Enterprise Mobility, Mobile Infrastructure
Article | June 16, 2023
Asia stands out as home to a handful of telcos busy building an international business out of selling their internally developed IT platforms. Leading the way are Jio in India, Japan’s Rakuten and Singapore operator Singtel.
Having built their own businesses, they are now selling their platforms to support new 5G business models for enterprises and other operators. In the case of Singtel, this means its 5G multi-access edge computing (MEC) services, based on Paragon, its orchestration platform for enterprise services.
Manoj Prasanna Kumar, Head of Enterprise Platforms at Singtel, who is responsible for the Paragon platform, discusses in this article the company’s enterprise service ambitions, how it’s partnering with global enterprise software vendors and the obstacles it still sees to 5G B2B service uptake.
Paragon, which falls under the telco’s DigitalInfraCo arm, aims to give enterprises “a single pane of glass that provides an end-to-end view and control of the network, the edge and the application ecosystem,” says Manoj. “It opens up the edge to the enterprise world, allowing them to deploy either their own applications or applications from Singtel's ecosystem.”
Launched last year, Paragon also lets telcos orchestrate end-to-end 5G enterprise networking services in combination with applications from software and cloud computing partners. Paragon’s application partners include Amazon Web Services, Intel, Microsoft and SAP, and the platform is available to every 5G enterprise user within the Singtel Group.
Singtel’s bet is that a growing number of enterprises will need a tightly intertwined combination of 5G connectivity and cloud computing on the edge to run specific vertical applications.
“Our strategy is to become a super aggregator of MEC,” says Manoj. “We focus on high throughput, low latency use cases, such as video analytics or streaming, mixed reality and virtual reality which pump data into the back-end applications and where the decision-making cannot afford even a few milliseconds of extra latency.”
In addition to Paragon, Singtel Group’s investments in 5G infrastructure and service delivery include a national 5G standalone (SA) network, covering more than 95% of Singapore, and international investment in data centers to support cloud computing on the network edge. Today, there are signs that its investments in 5G enterprise services are starting to bear fruit. In the second half of the 2022/23 financial year, which ended on 31 March, Singtel reported that higher demand for technology solutions and 5G services contributed to ICT revenue growth of 11%, with ICT revenues contributing 23% of Singtel Group’s overall enterprise revenue.
Singtel scored a notable win for the Enterprise 5G offering powered by Paragon platform last year when Silicon manufacturer Micron said it would deploy it and Singtel’s 5G campus network infrastructure to support its smart manufacturing operations. Micron is using Singtel’s solution to help manage and analyze its manufacturing processes for enhanced efficiency. Likewise, Singtel recently announced Hyundai as another customer for their Enterprise 5G offering powered by the Paragon platform to deliver digital twin for their electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Singapore for advanced manufacturing operations.
Nonetheless, Manoj recognizes that challenges remain when it comes to growing the 5G enterprise business. “5G and edge in Singapore have had quite a good start. But I would say we've got a long way to go,” he says.
Convincing customers
One of the biggest obstacles is generating customer demand. After all, just because enterprises are able to set 5G connectivity parameters on demand or use MEC for 5G applications at the click of a button doesn’t mean they see a reason to do so.
“Many customers don't have a lot of awareness of how edge computing can really transform their business and how a few milliseconds of latency can actually save money for them, make them more efficient, and reduce errors and so on,” says Manoj.
This reality has shaped Singtel’s sales process. “We spend quite a lot of time in raising awareness amongst customers,” he explains. “We never start with what 5G can do. Instead, we focus on understanding their challenges, their current processes, what gaps there are, and…start with applications that can help solve their problems.”
Another challenge is a lack of 5G-native devices. “This puts us in a very tough spot because when we go and connect devices to wi-fi hotspots, and then use 5G as backhaul, customers often ask ‘isn't this similar to wi fi? Why do I need 5G?’” He adds: “It will be a bit of a roadblock…for all telcos until the 5G-native device ecosystem matures.”
There is also a need for software applications that can perform optimally on 5G and the edge, and switch between network slices with different payloads. “There is a little bit of hand holding required when we bring in an ISV to qualify their application so that it can benefit from all the capabilities of 5G and the edge,” says Manoj.
And then there are the engineering challenges associated with orchestration. Paragon sets out to automate much of the orchestration and management capabilities that make it possible to request quality of service on demand for specific applications and use cases. But here again, success is dependent on close partnerships with third parties.
“Strategic partnerships with Ericsson on the network side and with Intel, Microsoft and AWS help us boost the infrastructure and the application side to stitch together the network and the infrastructure capabilities,” explains Manoj.
Choosing your vertical
Singtel is currently targeting three strategic verticals: manufacturing, public safety and urban planning. Its choice reflects the opportunities in both Singapore and the domestic markets of members of the Singtel Group.
“In Singapore, we are lucky because both enterprises and the government are very, very future-looking and invest quite a lot in adopting new technology,” says Manoj. In particular, “public sector customers are more motivated to explore something new because they carry the digital footprint of the country,” he says.
And because governments operate public safety and urban planning systems at a national level, the promises are on enough scale to spur third parties to invest in developing devices and software applications. Typical public safety use cases include video analytics, surveillance systems and robotics applications; urban planning covers systems such as traffic management.
Some of the enterprise applications Singtel sees gaining traction include immersive B2B2C content, such as delivering real-time analytics to gamers via a 360-degree video feed or mixed reality applications to train factory workers on how to troubleshoot to use complex equipment. “If they need an augmented overlay of information through the camera feeds then they need 5G and edge because a lag will make users nauseous,” explains Manoj. Other promising use cases include autonomous drones and robots.
Singtel has drawn on standard APIs, including TM Forum’s Open APIs, CAMARA APIs to build Paragon. Manoj encourages both technology standardization and collaboration with hyperscalers and software vendors to grow the enterprise market.
“Telcos should be embracing tech players as partners, seeing them as catalysts of more pull through on their services,” says Manoj. “When you partner with them, you expose your services on the hyperscale infrastructure, you naturally work with developers, which allows telcos to expand the services market.”
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Data Center Networking
Article | July 5, 2023
In an increasingly digital world where every pillar of information is now online, lightning-fast connectivity, rock-solid reliability, and impenetrable security are transforming into essentials within the network industry. 5G transforms the connected ecosystem and pushes the boundaries of connectivity to lay the foundation of a faster, more secure, and sustainable future.
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Wireless, 5G
Article | May 18, 2023
Enhance network performance, strengthen security, and minimize downtime with the curated network monitoring companies list. Ensure proactive problem detection for business success with top solutions.
In the ever-evolving landscape of modern business operations, effectively monitoring network components is paramount. network monitoring is a vital process that involves overseeing crucial elements like routers, switches, firewalls, servers, and more. To ensure seamless network management and control, organizations rely on specialized network monitoring tools that gather valuable insights. Adopting a proactive approach, network monitoring empowers businesses to identify and address potential issues early, preventing costly downtime and failures. By leveraging the power of network monitoring, organizations can safeguard their operations, optimize network performance, and drive overall success.
This article will explore the top 10 network monitoring companies that excel in providing advanced solutions for network security, analytics, and performance management. These companies have established themselves as industry leaders, delivering comprehensive network monitoring tools that empower businesses to achieve optimal network functionality, bolster cybersecurity defenses, and ensure continuous operational excellence.
1. Arete
Arete is a renowned global cyber risk company for network security and analytics. With a focus on transforming how organizations prepare for, respond to, and prevent cybercrime, Arete is a leader in cyber incident response. Its expertise lies in providing rapid access to world-class cybersecurity professionals worldwide, enabling organizations to mitigate cyber threats within hours. In collaboration with insurance carriers and legal counsel, the company's data-driven approach helps businesses recover from cyberattacks and strengthen their systems for future resilience. Its commitment to collective defense and sharing best practices reinforces its position as a trusted provider of the best network monitoring software.
2. Nuspire
Nuspire, a prominent network monitoring company, emerged as a visionary managed security services provider (MSSP) is driven by a commitment to bridging security gaps and inspiring positive change in the industry. It helps recognize the unique cybersecurity needs of each business. Using a partnership approach, the company works closely with clients to deliver tailored solutions beyond expectations. Nuspire's global reach is impressive, with two offices in the United States and 12 global processing centers and security operations centers (SOCs). Nuspire is trusted by many brands to manage their cybersecurity programs daily. With one of the highest client retention rates in the industry, standing at an impressive 99%, Nuspire has built enduring relationships based on trust and exceptional service.
3. cPacket Networks
With Network-Aware application performance and security assurance solutions, cPacket Network empowers enterprises, governments, and service providers to effectively manage and secure its distributed hybrid environments. Its AIOps-ready analytics platform offers deep network visibility, enabling proactive identification of performance issues before it impacts business applications or end-user experience. It provides reliable, integrated, and user-friendly solutions. cPacket helps organizations reduce complexity, increase security, and enhance operational efficiency. Whether monitoring physical or virtual networks, handling north-south or east-west traffic, or managing hybrid environments, cPacket's cutting-edge technology and AI-enabled predictive monitoring capabilities make them a reliable partner for businesses pursuing digital transformation.
4. CSPi Technology Solutions
CSPi Technology Solutions is an exceptional network monitoring company that sets itself apart with its extensive IT expertise, proven track record of delivering results, flexible approach, and comprehensive service scope. By partnering with leading technology providers and adopting a vendor-agnostic approach, the company ensures the right solutions for its client's unique requirements. Its team of experienced engineers, with specialized certifications in networking, wireless and mobility, unified communications and collaboration, data centers, and advanced security, enables it to deliver superior services across major industries. With a comprehensive portfolio covering the entire IT lifecycle, including vital managed IT services, professional IT services and cloud services, CSPi Technology Solutions is well-equipped to provide proactive network monitoring and address businesses' evolving security and analytics needs.
5. IR
IR is an exceptional network monitoring company at the forefront of the industry, offering innovative solutions in predictive and prescriptive analytics, along with cutting-edge automation capabilities. Its solutions simplify the management of modern communications, payments, and infrastructure environments, ensuring real-time performance issue identification and resolution for seamless user experiences. Used by over 1,000 organizations across 60 countries, including major banks, airlines, and telcos, IR's solutions provide critical insights and ensure high availability and performance for millions of customers worldwide. With a global presence and corporate headquarters in Sydney, Australia, IR continues to create excellence when it matters most, making them a top choice among network monitoring companies.
6. Witbe
Witbe, a leading network monitoring company focusing on innovation in the quality of experience (QoE) industry, offers an acclaimed solution to monitor and ensure seamless user experiences across various interactive services, devices, and networks. Over 300 clients in 50 countries, including broadcasters, operators, content providers, and app developers, rely on Witbe's Robots to guarantee flawless services. As a public company listed on Euronext Growth (ALTWIT.PA) and with a global presence in major cities worldwide, Witbe is renowned for its commitment to delivering exceptional network monitoring solutions for optimal QoE.
7. Radiflow
Radiflow is one of the top network monitoring companies to go to for network security and analytics in 2023. With a focus on uncompromising ICS (Industrial Control Systems) and OT (Operational Technology) security, Radiflow emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity from the beginning. Providing industrial threat detection and risk management solutions empowers customers to make informed decisions and take proactive actions based on data. Known for their cybersecurity expertise and reputation in the OT world, Radiflow's team combines extensive research with innovative approaches to meet industry-specific needs. Additionally, the network monitoring solution provider is a trusted partner by prioritizing visibility and effective management of critical systems.
8. Virtual1
Virtual1 stands out as the UK's most advanced network. Its software-defined infrastructure ensures scalability to meet evolving customer demands while providing exceptional control and empowerment to its partners. Virtual1's team of passionate experts, spread across various locations, consistently pushing industry boundaries to deliver cutting-edge solutions. Additionally, it offers high-capacity connectivity with top-notch security, and the networking provider's solutions guarantee fast, secure, and reliable internet access, which is crucial for business-critical operations. With real-time control, customizable service propositions, and value-added capabilities like firewalls and cloud, Virtual1 is a trusted provider of network monitoring software that seamlessly integrates with critical business systems.
9. Doherty Associates
Doherty Associates stands out for its intelligent IT solutions and services, offering a unique combination of cutting-edge tools and expert skills. Its proactive approach to cybersecurity, coupled with 24/7 support from its London and Kuala Lumpur teams, ensures reliable network monitoring. With a strong focus on sectors prioritizing risk management, such as financial services, law, insurance, and mining, Doherty Associates has offers exceptional customer satisfaction with top solutions to secure and monitor network seamlessly. This network monitoring company’s long-standing client relationship are a testament to its ability to unlock business potential through secure and efficient network monitoring, making them a leading choice in the network monitoring companies list.
10. Wifi SPARK
WiFi SPARK stands out for its SPARK Solution, which caters to over 80 National Health Service (NHS) Trusts in the UK. This comprehensive solution offers secure WiFi for patients, visitors, and staff while integrating tailored patient engagement and analytics solutions with clinical and administrative systems. Significant features include access to entertainment, educational content, dementia support, surveys, and a wide range of applications. With exceptional 24/7 support, WiFi SPARK ensures seamless network monitoring, making it an essential choice among other network monitoring companies.
Key Takeaway
Network monitoring is essential in ensuring the smooth functioning of modern business networks. Organizations utilizing specialized network traffic analysis tools can effectively manage and control network components, detect performance issues, identify faults, and monitor user accounts. Proactive monitoring helps in early problem detection, reducing downtime and preventing failures. To empower business success, partnering with top network monitoring companies that offer advanced solutions for network security, analytics, and performance management is essential. These companies provide comprehensive tools enabling businesses to optimize network functionality, enhancing cybersecurity, and maintaining uninterrupted operations.
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Article | August 31, 2021
Network security today is losing the battle and a lot of it is blamed upon the traditional security devices. Imagine running next-gen IT Infrastructure secured by security tools made to secure legacy IT.Data breaches have increased substantially and IT professionals are continuously looking at new ways to improve their network security. In this scenario, SD-WAN emerges as one formidable option to implementthat will bolster your network security.
Table of Contents:
- What is SD-WAN?
- How does SD-WAN work?
- What are the main benefits of SD_WAN to network security?
- What are the other advantages of SD-WAN?
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Let’s dig into it.
What is SD-WAN?
SD-WAN stands for software-defined wide area network (or networking). A WAN is a connection between local area networks (LANs) separated by a substantial distance—anything from a few miles to thousands of miles. The term software-defined implies the WAN is programmatically configured and managed. So, it can be easily adapted quickly to meet changing needs.
How does SD-WAN work?
An SD-WAN connects end users to virtually any application, hosted at any location (e.g., in the public cloud or a company data center), via the best available or most feasible transport service, whether that’s an MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching), broadband, cellular or even satellite internet link. To deliver this level of flexibility and performance to users in digital workspaces, an SD-WAN utilizes a control function that continuously analyzes traffic flows across the WAN and intelligently directs traffic in accordance with current policies.
Centralized control
The primary means of control in an SD-WAN is centralized. It often resides in a SaaS application running on a public cloud. Control is decoupled from the hardware to simplify network management and improve the delivery of services. SD-WAN appliances (and virtual appliances) follow operational rules passed down from the central controller. This greatly reduces or eliminates the need to manage gateways and routers on an individual basis.
Multi-connection, multi-transport
SD-WAN gateways support hybrid WAN, which implies that each gateway can have multiple connections using different transports—MPLS, broadband Internet, LTE, etc. A virtual private network (VPN) is typically set up across each WAN connection for security. Consequently, the SD-WAN can be an overlay spanning a diverse communications infrastructure.
Dynamic path selection
Another feature of SD-WAN is dynamic path selection—the ability to automatically and selectively route traffic onto one WAN link or another depending on network conditions or traffic characteristics. Packets may be steered onto a particular link because another link is down or not working very well, or to balance network traffic across all available links. SD-WAN can also identify packets by application, user, source/destination, etc. and send them down one path or another based on those characteristics.
Policy-based management
Policy is what determines where dynamic path selection will steer traffic and what level of priority (quality of service, or QoS) it is given. Business intentions can be implemented as policies via the central management console. New and updated policies are translated into operational rules and downloaded to all SD-WAN gateways and routers under control.
For example, to ensure the best performance for VoIP and interactive web conferences, a policy may be created by giving their packets transmission priority and routing them onto low-latency paths. Cost savings can be realized by sending file back-ups across a broadband Internet connection. WAN traffic that requires a high level of security can be restricted to private connections (e.g., MPLS) between sites and required to pass through a robust security stack when entering the enterprise.
Service chaining
SD-WAN has the ability chain itself together with other network services. WAN optimization (acceleration) is often combined with SD-WAN to improve network and application performance. Internet traffic leaving and entering a branch office may be routed across a VPN to a cloud-base security service to strike a balance between performance, security, and cost.
Read more: GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR SD-WAN: FEATURES YOU NEED TO START USING TODAY
What are the main benefits of SD_WAN to network security?
Eliminate VPN concerns
One of the first areas in which SD-WAN impacts security is when a company uses the internet as a method of transport.
Before SD-WAN came along and companies were using internet as a backup or even a primary transport method, they would build a VPN or a DMVPN to ensure secure transport of their traffic. This introduces a couple of issues, the first of which is this proliferation of VPNs that has to be managed. The company must have firewalls sitting at their data center, along with a VPN device or firewall sitting in the remote locations to be able to do these VPNs. Every site is dependent on the effort to be up on the network.
- Hamza Seqqat, Director of Solutions Architecture, Apcela
Failover is an issue with this VPN approach, he said. Companies can’t seamlessly failover from a fiber-based type of transport without having to strike some keys in between. It's hard and expensive to do seamless failover.
“Now you don't have to have firewalls for VPNs. You don't have to worry about building your own VPNs or encrypting your traffic,” Seqqat said. “Every SD-WAN product comes with a controller that takes care of things seamlessly. That means there is this smart software-defined engine that builds all these IPsec tunnels between all the locations as soon as you plug the device in. You're not actually having to build a VPN—the controller does it automatically for you, so all you have to do is give the device an IP address or enable DHCP and let it pick an IP address from the DHCP server. Suddenly it's on the network and its building tunnels to all the sites.”
He added that the SD-WAN controller builds a full mesh, so it can talk to every one of the sites without having to go back to the data center. This feature alone can reduce a company’s security footprint significantly because the site-to-site traffic becomes secure, easy, and seamless.
Reduce traffic going through security
A second significant benefit of SD-WAN that impacts security strategy is that it reduces the amount of traffic that needs to go through security parameters because all site-to-site traffic is encrypted. This makes security a bit easier to manage.“For a lot of companies, when they do VPNs for site-to-site traffic, they have to go through firewalls or some kind of encryption mechanism, and that increases their security footprint. It increases the complexity and the cost of security,” Seqqat said. “SD-WAN changes how traffic is routed through security.”
Seqqat gave an example of a site that has a gig worth of bandwidth, and out of that gig of bandwidth, some traffic goes to the internet and some goes to site-to-site.
“Without SD-WAN, generally you would have to run that whole gig through a firewall, and the firewall will split the traffic into what goes to the data center and what goes to the internet,” he said. “When you do SD-WAN, you don't have to do that. You can separate the traffic at the SD-WAN with a split tunnel, so you take half of the traffic and push it through the firewall to go to the internet and the other half goes straight site-to-site without having to go through a security parameter. Now you have a firewall to handle 500 megs as opposed to a gig, and that makes a huge difference because most security products are based on throughput and utilization. So, that can bring some cost benefits and ease management as well.”
Security inherent to SD-WAN
A third area where SD-WAN changes security strategy is the fact that certain security features can be implemented directly through the SD-WAN platform, which reduces costs and complexity in the actual security platform.
“This depends on what aspects of security you're talking about,” Seqqat said. “For example, security is included in the Silverpeak SD-WAN product, so the Silverpeak devices really do most of the security for you. You don't have to deploy another firewall on top of that. With Versa’s SD-WAN, you can virtualize the firewall, so there’s no need to deploy physical firewalls.”
For sites that simply need very basic security, SD-WAN has some inherent security capabilities. It can do things such as allow and deny certain sites and limit traffic that goes to certain sites.
When you look at most SD-WAN products, you can usually kind of steer toward one or another based on your security requirements. Deploying SD-WAN in itself can really eliminate the need for security at several locations or extend the security you have been using.
- Hamza Seqqat, Director of Solutions Architecture, Apcela
Simplify use of security platforms
In his final point, Seqqat said SD-WAN providers are making a lot of progress in partnering with both cloud security providers and cloud service providers. By making traffic encrypted and secure via SD-WAN, security platforms will only have to deal with public internet traffic.
“SD-WAN providers are really working towards partnering and certifying different security products,” he said. “Consider Zscaler as an example. Some SD-WAN products automatically route all your traffic through Zscalar, which does a cloud-based security parameter before it goes out to the internet or to cloud service providers.”
Seqqat said the most important part comes in the fact that Zscalar is distributed across 35 or 40 data centers that are all security parameters.
“Making that routing decision as to what data center your traffic goes through before it goes out to the Internet is extremely important to performance,” he said. “If your Office 365 instance is hosted in Seattle and your users in Europe are trying to reach that, which Zscalar data center the traffic is going to go through before it goes through the Seattle instance of O365 makes all the difference in what latency is going to be at round trip.
“SD-WAN provides somewhat of an automation and optimization of how traffic goes through Zscalar data centers based on performance metrics. SD-WAN can pull latency and jitter and packet loss and all that kind of stuff, so there is some intelligence that happens when a routing decision is being made as to where user traffic is going to go for security scrubbing or security features before it goes out to the cloud provider or to the Internet. That’s a huge feature that comes into play whenever you deploy SD-WAN.”
Read more: FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS SD-WAN IS A MIXED BLESSING
What are the other advantages of SD-WAN?
SD-WAN has many advantages when implemented well:
More predictable and reliable application performance, which helps support users in any digital workspace, across all connections. Superior connection security for cloud applications, without the performance tradeoffs of MPLS backhauling. Congestion reduction due to lack of bandwidth or brownouts with aggregation of bandwidth via multiple bonded and disparate or redundant links.
More reliable access to apps and fewer slowdowns due to congestion.
Resiliency and redundancy with fast failover when outages impact WAN connections.
Quality of service for prioritizing business-critical application traffic.
Fast deployments that fuel business agility when bringing applications online at a branch office, or simply changing the configurations. Zero-touch provisioning allows fast set up of sites in minutes with local staff instead of hours or days.
Reduced network transport costs and more flexibility through the use of MPLS-alternatives like broadband and cellular. Quick procurement of bandwidth from multiple transport services, contrast to the long lead times needed with legacy WAN carrier-based technologies.
Simplified administration with a centralized console eliminates the complexity of configuring edge devices in the field.
Deep SD-WAN analytics to monitor links for performance characteristics. Analytics benefit administrators who can use them when troubleshooting problems across the WAN.
Simpler branch office infrastructure that doesn’t require management of as many single-function devices
Intelligent traffic steering and dynamic path selection
Integrated security with leading 3rd-party solutions, including those for SaaS security
Conclusion
Interest in SD-WAN among organizations is on the rise, and we hope to see a tremendous rise in its adoption in network security strategies over the next few years. Vendor selection will be one of the factor for successful implementation of SD-WAN, as many are quickly developing new and effective software-defined platforms. An ideal vendor would be the one who effectively addresses your specific pain points and is able to meet your current as well as future requirements.
Read more: SD-WAN SECURITY: THE IMPACT OF ORCHESTRATED SERVICES MULTIPLICITY
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