presence in each of IBM's strategic markets and enabling private connections to IBM Cloud that meet the digital transformation needs of many enterprises today.

ECX Fabric is an on-demand, SDN-enabled interconnection service that allows any business to connect between its own distributed infrastructure and any other company's distributed infrastructure.

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Everactive raises $30M for industrial IoT sensors without batteries

Everactive (formerly PsiKick), a start-up based in Santa Clara, California, announced $30 million in new funding for its development of wireless, batteryless Internet of Things (IoT) systems.

Everactive said its initial products target the industrial sector, where collecting and analyzing data on physical equipment and infrastructure can have a profound and measurable impact—serving to reduce downtime, cut maintenance costs, improve safety and environmental impact, as well as boost overall efficiency. In late 2018, Everactive launched Steam Trap Monitor (STM), which is designed to continuously monitor the pervasive industrial and district energy steam trap in order to determine whether or not the trap has failed so that maintenance personnel can act to minimize costly energy waste and safety concerns. Currently in small-scale deployments, the company’s latest products include a Machine Health Monitor that analyzes vibration on rotating equipment, such as industrial motors, pumps, and fans. Everactive also offers a Flare System Monitor that mitigates the length and costs of flaring events in refineries.

Everactive eliminates batteries due to its underlying integrated circuit and wireless networking expertise. The company’s co-founders, Drs. Benton Calhoun and David Wentzloff, have been working on ultra-low-power electronics since their days together at MIT’s Electrical Engineering & Computer Science program. On top of that core chip technology, Everactive has not only built its own self-powered sensor devices, but also all the networking, software, and cloud analytics to be able to deliver insights to customers.

The funding round was led by Future Fund and joined by new investors Blue Bear Capital and ABB Technology Ventures, alongside existing investors New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Osage University Partners. The company has raised $63 million to date.

“Removing the need for batteries solves one of the key limitations of the IoT and represents a fundamental paradigm shift, allowing our customers to deploy wireless sensors at scale and gain access to new, high-value data-driven insights,” said Bob Nunn, CEO of Everactive. “Over the last 18 months, Everactive has productized our ultra-low-power silicon technology and developed a compelling go-to-market strategy that is now driving rapid customer adoption. Everactive will use the proceeds from the new round to meet the growing customer demand for our existing and future products.”

http://www.everactive.com

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Acacia uses Cadence Palladium emulation for optical designs

Cadence Design Systems reports that Acacia Communications has adopted its Palladium Z1 Enterprise Emulation Platform to accelerate the development of its DSP ASICs for optical networking applications.

Cadence says its emulation technology accelerates the development process by months over the traditional simulation-only approach for ASIC verification. With Cadence’s cloud-based usage model, Acacia was able to compile the full multi-hundred-million gate digital content for the platform locally, upload the image, and run tests of thousands of frames across many modes of operation in overnight regressions via the Palladium Cloud.

“In order to build a high-performance, low-power optical module, we needed a solution that could accommodate designs of up to 650M gates,” said Jon Stahl, director of ASIC at Acacia Communications. “The Cadence Palladium Z1 Enterprise Emulation Platform was the best choice, meeting our complex requirements for our DSP ASIC development. The Palladium Z1 platform proved to be easy to adopt, manage and scale, providing our engineering teams with the ability to deliver high-quality, innovative designs while adhering to tight deadlines. In particular, we found the cloud-based model, the debug features, and the top-notch support, to be compelling reasons to choose this solution.”

http://www.cadence.com/go/PalladiumZ1

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Keysight supplies 5G network emulation for Qualcomm's 5G laptop

Qualcomm used Keysight's 5G network emulation solutions to demonstrate the industry’s first 5G laptop with integrated modem at last month's Computex in Taipei.

The demonstration showcased always connected workflows, all-day battery life and Windows 10 support using Qualcomm’s latest platform, the Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 8cx system-on-a-chip (SoC) and X55 5G modem, as well as Keysight’s 5G network emulation solutions. The demo reached downstream speeds of up to 7Gbps.

“We are pleased to again support Qualcomm, and their connected ecosystem of wireless device makers, to deliver 5G applications for consumers and vertical industries,” stated Lucas Hansen, senior director of Keysight's wireless test group. “Keysight’s 5G solutions are rapidly becoming the industry standard across the mobile ecosystem, enabling mobile and device manufacturers to validate multi-mode designs and offer these exciting new products to consumers.”

Keysight’s 5G network emulation solutions – based on Keysight's UXM 5G Wireless Test Platform – enable device makers to validate 5G NR multi-mode designs across protocol, radio frequency (RF) and radio resource management (RRM) in both non-standalone (NSA) and stand-alone (SA) modes.

Earlier this year, the two companies announced they had established the mobile industry’s first announced 5G NR data call in the Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) mode.

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Viasat signs as first customer for Ariane 64 rocket

Viasat is the first commercial customer to commit to launch on the A64, the next generation heavy lift rocket from Arianespace.

The launch contract for the upcoming ViaSat-3 satellite has been moved to the A64.

The A64 launch vehicle will feature a modular configuration based on core stages powered by lower and upper liquid propellant modules, which is supplemented by four solid rocket motors. The A64’s configuration will also provide added performance to deliver a ViaSat-3 satellite into a high-energy geostationary transfer orbit where it can begin on-orbit operations faster.

The next ViaSat-3 class geostationary satellite is expected to deliver more than 1-Terabit per second of onboard network capacity, and to leverage high levels of flexibility to dynamically direct capacity to where customers are located. The first two satellites will focus on the Americas and on Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), respectively, with the third satellite planned for the APAC region, completing Viasat's global service coverage.

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