Google debuts 6th gen TPU

 At the Google I/O event, Sundar Pichai introduced Trillium, its sixth generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU).

Trillium TPU Features:

• Performance: 4.7x faster compute performance than TPU v5e.
• Memory: Doubled High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) capacity and bandwidth.
• Interconnectivity: Doubled Interchip Interconnect (ICI) bandwidth.
• Efficiency: Over 67% more energy-efficient than TPU v5e.
• SparseCore: Specialized accelerator for large language models.
• Scalability: Up to 256 TPUs in a single pod.
• Multi-pod scalability: Connects hundreds of pods with tens of thousands of chips.

https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/compute/introducing-trillium-6th-gen-tpus?e=48754805

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ID Quantique targets a quantum-safe ecosystem

ID Quantique's new Clarion KX software platform now supports multi-vendor Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) interoperability. Leveraging an open and service-based architecture, the ID Quantique Clarion KX platform enables cost-effective scaling of QKD networks. It facilitates the orchestration and management of out-of-band quantum-key delivery in real-time, regardless of the underlying QKD solutions or the location of the consuming encryption appliances. With its support for heterogeneous QKD infrastructure in complex and SLA-demanding environments, IDQ's Clarion KX platform also allows telecom operators to generate new revenue streams by offering Quantum-Safe as a Service solutions to their B2B customers seeking long-term security assurance.

ID Quantique says the looming threat of quantum computers capable of breaking public-key cryptography and the "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks pose an immediate threat to the confidentiality of data for enterprises, governments, and IT service providers. The stakes are high, as failing to timely implement available mitigation strategies could expose them to significant liabilities.

To mitigate these risks, the company advocates a defense-in-depth approach, leveraging both quantum-based and algorithmic technologies at different layers of the network stack. QKD solutions, a key component of this strategy, are recognized as playing a critical role in ensuring long-term resilience to quantum threats.

ID Quantique is building an ecosystem of partners, including HEQA Security, LuxQuanta, Quantum Optics Jena, and ThinkQuantum, to enhance the Clarion KX ecosystem.

"We are extremely proud to break another important barrier to large-scale adoption of quantum networks. Said Grégoire Ribordy CEO of ID Quantique. Offering a vendor-agnostic ecosystem allowing heterogeneous QKD infrastructure was one of the next logical steps the market was expecting – and this is now available thanks to our partners."

"Reaching QKD interoperability is a significant market milestone that empowers customers to choose products freely for their networks, maximizing flexibility and adaptability to meet business needs. Said Nir Bar-Lev, CEO, HEQA Security. This customer-centric approach reflects HEQA Security's dedication to delivering innovative solutions, even before standards are fully finalized."

www.idquantique.com

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Adam Selipsky steps down at AWS

Adam Selipsky announced on X that he will be stepping down as CEO of AWS, June 3rd, 2024.  

Selipsky served with the company for almost 15 years, beginning when AWS was in its pre-revenue stage. He took on the role of CEO from Andy Jassy in early 2021. Matt Garman, who serves as Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Global Services at AWS, takws over as the new CEO of AWS. Garman joined Amazon as a MBA intern during the summer of 2005 and teh following year became one of the first AWS product managers.

https://twitter.com/aselipsky/status/1790385367759364336

https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/leadership-update-aws-adam-selipsky-matt-garman

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Arelion expands its U.S. Gulf Coast network

Arelion launched two multi-terabit capacity, low-latency routes from Jacksonville, FL to Atlanta, GA and from Jacksonville to Tallahassee, as well as an overbuild from Miami along Florida’s west coast up to Atlanta. These routes are poised to serve Atlanta’s growing data center market and the increasing demands of AI and machine learning applications, with Atlanta ranking as the sixth largest market for commissioned data center power. Additionally, these routes seamlessly connect to Arelion’s diverse suburban ring, enhancing metro connectivity and meeting the high-capacity bandwidth needs of Atlanta’s thriving regional technology markets.

Arelion's new routes offer fully diverse connectivity services between Jacksonville and Atlanta via two direct paths. These routes bolster Arelion’s ability to serve local traffic and support subsea traffic from the Caribbean, Central America, and South America through Jacksonville's subsea cable landings, continuing the global Internet carrier’s Gulf Coast network expansion.

Arelion said it is leveraging the latest generation open optical line systems supporting C+L Band, sixth-generation coherent optics, and multi-vendor 400G wave capabilities.

Highlights: 

• The new routes run from Jacksonville (Cologix-JAX1) to Atlanta (Equinix-AT1) and from Jacksonville (Cologix-JAX1) to Tallahassee (EdgeConnex-TAL01).
• The overbuild route enhances capacity and meshing from Atlanta (Digital Realty-ATL14) to Tallahassee (EdgeConnex-TAL01), continuing via Tampa (365 Data Centers) down to Miami (Equinix-MI1).
• Additional metro sites in Jacksonville include Telxius CLS and EdgeConnex.
• Tallahassee is a new market for Arelion, providing a local edge Point-of-Presence (PoP) and meshing/routing flexibility in the region.
• Additional metro sites in Tampa include the recently announced Flexential Tampa - North site.
• Arelion now has four diverse route options into Jacksonville

“These new investments in Georgia and Florida allow Arelion to serve the immense demand for reliable connectivity services and tremendous capacity amid Atlanta’s data center boom,” said Art Kazmierczak, Director of Strategic Sales and Network Development at Arelion. “By providing additional meshing and diversity into Atlanta, we can serve the connectivity requirements of local enterprises while supporting subsea traffic from Jacksonville and other Florida edge markets and sea cable landings, enabling low-latency cloud, content and AI/ML delivery across diverse industries.”

https://www.arelion.com/

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Telstra to develop regional hub in Guam

Telstra International plans to develop a regional network hub in Guam by establishing a new dedicated point-of-presence (PoP) in Piti at the carrier-neutral GNC iX data center, which is owned and operated by leading local telecommunications provider, TeleGuam Holdings (GTA).

Guam is quickly becoming a rising digital hub in Asia Pacific, as it's located at a crossroads of major submarine cable routes – including the Asia-America Gateway (AAG) cable system, the Australia-Japan cable (AJC), which is fully owned and operated by Telstra, the Taiwan-Philippines-US (TPU) cable, and direct network connectivity to nine additional cable systems – connecting Asia, Australia, and the United States.

Telstra’s PoP will serve growing connectivity demand in the region and as a key connection point for new cable systems including the Echo cable and central Pacific Connect cable that are being constructed in partnership with Telstra, to provide additional low latency network reliability and redundancy throughout Asia and between Asia, Australia, and the U.S.

The strategic positioning of the GNC iX data center ensures access to secure network connections to these regions, making it an ideal hub for data transmission and connectivity. By establishing a dedicated PoP at this data center, Telstra can more robustly serve telcos, enterprises, international government agencies, and other organizations that require wavelength services, Ethernet private lines, IP transit, data center colocation, and managed network connectivity services throughout the Pacific. Additionally, Telstra can easily link all the cable systems that land in Guam while also providing local access solutions.

“Guam is a vital link in the global digital chain, and this regional hub marks a significant milestone in our commitment to providing connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region. Guam is increasingly becoming a growing gateway due to its strategic location, and with more cables due to land on the island in coming years, including the Central Pacific connect cable in partnership with Google and Telstra, our investment is critical to manage the ongoing growth in capacity demand and connectivity for people and businesses throughout and into the Pacific,” said Roary Stasko, CEO of Telstra International.

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Verizon looks to GenAI to help improve customer service

Verizon is looking to GenAI to improve the way it serves its customers. In recent months, Verizon has been developing and deploying human-assisted GenAI applications. These tools are designed with human in the loop - to work alongside customers and frontlines as a personal “guide” to get to the best answers and offers available. New tools include:

• Personal Research Assistant: Verizon’s personal assistant technology is helping our frontline teams review thousands of resources to provide employees with the information they need to assist customers quickly and accurately, and personalized based on their unique needs. The improvements are already evident. Employees are now able to answer nearly all (95%) of customer inquiries, and our answer accuracy rate continues to increase.
• “Fast Pass” to resolution: To help save customers’ valuable time, Verizon is using AI to intelligently pair them with the best available customer care representative to meet their specific needs. AI’s match-making advantage for our support teams helps improve the experience by making the best human connection. This means that if a customer is calling about a specific question related to their international service, that customer will be paired with our best expert on international travel options, rather than a generalist. AND, that representative will see them through to a positive resolution.
• Personal Shopper/Problem Solver: Working alongside employees as a customer’s personal shopper and problem solver, Verizon is using AI to instantly analyze a customer’s profile and help employees get a head start on who the customer is and why they may be calling. This allows them to provide answers, offers, experiences and products that speak to the customers’ needs with ease, accuracy and efficiency. With the personal shopper and problem solver working in the background, Verizon has already cut the customer transaction time down by two to four minutes.
• “Segment of Me:” AI is helping us treat each customer in a highly personalized manner by providing unique offers and products that are tailored exclusively for them – what we call a “segment of me.” From new plans, product offers, service upgrades and more, AI is accurately and proactively identifying what a customer may be looking for and enabling agile, consistent experiences no matter where they shop. With this type of proactive work, Verizon has increased the engagement with our customers and lowered churn.

“We’re on a journey to provide a premium experience during every interaction because we know it matters to our customers,” said Brian Higgins, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Verizon Consumer. “We connect roughly 99% of the population and they count on us to handle everything from making calls and sending texts, to purchasing new tech, billing questions or checking out new products in our stores. We understand that every interaction is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives. AI is helping us not just meet expectations, but exceed them by showing our customers we’ve got their back at every turn.”

https://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-unveils-new-ai-tools-transform-customer-experience

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Infinera posts Q1 revenue of $306.9 million

Infinera reported GAAP revenue for its first quarter. ended March 30, 2024, of $306.9 million compared to $453.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and $392.1 million in the first quarter of 2023. GAAP gross margin for the quarter was 36.0% compared to 38.6% in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 37.5% in the first quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP net loss for the quarter was $(38.3) million, or $(0.17) per diluted share, compared to non-GAAP net income of $28.6 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2023, and non-GAAP net income of $5.7 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2023.

Infinera CEO, David Heard said “Q1 2024 was an important quarter for us marked by significant customer, RFP, and design-win momentum, but also a quarter where the industry was challenged as customers held back spending and pushed out projects. Our bookings were up year-over-year, and met our plan, with the multi-year revenue opportunity associated with our design wins representing potentially the largest in the company’s history. During the quarter, we gained further traction with our new GX line system, won major awards with our ICE-X pluggables, and launched ICE-D, a new line of intra-datacenter solutions with the potential to drive dramatic power reductions, especially for artificial intelligence (AI) workloads.”

“On the operational front, our preliminary expectation is that revenue came in 4% below our outlook range, while all other key financial metrics were within the outlook range. We believe that the first half of the year represents the bottom of a demand cycle for the optical industry, and we expect to see improvements in the back half of the year leading to a very strong demand cycle in 2025. With key industry trends that include the penetration of fiber optics deeper into networks, proliferation of datacenters and AI workloads, and a record number of cables being laid underneath the ocean, we believe optical networking and related technologies have never been more important.”

https://www.infinera.com/press-release/infinera-corporation-reports-preliminary-first-quarter-2024-financial-results/

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