AWS launches EC2 instances powered by its own Graviton2 processor

Amazon Web Services announced the general availability of its sixth generation of Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instances with three new instances powered by AWS-designed, Arm-based Graviton2 processors.

Graviton2 is a custom AWS design that is built using a 7nm manufacturing process and based on 64-bit Arm Neoverse cores. AWS says it can deliver up to 7x the performance of the A1 instances, including twice the floating point performance. Additional memory channels and double-sized per-core caches speed memory access by up to 5x.

The new general purpose (M6g), compute-optimized (C6g), and memory-optimized (R6g) instances deliver up to 40% better price/performance over comparable current generation x86-based instances. These sixth generation Amazon EC2 instances include:

• M6g instances: designed for general-purpose workloads with balanced compute, memory, and networking, such as application servers, mid-size databases, microservices, and caching fleets.
• C6g instances: designed for compute-intensive workloads, such as high performance computing, batch processing, video encoding, gaming, scientific modeling, distributed analytics, ad-serving, and CPU-based machine learning inference.
• R6g instances: designed for workloads that process large data sets in memory, such as open source databases (MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL) or in-memory caches (Redis, Memcached, and KeyDB), and real-time big data analytics.

AWS said its Arm-based Amazon EC2 instances powered by Graviton processors are optimized for running scale-out workloads (e.g. containerized microservices and web tier applications).

“Today more than ever, customers are looking for innovative ways to increase performance and reduce cost, and Arm processors have emerged as an exciting and mainstream alternative to x86 processors for a wide variety of existing and emerging workloads,” said David Brown, Vice President, Amazon EC2, at AWS. “The new Amazon EC2 instances powered by AWS-designed, Arm-based, Graviton2 processors represent a significant generational leap for customers, delivering 40% better price/performance over comparable x86-based instances, and already we’ve seen a broad set of customers embrace them across a wide variety of general purpose, compute optimized, and memory optimized workloads.”

• Netflix is using Amazon EC2 M instance types for a number of workloads, including streaming, encoding, data processing, and monitoring applications.

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Google Cloud and Telefónica form partnership

Google Cloud and Telefónica announced a strategic partnership to foster Spain's digital transformation and advance 5G mobile edge computing. The companies said their partnership marks the significance and relevance of cloud computing for the future of the telecommunications industry.

Under the arrangement:

• Google Cloud will launch a cloud region in Spain using Telefonica's Madrid region infrastructure.
• Telefónica will use Google Cloud services to boost its own digital capabilities—in areas such as machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and application development—to continue to provide new services and tools to its global customer base. 
• Telefónica and Google will jointly develop a portfolio of solutions for 5G using Google Cloud's Mobile Edge Computing platform.
• Telefónica Tech’s cloud business will reinforce its multi-cloud strategy worldwide with joint marketing plans in order to offer its customers a comprehensive solution, which, together with security and communications, will allow companies to enjoy a unique and comprehensive experience. 

"The unusual situation that we have had to live in, marked by the confinement of the world's population and the exponential increase in remote work and online education and entertainment, has highlighted the key role that connectivity and digitalization play in society to create a more inclusive and sustainable future," says José María Álvarez-Pallete, Chairman  & CEO Telefónica. "With our alliance with Google Cloud we want to fulfil our social commitment and foster the recovery of the economy helping companies, the public administration and all types of organizations not only to not only recover the ground lost by the crisis but also to accelerate their digital transformation and strengthen themselves for the future".

“Helping businesses adapt to our changing world has been a big focus for Google, before and during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet. “We’re excited to be partnering with Telefónica to launch a new cloud region in Spain and help Spanish businesses big and small find new ways to innovate and contribute to the country’s economic recovery.”

https://cloud.google.com/press-releases/2020/0611/google-cloud-telefonica-partnership

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Altiostar and Mavenir team on OpenRAN

Altiostar and Mavenir are teaming up to deliver a portfolio of radios based on OpenRAN principles for the U.S. market. Both companies will be supporting the development of radios through third party OEM’s that will be based on O-RAN open interfaces and will address the frequencies of Tier-1 and Regional/Rural operators in the U.S. The radios support the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act that was signed into law on March 12, 2020.

“Altiostar has been at the forefront of the OpenRAN movement that is now being embraced by mobile operators around the world,” said Ashraf Dahod, CEO of Altiostar Networks. “Our collaboration with Mavenir on OpenRAN radios will ensure operators in the US have a truly open end-to-end infrastructure that will be cost effective and allows them to grow their business.”

“We are collaborating with Altiostar to realize the full promise of OpenRAN. Our Radios will have O-RAN compliant interfaces and will interwork with other vendors’ solutions,” said Pardeep Kohli, President and CEO of Mavenir. “I encourage other companies in the OpenRAN Policy Coalition to open their radios and ensure a broad supply of radios with open interfaces that are interoperable with third party equipment.”

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Nokia says 5G fixed wireless access is a top use case

Consumers across the world see 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) as the most desirable 5G use case, according to a new study commissioned by Nokia and conducted by Parks Associates.

The study, which was conducted by Parks Associates, surveyed 3,000 people in the UK, US and South Korea and examined consumer understanding and demand for 5G services across six different use cases including autonomous vehicles, video surveillance and immersive technologies. The research was conducted prior to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Some highlights:

• 76 percent of all respondents regard FWA as the most appealing use case overall, with 66 percent claiming they would subscribe to 5G FWA if it cost the same as their current broadband service and delivers the same or better performance. 
• 90 percent rated high-quality, uninterrupted video streams a “very valuable” aspect of 5G. 
• A majority of consumers find 5G video use cases attractive, with 66 percent rating video capture and streaming applications appealing, and 69 percent rating video detection and alerting appealing. More than one-third of consumers found AR experiences for remote commerce appealing even before the COVID-19 crisis. The need and appeal has likely increased with social distancing.
• Nearly half of those who work remotely indicate a strong willingness to switch providers for 5G service and more likely to intend to purchase a 5G phone. Greatly expanded remote work experience may drive plan and phone upgrades.
• Nearly two-thirds of early 5G users are highly satisfied with the speeds they experience on 5G networks, compared with less than half of 4G users.
• 45 percent of all consumers find connected car concepts appealing with navigation and safety capabilities seen as most valuable, but this jumps to 73 percent amongst vehicle owners. 53 percent of vehicle owners said they would be interested in bundling car connectivity with a 5G data plan.
• Two-thirds of consumers find 5G-enabled Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality services appealing and 56 percent were drawn to cloud gaming.

https://www.nokia.com/networks/research/5g-consumer-market-research/

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Telstra: 93% of businesses shift IT priorities due to COVID-19

Enterprises are rapidly adapting their IT priorities in response to the global pandemic, according to a new study commissioned by Telstra and conducted by GlobalData.

The research, Business Continuity, Flexible Working and Adaptive Infrastructure: Five Actions for When the Economy Reopens Following COVID-19, gathered data from 120+ business leaders across Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States to provide insights on how to recalibrate IT strategies. The research was conducted together with GlobalData to survey C-suites and IT decision-makers to understand organizations’ responses to the pandemic.

Some highlights:

• 93% of businesses state they have changed their IT priorities either incrementally, significantly, or dramatically. Businesses are updating their overall IT strategy, with the top priority for respondents across all regions to set up policies for their remote workforce. This includes areas such as ensuring employees can connect securely and access their applications and data.
• Nearly one in ten enterprises did not have a business continuity plan (BCP) pre-COVID-19. Of those organizations that did have a BCP in place, almost a third (29%) did not have plans in place to respond to an unexpected global event such as a pandemic. In the United States, only 14% - the lowest among the regions - claimed to have a full BCP, which included major events and pandemics, in place.
• Video conferencing and cloud-based contact center solutions are some of the most transformative technologies to the enterprise. Video is the new voice in collaboration. 98% of respondents believe there will be an increased reliance on video conferencing to replace face-to-face meetings post-COVID-19 recovery.

Dustin Kehoe, Services Director from GlobalData shared, “It was interesting to see the overwhelmingly positive response for video conferencing. While the technology has always been available, we are seeing a generational shift in perception from pre-and post-COVID-19 eras.”

https://forms.telstraglobal.com/BusinessContinuityReport

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Nokia appoints new CFO

Nokia has appointed Marco Wirén as CFO of the company, replacing current CFO Kristian Pullola.

 Wirén, who will be based at the company’s headquarters in Espoo, Finland, is currently President of Wärtsilä Energy and Executive Vice President of Wärtsilä Group, a global leader in smart technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. Wirén has held a number of CFO and other senior financial roles, including CFO of Wärtsilä Group; CFO of SSAB Group, a global specialized steel company; and CFO of Eltel Networks, a provider of technical services to the electrical and telecommunications industries. Wirén will join Nokia on September 1, 2020.

“I am pleased that Marco will be joining us to take the reins of Nokia along with our future CEO, Pekka Lundmark,” said Rajeev Suri, Nokia President and CEO.  “I initiated the succession planning with the Board’s support and, as Nokia’s next CEO, Pekka led the effort to its completion with the selection of Marco.”

“Marco has deep financial and leadership experience, a sharp focus on driving operational excellence, and a demonstrated record of success,” said future CEO Lundmark.  “He also brings an extensive background in business-to-business and technology companies. I am looking forward to working closely with him and am fully confident he will be a terrific member of the Nokia team.”

Kristian Pullola, who has served as Chief Financial Officer since January 2017, will step down as CFO and leave the Group Leadership Team on August 31, 2020.  He will remain with the company until around the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition.

Rajeev Suri steps down as CEO of Nokia, Pekka Lundmar to take over

Monday, March 02, 2020  Nokia, People  

Rajeev Suri will step down as President and CEO of Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks.

Pekka Lundmark has been appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of Nokia, and is expected to start in his new role on September 1, 2020. Lundmark is currently President and CEO of Fortum, a leading energy company based in Espoo, Finland,. Previously, he served as President and CEO of Konecranes, a global material-handling technology company, and from 1990-2000 held multiple executive positions at Nokia, including Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Nokia Networks. Lundmark holds a Master of Science degree from Helsinki University of Technology. He will be based in Espoo, Finland.

Suri has appointed CEO of Nokia in 2014.  Previously, he was appointed CEO of NSN in 2009. He joined the company in 1995.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead Nokia, an extraordinary company that has so much potential and so many talented people,” said Lundmark. “Together we can create shareholder value by delivering on Nokia’s mission to create the technology to connect the world. I am confident that the company is well-positioned for the 5G era and it is my goal to ensure that we meet our commitments to our customers, employees, shareholders and other stakeholders. Strong values, leading innovation and unflinching commitment to our customers have always been core to Nokia and I want to put this even more at our center as we move forward.”

“After 25 years at Nokia, I have wanted to do something different,” said Suri. “Nokia will always be part of me, and I want to thank everyone that I have worked with over the years for helping make Nokia a better place and me a better leader. I leave the company with a belief that a return to better performance is on the horizon and with pride for what we have accomplished over time. Pekka is an excellent choice for Nokia. I look forward to working with him on a smooth transition and wish him the best success in his new role.”

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CommScope has shipped over 1M DOCSIS 3.1 gateways to Vodafone Germany

CommScope has now supplied over 1 million of its DOCSIS 3.1 Touchstone TG3442 Gateways to Vodafone Germany. The gateways are capable of download speeds of up to 1 Gbps.

Vodafone Germany is using CommScope’s DOCSIS 3.1 system, supported by its E6000 converged cable access platform (CCAP). This means Vodafone Germany can deliver the high speeds its customers require, with intelligent software-driven orchestration to manage capacity and connectivity, as well as providing best-in-class analytics on network performance.

“Today, more than ever, people expect their connectivity to be there no matter if they are working from home, the kids are playing games or if they are finishing their eLearning assignments,” said Phil Sorsky, senior vice president of Service Providers for EMEA, CommScope. “Vodafone Germany is laying the framework for a new connected world as we see how crucial the Internet is in keeping our society functioning in the face of rapid and unpredictable change.”

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Asia Direct Cable Consortium plans 140 Tbps system

The Asia Direct Cable (ADC) Consortium has selected NEC to build a submarine cable connecting China (Hong Kong SAR and Guangdong Province), Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The 9,400-kilometer long ADC cable, which is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2022, will offer multiple pairs of high capacity optical fibers and is designed to carry more than 140 Tbps of traffic, enabling high capacity transmission of data across the East and Southeast Asian regions.

Members of the ADC consortium include CAT (Thailand), China Telecom, China Unicom, PLDT Inc., Singtel, SoftBank Corp., Tata Communications and Viettel.

“The ADC system provides the highest cable capacity and necessary diversity for Asia’s key information hubs, which will enable carriers and service providers to better plan their networks and services for a sustainable development,” said Chang Weiguo, one of the ADC Co-Chairs from China Telecom.

ADC Co-Chair, Mr. Koji Ishii of SoftBank also said, “This new system will contribute to drive the Asian ICT business growth as one of the core infrastructures in the region and to meet the evolving marketplace. As a leading submarine cable system vendor, NEC has successfully provided many trans-Asia submarine cable systems, making the company the most reliable choice for the ADC supply partner.”

"As the supplier of the ADC Cable, NEC continues to support critical infrastructure in Asia. This advanced optical fiber submarine cable system will provide seamless connectivity to the countries it lands in and the regions it services,” said Atsushi Kuwahara, General Manager, Submarine Network Division, NEC Corporation. “NEC is impressed by the level of commitment from members of the ADC Consortium, and will fully capitalize on our regional expertise to support ADC and to ensure the successful completion of this project."

https://www.nec.com/en/press/202006/global_20200611_02.html

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Intel launches "Lakefield" processors for ultralight devices

Intel introduced its "Lakefield" series of process for ultra small factors PC devices with single, dual, or foldable screens.

Intel said the new processors deliver full Windows 10 application compatibility in up to a 56% smaller package area for up to 47% smaller board size and extended battery life.

The new Intel Core processors with Intel Hybrid Technology leverage the company's Foveros 3D packaging technology and feature a hybrid CPU architecture for power and performance scalability.

“Intel Core processors with Intel Hybrid Technology are the touchstone of Intel’s vision for advancing the PC industry by taking an experience-based approach to designing silicon with a unique combination of architectures and IPs. Combined with Intel’s deepened co-engineering with our partners, these processors unlock the potential for innovative device categories of the future,” states Chris Walker, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of Mobile Client Platforms.

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MTS Russia selects Ericsson MINI-LINK microwave radios

МТS will deploy Ericsson's MINI-LINK microwave solutions across several regions of Russia as part of the development of its converged transport network.

Solutions include the high-speed MINI-LINK 6000 family with distributed architecture, as well as the MINI-LINK 6366 module solution. They will be deployed in the Central, Far Eastern, Siberian and Southern Federal Districts of Russia.

Anatoly Iliyaich, Eastern Europe and Central Asia VP Networks, Ericsson, says: “Ericsson equipment is built-to-last and ensures compatibility and continuity of product families of different generations- This will allow MTS to reduce CAPEX and OPEX during the construction and expansion of microwave networks. Developing these networks will become possible thanks to the modernization of the MTS converged transport network using the MINI-LINK 6000 family’s functionalities, which will improve the quality of services for MTS subscribers.”

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Singapore's StarHub picks Silver Peak's SD-WAN

Silver Peak announced a new partnership with Singapore-based StarHub to meet the connectivity needs of enterprises amid the increasingly distributed nature of business operations.

StarHub is now a one-stop service provider partner supporting the Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN edge platform.

“We are delighted to partner with StarHub in the Singapore market. Unity EdgeConnect enables StarHub to offer its enterprise customers a centrally managed business-driven SD-WAN edge platform that ensures the customer’s business priorities are always reflected in how the network behaves,” said Dean Vaughan, vice president for Asia Pacific and Japan sales at Silver Peak. “The combination of StarHub’s global network and our business-driven SD-WAN edge platform provides an unmatched combination for enterprises seeking to leverage their network investments to build and maintain competitive edge.”

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Spark NZ picks Fortinet Secure SD-WAN

Spark NZ has chosen Fortinet Secure SD-WAN to expand and differentiate its service offerings to corporate, enterprise and government customers. 

Fortinet is building on a partnership with Spark that, most recently, resulted in delivering one of the largest technology migrations in New Zealand. The physical migration of 2,500 sites, many in remote locations, was aided by API-driven automation to successfully and seamlessly finish ahead of schedule. Fortinet is now partnering with Spark to achieve complete WAN transformation for a number of other major clients across New Zealand.

In addition to leveraging Fortinet Secure SD-WAN to deliver services to their customers, Spark has also chosen to deploy Fortinet Secure SD-WAN across their own retail locations, resulting in improved performance, strengthened services from an infrastructure perspective, and increased network stability.

“We’re proud to partner with Spark NZ and share its commitment to delivering security-driven networking solutions. Fortinet Secure SD-WAN offers service providers like Spark the ability to onboard customers faster and deliver a solution that enhances customers’ application and cloud experience,” states John Maddison, EVP of products and CMO at Fortinet.

NTT West picks Fortinet Secure SD-WAN and SD-Branch

Thursday, May 07, 2020  Fortinet, NTT, SD-WAN  

NTT West has selected Fortinet’s Secure SD-WAN and SD-Branch solutions as the foundation of its "FLET’S SDx" subscription service. NTT West's service, which enables centralized management of both WAN and LAN, comes with built-in security features enabled by Fortinet’s FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) to provide customers with a flexible, secure network environment that adapts rapidly to change. Fortinet cited the following advantages to...

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O2 UK deploys additional 5G RAN gear from Ericsson

O2 UK has selected Ericsson to deploy its 5G radio access network (RAN) in additional areas across the UK, upgrading the existing 2G/3G/4G sites as part of a substantial network modernization program. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Following the launch of O2’s 5G commercial network in October last year, the extended partnership with Ericsson includes hardware, software and service upgrades in the West of the UK, bringing greater coverage, voice and data capacity. The contract covers new multiband and wide-band 5G radios as well as new 5G-optimized basebands to build sustainable sites in preparation for future increases in 5G coverage and capacity.

Brendan O’Reilly, CTO, O2, says: “We are pleased to be moving forward with Ericsson as one of our primary vendors for our 5G rollout. Telecommunications has never been more important in keeping the country connected, and we look forward to bringing the enhanced capabilities of 5G to our customers.”

Arun Bansal, President of Europe and Latin America, Ericsson, said: “5G will be crucial for the UK’s economic recovery and underpin its digital future. We are committed to ensuring that the UK achieves its gigabit connectivity targets so that enterprises and society at large benefit from high quality connectivity. We are delighted to be continuing our long-term partnership with O2 with this 5G network evolution.

Liberty's Virgin Media to merge with Telefónica's O2

Thursday, May 07, 2020  Mergers And Acquisitions, O2, Service Providers, Telefonica, UK, Virgin  

Liberty Global plc and Telefónica SA will merge their operating businesses in the U.K. to form a 50:50 joint venture focused on broadband + mobile + video + entertainment consumer services. O2 is the largest mobile platform in the UK, while Virgin Media claims to be the nation's fastest broadband network.

The "fully-converged" JV is also expected to become a leading challenger in the B2B space as the combination will accelerate the adoption of converged fixed-mobile services to Virgin Media’s and O2’s existing business customers.

The JV will have an approximate annual turnover of £11 billion, and 46 million mobile, home, and business connections.

The companies cite significant operating benefits for the JV, with estimated run-rate cost, CAPEX and revenue synergies of £540 million on an annual basis by the fifth full year post closing, equivalent to a net present value of approximately £6.2 billion post tax and net of integration costs, as well as significant synergies from the accelerated usage of existing tax assets. The vast majority of the benefits relate to demonstrable cost and CAPEX synergies, with an annual run-rate of approximately £430 million out of which approximately 80% are expected to be achieved by the third full year after the closing.

CAPEX synergies:

• Use of existing infrastructure to provide services for each entity’s customers at lower cost compared to standalone / wholesale capabilities;
• Migration of Virgin Media mobile traffic to Telefonica UK’s network;
• Combination of regional and national network infrastructures and IT systems;
• Reduction in combined marketing expenditures;
• Potential to reduce general and administration costs; and 
• Site rationalization

O2 activates 5G across London and Slough with Nokia

Thursday, October 24, 2019    

O2 activated its 5G network in London and Slough.

Nokia serves as the sole RAN provider to O2 across London.

Nokia said it is working with O2 to execute its intelligence-led rollout strategy, which prioritizes connecting transport hubs, key business areas, and entertainment and sports venues to ensure superior customer experience for local and international visitors.

Brendan O’Reilly, O2’s Chief Technology Officer, said: “As we roll out 5G, our intelligence-led strategy is driven by data and insight to identify where customers will benefit from 5G the most – Nokia is helping us to deliver that in one of the most high-density subscriber areas in the world. The transformational power of 5G yields huge potential for businesses and consumers alike, allowing them to get a head start on competitors.”

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Cypress ships its one billionth USB-C device

Cypress has achieved a landmark milestone-- shipping its one billionth USB-C device.

Cypress offers a portfolio of USB solutions, including device controllers, embedded hosts, hubs, application-specific bridges, and transceivers. Cypress’ EZ-PD portfolio was the first in the industry to support the latest USB Power Delivery (USB PD) 3.0 specification, which enables more robust end-to-end power delivery and charging solutions for laptop and mobile devices. Cypress also offers AEC-Q100 certified versions of its controllers for automotive-grade performance.

“We’re seeing a rapid adoption of USB-C in mobile and computing devices and a growing movement towards establishing a universal charger using the USB-C connector,” said Ajay Srikrishna, senior vice president of Cypress’ Wired Connectivity Business Unit. “One example is the European Parliament’s recent vote to establish a common charging standard for all mobile phones and portable devices sold in Europe. We anticipate the standardization of USB-C chargers to expand beyond mobile devices in the future. This common charger movement and the emerging USB-C adoption in automobiles will provide tremendous growth potential for us in the next few years.”

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Ericsson promotes Arun Bansal

Ericsson has appointed Arun Bansal Executive Vice President (EVP). Bansal is currently Senior Vice President and Head of Market Area Europe & Latin America, a position he will remain in. Fredrik Jejdling, currently Executive Vice President and Head of Business Area Networks, will remain in this position.

With the appointment of Arun Bansal, Ericsson will have two Executive Vice Presidents – one based in Sweden and one outside of Sweden, thus providing Ericsson with greater flexibility for Executive Vice President duties. Fredrik Jejdling will be the first EVP and Arun Bansal the second EVP.

Arun Bansal joined Ericsson in 1995 and is now head of a market area that spans over 110 countries across Europe and Latin America, a position he has held since 2017.

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SiTime files for follow-on Public Offering

SiTime Corporation, which specializes in MEMS timing, has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission related to a proposed follow-on public offering of 3,500,000 shares of its common stock, including 2,500,000 shares of common stock to be sold by MegaChips Corporation and 1,000,000 shares to be issued and sold by SiTime. In addition, SiTime intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 525,000 additional shares of common stock from SiTime. SiTime will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of common stock by MegaChips Corporation. Net proceeds to SiTime are expected to be used for repayment of debt and general corporate purposes.

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The Optical Society joins #ShutDownSTEM on June 10th

The Optical Society (OSA) is joining the grassroots effort #ShutDownSTEM on Wednesday, 10 June to encourage STEM organizations to support the Black Lives Matter movement and focus on racism in academia and science.

As part of the effort, OSA is halting all external marketing for programs and initiatives and staff meetings throughout the day and OSA social media will focus on messaging specific to the movement. OSA staff have also been encouraged to make a commitment towards education, action and healing as suggested by #ShutDownSTEM organizers.

Learn more about the movement here https://www.shutdownstem.com/about

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Aruba turns up AI with its new Network Edge platform

Aruba introduced an AI-powered, cloud-native platform that continuously analyzes data across enterprise infrastructure in order to predict and solve problems at the network edge before they happen.

The new Aruba ESP (Edge Services Platform) uses AI to identify traffic while seeing and securing unknown devices on the network. Aruba ESP is a full-stack, cloud-native platform for wired, wireless and SD-WAN environments that unifies multiple network elements for centralized management and control. Aruba ESP will be sold either as a service in the cloud or on-premises, as a managed service delivered through Aruba partners, or via network as a service through HPE GreenLake.

Aruba says its AIOps can identify exact root causes with greater than 95% accuracy, auto-remediate network issues, proactively monitor the user experience, tune the network to prevent problems before they occur, and use peer benchmarking and prescriptive recommendations to continuously optimize and secure the network.

“The Intelligent Edge is the catalyst that will spark limitless possibilities for organizations and enterprises that want to accelerate transformation and ensure business continuity by leveraging their technology investments as their greatest asset,” said Keerti Melkote, president of Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. “Built upon Aruba’s guiding principles of connect, protect, analyze, and act, Aruba ESP is the culmination of years of innovation, R&D, Aruba ingenuity and, most importantly, input from our valued customers whose honest feedback and insightful perspective has helped to make this platform a network that knows.”

Highlights for Aruba ESP:

• Cloud-native management for any size enterprise – Aruba Central currently runs mission critical networks for over 65,000 customers and now with new ArubaOS services, it is the industry’s only controllerless, cloud-based platform to provide full-stack management and operations for wired, wireless and SD-WAN infrastructure of any size across campus, data center, branch, and remote worker locations to be consumed on-premises or in the cloud.
• Simplified daily operations with unified infrastructure – With access to a common data lake via Aruba ESP, the latest version of Aruba Central has been enhanced with simplified navigation, advanced search, and contextual views to present multiple dimensions of information through a single point-of-control, virtually eliminating the need for disparate tools to collect and correlate information across numerous domains and locations.
• Reduced resolution time with AI and automation – Based on modeling data from over one million network devices generating over 1.5B data points per day, Aruba’s new AI Insights reduces troubleshooting time by identifying hard-to-see network configuration issues and providing root-cause, prescriptive recommendations and automated remediation to continuously optimize network operations.
• AI-powered IT Efficiencies—Aruba Central now offers AI Search, a Natural Language Processing data discovery service that enables IT teams to eliminate “swivel chair” investigations by using simple, English language queries to extract comprehensive user and device information from Aruba ESP’s common data lake to present relevant information in context to quickly resolve a problem. 
• Granular visibility across applications, devices and the network – Enhancements to Aruba Central enable user-centric analytics from User Experience Insight to identify client, application, and network performance issues faster.
• Extension of next-gen switching to distributed and mid-size enterprises – This new series brings built-in analytics and automation capabilities to every network edge where user and device connectivity occurs, generating insights that can be applied to informing better business outcomes. The CX 6200 switch series further expands Aruba’s end-to-end CX switching portfolio, enabling customers to run a single operating model from the enterprise campus and branch access layer to the data center.
• Ongoing innovation with new Developer Hub – Aruba is introducing a resource for developers that includes Aruba APIs and documentation to streamline the development of innovative, next-generation edge applications leveraging the open Aruba ESP platform.

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FCC acts to streamline 5G upgrades by limiting local review

The FCC is clarifying rules regarding state and local government review of modifications to existing wireless infrastructure.  The action is expected to expedite the rollout of 5G networks by limiting state and local government review of certain requests to modify wireless transmission equipment on existing structures.

Specifically, the Declaratory Ruling adopted today clarifies the Commission’s 2014 rules with regard to when the 60-day shot clock for local review begins.  The ruling also clarifies how certain aspects of proposed modifications – height increases, equipment cabinet additions, and impact on concealment elements and aesthetic conditions – affect eligibility for streamlined review under section 6409(a).  In addition, today’s action clarifies that, under the Commission’s rules on environmental and historic preservation review,  FCC applicants do not need to submit environmental assessments based only on potential impacts to historic properties when parties have entered into a memorandum of agreement to mitigate effects on those properties. 

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai states: "Promoting American leadership in 5G wireless technology has been one of my top priorities since becoming Chairman.  To that end, the FCC has been executing my 5G FAST plan, which includes three key components: pushing more spectrum into the marketplace, making it easier to deploy wireless infrastructure, and modernizing outdated regulations to expedite the deployment of fiber for wireless backhaul....Of course, in addition to pushing more spectrum into the marketplace, a key component of the Commission’s 5G FAST strategy has been updating our wireless infrastructure policies to encourage private-sector investment in the physical building blocks of 5G networks.  And today’s Declaratory Ruling and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking does just that."

FCC Commisssioner writes: "If we want to see infrastructure expand broadly and equitably across this country it takes federal and state and local authorities working together to do so.  History proves this is true.  And in these historic times this agency should not be ramrodding this effort through without listening to cities and towns across the country.  They called for a bit more time.  But the Federal Communications Commission hung up.  I dissent." 

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SS8 interoperates with Affirmed vEPC for lawful intercept

SS8 Networks confirmed its interoperability with the latest Affirmed Networks virtual Evolved Packet Core (vEPC).

SS8’s goal is to provide communication service providers (CSPs) with the lowest barrier of entry to the next generation of lawful intelligence. SS8’s integration with Affirmed Networks’ market-leading vEPC solution offers CSPs a secure and encrypted Lawful Interception platform that meets a variety of global requirements. It also provides the optimized agility, scalability, and flexibility associated with Affirmed’s vEPC architecture and solution.

“At SS8, we provide cost-effective, scalable, and compliant lawful Intelligence solutions. The interoperability with Affirmed’s vEPC has enabled us to expand our offerings and better meet the needs of our customers,” said Dr. Keith Bhatia, SS8 CEO. “Affirmed has been a true strategic partner, supporting our vision to make the world a safer place by providing the best lawful intercept platform possible.”

“Affirmed’s ability to rapidly and cost effectively deploy its vEPC solution to meet the needs of tier one operators globally is well recognized. By partnering with SS8, together we can radically reduce the time it takes to deploy and test a lawful interception solution,” said Anand Krishnamurthy, CEO of Affirmed Networks. “Implementing this platform with our vEPC will allow SS8 to help their customers deploy quickly, seamlessly, and more reliably.”

Microsoft to acquire Affirmed Networks for telco cloud vEPC

Thursday, March 26, 2020  Affirmed Networks, Mergers And Acquisitions, Microsoft  

Microsoft agreed to acquire Affirmed Networks. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Affirmed Networks, which is based in Acton, Massachusetts, supplies virtualized Evolved Packet Core (vEPC) solutions for mobile operators. Affirmed’s virtualized evolved packet solution capabilities include CUPS, 5G NSA, network slicing, integrated virtual probe, virtualized DPI, GiLAN, analytics and security services, virtualized Wi-Fi, and service automation platform. The company claims 76 deployments, including announced projects with AT&T, Etisalat, and Vodafone.

Microsoft said the acquisition will boost its efforts "to work with the telecommunications industry, building on our secure and trusted cloud platform for operators. With Affirmed Networks, we will be able to offer new and innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of operators, including managing their network workloads in the cloud."

https://www.affirmednetworks.com/

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