NETWORKING

Software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) is getting a big boost from AIOps as vendors look to simplify operations, lower costs, and optimize WAN performance in the modern cloud era. SD-WAN decouples the control aspect of a network from the hardware to create a virtualized network overlay, while AIOps applies machine learning and data analytics to IT operations to automate processes. The convergence of the two – a.k.a. AI-driven WAN – promises to usher in a new era…

The need to maximize user experience, whether for employees or customers, has been a driving force behind much of the digital transformation networks have undergone. Things like business-critical applications, data-driven manufacturing and supply chains, immediate access to essential information, and advanced productivity tools require uninterrupted access to information from any place, using any device, and from any location. One of the areas of the network that has undergone the most significant transformation, largely in response…

Cisco’s services supply chain provides advanced hardware replacement to customers in over 120 countries and is a key service delivery component in support of Cisco’s service business. Although Cisco owns the inventory and processes for this massive supply chain, Cisco does not own or operate a single warehouse or truck.  The entire supply chain is managed by a worldwide network of third party logistics providers, freight forwarders, and customs brokers who work in partnership with…

The latest semiannual TOP500 list of the world’s fastest supercomputers is topped by Fugaku, the same machine that won in June. Built by Fujitsu, Fugaku is three times as fast as its nearest rival. TOP500 says that competition for its list seems to be lessening, with the full list of 500 systems having the fewest number of new entries since the organization started its tracking. The list is updated every June and November and has…

Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved solving problems. But my dream, or at least my Jewish mother’s dream, was to become a lawyer. It was an accidental meeting with an old friend and my wife saying that I’m too naïve to be a lawyer which made me change direction and become an engineer. Two years later, I began working in a small and promising startup named ‘Galileo’. It was the start of a challenging…

In its second cloud-native technology acquisition in as many months, Cisco is buying container security firm Banzai Cloud for an undisclosed amount. Founded in 2017, Banzai is known for developing Kubernetes-based cloud application development and security technologies. It will become part of Cisco’s Emerging Technologies and Incubation group, where the company brews new projects for cloud-native networking, security and edge computing environments. “As modern cloud-native applications become more pervasive, the environments in which these applications…

Innovative partners across Cisco’s ecosystem are creating new ways to leverage DevNet, when building new ways to serve their customers’ needs in today’s new normal. One of our fastest growing national partners is NWN Corporation, who have integrated our collaboration, contact center, security and networking capabilities into their award-winning Solution-as-a-Service portfolio. NWN’s Cloud Communications and Infrastructures solutions help transform the customer experience by integrating everything an organization needs to operate from anywhere – from the…

VMware is extending its core virtual networking product family in an effort to help companies build infrastructure that can stand up to today’s challenges, including the shift to remote work and the need to securely move applications across the distributed enterprise. The enhancements span VMware’s Tanzu, NSX and SD-WAN products, which fall under the company’s Virtual Cloud Network (VCN) architecture. VCN defines how customers can built and control network connectivity and security from the data…

As Heraclitus said more than two thousand years ago “The only constant in life is change”. As a society, we’ve experienced it first hand over the last eight months, with the far-reaching, cultural shift of virtual experiences replacing in-person gatherings in both our personal and professional lives. The same holds true for the networking industry – a remarkable pace of change has occurred over the last decade. Significant technical innovations including software-defined networking, virtualization, disaggregation,…

Instead of hopping on planes this year, we’ve been hopping on Webex calls. And while working from home, we’ve been extraordinarily productive. The way everyone is making it a priority to connect and collaborate virtually, knowing that we can’t be together physically, has been truly inspiring. Through it all, we’ve witnessed how the events of 2020 have unleashed incredible innovation and digital transformation across the business landscape. Forrester predicts this trend will continue: the research…