NETWORKING

In the not-too-distant past, everything in the application and networking stack was under IT’s control. Workloads lived securely in the on-premise data center—people sat in their campus offices connected to the secure wireless network, and an MPLS service with an SLA connected branch offices to the data center. Today, workforce productivity depends on cloud and SaaS applications that often rely on the public cloud infrastructure, which in turn depends on the internet as part or…

Anyone who has ever observed or participated in a dance rehearsal is familiar with the count-off cadence, 5, 6, 7, 8.  The same is true of musicians who count at the beginning of a piece, or an athlete awaiting the starting signal. These indicators alert us to the same thing: Be ready NOW. Cybersecurity has a set of starting signals as well, but they differ in one aspect. In the event of a cybersecurity event,…

For over a year now, organizations big and small, across every industry, have grappled with radical disruption. We all know the story. Virtually overnight, organizations faced an immediate transition from their standard operating approach to a completely remote model. This created ripple effects across IT organizations as they deciphered how to scale secure remote access to their networks, maintain critical business operations, and enable collaboration and innovation from anywhere. Now as we enter a new…

We all know the old saw about pushing a strand of spaghetti uphill, and I’ve got to wonder whether that’s what we’re now doing with 5G.  First, 5G is going to happen because of the orderly process of modernizing wireless networks.  It doesn’t need “justifying”. The problem is that vendors want 5G to be revolutionary and transformational, rather than orderly. Second, that need to seem revolutionary has pushed 5G stories to the boundaries of sensibility….

First, the good news. Starting with the mid-April release of Google’s Chrome 90 web browser, Chrome will default to trying to load the version of a website that’s been secured with a Transport Layer Security (TLS). These are the sites that show a closed lock in the Chrome Omnibox, what most of us know as the Chrome address (URL) bar. The bad news is that just because a site is secured by HTTPS doesn’t mean…

IDC has released a new study, the first of its kind, that predicts that cloud computing could help to prevent more than one billion metric ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the next three years. The forecast uses IDC data on server distribution and cloud and on-premises software use along with third-party information on data center power usage, carbon dioxide emissions per kilowatt-hour, and emission comparisons of cloud and non-cloud data centers. IDC’s forecast…

We all know that the IT industry is very dynamic and moving extremely fast. Cisco is leading the way in addressing the job requirements of tomorrow with a new set of certifications. In fact, the whole certification program from Cisco went through a massive update that affected all Cisco exams and certifications. The most impactful (in my humble opinion) are the DevNet Certifications launched early last year. Building the DevNet certifications program I had the…

As we approach Cisco Live Global 2021 (March 30 – April 1), the DevNet Partner community has much to celebrate. So, amp up and bring the noise for this year’s electrifying virtual event. If you’re a Cisco Partner and you’re building out your schedule, I encourage you to plug in “DevNet” into the search function and sign up for all our DevNet-focused sessions available with your free Explorer pass. Browse the catalog of sessions and…

“We are on the cusp of something special,” says Robert Bailkoski, CEO of Logicalis. “Combining different software and hardware solutions enables the outcomes that our customers need.” He, and other Cisco partners, have used software and automation to accelerate their business success. And as Meredith Rose, Consulting System Engineer at World Wide Technology, says. “There are no boundaries to what you can do with automation.” These Cisco partners have been skilling up their teams to…

3 Million Active Networks, 8.5 Million Devices, 1 Simple to Use Platform Over the past year, as the world has faced uncertainty and hurdles, we have also seen incredible resilience, from organizations and individuals alike, as they have navigated through ongoing, unpredictable change. We have learned that we can be agile and adaptable in our working – and personal – lives. Now, as we look toward the future and what comes next, embracing transformation and…