What does the future of Internet Exchange points look like? Software will bring new capabilities.
Eric Troyer interviews Mark Cooper, COO of AMS-IX, and Denver Maddux, CEO of Megaport, at ITW2016 in Chicago.
See video: https://youtu.be/serm1k3-fpA
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Video: AMS-IX and Megaport - Future InterExchange Fabrics
What does the future of Internet Exchange points look like? Software will bring new capabilities.
Eric Troyer interviews Mark Cooper, COO of AMS-IX, and Denver Maddux, CEO of Megaport, at ITW2016 in Chicago.
See video: https://youtu.be/serm1k3-fpA
Verizon Digital Media Expands into More AMS-IX Exchanges
Verizon Digital Media Services will expand its presence from the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX) platform to all AMS-IX Internet Exchanges in markets where Verizon Digital Media Services already has a presence, beginning with AMS-IX Hong Kong. "Our partnership with AMS-IX is a demonstration of our commitment to providing a better experience for Internet users around the world,says Rob Peters, Chief Technology Officer at Verizon Digital Media Services.
https://www.verizondigitalmedia.com
https://ams-ix.net/
Nokia Reports a Challenging Q1
Nokia reported Q1 2016 net sales (non-IFRS) of EUR 5.6 billion, down from EUR 6.1 billion on a comparable combined company basis from a year earlier.
Rajeev Suri, President and CEO of Nokia, stated: "I am pleased that we were able to deliver solid profitability in what is typically a seasonally weak quarter and at a time when the risk of integration-related disruption was high. While our revenue decline was disappointing, the shortfall was largely driven by Mobile Networks, where the challenging environment is not a surprise. We noted in our Q4 2015 earnings release that we expected some market headwinds in 2016 in the wireless sector and we continue to hold that view today."
"While integrations of the scale of Alcatel-Lucent are complex and take time, we are now sufficiently confident in our progress that we are targeting synergies that are both more than and faster than our original plan. We already have agreed transition plans that cover the most pressing areas of portfolio overlap with most of our top customers; have begun the process of reducing over-lapping personnel including initial reductions in the United States and several other countries; started to consolidate our real estate footprint with several sites already closed and thirty more scheduled for the current quarter; and completed 40 projects with suppliers to drive procurement savings, with 200 more projects currently underway and plans for hundreds of additional projects to be launched largely over the course of Q2 2016."
Some highlights:
http://company.nokia.com/en/news/press-releases/2016/05/10/nokia-corporation-interim-report-for-q1-2016
Rajeev Suri, President and CEO of Nokia, stated: "I am pleased that we were able to deliver solid profitability in what is typically a seasonally weak quarter and at a time when the risk of integration-related disruption was high. While our revenue decline was disappointing, the shortfall was largely driven by Mobile Networks, where the challenging environment is not a surprise. We noted in our Q4 2015 earnings release that we expected some market headwinds in 2016 in the wireless sector and we continue to hold that view today."
"While integrations of the scale of Alcatel-Lucent are complex and take time, we are now sufficiently confident in our progress that we are targeting synergies that are both more than and faster than our original plan. We already have agreed transition plans that cover the most pressing areas of portfolio overlap with most of our top customers; have begun the process of reducing over-lapping personnel including initial reductions in the United States and several other countries; started to consolidate our real estate footprint with several sites already closed and thirty more scheduled for the current quarter; and completed 40 projects with suppliers to drive procurement savings, with 200 more projects currently underway and plans for hundreds of additional projects to be launched largely over the course of Q2 2016."Some highlights:
- Nokia's Networks business experienced an 8% year-on-year net sales decrease in Q1 2016. Sales for Ultra Broadband Networks declined 12% year-on-year and 27% sequentially. IP Networks and Applications grew on a year-on-year basis.
- Strong non-IFRS gross margin of 38.3% in Q1 2016 primarily due to improved product mix in Ultra Broadband Networks (led by Mobile Networks) and IP Networks and Applications (led by IP/Optical Networks), as well as efficiency gains.
- Non-IFRS operating margin of 6.5% in Q1 2016. The year-on-year increase of 2.8 percentage points was primarily due to the higher non-IFRS gross margin, as well as continued focus on execution excellence.
http://company.nokia.com/en/news/press-releases/2016/05/10/nokia-corporation-interim-report-for-q1-2016
Investor presentation is here:
Docker Begins Security Scanning Service for Containers
Docker is launching an opt-in, security scanning service of the software included in container images.
Specifically, Docker Security Scanning enables detailed image security profiles, continuous vulnerability monitoring and notifications for integrated content security. The company said it will provide binary level scanning, generating a detailed security profile for each Docker image, including details that allow IT operations to assess if the software meets its security compliance standards. The service works seamlessly with existing dev and IT workflows and scans every time a change is shipped, adding a checkpoint before deployment. Docker Security Scanning works across any application and across all major Linux distributions which allow for integration into a Containers as a Service (CaaS) workflow that improves an organization’s security posture through central IT managed secure content.
“We’ve made it our goal to secure the global software supply chain from development, test to production,” said Nathan McCauley, Director of Security at Docker. “As with all of Docker’s tooling, Docker Security Scanning works as an integrated component without any disruption to developer productivity. In fact, Docker Security Scanning enables developers to accelerate their workflows while providing greater visibility into the Docker images they choose to run in their environment. In turn, with usable security capabilities and granular control, IT operations is able to flexibly configure the security policies needed to safeguard their infrastructure.”
http://www.docker.com
Specifically, Docker Security Scanning enables detailed image security profiles, continuous vulnerability monitoring and notifications for integrated content security. The company said it will provide binary level scanning, generating a detailed security profile for each Docker image, including details that allow IT operations to assess if the software meets its security compliance standards. The service works seamlessly with existing dev and IT workflows and scans every time a change is shipped, adding a checkpoint before deployment. Docker Security Scanning works across any application and across all major Linux distributions which allow for integration into a Containers as a Service (CaaS) workflow that improves an organization’s security posture through central IT managed secure content.“We’ve made it our goal to secure the global software supply chain from development, test to production,” said Nathan McCauley, Director of Security at Docker. “As with all of Docker’s tooling, Docker Security Scanning works as an integrated component without any disruption to developer productivity. In fact, Docker Security Scanning enables developers to accelerate their workflows while providing greater visibility into the Docker images they choose to run in their environment. In turn, with usable security capabilities and granular control, IT operations is able to flexibly configure the security policies needed to safeguard their infrastructure.”
http://www.docker.com
Rancher Labs Lands $20 Million for Container Mgt
Rancher Labs, a start-up based in Cupertino, California, secured $20 million in Series B funding for its open source container management software.
Rancher provides the ability to rapidly spin up and manage Kubernetes and Docker Swarm environments, while maintaining a single management experience. It implements a cloud-agnostic infrastructure services layer that works across any public or private cloud, or traditional data center.
The funding round was led by new investor GRC SinoGreen, with participation from existing investors, Mayfield and Nexus Venture Partners.
http://www.rancher.com
Rancher provides the ability to rapidly spin up and manage Kubernetes and Docker Swarm environments, while maintaining a single management experience. It implements a cloud-agnostic infrastructure services layer that works across any public or private cloud, or traditional data center.
The funding round was led by new investor GRC SinoGreen, with participation from existing investors, Mayfield and Nexus Venture Partners.
http://www.rancher.com
Rancher Ships its Container Management Platform
Rancher Labs, a start-up based in Cupertino, California, released its open-source container management software.
The Rancher software is designed to simplify the deployment and management of containers in production enterprise applications. The software lets users select from multiple container orchestration frameworks such as Kubernetes and Docker Swarm, while maintaining a single management experience. Rancher implements a cloud-agnostic infrastructure services layer that works across any public or private cloud, or traditional data center. The platform works across cloud and data center boundaries, and its load balancing and persistent storage services function uniformly on any computing resources.
Rancher said its solution allows organizations to gain visibility, manage policies and exert control of containers and infrastructure spread across different teams within an organization. It also enables IT to improve deployment reliability, orchestrate software upgrades, and improve the utilization of infrastructure resources.
“Since announcing our beta product less than a year ago, Rancher Labs has experienced incredible demand, as well as received encouraging and helpful feedback and community support for this open platform which has enabled us to make meaningful enhancements to Rancher,” said Sheng Liang, CEO, Rancher Labs. “Now, with well over a million downloads, Rancher has quickly become the platform of choice for teams serious about running containers in production.”
http://rancher.com/
The Rancher software is designed to simplify the deployment and management of containers in production enterprise applications. The software lets users select from multiple container orchestration frameworks such as Kubernetes and Docker Swarm, while maintaining a single management experience. Rancher implements a cloud-agnostic infrastructure services layer that works across any public or private cloud, or traditional data center. The platform works across cloud and data center boundaries, and its load balancing and persistent storage services function uniformly on any computing resources.
Rancher said its solution allows organizations to gain visibility, manage policies and exert control of containers and infrastructure spread across different teams within an organization. It also enables IT to improve deployment reliability, orchestrate software upgrades, and improve the utilization of infrastructure resources.
“Since announcing our beta product less than a year ago, Rancher Labs has experienced incredible demand, as well as received encouraging and helpful feedback and community support for this open platform which has enabled us to make meaningful enhancements to Rancher,” said Sheng Liang, CEO, Rancher Labs. “Now, with well over a million downloads, Rancher has quickly become the platform of choice for teams serious about running containers in production.”
http://rancher.com/
Monday, May 9, 2016
Telsta Extends its Asia Pac Networks
Telstra announced a number of upgrades and extensions to its Asia Pac networks, including:
“We already own and operate the largest intra-Asia subsea network, representing around 30 per cent of total active capacity. These enhancements further extend our capacity and will support the provision of our leading technologies, such as Telstra’s PEN software-defined networking and cloud, security and unified communications services,” stated Telstra’s Executive Director International Operations and Services, Darrin Webb.
http://www.telstra.com.au/aboutus/media/media-releases/telstra-extends-network-services-leadership-in-asia.xml
- Bay of Bengal Gateway cable system -- a new submarine cable consisting of three fibre pairs stretching 8,000 km and connecting Singapore, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The BBG cable will offer Telstra customers direct connectivity between Asia and the Middle East and then onward to Europe when combined with the Europe India Gateway (EIG) cable.
- FASTER cable system -- Telstra has secured capacity on the new trans-pacific FASTER cable system connecting Japan and neighbouring cable systems with major hubs on the west coast of the United States covering the Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle areas. The system, which is approximately 10,000 km in length, features six fibre pairs and utilises 100Gbps wave technology.
- EAC-C2C system -- Telstra is investing in enhancing the EAC-C2C system to increase capacity and extend the life of this important cable until at least 2035. This investment will provide more certainty and improved reliability for customers on this cable, which at currently more than 36,000 km connecting Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore is the largest privately owned and operated cable in Asia.
- New Taiwan overland fibre -- Telstra’s new Taiwan overland fibre route offers a unique path that can be bundled with Telstra’s existing submarine cable networks in and out of Taiwan. This route offers an alternative to cables running through the Luzon Strait, which is one of the most widely used areas connecting North Asia and the West Coast of the United States that often experiences natural disasters causing cable cuts and service disruptions.
- New ring topology network in Korea -- a new, more resilient fibre ring network interconnects the PoPs and cable stations in South Korea and creates a market-leading eight diverse ways to connect into and out of South Korea, all of which are 100G-enabled.
“We already own and operate the largest intra-Asia subsea network, representing around 30 per cent of total active capacity. These enhancements further extend our capacity and will support the provision of our leading technologies, such as Telstra’s PEN software-defined networking and cloud, security and unified communications services,” stated Telstra’s Executive Director International Operations and Services, Darrin Webb.http://www.telstra.com.au/aboutus/media/media-releases/telstra-extends-network-services-leadership-in-asia.xml
Eutelsat and Facebook Choose Hughes JUPITER for Africa
Eutelsat Communications and Facebook have selected Hughes Network Systems' JUPITER System as the technology platform for satellite broadband services that both companies are preparing to launch in Sub-Saharan Africa. Eutelsat and Facebook are assembling a dedicated infrastructure that will extend cost-effective broadband to areas of Sub-Saharan Africa beyond reach of fixed and mobile terrestrial networks.
Specifically, Eutelsat will use the JUPITER System configuration including three gateway stations, two centralized data centers, a network management system and an initial number of user terminals. This will be combined with the high-gain Ka-band spot beam capacity provided by Spacecom's AMOS-6 satellite. The AMOS-6 satellite is due to enter service in early 2017.
The foundational technology in the JUPITER System is a custom–designed VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) processor employing a multi-core architecture and enabling more than 100 Mbps of throughput on every terminal in the JUPITER family.
"We evaluated all major broadband system vendors before selecting Hughes. Their decades of experience in satellite technology and the JUPITER System's proven capabilities made it our preferred choice for this exciting venture with Facebook," said Laurent Grimaldi, CEO of the new broadband company created by Eutelsat to steer its African broadband vision and business.
"Internet access is synonymous with economic and social development in today's digital economy," said Ramesh Ramaswamy, senior vice president, International at Hughes. "We are proud to be part of this important initiative to close the digital divide in Sub-Saharan Africa — connecting people to information and resources that can transform their lives for the better."
http://www.hughes.com
http://www.echostart.com
Specifically, Eutelsat will use the JUPITER System configuration including three gateway stations, two centralized data centers, a network management system and an initial number of user terminals. This will be combined with the high-gain Ka-band spot beam capacity provided by Spacecom's AMOS-6 satellite. The AMOS-6 satellite is due to enter service in early 2017.
The foundational technology in the JUPITER System is a custom–designed VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) processor employing a multi-core architecture and enabling more than 100 Mbps of throughput on every terminal in the JUPITER family.
"We evaluated all major broadband system vendors before selecting Hughes. Their decades of experience in satellite technology and the JUPITER System's proven capabilities made it our preferred choice for this exciting venture with Facebook," said Laurent Grimaldi, CEO of the new broadband company created by Eutelsat to steer its African broadband vision and business.
"Internet access is synonymous with economic and social development in today's digital economy," said Ramesh Ramaswamy, senior vice president, International at Hughes. "We are proud to be part of this important initiative to close the digital divide in Sub-Saharan Africa — connecting people to information and resources that can transform their lives for the better."
http://www.hughes.com
http://www.echostart.com
Eutelsat Signs Facebook for AMOS-6 Satellite over Africa
Eutelsat Communications and Facebook announced a plan to leverage satellite technologies to get more Africans online.
Under a multi-year agreement with Spacecom, the two companies will utilize the entire broadband payload on the upcoming AMOS-6 satellite and will build a dedicated system comprising satellite capacity, gateways and terminals. In providing reach to large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, Eutelsat and Facebook will each be equipped to pursue their ambition to accelerate data connectivity for the many users deprived of the economic and social benefits of the Internet.
AMOS-6, which is scheduled for launch in the second half of 2016. is a Ka-band geostationary satellite configured with high gain spot beams for covering large parts of West, East and Southern Africa. The capacity is optimised for community and Direct-to-User Internet access using affordable, off-the-shelf customer equipment. According to the terms of the agreement, the capacity will be shared between Eutelsat and Facebook.
“Facebook’s mission is to connect the world and we believe that satellites will play an important role in addressing the significant barriers that exist in connecting the people of Africa,” said Chris Daniels, VP of Internet.org. “We are looking forward to partnering with Eutelsat on this project and investigating new ways to use satellites to connect people in the most remote areas of the world more efficiently.”
https://www.facebook.com/zuck
http://news.eutelsat.com/pressreleases/eutelsat-and-facebook-to-partner-on-satellite-initiative-to-get-more-africans-online-1228638
Under a multi-year agreement with Spacecom, the two companies will utilize the entire broadband payload on the upcoming AMOS-6 satellite and will build a dedicated system comprising satellite capacity, gateways and terminals. In providing reach to large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, Eutelsat and Facebook will each be equipped to pursue their ambition to accelerate data connectivity for the many users deprived of the economic and social benefits of the Internet.
AMOS-6, which is scheduled for launch in the second half of 2016. is a Ka-band geostationary satellite configured with high gain spot beams for covering large parts of West, East and Southern Africa. The capacity is optimised for community and Direct-to-User Internet access using affordable, off-the-shelf customer equipment. According to the terms of the agreement, the capacity will be shared between Eutelsat and Facebook.
“Facebook’s mission is to connect the world and we believe that satellites will play an important role in addressing the significant barriers that exist in connecting the people of Africa,” said Chris Daniels, VP of Internet.org. “We are looking forward to partnering with Eutelsat on this project and investigating new ways to use satellites to connect people in the most remote areas of the world more efficiently.”
https://www.facebook.com/zuck
http://news.eutelsat.com/pressreleases/eutelsat-and-facebook-to-partner-on-satellite-initiative-to-get-more-africans-online-1228638
Hibernia Adds Protected Transatlantic Wavelengths
Hibernia Network introduced a new Protected Wavelength Service across its three transatlantic routes including its flagship, high capacity, low latency Hibernia Express cable connecting North America and Europe.
The new, highly resilient Protected Wavelength Service is initially available at 10 Gbps with the capability to add 100 Gbps service in the future.
“Network reliability continues to ever-increasingly be a top priority for all customers across all vertical segments,” states Al DiGabriele, Senior Vice President of Product Management and Marketing at Hibernia Networks. “Our team is constantly working towards engineering new solutions that address the pain points of our global customer base. The new Protected Wavelength Service provides customers with a secure, resilient and redundant connectivity solution to enable their business critical applications, giving them peace of mind that their network is running uninterrupted.”
http://www.hibernianetworks.com
The new, highly resilient Protected Wavelength Service is initially available at 10 Gbps with the capability to add 100 Gbps service in the future.
“Network reliability continues to ever-increasingly be a top priority for all customers across all vertical segments,” states Al DiGabriele, Senior Vice President of Product Management and Marketing at Hibernia Networks. “Our team is constantly working towards engineering new solutions that address the pain points of our global customer base. The new Protected Wavelength Service provides customers with a secure, resilient and redundant connectivity solution to enable their business critical applications, giving them peace of mind that their network is running uninterrupted.”
http://www.hibernianetworks.com
Digital Realty to Expand in Ashburn
Digital Realty Trust announced plans to expand its existing Ashburn campus in the third quarter of this year.
The expansion follows Digital Realty’s recent acquisition of 126 acres within one mile of its existing Ashburn campus, which will support the development of upwards of two million additional square feet and 150 megawatts of critical IT load. A variety of colocation and connectivity options will be made available by leveraging Telx’s proven operational model and Digital Realty’s existing fiber connectivity.
Digital Realty plans to offer traditional connectivity options found within its Meet-Me-Rooms and between buildings on campus, as well as dedicated Internet access solutions. Customers will also be able to take advantage of a large ecosystem of network and cloud providers through MarketplacePORTAL, a state-of-the-art customer portal, where they can manage connectivity, service issues and access rights.
“We are excited to expand our service offerings in the largest data center market in the United States as we further our strategy of supporting applications of all sizes within our secure campus environments,” said Tony Rossabi, Managing Director of the company’s Telx line of business. “Once the expansion is complete, customers will be able to take advantage of an even wider range of powerful solutions to support their mission-critical applications in close proximity to the compute engines that power their businesses. We look forward to translating the success of our Ashburn colocation service offering to other campuses by the end of the year.”
http://www.digitalrealty.com
The expansion follows Digital Realty’s recent acquisition of 126 acres within one mile of its existing Ashburn campus, which will support the development of upwards of two million additional square feet and 150 megawatts of critical IT load. A variety of colocation and connectivity options will be made available by leveraging Telx’s proven operational model and Digital Realty’s existing fiber connectivity.
Digital Realty plans to offer traditional connectivity options found within its Meet-Me-Rooms and between buildings on campus, as well as dedicated Internet access solutions. Customers will also be able to take advantage of a large ecosystem of network and cloud providers through MarketplacePORTAL, a state-of-the-art customer portal, where they can manage connectivity, service issues and access rights.
“We are excited to expand our service offerings in the largest data center market in the United States as we further our strategy of supporting applications of all sizes within our secure campus environments,” said Tony Rossabi, Managing Director of the company’s Telx line of business. “Once the expansion is complete, customers will be able to take advantage of an even wider range of powerful solutions to support their mission-critical applications in close proximity to the compute engines that power their businesses. We look forward to translating the success of our Ashburn colocation service offering to other campuses by the end of the year.”
http://www.digitalrealty.com
Digital Realty to Acquire Telx for Data Centers and Internet Exchanges
Digital Realty Trust agreed to acquire Telx, a national provider of data center colocation, interconnection and cloud enablement solutions, for $1.886 billion from private equity firms ABRY Partners and Berkshire Partners.
The combination is expected to double Digital Realty's footprint in the rapidly-growing colocation business, as well as provide Digital Realty customers access to a leading interconnection platform.
As of March 31, 2015, Telx managed 1.3 million square feet of data center space operating out of 20 facilities across the country, of which two are Telx-owned, 11 are leased from Digital Realty, one is partially sub-leased from Digital Realty and an unrelated third party, and six are leased from third parties. Telx's flagship facilities include its NYC1 data center at 60 Hudson Street in Manhattan, which serves as a nerve center for international communications and offers access to physical connection points to the world’s telecommunications networks and Internet backbones. Telx occupies multiple floors at 60 Hudson with interconnectivity to more than 400 carriers, financial exchanges and application, media, content, and software-as-a-service providers with just a single connection. Telx operates other NYC data centers at 111 8th Ave. and 32 Avenue of the Americas (6th Ave).
As of March 31, 2015, Digital Realty's portfolio consisted of 130 properties, including 14 properties held as investments in unconsolidated joint ventures, comprised of approximately 22.1 million square feet, excluding approximately 1.2 million square feet of space under active development and 1.3 million square feet of space held for future development, located throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
The combination is expected to double Digital Realty's footprint in the rapidly-growing colocation business, as well as provide Digital Realty customers access to a leading interconnection platform.
As of March 31, 2015, Telx managed 1.3 million square feet of data center space operating out of 20 facilities across the country, of which two are Telx-owned, 11 are leased from Digital Realty, one is partially sub-leased from Digital Realty and an unrelated third party, and six are leased from third parties. Telx's flagship facilities include its NYC1 data center at 60 Hudson Street in Manhattan, which serves as a nerve center for international communications and offers access to physical connection points to the world’s telecommunications networks and Internet backbones. Telx occupies multiple floors at 60 Hudson with interconnectivity to more than 400 carriers, financial exchanges and application, media, content, and software-as-a-service providers with just a single connection. Telx operates other NYC data centers at 111 8th Ave. and 32 Avenue of the Americas (6th Ave).
As of March 31, 2015, Digital Realty's portfolio consisted of 130 properties, including 14 properties held as investments in unconsolidated joint ventures, comprised of approximately 22.1 million square feet, excluding approximately 1.2 million square feet of space under active development and 1.3 million square feet of space held for future development, located throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
NEC & Netcracker Look to Accelerate SDN/NFV Rollouts
NEC and Netcracker Technology unveiled their Agile Virtualization Platform and Practice (AVP) toolset for accelerating the adoption of SDN and NFV.
AVP is designed to help service providers:
Key components of NEC and Netcracker’s Agile Virtualization Platform and Practice:
“AVP is more than just a standalone product or a point solution,” said Shunichiro Tejima, Executive Vice President at NEC Corporation. “It allows service providers to access NEC and Netcracker’s deep-rooted industry expertise across all stages of virtualization deployment. Service providers are challenged to commercialize their SDN/NFV initiatives and launch them, at scale, into the market. With AVP, we can reduce the time-to-market for SDN/NFV deployments and help remove much of the risk associated with digital transformations.”
“In order for service providers to evolve in the digital ecosystem, they will need to overcome the inherent challenges associated with SDN/NFV,” said Andrew Feinberg, President and CEO at Netcracker Technology. “AVP directly addresses the operational, organizational and commercial requirements needed to successfully launch digital initiatives, allowing for faster service delivery, greater revenue opportunities, and a better customer experience.”
http://www.nec.com
http://www.netcracker.com
AVP is designed to help service providers:
- Identify, build and launch new revenue-generating services more quickly.
- Manage and integrate existing and virtualized network operations and create agile development environments to support both IT and network requirements.
- Better align corporate stakeholders by implementing new processes and training talent in emerging software and Agile methodologies.
Key components of NEC and Netcracker’s Agile Virtualization Platform and Practice:
- Virtualization Development and Operations Center (VDOC) -- an agile collaboration environment designed for systems architecture, network planning as well as service design and deployment teams to automate end-to-end service lifecycle management. It enables collaboration across departments and with third-party partners, including solution vendors and systems integrators.
- Business Enablement Applications (BEA) -- designed for executives in charge of customer-facing business units to reduce the time it takes to monetize virtualization offerings for both B2B and mass markets.
- Hybrid Operations Management (HOM) -- focused on making virtual and traditional networks operate simultaneously at scale. HOM leverages the companies' expertise in end-to-end service management and Management and Network Orchestration (MANO) and fills the gaps missing in today’s solutions for automating hybrid network management, including assurance, continuous optimization, security and stability. HOM integrates with VDOC to create a dynamic and continuous feedback loop between product and development environments.
- Primary Systems Integration Practice (PSIP) -- covers all stages of virtualization initiatives—from the initial definition of the program and its business case to the full transfer of operations.
“AVP is more than just a standalone product or a point solution,” said Shunichiro Tejima, Executive Vice President at NEC Corporation. “It allows service providers to access NEC and Netcracker’s deep-rooted industry expertise across all stages of virtualization deployment. Service providers are challenged to commercialize their SDN/NFV initiatives and launch them, at scale, into the market. With AVP, we can reduce the time-to-market for SDN/NFV deployments and help remove much of the risk associated with digital transformations.”
“In order for service providers to evolve in the digital ecosystem, they will need to overcome the inherent challenges associated with SDN/NFV,” said Andrew Feinberg, President and CEO at Netcracker Technology. “AVP directly addresses the operational, organizational and commercial requirements needed to successfully launch digital initiatives, allowing for faster service delivery, greater revenue opportunities, and a better customer experience.”
http://www.nec.com
http://www.netcracker.com
Electric Lightwave Doubles Long-Haul Routes Across Western U.S.
Electric Lightwave has doubled its long-haul fiber routes and capabilities in the western U.S.
Electric Lightwave offers multiple direct routes between major West Coast metro areas and cable landing stations. The carrier has added more diverse, low latency route options.
Some examples cited:
“We continue to build on the strengths of our network to offer our customers a highly differentiated solution that blends diverse network routes, direct access along key West Coast corridors, built-in reliability and security,” said Dan Stoll, president of Electric Lightwave. “With the opticAccess acquisition and our ability to leverage advanced data networking technologies across our network, we have significantly increased route diversity for our customers.”
http://www.electriclightwave.com
Electric Lightwave offers multiple direct routes between major West Coast metro areas and cable landing stations. The carrier has added more diverse, low latency route options.
Some examples cited:
- a cloud provider is achieving less than 8 millisecond round-trip latency between Los Angeles (LA) and the Bay Area through the use of 100g Wavelength services on both of Electric Lightwave’s unique fiber routes.
- two unique routes between LA and the Bay Area with access to key cable landing stations
- three direct routes between LA and the Bay Area terminating in different buildings with the capability of combining segments of the three routes to create a custom, diverse, fourth route
- a direct route from the Bay Area to Hillsboro, Oregon, bypassing Portland, Oregon, enabling direct access to a key Oregon data center cluster and cable landing station
- a new route to Quincy, Washington, one of the largest data center clusters in the country.
“We continue to build on the strengths of our network to offer our customers a highly differentiated solution that blends diverse network routes, direct access along key West Coast corridors, built-in reliability and security,” said Dan Stoll, president of Electric Lightwave. “With the opticAccess acquisition and our ability to leverage advanced data networking technologies across our network, we have significantly increased route diversity for our customers.”
http://www.electriclightwave.com
XO Intros Cloud-Based Contact Center Service Platform
XO Communications introduced a cloud-based contact center service that helps businesses by providing multiple methods for their customers to engage with a contact center ranging from traditional phone calls to web chats, text messages and social media channels.
The new Contact Center Service, which integrates with leading CRM systems such as Salesforce.com, also enables customers to connect quickly with the most qualified agent who can address their specific needs. It is available over XO's private and dedicated MPLS IP-VPN network.
“A cloud-based solution allows businesses to stay up to date on the latest contact center features, while improving the overall customer experience,” said Jake Heinz, senior vice president of marketing and product at XO Communications. “The increased number of first call resolutions and reduced hold times is valuable to companies that want to improve contact center productivity and will reduce churn.”
http://www.xo.com
The new Contact Center Service, which integrates with leading CRM systems such as Salesforce.com, also enables customers to connect quickly with the most qualified agent who can address their specific needs. It is available over XO's private and dedicated MPLS IP-VPN network.
“A cloud-based solution allows businesses to stay up to date on the latest contact center features, while improving the overall customer experience,” said Jake Heinz, senior vice president of marketing and product at XO Communications. “The increased number of first call resolutions and reduced hold times is valuable to companies that want to improve contact center productivity and will reduce churn.”
http://www.xo.com
INOC Offers Outsourced NOC for Optical Networks
INOC, a start-up that offers a 24×7 Network Operations Center (NOC) service for enterprises and carriers, is introducing a specialized monitoring practice for optical networks.
The company said this new, dedicated NOC is designed to respond to the growing demand from enterprises and Communications Service Providers (CSPs) to support increasingly complex optical transport networks which are not only increasing in capacity but introducing advanced capabilities built on SDN. The service will enhance INOC’s tools, processes and procedures to provide optical network support to customers, particularly those with stringent and demanding Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
“Given the growth we are experiencing in our optical network business, along with increasingly complex customer requirements, now is the time to respond with more specific expertise,” states Brian Parker, Director of Optical Network Services, INOC. “Our new dedicated optical NOC is among the first of its kind in the industry and we anticipate it will have a significant and positive impact.”
INOC’s end-to-end optical network services and solutions include needs analysis, planning and design, vendor selection and equipment specification, as well as building, provisioning and ongoing 24×7. The company's NOC is located in Madison, Wisconsin.
http://www.inoc.com
The company said this new, dedicated NOC is designed to respond to the growing demand from enterprises and Communications Service Providers (CSPs) to support increasingly complex optical transport networks which are not only increasing in capacity but introducing advanced capabilities built on SDN. The service will enhance INOC’s tools, processes and procedures to provide optical network support to customers, particularly those with stringent and demanding Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
“Given the growth we are experiencing in our optical network business, along with increasingly complex customer requirements, now is the time to respond with more specific expertise,” states Brian Parker, Director of Optical Network Services, INOC. “Our new dedicated optical NOC is among the first of its kind in the industry and we anticipate it will have a significant and positive impact.”
INOC’s end-to-end optical network services and solutions include needs analysis, planning and design, vendor selection and equipment specification, as well as building, provisioning and ongoing 24×7. The company's NOC is located in Madison, Wisconsin.
http://www.inoc.com
Saturday, May 7, 2016
FCC Approves Charter + Time Warner + Brighthouse Deal
The FCC approved the merger of Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable Inc. and acquisition of Bright House Networks.
Charter said it agreed to a number of conditions as part of the FCC approval. Many of the conditions either codified or reflected specific commitments Charter offered proactively at the beginning of the transaction review process, including no data caps or usage-based billing, a commitment to build out high-speed broadband service to unserved and underserved customers, the fastest low-income broadband program of any major service provider, and settlement-free peering.
The California Public Utilities Commission vote is scheduled for May 12th, following last month's recommendation for approval from the California Administrative Law Judge.
"I want to thank Chairman Wheeler and Commissioners Clyburn, Rosenworcel, Pai and O'Rielly for their thorough review of these transactions," said Tom Rutledge, President and CEO of Charter Communications. "The significant benefits of these transactions are clear; greater competition, more consumer and OTT friendly broadband policies, broader access to affordable broadband, and added U.S. jobs. The conditions are largely extensions of the longstanding consumer friendly values and practices of our company, and based on the commitments we put forward during the review process. Charter will be a stronger competitor in the broadband and video markets, well positioned to deliver these benefits and more to consumers."
http://www.cnn.com
http://www.charter.com
Charter said it agreed to a number of conditions as part of the FCC approval. Many of the conditions either codified or reflected specific commitments Charter offered proactively at the beginning of the transaction review process, including no data caps or usage-based billing, a commitment to build out high-speed broadband service to unserved and underserved customers, the fastest low-income broadband program of any major service provider, and settlement-free peering.
The California Public Utilities Commission vote is scheduled for May 12th, following last month's recommendation for approval from the California Administrative Law Judge.
"I want to thank Chairman Wheeler and Commissioners Clyburn, Rosenworcel, Pai and O'Rielly for their thorough review of these transactions," said Tom Rutledge, President and CEO of Charter Communications. "The significant benefits of these transactions are clear; greater competition, more consumer and OTT friendly broadband policies, broader access to affordable broadband, and added U.S. jobs. The conditions are largely extensions of the longstanding consumer friendly values and practices of our company, and based on the commitments we put forward during the review process. Charter will be a stronger competitor in the broadband and video markets, well positioned to deliver these benefits and more to consumers."http://www.cnn.com
http://www.charter.com
Charter to Acquire Time Warner Cable, Bright House
Charter Communications agreed to acquire Time Warner Cable in a deal valued at $78.7 billion. In addition, Charter and Advance/Newhouse Partnership amended an earlier merger deal (announced March 31) to allow for the three-way combination reate a leading broadband services and technology company serving 23.9 million customers in 41 states. Liberty Broadband has agreed to purchase, upon closing of the Time Warner Cable transaction, $4.3 billion of newly issued shares of New Charter.
The companies said their mega-merger will drive investment in their advanced broadband network, allowing for wider deployment of new competitive facilities based Wi-Fi networks in public places, and the footprint expansion of optical networks to serve the large marketplace of small and medium sized businesses.
The companies said their mega-merger will drive investment in their advanced broadband network, allowing for wider deployment of new competitive facilities based Wi-Fi networks in public places, and the footprint expansion of optical networks to serve the large marketplace of small and medium sized businesses. Friday, May 6, 2016
Red Hat Lands a Global Agreement with Telefonica
Telefonica Business Solutions, a leading provider of a wide range of integrated communication solutions for the B2B market, has selectedd the 11111Red Hat Mobile Application Platform as the global reference platform for operators within the Telefonica Group to mobilize the business processes of its customers on their path to digital transformation.
The Red Hat Mobile Application Platform has been used by Telefonica in some markets since 2012.
“Telefonica's decision to establish the Red Hat Mobile Application Platform as its reference platform for mobile development aligns with our strategy to deploy multitenant, multi-operator solutions based on open standards. Our aim is to help expand our ecosystem of application developers, enable them to reuse code and foster greater cooperation between Telefonica’s operators around the world,” stated Juan Manuel Moreno, Telefonica Business Solutions’ Cloud Director.
http://www.redhat.com
The Red Hat Mobile Application Platform has been used by Telefonica in some markets since 2012.
“Telefonica's decision to establish the Red Hat Mobile Application Platform as its reference platform for mobile development aligns with our strategy to deploy multitenant, multi-operator solutions based on open standards. Our aim is to help expand our ecosystem of application developers, enable them to reuse code and foster greater cooperation between Telefonica’s operators around the world,” stated Juan Manuel Moreno, Telefonica Business Solutions’ Cloud Director.
http://www.redhat.com
TELUS Sells 35% of International Ops to Baring Private Equity Asia
Baring Private Equity Asia, which advises funds that manage over CAD13 billion (US$10 billion) in assets, will acquire a 35 percent stake in TELUS International, a global provider of customer service, IT, and business process services.
The agreement values TELUS International at CAD1.2 billion, with TELUS Corporation shareholders retaining a 65 percent interest in the business. In alignment with the company’s top priority of delivering client service excellence, TELUS intends to retain a long-term majority ownership position in TELUS International.
TELUS said it plans to use the funds for its Canadian operations.
“TELUS International has successfully grown its business over the past 11 years by establishing a highly engaged organization focused on delivering exceptional customer service. It has created significant value for TELUS shareholders and is well positioned to leverage Baring Asia’s deep Asian markets presence and worldwide experience, and tap into its global network in order to further expand TELUS International’s operations over the coming years,” said Darren Entwistle, TELUS President and CEO. “Importantly, proceeds of approximately CAD600 million from this transaction will be put to work on TELUS’ long-term strategy of expanding and advancing our broadband wireline and wireless networks to support Canada’s digital economy for generations to come. ”
http://www.bpeasia.com
http://www.telus.com
The agreement values TELUS International at CAD1.2 billion, with TELUS Corporation shareholders retaining a 65 percent interest in the business. In alignment with the company’s top priority of delivering client service excellence, TELUS intends to retain a long-term majority ownership position in TELUS International.
TELUS said it plans to use the funds for its Canadian operations.“TELUS International has successfully grown its business over the past 11 years by establishing a highly engaged organization focused on delivering exceptional customer service. It has created significant value for TELUS shareholders and is well positioned to leverage Baring Asia’s deep Asian markets presence and worldwide experience, and tap into its global network in order to further expand TELUS International’s operations over the coming years,” said Darren Entwistle, TELUS President and CEO. “Importantly, proceeds of approximately CAD600 million from this transaction will be put to work on TELUS’ long-term strategy of expanding and advancing our broadband wireline and wireless networks to support Canada’s digital economy for generations to come. ”
http://www.bpeasia.com
http://www.telus.com
Apple & SAP Strike Enterprise Partnership
Apple and SAP announced a partnership focused on mobile enterprise applications that combine the iPhone and iPad with the SAP HANA platform.
As a part of the partnership, SAP will develop native iOS apps built with Swift, Apple’s modern, secure and interactive programming language, and will offer a familiar user experience with the SAP Fiori for iOS design language.
The companies plan to deliver a new SAP HANA Cloud Platform SDK exclusively for iOS that will provide businesses, designers and developers the tools to quickly and efficiently build their own iOS apps for iPhone and iPad, based on SAP HANA Cloud Platform, SAP’s open platform as a service. These native apps will provide access to core data and business processes on SAP S/4HANA, while taking full advantage of iPhone and iPad features like Touch ID®, Location Services and Notifications.
“This partnership will transform how iPhone and iPad are used in enterprise by bringing together the innovation and security of iOS with SAP’s deep expertise in business software,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “As the leader in enterprise software and with 76% of business transactions touching an SAP system, SAP is the ideal partner to help us truly transform how businesses around the world are run on iPhone and iPad. Through the new SDK, we’re empowering SAP’s more than 2.5 million developers to build powerful native apps that fully leverage SAP HANA Cloud Platform and tap into the incredible capabilities that only iOS devices can deliver.”
“We’re proud to take this special partnership between Apple and SAP to a groundbreaking new place,” said Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP. “In giving people an agile and intuitive business experience, we empower them to know more, care more and do more. By combining the powerful capabilities of SAP HANA Cloud Platform and SAP S/4HANA, together with iOS, the leading and most secure mobile platform for enterprise, we will help deliver live data to people wherever and whenever they choose to work. Apple and SAP share a commitment to shaping the future, helping the world run better and improving people’s lives.”
http://www.apple.com
htttp://www.sap.com
As a part of the partnership, SAP will develop native iOS apps built with Swift, Apple’s modern, secure and interactive programming language, and will offer a familiar user experience with the SAP Fiori for iOS design language.
The companies plan to deliver a new SAP HANA Cloud Platform SDK exclusively for iOS that will provide businesses, designers and developers the tools to quickly and efficiently build their own iOS apps for iPhone and iPad, based on SAP HANA Cloud Platform, SAP’s open platform as a service. These native apps will provide access to core data and business processes on SAP S/4HANA, while taking full advantage of iPhone and iPad features like Touch ID®, Location Services and Notifications.
“This partnership will transform how iPhone and iPad are used in enterprise by bringing together the innovation and security of iOS with SAP’s deep expertise in business software,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “As the leader in enterprise software and with 76% of business transactions touching an SAP system, SAP is the ideal partner to help us truly transform how businesses around the world are run on iPhone and iPad. Through the new SDK, we’re empowering SAP’s more than 2.5 million developers to build powerful native apps that fully leverage SAP HANA Cloud Platform and tap into the incredible capabilities that only iOS devices can deliver.”“We’re proud to take this special partnership between Apple and SAP to a groundbreaking new place,” said Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP. “In giving people an agile and intuitive business experience, we empower them to know more, care more and do more. By combining the powerful capabilities of SAP HANA Cloud Platform and SAP S/4HANA, together with iOS, the leading and most secure mobile platform for enterprise, we will help deliver live data to people wherever and whenever they choose to work. Apple and SAP share a commitment to shaping the future, helping the world run better and improving people’s lives.”
http://www.apple.com
htttp://www.sap.com
ScaleFT Targets Credential Vulnerabilities in the Cloud, Adds CoreOS
SupportScaleFT, a start-up based in San Francisco, announced general availabitlity statust of its solution to eliminate credential theft in the cloud. Instead of static passwords or SSH keys, dynamic credentials are distributed on-demand to users, providing a full audit log of access and the ability to dynamically assess risk. ScaleFT’s credentials can be cryptographically verified on endpoints, independent of the issuing platform.
The general availability release of ScaleFT provides unified access control capabilities, delivering Windows RDP support, Okta & SAML integration, enhanced Google Cloud support, and improved integration with DevOps tools, as well as rapid mitigation of vulnerabilities such as OpenSSH “UseRoaming” CVE-2016-0777. ScaleFT also features native CoreOS integration and support.
The company said its solution is currently being used by Rackspace to support thousands of instances on AWS, ScaleFT is helping secure enterprise clouds with sensitive data requirements. As we head into CoreOS Fest next week, ScaleFT is also announcing integration and support of CoreOS Linux, helping enterprises receive the utmost security when implementing cloud-native technologies such as CoreOS Linux.
“Just short of a year after our launch we are celebrating the general availability of ScaleFT,” said Jason Luce, CEO of ScaleFT. “With this announcement we are bringing the industry a step closer in securing their cloud and cloud-native infrastructure, a must as enterprises go all-in on cloud infrastructure. In addition we are adding CoreOS support to help our enterprise customers adopting containers with CoreOS PCI and HIPAA compliance.”
http://www.scaleft.com
The general availability release of ScaleFT provides unified access control capabilities, delivering Windows RDP support, Okta & SAML integration, enhanced Google Cloud support, and improved integration with DevOps tools, as well as rapid mitigation of vulnerabilities such as OpenSSH “UseRoaming” CVE-2016-0777. ScaleFT also features native CoreOS integration and support.
The company said its solution is currently being used by Rackspace to support thousands of instances on AWS, ScaleFT is helping secure enterprise clouds with sensitive data requirements. As we head into CoreOS Fest next week, ScaleFT is also announcing integration and support of CoreOS Linux, helping enterprises receive the utmost security when implementing cloud-native technologies such as CoreOS Linux.
“Just short of a year after our launch we are celebrating the general availability of ScaleFT,” said Jason Luce, CEO of ScaleFT. “With this announcement we are bringing the industry a step closer in securing their cloud and cloud-native infrastructure, a must as enterprises go all-in on cloud infrastructure. In addition we are adding CoreOS support to help our enterprise customers adopting containers with CoreOS PCI and HIPAA compliance.”
http://www.scaleft.com
Andorra Telecom Deploys Additional Netcracker BSS Capabilities
Andorra Telecom, the national telecommunications operator and regulator for the Principality of Andorra, has gone live with a BSS expansion by implementing Netcracker’s Online Charging System and Voucher Management solution to consolidate its pre-paid and post-paid customers onto a single converged billing platform. The BSS solutions will integrate with Andorra Telecom’s already extensive suite of end-to-end Netcracker BSS and OSS solutions.http://www.Netcracker.com
Centana Growth Partners Acquires Jumui for Mobile Authentication
Centana Growth Partners agreed to acquire Jumio, a start-up specializing in online and mobile credentials authentication company, following a competitive auction conducted under procedures approved by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
“The auction process was, as we hoped, competitive and successful,” said Stephen Stuut, Jumio’s CEO. “We are pleased to have achieved an outcome that we believe is not only a terrific opportunity for Jumio going forward, but supports the interests of all our various stakeholders. Centana is a great home for Jumio. With its outstanding financial services expertise and relationships, and the capital to fuel growth, Centana will provide Jumio with the foundation it needs to achieve scale. The transaction will be completed quickly and will enable Jumio to move past our legacy issues to become a stronger, more competitive company. Importantly, it will be seamless for both our customers and the dedicated team of employees who serve them.”
Jumio utilizes proprietary computer vision technology to reduce customer sign-up and checkout friction and verify credentials issued from over 120 countries in real-time web and mobile transactions. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
http://www.jumio.com
“The auction process was, as we hoped, competitive and successful,” said Stephen Stuut, Jumio’s CEO. “We are pleased to have achieved an outcome that we believe is not only a terrific opportunity for Jumio going forward, but supports the interests of all our various stakeholders. Centana is a great home for Jumio. With its outstanding financial services expertise and relationships, and the capital to fuel growth, Centana will provide Jumio with the foundation it needs to achieve scale. The transaction will be completed quickly and will enable Jumio to move past our legacy issues to become a stronger, more competitive company. Importantly, it will be seamless for both our customers and the dedicated team of employees who serve them.”Jumio utilizes proprietary computer vision technology to reduce customer sign-up and checkout friction and verify credentials issued from over 120 countries in real-time web and mobile transactions. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
http://www.jumio.com
