Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Microsoft and AT&T preview Network Edge Compute

Microsoft and AT&T announced select preview availability for Network Edge Compute (NEC) technology, which weaves Microsoft Azure cloud services into AT&T network edge locations closer to customers. NEC will initially be available for a limited set of select customers in Dallas. Next year, Los Angeles and Atlanta are targeted for select customer availability.

NEC is enabled by AT&T’s software-defined and virtualized 5G core, which the company calls the Network Cloud.  This means the Network Cloud is now capable of delivering Azure services.

“The first smartphones on 3G networks introduced the idea of mobile apps over a decade ago. A few years later, 4G LTE made it feasible to connect those devices faster to cloud applications to stream videos, hail rides, and broadcast content to the world,” said Mo Katibeh, EVP and chief marketing officer, AT&T Business. “With our 5G and edge computing, AT&T is collaborating uniquely with Microsoft to marry their cloud capabilities with our network to create lower latency between the device and the cloud that will unlock new, future scenarios for consumers and businesses. We’ve said all year developers and businesses will be the early 5G adopters, and this puts both at the forefront of this revolution.”

“We are helping AT&T light up a wide range of unique solutions powered by Microsoft’s cloud, both for its business and our mutual customers in a secure and trusted way,” said Corey Sanders, corporate vice president, Microsoft Solutions. “The collaboration reaches across AT&T, bringing the hyperscale of Microsoft Azure together with AT&T’s network to innovate with 5G and edge computing across every industry.”


AT&T to move most non-network workloads to public cloud by 2024

Microsoft and AT&T announced an extensive, multiyear alliance under which Microsoft will be the preferred cloud provider for non-network applications. Specifically, AT&T will provide much of its workforce with Microsoft 365, and plans to migrate non-network infrastructure applications to the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.

AT&T said the alliance is part of its broader public cloud first strategy to consolidate data center infrastructure and operations. AT&T is becoming a “public cloud first” company by migrating most non-network workloads to the public cloud by 2024.

“AT&T and Microsoft are among the most committed companies to fostering technology that serves people,” said John Donovan, CEO, AT&T Communications. “By working together on common efforts around 5G, the cloud, and AI, we will accelerate the speed of innovation and impact for our customers and our communities.”

“AT&T is at the forefront of defining how advances in technology, including 5G and edge computing, will transform every aspect of work and life,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “The world’s leading companies run on our cloud, and we are delighted that AT&T chose Microsoft to accelerate its innovation. Together, we will apply the power of Azure and Microsoft 365 to transform the way AT&T’s workforce collaborates and to shape the future of media and communications for people everywhere.”

In addition, Microsoft will tap into the innovation AT&T is offering on its 5G network, including to design, test, and build edge-computing capabilities. With edge computing and a lower-latency 5G connection enabled through AT&T’s geographically dispersed network infrastructure, devices can process data closer to where decisions are made. Recently, Microsoft and AT&T worked together to test an edge computing-based tracking and detection system for drones. With more connected devices and the growing demand for streaming content from movies to games, businesses and consumers require ever-increasing network capabilities.

Qualcomm and Siemens test 5G private standalone in 3.7-3.8GHz band

by Benedict Chua, Assistant Editor

Qualcomm and Siemens conducted a joint proof-of-concept project at the Siemens Automotive Test Center in Nuremberg, Germany that demonstrated the first private 5G standalone (SA) network in the 3.7-3.8GHz band.

Qualcomm is providing the 5G test network and 5G industrial test devices that run on our foundational 5G technologies, and Siemens is supplying industrial end-devices like automated guided vehicles (AGV).


“We are excited to announce our 5G private network proof-of-concept collaboration project with Siemens. This project will provide invaluable real-world learnings that both companies can apply to future deployments and marks an important key milestone as 5G moves into industrial automation,” said Enrico Salvatori, Senior Vice President, Qualcomm Europe, Inc. & President, Qualcomm Europe/MEA. “Combining our 5G connectivity capabilities with Siemens’ deep industry know-how will help us deploy technologies, refine solutions, and work to make the smart industrial future a reality.”

Spark New Zealand pilots private 5G solution from Huawei

by Benedict Chua, Assitant Editor

Spark New Zealand is testing a private 5G solution from Huawei to provide connectivity for a sailboat from Emirates Team New Zealand ahead of the next America’s Cup.

The trial 5G service, which covers parts of Auckland Harbour, off Milford and Takapuna,is an extension of Spark’s existing 5G Lab in Wynyard Quarter in downtown Auckland, and uses test spectrum on loan from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

It is delivered using Huawei equipment.

Palo Alto Networks to acquire Aporeto for microsegmentation tech

Palo Alto Networks agreed to acquire Aporeto, a start-up specializing in machine identity-based microsegmentation technology, for approximately $150 million in cash.

Aporeto identifies workloads and applies microsegmentation across all infrastructures, helping customers secure their applications at scale. The company says its identity-based microsegmentation secures cloud applications by preventing East – West lateral movement and automating security policy for heterogeneous hybrid-cloud infrastructure

Aporeto co-founders Dimitri Stiliadis and Satyam Sinha have agreed to join Palo Alto Networks. The company is based in San Jose, California.

"We are thrilled to welcome Aporeto to the Palo Alto Networks family. We believe the addition of Aporeto’s unique machine identity technology will further enhance our leading Prisma Cloud capabilities and strengthen our commitment to helping customers secure their journey to the cloud," commented Nikesh Arora, chairman and CEO, Palo Alto Networks.

"We have dedicated ourselves to helping organizations securely embrace the cloud. Teaming up with Palo Alto Networks allows us to bring our machine identity-based microsegmentation technology to a large customer base. We are thrilled to join forces to help customers secure their journey to the cloud," stated Dimitri Stiliadis, co-founder and CTO, Aporeto.

Altice to acquire Covage, 4th largest FTTH wholesale operator in France

Altice Europe N.V., acting through its SFR FTTH subsidiary, agreed to acquire Covage for a total cash consideration of €1.0 billion.

Altice is acting in partnership with its consortium of financial investors, led by OMERS Infrastructure and including Allianz Capital Partners and AXA Investment Managers - Real Assets.

Covage is the 4th largest fibre wholesale operator in France with 2.4 million homes to be passed (including 0.8 million homes already built).  This network will be added to SFR FTTH footprint
of more than 5.4 million secured homes to be passed (including 1.7 million homes built). Investors in Covage include Cube Infrastructure Fund and Partners.

SFR FTTH said the acquisition expand its footprint, with more households still yet to be awarded as well as selective opportunities for consolidation.

Patrick Drahi, founder of Altice, said: “I am very pleased that we are further expanding the leading FTTH wholesaler in Europe. We are extremely proud to integrate Covage, a great company, with a portfolio of areas in France complementary to ours. With this transaction we also bring onboard excellent local relationships. We continue to be focused on deleveraging Altice Europe notably thanks to growing revenues and EBITDA which will be supplemented with disposal proceeds. As I have explained previously, we are in advanced discussions with several parties in relation to our Portuguese fibre asset."


NTT Com to open Osaka 7 data center -- largest in Kansai region

NTT Communications will launch its state-of-the-art Osaka 7 Data Center (Osaka 7) on December 1.

Osaka 7 boasts 3,800m2 of server space capacity, the largest in the Kansai region. The facility will eventually offer 9,500m2 and 4,200 racks.

NTT Com said Osaka 7's seismic-isolation design will minimize the impact on buildings and customer equipment if another powerful massive earthquake were to occur. In addition, Osaka 7 will be located in an area where flooding is uncommon and electric power during disasters will be assured thanks to direct connection to an adjacent substation.

Osaka 7 is connected to NTT Com's other data centers in the region via a high-capacity fiber ring. Beginning in February 2020, the carrier will offer a Flexible InterConnect service enabling Osaka 7 customers to securely interconnect data centers and cloud services for unified management of access points, bandwidth, and security settings.

NTT Com estimates that Japan's data center business is growing steadily at around 7% per annum and the domestic colocation market was valued at around 540 billion JPY in 2018.

FBI opens data center in Idaho

The FBI inaugurated a new data center at its campus in Pocatello, Idaho.

The new facility adds approximately 140,000 square feet of both data center and office space capacity.

The FBI said it is in the process of consolidating dozens of data centers across the country into fewer new facilities in order to improve efficiency and its cybersecurity posture.

https://www.fbi.gov/image-repository/data-hall-fbi-pocatello-facility-111819.jpg

Malaysia's YTL deploys ADVA's Oscilloquartz synchronization

YTL Communications Sdn Bhd, which operates a 4G network with nationwide population coverage across Malaysia, has deployed ADVA's Oscilloquartz synchronization technology to support the nationwide rollout of LTE-Advanced services.

YTL Communications’ new synchronization network is built on the OSA 5410 and OSA 5420 Series, a family of cost-effective, mid-scale synchronization distribution and assurance devices. Following a toolbox approach, this technology can be utilized in a variety of network timing applications, including IEEE 1588v2 grandmaster, boundary clock, slave clock and assisted partial timing support. Engineered for deployment in a wide range of locations, the OSA 5410 and 5420 range enables YTL Communications to efficiently distribute synchronization from the network edge. Integrated Syncjack™ technology, which continually monitors synchronization performance while in service, enhances the robustness of the solution. ADVA’s Malaysian partner Preciso Technology Sdn Bhd also played a key role from conducting PoC trials to supporting the installation.

ADVA’s Precision Time Protocol (PTP) grandmaster clocks and GNSS receivers provide sub-microsecond accuracy.

“YTL Communications understand that the only way to keep pace with customer demand is by leveraging the latest innovation. With our highly scalable, ultra-precise timing solution, it now has the power to bring 4G LTE and broadband to every corner of Malaysia and offer better quality SLAs to its enterprise clients,” commented Anil Kumar Reddy, senior director, business development, APAC, Oscilloquartz. “What makes our technology ideal for this project is its small footprint and flexibility. Our OSA 5410 and 5420 Series remove much of the cost and complexity of small cell deployment, giving YTL Communications the freedom to upgrade synchronization in the parts of the access network that need it. By working closely with YTL Communications’ team and our partner Preciso Technology Sdn BhdD, we’ve made sure that the transition has been extremely smooth and very successful.”

http://www.oscilloquartz.com

Keysight's revenue rises 7% yoy to $1.1 billion, Ixia up 15%

Keysight Technologies reported quarterly revenue of $1.120 billion, up 7% when compared with $1.047 billion last year. GAAP net income was $195 million, or $1.02 per share, compared with GAAP net loss of $114 million, or $(0.61) per share, in the fourth quarter of 2018. Non-GAAP net income was $254 million, or $1.33 per share, compared with $193 million, or $1.01 per share in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Reporting Segments

Communications Solutions Group (CSG)
CSG reported record revenue of $706 million in the fourth quarter, up 7 percent, driven by continued strength across the 5G wireless ecosystem and strength in US aerospace, defense and government investment.

Electronic Industrial Solutions Group (EISG)
EISG reported revenue of $284 million in the fourth quarter, up 3 percent, driven by strength in the broad portfolio of products that serve our general electronics market and on-going investments in next-generation automotive and energy technologies, partially offset by semiconductor measurement solutions.

Ixia Solutions Group (ISG)
ISG revenue grew 15 percent in the fourth quarter to $132 million. Double-digit revenue growth in both network test and network visibility solutions was driven by investments in 400GE and enterprise networks.