If the Internet is a network of networks, IoT is the ecosystem of everything network-connected. IoT encompasses the dynamic interaction between devices, sensors, actuators, applications, data, storage and networks. There are many reasons why IoT is exploding. One of the biggest factors is digital transformation, which has become widespread among virtually all enterprises and service providers. A key driver of digital transformation is its ability to optimize the customer experience, capture data for business intelligence, and make informed decisions from data analysis. IoT is a critical enabler for these drivers, whether it’s software that monitors the customer experience in retail,…
While many countries of Africa have experienced some of the fastest GDP growth rates in the world, and despite 4 billion people globally now connected to the Internet, the African Continent still suffers from the highest costs globally for broadband and mobile data, as well as the slowest Internet speeds, in some cases 40 times slower than the 5 fastest countries. According to Quartz , in general, African countries are not digitally competitive: none of the 39 ranked African countries achieved average speeds above 10Mbps, the minimum threshold required by consumers “to fully participate in a digital society” according to…
In the next phase of the IoT, that will be heavily influenced by mobility, blockchain and WAN-edge optimization, most of the ‘things’ that enterprises will care about will have to incorporate mechanisms for intelligence and control as well as adaptive connectivity. And these ‘things’ or smart devices will need to communicate with each other, at the edge, in addition to seamless to connect to a public or hybrid cloud. And the more ‘things’ that are out there acting semi-autonomously in the wild, like drones, for example, they will operate more effectively from being able to communicate with every other drone…
Enterprises of all sizes and in every vertical market are developing digital transformation strategies in order to move faster with greater agility so that they can enhance the customer experience and take advantage of emerging growth opportunities. There is widespread recognition that a key element of business transformation is network transformation that is designed to accommodate SaaS apps, Cloud services and next-generation transport such as 5G, which is significant because technically it will deliver a substantial advancement in data throughput and low latency compared to 4G. 5G is a next generation mobile broadband innovation that promises to bring about greater…
A major goal of branch consolidation with SD-WAN is overall reduction of WAN cost and complexity through managing bandwidth requirements and automating change management and policy adherence, while simplifying appliance and software sprawl. Branch-edge infrastructure complexity and cost remain significant issues, as the average branch office of mid- to large-enterprises typically includes four to five individual hardware and software components, making product acquisition, integration, operations and support both time consuming and very high cost. Enterprises have initiated a wave of digital transformation strategies that is changing the fundamental approach to how business and productivity services are delivered to their internal…
Disruptive technologies, like blockchain, usher in new market opportunities, like cryptomining. Whenever there is a growing trend, with the potential for financial gain, cyber criminals will invariably find ways to disrupt and distort these markets. Cryptomining is highly compute-intensive, using computer resources, such as CPU cycles, to mine “cryptocurrency”. Miners are paid for solving CPU intensive cryptographic challenges that validate each block of a transaction added to a cryptocurrency’s blockchain. They are paid a certain amount of cryptocurrency into their cryptocurrency wallet as commission for validating a transaction. . Anywhere there is a profit to be made, capable people will…
SD-WAN continues its rapid growth, as enterprises look to simplify WAN infrastructure and provide new services that help them compete in today’s software-driven environment. Software and automation are the leading technologies that will drive IT and networking systems to support business-critical operations and strategic initiatives. While enterprises have been the primary benefactors of SD-WAN, the trend is moving toward the consumption of networking and security as managed services. In fact, IDC predicts SD-WAN managed services will soon out-pace do-it-yourself (DIY) SD-WAN, and grow to $5.4 billion by 2022. This follows a similar direction that enterprises have taken, moving from internally…
Universal Plug-n-Play – (UPnP) is a suite of protocols that enables a device to discover other devices on a network, configure itself to operate in the network, and advertise its services. This allows a device to locate routers, printers and other resources on a network. UPnP runs on UDP port 1900 and communicates using SOAP messages over HTTP. The actual configuration and management interface are implemented using a SOAP-based HTTP service running over a dynamically allocated TCP port. The UPnP protocol allows management of aspects of a device’s operation to extend support by the protocol implementation on the device and its…
Versa Networks, innovator of the Secure Cloud IP software platform, is changing the game once again by teaming up with APN networking partners to provide Secure Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN) solutions tailored for Amazon Web Services. This solution offering will further secure and optimize the migration of enterprise on-premises workloads and applications to AWS. Versa has aligned with service provider and system integration partners that have achieved AWS Networking Competency status and who are an AWS Partner Network (APN) Partner supporting AWS Direct Connect.Versa APN operator alliances include Verizon, Comcast, Centurylink and Zayo, with Zayo initiating the first package offered in…
Capital One offers financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. The company needed to modernize their branch and infrastructure for retail banking operations. They wanted to ensure their branch-to-branch and internal branch connectivity, including guest WiFi services, were reliable and secure. Guest WiFi availability had evolved from simply allowing customers to browse the web and social media, to becoming a business-critical service that needed to be secure, reliable and always available. The bank required a complete digital transformation solution offering technology that would reflect how their customers interact with bank services. Branch offices and cafes are…
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