NETWORKING

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced the general availability of a new GPU-powered instance called Amazon P4d that is based on Nvidia’s new Ampere architecture, and the two firms are making big performance claims. AWS has offered GPU-powered instances for a decade now, the most current generation called P3. AWS and Nvidia are both claiming that P4d instances offer three times faster performance, up to 60% lower cost, and 2.5 times more GPU memory for…

Have you heard the one about 5G? Wait, which one? You know. The one about 5G where it replaces 4G and makes all our phones amazingly fast all the time? Or the one where the FCC is going to finally deliver ultrafast internet to rural communities using 5G? Or maybe you live in shady Facebook groups, and have heard the one about how 5G is making everyone sick? Just about every curious reader of current…

The reliability of services delivered by ISPs, cloud providers and conferencing services (a.k.a. unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS)) is an indication of how well served businesses are via the internet. ThousandEyes is monitoring how these providers are handling the performance challenges they face. It will provide Network World a roundup of interesting events of the week in the delivery of these services, and Network World will provide a summary here. Stop back next week for another update,…

A Pentagon request for information that led to speculation about a nationwide 5G network created by a partnership between the mobile carriers and the government has provoked the wrath of Congressional leaders. The controversy started with an official request for information from the Pentagon, which asks for guidance about the Department of Defense owning and operating 5G networks for domestic operations. Per Forrester vice president and research director Glenn O’Donnell, the plan as discussed would…

IBM’s new Cloud Satellite offering will move the company’s open hybrid-cloud framework into new and different environments, thanks to partnerships with AT&T for 5G connectivity and IBM’s Red Hat  unit for containerization. Cloud Satellite, currently in beta, is a software product, sold through IBM, that provides a link to IBM and AT&T’s hardware. It offers a one-dashboard method of managing services across multiple computing environments, networks and locations. It leverages Red Hat’s OpenShift containerization platform—built…

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE: ANET), an industry leader in cognitive cloud networking for large datacenter and campus environments, today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2020. Third Quarter Financial Highlights Revenue of $605.4 million, an increase of 12.0% compared to the second quarter of 2020, and a decrease of 7.5% from the third quarter of 2019. GAAP gross margin of 63.6%, compared…

ROUND ROCK, Texas, Nov. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — News Summary One of the world’s largest retailers selects Dell Technologies to bring together its public and private clouds Improves Woolworths’ ability to manage inventory and support operations for nearly 3,000 retail stores Woolworths, Australia’s largest retailer, has selected Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) Cloud to help provide consistent, exceptional customer and team experience across its 3,000 retail outlets. As one of Australia and New Zealand’s most innovative retailers,…

Advanced modular architecture optimizes client to cloud experience SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET) today announced the expansion of its Cognitive Campus portfolio with new platforms, including the new 750 Series modular chassis for enhanced security solutions and simplified automation workflows. These new capabilities bring improved efficiency and opex reduction to enterprise workspaces based on modern cloud networking principles. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201102005161/en/ The new 750 Series…

The rumors were true, only the price was off. AMD formally announced this week it intends to acquire FPGA maker Xilinx for $35 billion, not $30 billion as originally rumored. Xilinx is the biggest maker of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chips, a class of chips that can be reconfigured for a variety of specialized tasks by the end user. They are especially popular in vertical markets like automotive and cellular base stations, where a chip…