OVHcloud Summit 2023 Paris: Innovation for Freedom

Marking its its 24th year as a company and its tenth annual Summit event in Paris, OVHcloud showcased its key innovations in security, compute, storage, database, network services, analytics, AI and quantum.

OVHcloud executives highlighted solid full year 2023 financial results published just a month ago that delivered double-digit growth in a challenging global context.

Key announcements:

• Expanding its global presence, with 38 Data-Centers across 4 continents, OVHcloud now generates 52% of its revenue outside of France. The company is the process of opening facilities in Singapore, Sydney, Mumbai, and Toronto, while expanding in other locations, especially Paris.
• OVHcloud now has more than 80 clients using SecNumCloud qualified infrastructures, which guarantees that cloud services are fully protected against foreign (non-EU) access
• In December 2023, OVHcloud is set to open a third SecNumCloud Data Center in Gravelines, France, joining the existing SecNumCloud Data Centers located in Roubaix and Strasbourg, France answering growing demands from its customers base;

• A new Bare Metal SecNumCloud offer is in the works and the Group has just begun its SecNumCloud qualification procedure with ANSSI;
• The Group plans to further extend the SNC qualification to its IaaS and PaaS offers starting with enabling its PaaS solutions portfolio in the Public Cloud universe including Kubernetes, databases, Data Platform and the most recent AI Solutions.

• New Compute Instances: Available now, OVHcloud’s new compute instances are powered by AMD EPYC processors and tackle new use-cases for workloads requiring either a balanced mixed of processor/memory/storage (General Purpose B3), high-performance many cores processing (Compute Optimized C3) and fast memory data processing (Memory Optimized R3)
• New Block Storage & File Storage: Public Cloud will soon benefit from Block Storage with NVMe over fabric enabled storage options for use-cases where I/O is crucial, with a Beta version available now. The new File Storage service will allow for storing files in Public Cloud
• New Managed MongoDB: Designed with MongoDB, the new managed offer comes with a free tier so developers can now effortlessly start, test and explore MongoDB in a trusted cloud environment before scaling their projects on a production tier, each with predictive pricing and excellent performance/price ratio.
• Network novelties: New layer 3 network services combining floating IP, load balancing and gateways as well as new vRack Endpoint to address use cases around Netapp,
• Security Dashboard: The OVHcloud Manager will soon benefit from a dashboard view representing key security events intercepted by the Group top-of-the-line Anti-DDoS mitigation algorithms so that clients have a better understanding of their exposure to online threats,
• Key Management Service: managed service to administer encryption keys in order to protect customers data from within OVHcloud services and applications. Allowing both generation and lifecycle of encryption keys, OVHcloud KMS is now available as an Alpha version on OVHcloud Labs,
• Improved Public Cloud customer experience: Public Cloud customers will soon experience various quality of life improvements in their overall journey
• Rancher for heavily containerized workloads: Facilitating hybrid and multi-cloud scenarios, the Group will soon launch its Managed Rancher service providing easy to use solutions to effortlessly manage Kubernetes clusters through Rancher single pane of glass

A recording of the main keynote is here:

https://twitter.com/OVHcloud/status/1729535479589359854

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Credo intros 800G DSP for Linear Receive Optics

Credo announced sampling of its Dove 850 800G Digital Signal Processor (DSP) IC, optimized for Linear Receive Optics (LRO), also known within the industry as Half-retimed Linear Optics (HALO). 

A Dove 850 based optical transceiver aims to address the inherent weakness of a Linear Pluggable Optics (LPO) implementation by facilitating IEEE compliant optical transmit signaling and easing the deployment burden on system operators by eliminating manual, per port tuning. The result is lower bit error rates, enhanced sensitivity, reduced performance variation, and improved resilience to different switch ASICs, PCB traces, optical components, and environmental conditions.

In an LRO transceiver or Active Optical Cable (AOC), only the transmit path from the electrical input to the optical line side output includes a DSP for signal retiming and equalization. The Dove 850 is a unidirectional 8 x 112 Gbps DSP purpose built for this LRO architecture.

Credo says transceiver vendors can further optimize the module cost with Dove 850 by employing a variety of optics, including VCSELs, silicon photonics, EML or thin-film lithium niobate as dictated by the application requirements.

“Dove 850 reduces DSP power by up to 50% and optimizes cost while providing customers with an easy to use, robust, and interoperable solution,” said Chris Collins, Vice President of Sales and Optical Product Marketing at Credo. “Our lead transceiver and hyperscale customers recognize the value of this solution and we have already shipped Dove 850 samples and evaluation boards to address the market need.”

The Dove 850 features independent PLL’s for each lane to support breakout applications, an OIF CEI-112G-MR compliant host interface, and numerous integrated diagnostic features to accelerate time to market and aid with system debug.

Dove 850 Features and Technical Benefits

• IEEE 802.3 and CMIS 5.x compliant.
• 8 x 112 Gb/s PAM4 on both the electrical host receiver and optical line transmitter interfaces.
• Copper optimized DSP based electrical host side receivers deliver industry leading sensitivity and BER performance.
• Line side transmitters with multi-tap FIR filters, and non-linear correction facilitate the use of multi-mode or single-mode optics.
• Independent phase locked loops per channel supports flexible breakout configurations including 2x400G, 4x200G and 8x100G.
• A full suite of link diagnostic features simplifies lab bring up and production testing.
• Low-power dissipation reduces cooling requirements and provides for an energy efficient 800G optical solution.

https://credosemi.com/

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Ciena expands U.S. manufacturing with Flex

 

Ciena is adding domestic manufacturing through an expanded agreement with global diversified manufacturer Flex.

Under the terms of the agreement, Flex will provide advanced manufacturing capabilities, including specialized optical transceiver assembly, and supply chain services, enabling Ciena to quickly ramp high-volume production of its innovative pluggable OLTs and ONUs at scale. This U.S. expansion builds on a 20-year global relationship. As a result of its partnership with Flex, Ciena is positioned to enable U.S. network providers with greater ability to leverage the BEAD program to expand their local footprint and business opportunities.

Ciena expects to begin production of the industry’s first pluggable optical line terminals (OLTs) as well as its optical network units (ONU) at a Flex factory in the U.S. in mid-2024.

The companies said this expansion will support the U.S. government’s Broadband Equity Adoption and Deployment (BEAD) projects, create new jobs and help broadband service providers comply with the Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements.

Highlights

• Ciena's pluggable OLT technology  will be manufactured in America. A key enabling technology in next generation broadband deployments, Ciena’s pluggable OLTs are part of a comprehensive broadband portfolio that includes access infrastructure, middle mile networks, and essential software and services.
• Adding to its existing portfolio of innovations that reduce the environmental impact of communication networks, Ciena’s pluggable OLTs greatly increase network sustainability and efficiency by connecting more homes at higher speeds per unit of power and space than competing solutions. Additionally, Ciena’s host routing platforms are already 25G ready, future-proofing service provider network investment without the need for hardware replacement, further maximizing the solutions’ sustainable footprint.
• Ciena will also develop its next-generation 25GS-PON pluggable OLTs and ONUs in the U.S., providing a seamless evolution path for service providers to build open, modular, and scalable broadband networks.

https://www.ciena.com

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Nutanix posts revenue of $287 million, up 24% yoy

Nutanix reported revenue of $287.2 million for its first quarter ended October 31, 2023, up 24% yoy.

“We delivered a solid first quarter financial performance against an uncertain macro backdrop reflecting the value our customers see in the Nutanix Cloud Platform and the strength of our subscription business model,” said Rajiv Ramaswami, President and CEO of Nutanix. “I’m excited about our future as we look to capitalize on our large and growing market opportunity, favorable industry competitive dynamics, and our ramping partnerships.”

“Our first quarter marked a good start to our fiscal year with 24% year-over-year ACV billings growth along with strong free cash flow generation,” said Rukmini Sivaraman, CFO of Nutanix. “We continue to see good execution and remain focused on driving towards the targets we shared at our recent Investor Day and delivering durable growth and increasing profitability.”

https://ir.nutanix.com/

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Vodafone Business launches AI-driven SD-LAN with Juniper

Vodafone Business has launched a new SD-LAN (Software Defined Local Area Networking) managed service built on Juniper Networks' cloud-based wired and wireless assurance services, driven by Mist AI.

Vodafone Business is offering customers fully managed and co-managed SD-LAN services with flexible subscription models, including the opportunity to own their own on-premises equipment. It is based on Juniper’s wide array of wireless Access Points and EX switches, managed via cloud-driven wired and wireless access assurance services and the industry’s only AI-driven virtual network assistant (VNA). With advanced AIOps (AI for IT Operations) capabilities, Vodafone Business can offer a superior SD-LAN solution with simple zero touch provisioning for quick onboarding, proactive problem detection and resolution for maximum resiliency, and customizable wired and wireless service levels for assured user experiences.

The SD-LAN service delivers predictable, reliable and measurable wired/wireless services that can leverage proactive automated operations to eliminate an estimated 90 percent of manually generated trouble tickets, based on results from other Juniper Mist customers.

Andy Kivell, Head of Connectivity Portfolio, Vodafone Business, states: "With the advent of boundless working, it’s imperative to hyper-connect your business with productive and limitless workplaces, utilizing the latest technologies that inspire collaboration and empower staff to work safely and productively. Vodafone Business SD-LAN managed service powered by Juniper Mist is optimizing operations, performance and user experience through centralized cloud control, anonymized deep insights and AI analytics. From risk-free migrations to E2E In life support, with each step we are ensuring our customers a worry-free transition. As a core part of the proposition, sustainability options are embedded across the product lifecycle to support customers’ sustainability goals.”

Sally Bament, VP, Field & Industry Marketing, Juniper Networks, states: “Being able to compete in a digital world is fundamentally important to enterprises in any sector, any region. But for some, specifying, owning and managing an intelligent, fit-for-purpose network platform is prohibitively complex and costly. A managed service built on Juniper’s technology and delivered by Vodafone’s expertise solves that challenge very elegantly. This approach enables more enterprises to build their business and scale up on a sustainable, AI-driven experience-first network, without the operational overhead.”

https://newsroom.juniper.net/news/news-details/2023/Vodafone-Business-Launches-AI-driven-SD-LAN-Business-Service-Using-Juniper-Networks-Leading-Wired-and-Wireless-Access-Platforms/default.aspx

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KT picks HPE Aruba Networking SD-WAN via AWS

Korea Telecom (KT) has selected the HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WAN platform to provide edge-to-cloud integration with AWS Cloud WAN, allowing KT to offer its customers an alternative to using an MPLS network for global branch office connectivity.

HPE is also announcing a new partnership with KT, which will allow KT to provide its customers with a globally-managed SD-WAN service, enabled by HPE Aruba Networking, that acts as a cloud on-ramp, simplifying edge-to-cloud connectivity using the AWS global backbone network.

“A modernized network is the backbone for powering next-generation digital experiences and enabling new business models by securing enterprise applications and maximizing performance from any location or device,” said Phil Mottram, executive vice president and general manager, HPE Aruba Networking. “With this newly formed partnership, KT can leverage the HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WAN platform to expand its services to customers and locations in other regions outside of South Korea and APJ, providing best-in-class performance optimization, cloud onramp and operational capabilities for campus, branch, WAN, and remote workers.”

“Having insights into network performance and end-user experience becomes a powerful tool for enterprises that are managing globally distributed SD-WAN deployments,” said Sang-Ki Lee, executive vice president, KT Global Telecom DX Business Department. “Our partnership with HPE will allow our customers to adapt to changing business needs by delivering maximum network and application performance from the edge to the cloud.”

https://www.hpe.com

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DigitalBridge raises $1.1 Billion for Digital Infrastructure

DigitalBridge Group  announced the close of its digital infrastructure credit fund, DigitalBridge Credit (Onshore),together with its parallel vehicles, which raised aggregate commitments of $1.1 billion inclusive of related co-investment commitments alongside the Fund.

DBC is the inaugural fund in DigitalBridge’s credit strategy, which focuses on delivering investment solutions to support the growth of companies across the digital infrastructure sector. The Fund has a global investor base consisting of pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, asset managers, family offices and private wealth platforms, among others. 

The DigitalBridge Credit team has made 11 investments to date, across Data Centers, Fiber, Satellite Broadband and Cloud Infrastructure. 

“This closing is an important milestone for the firm’s credit platform and reflects great partnership with investors and clients,” said Dean Criares, Head of Credit at DigitalBridge. “Establishing DigitalBridge’s brand within the expanding private credit sector reflects support from senior management and the strength of our relationships and partnerships with industry experts as we source and diligence opportunities.”

Mr. Criares continued, “This is an important time to be investing in this industry and sector. We believe the addressable market in digital infrastructure is large and expanding, leaving opportunities to deliver quality assets to our investors at a predictable pace.”

https://ir.digitalbridge.com/news-releases/news-release-details/digitalbridge-announces-total-commitments-11-billion-digital

• The DigitalBridge team manages $75 billion of infrastructure assets on behalf of its limited partners and shareholders.

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Marvell Joins Ultra Ethernet Consortium

Marvell Technology has joined the Ultra Ethernet Consortium (UEC), part of the Linux Foundation's Joint Development Foundation.

"The future of the AI cloud will rely on standards-based Ethernet to deliver the scale and performance required for next generation workloads across the wide range of operator applications," said Nick Kucharewski, senior vice president and GM, Network Switching Business Unit, at Marvell. "Marvell is committed to continuous innovation on an open, Ethernet-based cloud fabric, and we look forward to working with the UEC members to make this a reality."

The Marvell accelerated computing portfolio includes optical PAM4 DSPs, TIAs and drivers for mid- to long-reach optical connections inside data centers, active electrical cable (AEC) PAM4 DSPs for short-reach connections within compute racks, COLORZ data center interconnect (DCI) pluggable modules for long distance connections between data centers, and Teralynx® Ethernet switches for low-latency fabrics between compute nodes. Marvell is also collaborating directly with cloud providers to deliver cloud-optimized, custom compute solutions that address their unique infrastructure and services most efficiently.

https://www.marvell.com

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