Thursday, November 7, 2019

Digital Realty's PlatformDIGITAL targets ecosystem connectivity

At its MarketplaceLIVE event in New York City, Digital Realty introduced its PlatformDIGITAL, a global data center platform for helping its data center colocation customers to scale their digital business. 

PlatformDIGITAL aims to deliver seamless and dynamic ecosystem connectivity within a Digital Realty data center and throughout its growing portfolio of data centers worldwide.

“With the announcement of PlatformDIGITAL™, we uniquely enable customers to deploy their IT infrastructure at the centers of data exchange around the world, bringing users, things, applications, clouds and networks to the data. Our customers get the advantage of access to fit-for-purpose infrastructure that can power their digital transformations at the scale and speed they require today and into the future,” said Digital Realty Chief Executive Officer A. William Stein. 

The idea is to provide a trusted foundation that enables Digital Realty's colocation customers to tailor infrastructure deployments and controls matched to business needs irrespective of data center size, scale, location, configuration or ecosystem interconnections. Globally distributed workflows become possible, thus eliminating data gravity barriers.

Digital Realty also outlined its vision for a Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx) that provides a step-by-step strategy to create the new IT architecture required for digital transformation.

Digital Realty said PDx is a prescriptive set of blueprint for its customers based on hundreds of product deployment combinations already present in its data centers. Digital Realty is already providing customers with access to new centers of data exchange in more than 210 data centers deployed on PlatformDIGITAL across 36 metros and 15 countries.



Building on this foundation, Digital Realty is launching four new enterprise IT solutions that can be rapidly deployed on PlatformDIGITAL:

  • Network Hub for Rewiring the Network: consolidates and localizes traffic into ingress/egress points to optimize network performance and cost
  • Control Hub for Implementing Hybrid IT Controls: hosts adjacent Security & IT controls to improve security posture and IT operations, tailored infrastructure deployments matching hyper-converged infrastructure configurations and density requirements for control points
  • Data Hub for Optimizing Data Exchange: localizes data aggregation, staging, analytics, streaming and data management to optimize data exchange and maintain data compliance
  • SX Fabric for Interconnecting Global Workflows: adds SDN overlay to service chain multi-cloud and B2B application ecosystems.  Connects hubs across metros and regions to enable secure, highly-efficient and distributed workflows.

In addition, Digital Realty is working with Cisco, IBM Cloud and Bridgepointe Technologies on enterprise solutions offered on PlatformDIGITAL. For example, the Cisco Secure Agile Exchange can be deployed as a network hub solution within Digital Realty’s global footprint of data centers.

http://www.digitalrealty.com/platformdigital

Digital Realty + Interxion merger brings scale and interconnectivity

Digital Realty and Interxion agreed to a merger that would create a global provider of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions.  Under the deal, Interxion shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 0.7067 Digital Realty shares per Interxion share.  The transaction values Interxion at approximately $93.48 per ordinary share or approximately $8.4 billion of total enterprise value, including assumed net debt.

Interxion's European business currently consists of 53 carrier- and cloud-neutral facilities in 11 European countries and 13 metro areas including Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris and Interxion's Internet Gateway in Marseille. Its network reaches 700 connectivity providers, 21 European Internet exchanges, and most leading cloud and digital media platforms. Interxion has a robust pipeline of data center development projects currently under construction, with over $400 million invested to date and a total expected investment of approximately $1 billion. These projects represent roughly a 40% expansion of Interxion's standalone critical load capacity, are significantly pre-leased and are expected to be delivered over the next 24 months, representing a solid pipeline of potential future growth for the combined company.

The companies said their combination will build upon Digital Realty's successful track record of hyperscale development and will represent an extension of the connected campus strategy that empowers enterprise customers to leverage the right products – from colocation to hyperscale footprints – to create value by efficiently deploying

In Europe, Digital Realty has an established presence in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London and Dublin. On a global basis, Digital Realty has 220 data centers in 35 top metropolitan areas,



The companies also noted that the merger will provide access to additional capital for investment.

"This strategic and complementary transaction builds upon Digital Realty's established foundation of serving market demand for colocation, scale and hyperscale requirements in the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific and leverages Interxion's European colocation and interconnection expertise, enhancing the combined company's capabilities to enable customers to solve for the full spectrum of data center requirements across a global platform," said Digital Realty Chief Executive Officer A. William Stein.  "The transaction is expected to be accretive to the long-term growth trajectory of the combined organization, and to establish a global platform that we believe will significantly enhance our ability to create long-term value for customers, shareholders and employees of both companies."

"We are excited to deliver this compelling opportunity for all our stakeholders while bolstering our ability to offer a truly global platform to serve our customers' needs," said Interxion Chief Executive Officer David Ruberg.  "As part of Digital Realty, stakeholders will have the opportunity to continue to reap the benefits of the value that we have created via the communities of interest approach in our carrier- and cloud-neutral European data center portfolio.  They will also be able to participate in the value created by extending our approach across Digital Realty's global footprint, complementary customer base and significant presence in the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific.  We also believe our stakeholders will benefit from Digital Realty's investment grade balance sheet and lower cost of capital.  We look forward to working closely with Bill Stein and the entire Digital Realty team to consummate the transaction and combine the best of our companies to build the world's preeminent data center provider."

Additionally:

  • Digital Realty CEO A. William Stein will serve as CEO of the combined company 
  • Digital Realty CFO Andrew P. Power will serve as CFO of the combined company 
  • Interxion CEO David Ruberg will serve as the Chief Executive of the combined company’s Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) business, which will be branded “Interxion, a Digital Realty company” at the close of the transaction

MANATUA subsea cable to link Polynesia

A consortium of regional telecom companies approved the final stages of planning for the installation of the Manatua – One Polynesia Cable, which will have landings in Tahiti and Bora Bora in French Polynesia, Rarotonga and Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, Apia, Samoa and Niue.



The Manatua – One Polynesia Cable will be the first fiber cable to reach Niue and the Cook Islands.

Subcom, which was selected for the project, confirmed that the cable is already in the region following manufacture in New Hampshire. Transfer of the 3700km cable from the delivery freighter Thorco Liva onto specialist cable laying vessel SubCom Reliance is currently underway.  Cable lay operations will commence in Samoa in November, Niue and Cook Islands in December, and finish in French Polynesia in January 2020.

Manatua Consortium executives from Office des Postes et Télécommunications (OPT) in French Polynesia, Avaroa Cable Limited (ACL) in the Cook Islands, Telecom Niue Limited (TNL) in Niue, and Samoa Submarine Cable Company (SSCC), in the Independent State of Samoa, met in Apia this week to approve detailed installation plans.

Vairani Davio, Joint-Chair of the Manatua Procurement Group and OPT’s Chef de Project Telecom said: “The Manatua cable is a physical embodiment of the Polynesian leaders’ shared vision of a connected region, delivering reliable, high-capacity and affordable connectivity.  It will strengthen our cultural connections and create the foundation for our island’s digital transformation.”

T-Mobile US to launch 5G on Dec 6

T-Mobile confirmed that it will activate nationwide 5G on December 6.  The rollout covers more than 200 million Americans and more than 5,000 cities and towns across the country including millions in rural America. The carrier initially is supporting 2 devices: the Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G or OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren. And both phones will be able to tap into Sprint’s mid-band 5G spectrum with the New T-Mobile in 2020.

“We’re building a 5G network that will allow us to deliver future New T-Mobile moves that are going to be SO massive we couldn’t WAIT to share the first few. We have definitively put a stake in the ground around the kind of company the supercharged Un-carrier will be and the ways we can put this radically better 5G network to work doing GOOD for this country — good for consumers, good for competition and good for innovation! Only the New T-Mobile’s transformative 5G network will FINALLY have the capacity and reach to make the BOLD moves we announced today that are squarely aimed at SOLVING inequities that have huge impacts on our society. When it comes to wireless service, many have been taken advantage of, left behind or completely forgotten. It’s time for another wave of change and the New T-Mobile will be at the forefront of that!” said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile.

In addition, T-Mobile announced three promises to follow completion of its merger with Sprint:

  • Connecting Heroes Initiative, a 10-year commitment to provide free 5G access — unlimited talk, text and smartphone data — to every first responder at every public and non-profit state and local police, fire and EMS agency across the entire U.S.;
  • Project 10Million, which will provide millions of children with FREE service and hotspots and reduced cost devices. The company expects to cover 10 million households around the U.S. over five years; 
  • T-Mobile Connect, a new $15 per month prepaid option — half the price of the lowest T-Mobile plan today — available to everyone, especially lower-income consumers.


IDC: 358.3 million smartphone shipments in Q3, up 1% yoy

A total of 358.3 million smartphones were shipped during Q3, which was up 8.1% from the previous quarter and up 0.8% from a year ago, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

Some highlights from IDC

Samsung gained share in 3Q19 with annual growth of 8.3% on the back of the Galaxy Note 10 launch in August and increased A series volumes, with a total of 78.2 million smartphones shipped.

Huawei shipped higher volumes than expected as it shifted focus to its domestic market, particularly in lower-tier cities, and increased inventories given the unknown future with Google Mobile services. While a sentiment of nationalism has helped to bolster Huawei in China, solid relationships with the local channel players has been key, offering favorable distributor terms and a well-rounded product portfolio. Nevertheless, there will be challenges ahead with 4G inventory to clear while consumers wait for affordable 5G products to hit the market.

Apple shipped 46.6 million iPhones in 3Q19, which was a slight decline year over year but still better than most expectations. Apple continues to sell some refurbished iPhones via its own channels, which sustain and possibly grow the installed base, but also impact iPhone revenues. Newer iPhones, specifically the iPhone 11s and XR, did very well this quarter, capturing strong share in important markets like the U.S. and Western Europe.

Xiaomi for the first time saw less than a third of its shipments delivered domestically in China, which was second to India in volume. Domestically, despite its launch of the CC series to appeal to young female consumers, shipments declined under pressure from Huawei. The runway was clearer for Xiaomi in India, however, where it strengthened its offline presence by expanding its sales network via the Mi Store and Mi Preferred Partners.

A total of 358.3 million smartphones were shipped during Q3, which was up 8.1% from the previous quarter and up 0.8% from a year ago, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

Some highlights from IDC

Samsung gained share in 3Q19 with annual growth of 8.3% on the back of the Galaxy Note 10 launch in August and increased A series volumes, with a total of 78.2 million smartphones shipped. The lower-end to midrange A series in particular helped to fill in the gaps left behind by Huawei.

Huawei shipped higher volumes than expected as it shifted focus to its domestic market, particularly in lower-tier cities, and increased inventories given the unknown future with Google Mobile services. While a sentiment of nationalism has helped to bolster Huawei in China, solid relationships with the local channel players has been key, offering favorable distributor terms and a well-rounded product portfolio. Nevertheless, there will be challenges ahead with 4G inventory to clear while consumers wait for affordable 5G products to hit the market.

Apple shipped 46.6 million iPhones in 3Q19, which was a slight decline year over year but still better than most expectations. Apple continues to sell some refurbished iPhones via its own channels, which sustain and possibly grow the installed base, but also impact iPhone revenues. Newer iPhones, specifically the iPhone 11s and XR, did very well this quarter, capturing strong share in important markets like the U.S. and Western Europe.

Xiaomi for the first time saw less than a third of its shipments delivered domestically in China, which was second to India in volume. Domestically, despite its launch of the CC series to appeal to young female consumers, shipments declined under pressure from Huawei. The runway was clearer for Xiaomi in India, however, where it strengthened its offline presence by expanding its sales network via the Mi Store and Mi Preferred Partners.

OPPO also focused its attention outside of China as it approached the tipping point of nearly half of its shipments outside of China with domestic shipments focused on the Reno series and the A9. India experienced the strongest momentum internationally where the Reno series helped complete its product portfolio with higher-end offerings while the online-exclusive K series strengthened its online presence.


https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS45636719

DOCOMO invests in Metawave for 5G beamsteering

NTT DOCOMO Ventures has made an equity investment in Metawave, a start-up based in Palo Alto, California that is developing an analog beamsteering radar platform and 5G platforms which consist of active repeater and passive relay technologies. Financial terms were not disclosed.

DENSO, the world’s second-largest mobility supplier, led the funding round, and other investors included Mirae Asset Capital, and existing investors including BOLD Capital Partners.

Metawave is working on the extension of 5G radio coverage beyond line of sight from cell towers. 5G utilizes millimeter waves (mmWave) with higher frequencies and shorter wavelengths, which require innovative and advanced analog antenna technology to expand the radio coverage. Metawave’s passive relays are beautifully designed “smart mirrors” that bend and direct signals in areas of lower coverage.

NTT DOCOMO successfully conducted a 5G trial using 28GHz trial site and the passive relays utilizing Meta-structure antenna technologies in November 2018 .

As for the radar platform, Metawave is mainly focusing on the automobile industry.

“To be able to work on innovative hardware, system, software, and AI platforms in such high-growth markets is exciting and challenging,” said Maha Achour, founder and CEO of Metawave. “When I see our automotive partners excited about our radar capabilities and telecom customers demonstrating impressive results using our 5G solutions, I’m inspired and proud to lead a fearless team who has been delivering incredible results in less than 18 months from opening our development center in Carlsbad. Consumer expectations and business demands are increasing with the advent of new technologies, especially in mobility and connectivity, and being able to work closely with 5G and automotive leaders helps us visualize the future and continuously adapt as roads become safer and people strive to be more productive.”

https://www.nttdocomo-v.com/en/release/ecux5rkb7y/


GSA: 50th commercial 5G network has now launched.

As of the end of October, a total of 50 5G networks have begun commercial services, according to the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA).

The milestones was reached following the recent activation of services in China where China Unicom, China Mobile and China Telecom all went live and have already registered more than 9million 5G subscribers.

As of the end of October 2019, GSA has identified 328 operators in 109 countries that have announced that they are investing in 5G. In addition, a total of 69 operators have announced that they had deployed 3GPP compliant 5G technology in their networks, among which:

  • 39 operators having launched 3GPP-compliant 5G mobile services (36 full launches, 3 limited availability launches)
  • 29 operators had launched 3GPP-compliant 5G FWA or home broadband services (19 full launches, 10 limited availability launches)

 Joe Barrett, the President of the GSA commented ‘I think that we have all been surprised by how quickly 5G has taken off, with deployments and commitments from across the globe gathering pace. This latest milestone, combined with commercial launches in the world’s largest mobile market, is set to lead to an explosion in 5G users and also have a knock-on impact on driving both use cases and innovation.”

https://gsacom.com/

Telecom Italia enters partnership with Google Cloud

TIM is forming a strategic partnership with Google Cloud to deliver cloud and edge computing services in Italy.

The companies will offer of Public, Private and Hybrid cloud services. Also, as part of the agreement, the companies will work together on go-to-market initiatives to help accelerate the adoption of digital transformation technology at Italian businesses of all sizes.

In order to support its own business growth, TIM will heavily invest in its innovation and talent. This investment includes building wholly owned, new state-of-the-art data centers, up to Tier IV level, and hiring or training more than 800 cloud engineers in the next few years.

TIM CEO Luigi Gubitosi stated: “Thanks to the partnership with Google, a world leader in innovation, TIM confirms its focal role in promoting the technological progress in Italy. In the next years, Cloud and Edge Computing will represent two of the key markets that will mostly benefit of the new products and services enabled by 5G technology”.

Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud stated: “We look forward to working together with TIM to boost our support for Italian enterprises in their digital transformation journeys.”

SiTime prepares for IPO -- MEMS timing solutions

SiTime, a supplier or MEMS timing, has launched a roadshow for the initial public offering of 4,300,000 shares of its common stock. The underwriters will also have a 30-day option to purchase up to 645,000 additional shares of common stock at the IPO price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.  The IPO price is currently expected to be between $13.00 and $15.00 per share. SiTime expects to list its common stock on The Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “SITM.”

SiTime Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MegaChips Corporation. The company has shipped over 1.5 billion devices to date.

http://www.sitime.com

Infoblox acquires SnapRoute for Cloud-Native Network Services

Infoblox has acquired SnapRoute, a start-up offering a Cloud-Native Network Operating System (CN-NOS). Financial terms were not disclosed.

Infoblox’s BloxOne platform is built around cloud-native architectural principles, enabling the delivery of cloud-managed secure network services at scale. With SnapRoute’s cloud-native OS, Infoblox will now be able to accelerate the development and delivery of additional network services on its platform.

“We recognize that the future is in the cloud, and to meet customer demands for flexibility, scalability, adaptability, enhanced security and speed, it will become increasingly important for network and security services to be cloud-native,” said Jesper Andersen, President and CEO of Infoblox. “We are thrilled to welcome the SnapRoute team as we work together to leverage their innovative technology and IP to rapidly expand the services we offer on our BloxOne™ platform.”

“Building from a cloud-native foundation is essential to providing the scalable and flexible services that businesses demand today,” said Dom Wilde, CEO of SnapRoute. “Infoblox is the only company that has invested in building a truly cloud-native platform for networking and security services complementary to what we built at SnapRoute, and we couldn’t be more pleased to join the Infoblox team to help expand their services and capabilities.”