NETWORKING

After a big year of change in everything from its ownership and executive suite to its cloud and network offerings, VMware is girding for battle in the challenges ahead. At the company’s VMworld 2021 conference (Oct. 5-7)  many of the technologies the company provides—from multicloud connectivity and cloud management to NSX networking, security,and other digital-transformation tools—will be front-and-center in over 900 sessions. “At VMworld last year, much of the discussion focused on cloud’s role in…

A lot can happen when you’re working hard and having fun, and I can attest to that being true at Cisco. In just four years’ time, my career as a Cisco network engineer has skyrocketed! Not only have I received two promotions, but I was selected twice to speak at Cisco Live, awarded Restricted Stock Units (RSU) two times, selected as a sponsee for the Multiplier Effect Sponsorship program and as a Career Guide, and…

Automation: The Truth About the Easy Button If there’s one thing the last year and a half has taught us, it’s the importance of building resilience and agility into our businesses, our teams, and how they operate. It’s no wonder, then, that the same pandemic response that accelerated organizations’ move to the cloud has also intensified the automation imperative. Automation is table-stakes for faster, more efficient IT operations and business agility — but identifying the…

Cisco has patched three critical security holes in its IOS XE software that’s used across a variety of its core routers and switches. The three critical warnings are part of a big release of 32 security alerts, many of which are IOS XE-related, including firewall, SD-WAN and wireless access vulnerabilities. Of the critical patches, the worst is a weakness in the Cisco IOS XE Software for Cisco Catalyst 9000 Family Wireless Controllers; it’s rated as…

It’s no secret that our customer’s security needs are continuing to evolve and change as organizations transition to the cloud – whether it’s to support sustained hybrid work posture or adopt strategies like Zero Trust or Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) – customers need end-to-end security that simplifies the experience, reduces complexity, and integrates with their existing security investments. A foundational element to much of these initiatives is having strong firewalling capabilities to bring better…

Throughout our daily routines, we always think about the future and the possibilities of ‘what if.’ Meteorologists predict what kind of hurricane we’ll see; stockbrokers predict how companies will perform in the future, and scientists predict different hypothetical outcomes to make world-renowned discoveries. There are predictions all around us, so why can’t our network do the same? What if our network could predict or forecast issues that may arise? What if the network could learn…

Earlier this year, Cisco completed its acquisition of imimobile, adding an enterprise-grade CPaaS platform to Cisco’s industry-leading collaboration and contact center solution portfolio. Our guest blog this week comes from the imimobile team. The rise in eCommerce driven by changes in consumer shopping behavior as well as the pandemic, has meant that retailers have increasingly turned to digital messaging channels to engage with customers. Research has forecasted that mobile business messaging traffic for the retail sector…

Earlier this year in a blog post, I shared a bit about our Auth-DoH idea. In case it’s not top of mind, let me help refresh your memory. Auth-DoH is essentially a safer way to publicly advertise private services. It’s a forward-looking idea to improve DNS security. Another forward-looking idea is Discovery of Designated Resolvers (DDR).  DDR allows for upgrading from insecure DNS to secure DNS. I am proud to say Cisco Umbrella is the…

At first glance, Intel doesn’t look like a company under siege. In its last fiscal year, it recorded $77.8 billion in sales and $20 billion in profit. Its market capitalization is $220 billion as of mid-September 2021. And yet it is. When you’re the leader, all your competition is gunning for you. Intel is wrestling with a loss of leadership in manufacturing and process nodes, it’s losing share to a very resurgent AMD, an unrelenting…

While I miss seeing you all in person, a virtual DevNet Create is the next best thing. This year, I have the honor of co-hosting the “Start Now” channel along with Kanwal Komail and DuAn Lightfoot. The Start Now channel at DevNet Create 2021 is full of great information for developers at any skill level. You can check out the complete list of Start Now channel sessions to find the ones you want to join….