Google Distributed Cloud Edge enters GA

Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) Edge entered general availability status. 

GDC EDGE is a portfolio of fully managed hardware and software for running workloads at the edge.

Google cited a number of use cases:

• 5G Core and radio access network (RAN) functions at the edge
• Anomaly detection using video and AI to reduce defects on the factory floor
• Real-time inventory with robots, enabling next-generation retail stores
• Improving operational efficiency across automotive with sensors 
• Scrubbing sensitive data locally before it’s transferred to the cloud

There are two hardware form factor options: 

(1) rack-based configurations - includes the rack, six servers, two top-of-rack switches, cabling, and optics, and can be configured for either AC or DC power. They are available in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Finland, and the United Kingdom. 

(2) GDC Edge Appliances - for use cases where bandwidth and latency limitations prevent organizations from processing the data from devices like cameras and sensors back in cloud data centers. These appliances simplify data collection, analytics and processing at remote locations where copious amounts of data coming from these devices needs to be processed quickly and stored securely. They can store data generated by cameras and sensors at customer warehouses, stores and vehicles, or run containerized applications that process the data locally using ML inference, aggregation, and custom logic. An Edge Appliance includes a lightweight 1U ruggedized server, RAID-based local NFS storage, TPM for security and an optional NVIDIA GPU. 

https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/infrastructure-modernization/google-distributed-cloud-edge-is-ga

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CommScope unveils 16-fiber cabling platform for data centers

CommScope introduced a fiber aggregation platform for data centers.

CommScope's new Propel platform introduces 16-fiber cabling to support the fast growing 400 Gbps and 800 Gbps speeds, as well as emerging 1.6 Tbps speeds. Propel modules are available in four different interchangeable sizes with matching cable constructions to easily scale applications with system architectures. All components are ultra-low loss for optimal performance and have a specific QR code for performance tracking and online instructions.

Propel is the industry’s first Multifiber Push-On (MPO) 16-fiber platform and includes the following:

• Panels: 1U, 2U, 4U 
• Adapter Packs: LC, SN, MPO 
• Modules: Singlemode and Multi-mode: 8,12, 16 and 24 fibers 
• Cable Assemblies: MPO8, 12, 16 and 24; SN and LC Uniboot

“Over the past few years, we have witnessed extraordinary technical advances and a rise in computing devices that connect to the real world. Data centers are key assets in the data-driven economy and it’s critical that the industry pay attention to energy usage and space requirements as we move toward terabit speeds,” said John Schmidt, senior vice president, CommScope’s building and data center business. “CommScope’s Propel solution was engineered to ensure data center operators can maximize existing infrastructure investments while preparing for future applications in a smarter and more efficient manner.”

https://www.commscope.com

https://video.commscope.com/watch/CVVuDFvWwToXDhZpYtey15

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Deutsche Giga Access picks Adtran SDX fibre access platform

Deutsche Giga Access GmbH (DGA), a regional wholesale access provider in Germany, has selected the Adtran SDX Series of fibre access platforms to offer its customers scalable FTTH service capabilities.

Adtran said its Combo PON technology and software-defined architecture were differentiators that provided DGA an expedited path to market and the flexibility to simultaneously operate 1G and 10G FTTH networks on the same point-to-multipoint fibre optic distribution network and from a single OLT port. 

“DGA wanted to quickly deploy a Gigabit-capable FTTH network to a new area in Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany, and Adtran provided the right combination of technology, products, local support and domain experience,” said Andreas Bamberg, Chief Technology Officer at Deutsche Giga Access GmbH. “We chose Adtran because its approach allowed us to build a new, open-access wholesale network for future-proof services that can be controlled by an end-to-end automatisation management system, providing tremendous operational savings and efficiencies as demand for our wholesale offering grows.”

“With its new disaggregated Combo PON access solution, Adtran provides DGA the flexibility to offer GPON and XGS-PON services via the same port and fibre strand. This gives DGA the most cost-effective solution to operate via a fibre network,” said Stuart Broome, Vice President of Sales, EMEA, at Adtran. “The German altnet market is growing rapidly as operators look to bring fibre broadband to every household in Germany, having a reliable wholesale network supported locally and ready to help scale services will be a powerful resource for local and regional operators.”

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Intel to acquire real-time continuous optimization software

Intel agreed to acquire Granulate Cloud Solutions Ltd., an Israel-based developer of real-time continuous optimization software. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Granulate’s autonomous optimization service helps reduce CPU utilization and application latencies. It does this by learning the customer’s application and deploying a customized set of continuous optimizations at runtime. This enables deployment on smaller compute clusters and instance types to improve application performance and drive down cloud and data center costs. Granulate’s service does not require developer intervention nor does it require the customer to make changes to its own code. Optimizations for the latest CPUs can be applied even on legacy Linux distributions and runtimes.

Intel said the acquisition of Granulate will help cloud and data center customers maximize compute workload performance and reduce infrastructure and cloud costs. Deal terms are not being disclosed.

“Today’s cloud and data center customers demand scalable, high-performance software to make the most of their hardware deployments,” said Sandra Rivera, executive vice president and general manager of the Datacenter and AI Group at Intel. “Granulate’s cutting-edge autonomous optimization software can be applied to production workloads without requiring the customer to make changes to its code, driving optimized hardware and software value for every cloud and data center customer.”

Greg Lavender, chief technology officer, senior vice president and general manager of the Software and Advanced Technology Group at Intel, said: “We are building our portfolio of software optimization tools that offer flexible and scalable capabilities that allow us to meet the growing demand of the ubiquitous compute era. Granulate’s innovative approach to real-time optimization software complements Intel’s existing capabilities by helping customers realize performance gains, cloud cost reductions and continual workload learning.”

http://www.intel.com

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IDC: Cloud infrastructure spending to grow 21.7% this year

Spending on compute and storage infrastructure products for cloud infrastructure, including dedicated and shared environments, increased 13.5% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2021 (4Q21) to $21.1 billion, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Enterprise Infrastructure Tracker: Buyer and Cloud Deployment. 

For the 2022, IDC is forecasting cloud infrastructure spending to grow 21.7% compared to 2021 to $90.0 billion, while non-cloud infrastructure is expected to decline slightly, down 0.3% to $59.4 billion. Shared cloud infrastructure spending is expected to grow 25.5% year over year to $64.5 billion for the full year. Spending on dedicated cloud infrastructure is expected to grow 13.1% to $25.4 billion in 2022.

Some highlights from IDC:

• For the full year 2021, cloud infrastructure spending totaled $73.9 billion, up 8.8% over 2020.
• Investments in non-cloud infrastructure increased 1.5% year over year in 4Q21 to $17.2 billion, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of growth. 
• For the full year, non-cloud infrastructure spending increased 4.2% over 2020, reaching a total of $59.6 billion.
• Spending on shared cloud infrastructure reached $14.4 billion in the fourth quarter, increasing 13.9% compared to a year ago, and grew to $51.4 billion for 2021, an increase of 7.5%. 
• Spending on dedicated cloud infrastructure increased 12.5% year over year in 4Q21 to $6.7 billion and grew 11.8% to $22.5 billion for the full year 2021. Of the total dedicated cloud infrastructure, 47.5% in 4Q21 and 46.1% in 2021 were deployed on customer premises.
• In 4Q21, service providers as a group spent $21.2 billion on compute and storage infrastructure, up 11.6% from 4Q20. This spending accounted for 55.4% of total compute and storage infrastructure spending. 
• For 2021, spending by service providers reached $75.1 billion on 8.5% year over year growth, accounting for 56.2% of total compute and storage infrastructure spending. IDC expects compute and storage spending by service providers to reach $89.1 billion in 2022, growing at 18.7% year over year.

https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS48998722

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Comcast signs 250 MW solar agreement

Comcast agreed to purchase 250 megawatts (MW) of solar electricity from Constellation that will power approximately 12 percent of its U.S. operations and the vast majority of its Mid-Atlantic operations with clean, renewable energy.

The agreement will support construction of the Blue Sky Solar Project, currently being developed by Scout Clean Energy in Illinois, creating local jobs and bringing additional clean electricity to the U.S. power grid.

“Sourcing clean, renewable energy is the top priority for meeting our goal to be carbon neutral by 2035,” said Peter Kiriacoulacos, Executive Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer at Comcast. “This marks the first of many major green investments that are already underway or on the immediate horizon which demonstrate our commitment to sustainable, responsible business.”

Comcast will source 250 MW of carbon-free solar electricity from the 300 MW Blue Sky project – a majority share of the project’s total output. Blue Sky is one of the largest solar projects approved to date in the PJM power grid, which spans the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region and portions of the Midwest, and Comcast is currently the sole customer. The agreement will allow Comcast to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions associated with its energy use by nearly 360,000 metric tons annually – equivalent to avoiding the emissions from more than 65,000 homes’ electricity use for a year.

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Etisalat UAE teams with Nokia on private 5G

Nokia signed an agreement with Etisalat UAE to deploy 5G private wireless networks to support enterprises across Abu Dhabi. The two companies will work together to support businesses in various industries, including ports, oil and gas, government and critical infrastructure, by digitally transforming their operations and embracing Industry 4.0 through 5G use cases.

Nokia and Etisalat UAE will offer a variety of solutions, including Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), Modular Private Wireless (MPW) and Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC), to meet the diverse needs of various enterprises. In addition, the frame agreement includes Nokia Group Communications with push-to-talk and push-to-video capabilities, as well as Enterprise Voice Core (EVC). Nokia and Etisalat UAE will be able to develop 5G-enabled use cases to support digital transformation and improve operational efficiency across multiple industries with this broad set of solutions.

Khalid Murshed, Chief Technology and Information Officer at Etisalat UAE, said: “We are committed to supporting the government's vision to accelerate digital transformation of businesses so they can capture emerging opportunities. This collaboration with our long-term partner Nokia is in line with this vision and will provide our customers with best-in-class solutions. 5G private wireless networks will allow them to boost productivity, enhance operational efficiency, and grow revenue while improving customer experience."

Rima Manna, Vice President of Middle East Business at Nokia, said: “With over 75 5G and more than 420 private wireless customers around the world, Nokia offers field-proven technology and expertise in the 5G private wireless networks domain. Etisalat is a leader in innovation, and we look forward to collaborating on this initiative to provide industry-leading solutions to help enterprises across the country on their digital transformation journeys. This partnership will assist Etisalat in increasing revenue while leveraging 5G spectrum and deployment.”

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