Home > Resources > Articles > A MEASURED APPROACH TO MAKING SD-WAN WORK MEASURABLY FOR YOU!

A MEASURED APPROACH TO MAKING SD-WAN WORK MEASURABLY FOR YOU!

Managing enterprise network connectivity and circuit costs has always been a huge challenge. However, it is now possible to address this problem with an automated and, programmatic approach called SD-WAN or Software-defined Wide Area Networks. Building upon the idea of SDN, it extends software defined networking into an application that businesses can instantly use to quickly create a smart “hybrid WAN”.

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OTHER ARTICLES
Network Management, Network Security

Singtel delivers a model for future 5G and edge connectivity

Article | July 17, 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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Wireless, 5G

Ericsson’s 5G platform adds unique core and business communication capabilities

Article | May 18, 2023

To leverage the full benefits of 5G and cloud native investments, orchestration and automation are now a critical matter of business. Ericsson’s 5G platform is now being strengthened with new solutions that enable smarter business. David Bjore, Head of R&D and Portfolio, Business Area Digital Services, Ericsson, says: “Through our core networks, service providers can get to market faster and can capitalize on new services, through leading consumer and enterprise communication and monetization solutions, enabling them to stay ahead in the race for 5G business, today and tomorrow.”

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Data Center Networking

Ericsson researchers top 4.3Gbps downlink on 5G millimeter wave

Article | July 5, 2023

With a technical specification comprising 8 component carriers (8CC) aggregating 800MHz of millimeter wave spectrum, Ericsson engineers achieved delivery rates of 4.3Gbps – the fastest 5G speed to date. Ericsson Radio System Street Macro 6701 delivered data with downlink speeds of 4.3Gbps over-the-air to an industry partner test device during interoperability testing. The commercial solution, including network and terminal support, will be available to 5G consumers during 2020.

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Intelligence Brief: How is 5G changing network ownership?

Article | February 12, 2020

5G necessitates a different network strategy. Unlike previous generations, 5G deployment is not only about adding more sites and increasing backhaul capacity. In fact, it is more about rethinking the whole network architecture to make it agile. The high capacity requirements of 5G will necessitate the use of small cells in cities and areas of high footfall (such as airports) to complement national macro networks. Private networks (for example to sell into enterprise customers) and the concept of a neutral host (such as for sports stadiums) are further examples of diversification.

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Network Management, Network Security

10 Leading Network Monitoring Companies to Consider in 2023

Article | July 17, 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.”

Read More
Wireless, 5G

5G Small Cells: The Future of Wireless Networks

Article | May 18, 2023

To leverage the full benefits of 5G and cloud native investments, orchestration and automation are now a critical matter of business. Ericsson’s 5G platform is now being strengthened with new solutions that enable smarter business. David Bjore, Head of R&D and Portfolio, Business Area Digital Services, Ericsson, says: “Through our core networks, service providers can get to market faster and can capitalize on new services, through leading consumer and enterprise communication and monetization solutions, enabling them to stay ahead in the race for 5G business, today and tomorrow.”

Read More
Data Center Networking

Enhancing Network Resilience in the Healthcare Sector to Prevent Downtime and Unusable Uptime

Article | July 5, 2023

With a technical specification comprising 8 component carriers (8CC) aggregating 800MHz of millimeter wave spectrum, Ericsson engineers achieved delivery rates of 4.3Gbps – the fastest 5G speed to date. Ericsson Radio System Street Macro 6701 delivered data with downlink speeds of 4.3Gbps over-the-air to an industry partner test device during interoperability testing. The commercial solution, including network and terminal support, will be available to 5G consumers during 2020.

Read More

Intelligence Brief: How is 5G changing network ownership?

Article | February 12, 2020

5G necessitates a different network strategy. Unlike previous generations, 5G deployment is not only about adding more sites and increasing backhaul capacity. In fact, it is more about rethinking the whole network architecture to make it agile. The high capacity requirements of 5G will necessitate the use of small cells in cities and areas of high footfall (such as airports) to complement national macro networks. Private networks (for example to sell into enterprise customers) and the concept of a neutral host (such as for sports stadiums) are further examples of diversification.

Read More
MORE ARTICLES

Spotlight

EyeVerify

Unlock every opportunity with Eyeprint ID™. One look logs you into banking apps and secures your mobile payments. Eyeprint ID transforms an ordinary selfie into a key that protects your digital life. This patented, software-only biometric solution is 99.99% accurate and extremely scalable.

Related News

5G

TOMIA and Cumucore Successfully Launch the First 5G SA Roaming Integration Between Two SEPP Vendors

PR Newswire | October 10, 2023

TOMIA, the market leader in roaming and interconnect monetization solutions, and Cumucore, the leading non-public network provider, announce the successful completion of the integration of their respective SEPPs (Security Edge Protection Proxy) to enable secure 5G Standalone (SA) roaming connectivity. This is the first record of successful 5G SA roaming connectivity with SEPP through different vendors. This milestone is a step forward in enabling 5G SA roaming and emerging services focused on enhanced Quality of Service (QoS) for the mobile operator community and private networks. By combining TOMIA's roaming optimization expertise and Cumucore's comprehensive connectivity solutions, this partnership presents an opportunity for the two vendors to test the functionality of the new built-in 5G security mechanisms in different roaming scenarios. TOMIA and Cumucore conducted a Proof of Concept (PoC) to validate their SEPP interoperability according to 3GPP guidelines from dedicated fully virtualized 5G packet core networks. Ilana Tidhar, TOMIA's Network Products Director, said, "Achieving the first 5G SA Roaming integration using SEPPs from different vendors leaves a significant mark in the industry. SEPP is a crucial function of 5G Roaming, not only for ensuring secure communications, but also for adding value to the roaming business. SEPP facilitates innovative use cases related to user experience, quality assurance, cost optimization, and beyond." "These successful results represent a clear benefit to our enterprise customers who seek to deploy a non-public 5G network. Mobility between public and private networks is crucial for many verticals, such as logistics and supply chains, nationally or internationally. SEPP communication is required to make it happen," commented Mika Skarp, Senior Product Manager at Cumucore. About TOMIA TOMIA creates innovative Roaming and Interconnect solutions for operators worldwide. It constantly evolves its products and integrates new technologies – such as VoLTE, 5G, IoT, BCE, A2P, and Cloud Numbers – to enable operators to embrace what's next. TOMIA forges meaningful relationships with its customers and allows them to do the same with their partners. TOMIA helps simplify increasing complexity. From agile trading solutions to automated billing and settlement, their market-leading products cover the entire wholesale agreement lifecycle. TOMIA has been partnering with hundreds of global operators for over 25 years. To learn more, visit www.tomiaglobal.com About Cumucore Cumucore specializes in developing fully virtualized non-public network core to be used in Industry 4.0 and Media verticals. It brings the best of Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) in ways that traditional vendors don't offer. Cumucore experts have spent more than a decade in mobile networks and have been working with NFV and SDN since 2013.

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5G

VIAVI Launches NITRO® Wireless, Delivering Cloud Intelligence and Automation to Accelerate 5G and 6G

PR Newswire | October 05, 2023

Viavi Solutions Inc. (VIAVI) (NASDAQ: VIAV) today announced the availability of NITRO® Wireless, a portfolio of solutions enabling all participants in the ecosystem – equipment manufacturers, service providers, semiconductor companies, software developers and system integrators – to accelerate technology development by validating performance at each stage in intelligent, intuitive and automated ways. The company will showcase NITRO Wireless at events around the globe, including Futurecom (São Paulo), FYUZ (Madrid), Network X (Paris) and India Mobile Congress (New Delhi). With 5G reaching a tipping point in terms of buildout and capabilities, leading service providers and their ecosystems are developing paths to 6G. Industrial applications such as large-scale private networks, smart cities and critical communications require higher throughput and lower latency to enable the real-time computing and communication of precise sensing, imaging and positioning data. The introduction of TeraHertz/Terabit/microsecond connectivity through the cloud, open networking in a multi-vendor environment, and AI/ML to automate network operation, all point to a fundamental re-architecting of the network, at the semiconductor, equipment, software and application levels. The resulting challenges of network performance, quality of service (QoS), security and energy consumption now need to be mitigated and simplified. NITRO Wireless brings together proven performance and interoperability test platforms used throughout the industry for 3GPP and O-RAN with cloud, intelligence, automation, and digital twin technology enabled by the Network Integrated Test, Real-Time Analytics and Optimization (NITRO) platform. As networks become more complex and layered, a focus on measuring and assuring experience from the user perspective – by emulating usage scenarios modeled on real network data – generates the essential intelligence to simplify the delivery of new technology. NITRO Wireless use cases include: RAN Intelligence - The NITRO Wireless TeraVM RIC Test trains the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) based on data from real network scenarios, the App Validation Engine (AVE) acts as an App "IQ test" to validate if the proposed changes improve RAN efficiency, and Geolocation exposes geolocated data to r/xApps including 24/7 insights on spatial distribution and mobility dynamics of subscribers. Private Network Intelligence – To support the high reliability and QoS requirements of Private Networks, NITRO Wireless offers signal analysis, timing and synchronization verification, antenna alignment, fiber certification, and coverage and performance testing from design to operation. Network Security – 5G RAN, 5G Core, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), Next Generation Firewalls, VPN and cloud security solutions all need to be compliant against the latest specifications, while ensuring network performance remains uncompromised. NITRO Wireless Open RAN Security Solution provides test coverage that includes 3GPP SCAS compliance, DoS and fuzzing attack, O-Cloud resource exhaustion, protocol validation, port scanning and open fronthaul security test. Digital Twin – Digital Twins can reduce business risk in multiple ways. Test software updates and introduce new services in a safe environment to pre-empt failures when deployed in the live network. NITRO Wireless Digital Twins combine tools such as RAN and Core emulators, assurance solutions, realistic traffic scenarios, and cyberthreats to mirror an operator's network in the lab, allowing network changes and challenges to be planned and implemented with results analyzed before action is taken on the live network. Military Communications – NITRO Wireless integration and test portfolio offers complete end-to-end and subsystem testing of 5G private military radio and core networks. These can be deployed on the ground, via HAPs or via satellite. "While 5G offers new opportunities with an exciting potential to offer connectivity and amidst the race to deploy these networks, it's vital that reliability, stability, and performance testing are done to ensure success. Network resiliency requirements, complexity and risk thresholds are introducing new dynamics," said Shamik Mishra, CTO Connectivity, Capgemini Engineering. "We are very happy to work closely with VIAVI at our '5G-Lab-As-A-Service' in Portugal and global O-RAN engagements to leverage the potential of this emerging technology and contribute to harmonize efforts for connectivity-driven transformation across the industry." "We're excited to work with VIAVI on helping move the industry forward to accelerate the adoption of Open RAN," said Lakshmi Mandyam, vice president, Service Provider Product Management and Partner Ecosystem, VMware. "Our companies share a vision of what it will take to address the challenges hindering adoption by simplifying the path for CSPs to test, profile, and certify third-party xApps and rApps through a common framework. VIAVI's leadership in Open RAN testing and VMware's leadership in RIC make this an ideal collaboration." With each generation, networks grow more layered, disaggregated and complex, said Ian Langley, Senior Vice President, Wireless Business Unit, VIAVI. NITRO Wireless cuts through the technology fog with cloud intelligence and automation based on VIAVI's trusted expertise in performance validation, so our customers can stay focused on the drivers of the top and bottom line. About VIAVI VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) is a global provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions for telecommunications, cloud, enterprises, first responders, military, aerospace and railway. VIAVI is also a leader in light management technologies for 3D sensing, anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, industrial, automotive, government and aerospace applications. In 2023, we celebrate over 100 years of Network Transformation and Optical Innovation. Learn more about VIAVI at www.viavisolutions.com. Follow us on VIAVI Perspectives, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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Network Infrastructure

Arrcus Unveils Groundbreaking ACE-AI Networking Solution at MWC Las Vegas

Business Wire | October 03, 2023

Arrcus, the hyperscale networking software company and a leader in core, edge, and multi-cloud routing and switching infrastructure, is proud to introduce its trailblazing networking solution, Arrcus Connected Edge for AI (ACE-AI), designed to revolutionize the networking industry for AI/ML workloads. In the heart of today's digitally driven world, a monumental transformation is underway. Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has emerged as a powerful force, reshaping entire industries and redefining our digital landscape. At the epicenter of this transformative wave is the exponential growth of datacenter network traffic, driven by GenAI applications. AI/ML workloads will be increasingly distributed – at the Edge, in colos, telco PoPs/datacenters and public clouds. This growth underscores the urgent need for networks to evolve to become distributed, open, lossless and predictable to cater to this revolutionary paradigm shift. "AI networking bandwidth is going to grow over 100% Y/Y in the second half of 2023 and throughout 2024 based on the remarkable growth in vendor revenue associated with AI/ML, and this class of networking bandwidth growth is nearly three times that of traditional data center networking,” said Alan Weckel, Founder and Technology Analyst at 650 Group. “We see AI/ML as a major catalyst for the growth of Data Center switching over the next five years and is likely to be distributed in nature. Arrcus' adaptable ACE-AI platform effectively addresses these demands with its open and flexible network fabric, designed to unify the distributed AI/ML workloads wherever they may reside.” Arrcus' innovative ACE-AI networking solution based on ArcOS delivers a modern, unified network fabric for optimizing GPU and other distributed compute resources with maximum performance for AI/ML workloads. Ethernet as the underlying technology is well suited to address the needs with its inherent benefits for scalability, reliability, flexibility and low latency and ACE-AI builds on Ethernet to seamlessly weave together the entire network infrastructure, spanning from the edge to core to multi-cloud, encompassing switching and routing. Communication Service Providers (CSP), Enterprises and Datacenter operators can now harness the potential of 5G and GenAI by pooling compute resources wherever they may reside across the network to drive business outcomes. “AL/ML workloads, Large Language Models (LLM) and compute-intensive applications like GenAI need to be delivered in a distributed fashion, to enable pooling of scarce, expensive compute resources as well as ensure low latency at the point of consumption,” said Shekar Ayyar, Chairman and CEO, Arrcus. “With Arrcus ACE-AI, Enterprises, CSPs and Hyperscalers now have the ability to transition from the legacy, single vendor networks, to a more modern, scalable, and software-defined network with lower TCO in support of their AI expansion plans.” For next-generation datacenters, ACE-AI enables traditional CLOS and Virtualized Distributed Routing (VDR) architectures, with massive scale and performance to provide lossless, predictable connectivity for GPU clusters with high resiliency, availability and visibility. Features like Priority Flow Control (PFC), intelligent congestion detection and buffering at ingress points to prevent packet drops, ensure lower Job Completion Times (JCT) and tail latency. In the always-on world of GenAI, network high availability is crucial and is supported with features like Hitless Upgrade, reducing software maintenance upgrade times to under 20ms. “High-performing, reliable and low-latency networks that are energy efficient are fundamental to bring the AI/ML disruption to reality. Ethernet with its standards-based approach is perfectly suited to deliver this critical connectivity to the distributed AI paradigm,” said Ram Velaga, senior vice president and general manager, Core Switching Group, Broadcom Inc. “We share Arrcus’ vision and are excited to collaborate with them to create a network fabric that is open, programmatic and first rate performance.” To leverage 5G to deliver GenAI applications at the edge, ACE-AI also benefits from innovations like SRv6 Mobile User Plane (MUP) to enable the automated delivery of network slicing simply, efficiently and cost effectively. Network visibility is paramount for GenAI workloads, and ArcIQ is a modern network visibility and analytics platform that provides networking professionals with real-time, deep views of the networks and devices with actionable insights for proactive incident management and faster troubleshooting. Open networks serve as the cornerstone of adaptability and rapid innovation, and Arrcus supports a wide range of energy conserving merchant silicon and hardware options from multiple ODMs, ranging in speeds from 1G to 400G, across shallow and deep buffer switches, granting customers unprecedented choices. "The AI revolution is underway and demanding a comprehensive reevaluation of network infrastructure development to effectively address requirements of Distributed AI," said Heimdall Siao, President of Edgecore Networks. "We are enthusiastic about our collaboration with Arrcus to build the next-generation infrastructure combining Edgecore's Open Networking platform with Arrcus versatile ACE AI solution." “To adequately address high performance, low latency needs of applications like GenAI, combined with 5G transport it is critical to transition from legacy networking to an open, disaggregated stack that leverages hardware platforms built on the latest merchant silicon combined with scalable, programmable networking stack,” said Vincent Ho, CEO of UfiSpace. “UfiSpace and Arrcus deliver a highly innovative solution to address the 5G and AI revolution.” As GenAI reshapes industries, Arrcus delivers networks to match this dynamism by providing open, lossless, predictable, and distributed networks to lay the foundation for datacenters to flourish in this transformative era. About Arrcus Arrcus was founded to enhance business efficiency through superior network connectivity. The Arrcus Connected Edge (ACE) platform offers best-in-class networking with the most flexible consumption model at the lowest total cost of ownership. The Arrcus team consists of world-class technologists who have an unparalleled record in shipping industry-leading networking products, complemented by industry thought leaders, operating executives, strategic partners and top-tier VCs. The company is headquartered in San Jose, California with offices in Bangalore, India, and Tokyo, Japan. For more information, go to www.arrcus.com or follow @arrcusinc.

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5G

TOMIA and Cumucore Successfully Launch the First 5G SA Roaming Integration Between Two SEPP Vendors

PR Newswire | October 10, 2023

TOMIA, the market leader in roaming and interconnect monetization solutions, and Cumucore, the leading non-public network provider, announce the successful completion of the integration of their respective SEPPs (Security Edge Protection Proxy) to enable secure 5G Standalone (SA) roaming connectivity. This is the first record of successful 5G SA roaming connectivity with SEPP through different vendors. This milestone is a step forward in enabling 5G SA roaming and emerging services focused on enhanced Quality of Service (QoS) for the mobile operator community and private networks. By combining TOMIA's roaming optimization expertise and Cumucore's comprehensive connectivity solutions, this partnership presents an opportunity for the two vendors to test the functionality of the new built-in 5G security mechanisms in different roaming scenarios. TOMIA and Cumucore conducted a Proof of Concept (PoC) to validate their SEPP interoperability according to 3GPP guidelines from dedicated fully virtualized 5G packet core networks. Ilana Tidhar, TOMIA's Network Products Director, said, "Achieving the first 5G SA Roaming integration using SEPPs from different vendors leaves a significant mark in the industry. SEPP is a crucial function of 5G Roaming, not only for ensuring secure communications, but also for adding value to the roaming business. SEPP facilitates innovative use cases related to user experience, quality assurance, cost optimization, and beyond." "These successful results represent a clear benefit to our enterprise customers who seek to deploy a non-public 5G network. Mobility between public and private networks is crucial for many verticals, such as logistics and supply chains, nationally or internationally. SEPP communication is required to make it happen," commented Mika Skarp, Senior Product Manager at Cumucore. About TOMIA TOMIA creates innovative Roaming and Interconnect solutions for operators worldwide. It constantly evolves its products and integrates new technologies – such as VoLTE, 5G, IoT, BCE, A2P, and Cloud Numbers – to enable operators to embrace what's next. TOMIA forges meaningful relationships with its customers and allows them to do the same with their partners. TOMIA helps simplify increasing complexity. From agile trading solutions to automated billing and settlement, their market-leading products cover the entire wholesale agreement lifecycle. TOMIA has been partnering with hundreds of global operators for over 25 years. To learn more, visit www.tomiaglobal.com About Cumucore Cumucore specializes in developing fully virtualized non-public network core to be used in Industry 4.0 and Media verticals. It brings the best of Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) in ways that traditional vendors don't offer. Cumucore experts have spent more than a decade in mobile networks and have been working with NFV and SDN since 2013.

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5G

VIAVI Launches NITRO® Wireless, Delivering Cloud Intelligence and Automation to Accelerate 5G and 6G

PR Newswire | October 05, 2023

Viavi Solutions Inc. (VIAVI) (NASDAQ: VIAV) today announced the availability of NITRO® Wireless, a portfolio of solutions enabling all participants in the ecosystem – equipment manufacturers, service providers, semiconductor companies, software developers and system integrators – to accelerate technology development by validating performance at each stage in intelligent, intuitive and automated ways. The company will showcase NITRO Wireless at events around the globe, including Futurecom (São Paulo), FYUZ (Madrid), Network X (Paris) and India Mobile Congress (New Delhi). With 5G reaching a tipping point in terms of buildout and capabilities, leading service providers and their ecosystems are developing paths to 6G. Industrial applications such as large-scale private networks, smart cities and critical communications require higher throughput and lower latency to enable the real-time computing and communication of precise sensing, imaging and positioning data. The introduction of TeraHertz/Terabit/microsecond connectivity through the cloud, open networking in a multi-vendor environment, and AI/ML to automate network operation, all point to a fundamental re-architecting of the network, at the semiconductor, equipment, software and application levels. The resulting challenges of network performance, quality of service (QoS), security and energy consumption now need to be mitigated and simplified. NITRO Wireless brings together proven performance and interoperability test platforms used throughout the industry for 3GPP and O-RAN with cloud, intelligence, automation, and digital twin technology enabled by the Network Integrated Test, Real-Time Analytics and Optimization (NITRO) platform. As networks become more complex and layered, a focus on measuring and assuring experience from the user perspective – by emulating usage scenarios modeled on real network data – generates the essential intelligence to simplify the delivery of new technology. NITRO Wireless use cases include: RAN Intelligence - The NITRO Wireless TeraVM RIC Test trains the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) based on data from real network scenarios, the App Validation Engine (AVE) acts as an App "IQ test" to validate if the proposed changes improve RAN efficiency, and Geolocation exposes geolocated data to r/xApps including 24/7 insights on spatial distribution and mobility dynamics of subscribers. Private Network Intelligence – To support the high reliability and QoS requirements of Private Networks, NITRO Wireless offers signal analysis, timing and synchronization verification, antenna alignment, fiber certification, and coverage and performance testing from design to operation. Network Security – 5G RAN, 5G Core, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), Next Generation Firewalls, VPN and cloud security solutions all need to be compliant against the latest specifications, while ensuring network performance remains uncompromised. NITRO Wireless Open RAN Security Solution provides test coverage that includes 3GPP SCAS compliance, DoS and fuzzing attack, O-Cloud resource exhaustion, protocol validation, port scanning and open fronthaul security test. Digital Twin – Digital Twins can reduce business risk in multiple ways. Test software updates and introduce new services in a safe environment to pre-empt failures when deployed in the live network. NITRO Wireless Digital Twins combine tools such as RAN and Core emulators, assurance solutions, realistic traffic scenarios, and cyberthreats to mirror an operator's network in the lab, allowing network changes and challenges to be planned and implemented with results analyzed before action is taken on the live network. Military Communications – NITRO Wireless integration and test portfolio offers complete end-to-end and subsystem testing of 5G private military radio and core networks. These can be deployed on the ground, via HAPs or via satellite. "While 5G offers new opportunities with an exciting potential to offer connectivity and amidst the race to deploy these networks, it's vital that reliability, stability, and performance testing are done to ensure success. Network resiliency requirements, complexity and risk thresholds are introducing new dynamics," said Shamik Mishra, CTO Connectivity, Capgemini Engineering. "We are very happy to work closely with VIAVI at our '5G-Lab-As-A-Service' in Portugal and global O-RAN engagements to leverage the potential of this emerging technology and contribute to harmonize efforts for connectivity-driven transformation across the industry." "We're excited to work with VIAVI on helping move the industry forward to accelerate the adoption of Open RAN," said Lakshmi Mandyam, vice president, Service Provider Product Management and Partner Ecosystem, VMware. "Our companies share a vision of what it will take to address the challenges hindering adoption by simplifying the path for CSPs to test, profile, and certify third-party xApps and rApps through a common framework. VIAVI's leadership in Open RAN testing and VMware's leadership in RIC make this an ideal collaboration." With each generation, networks grow more layered, disaggregated and complex, said Ian Langley, Senior Vice President, Wireless Business Unit, VIAVI. NITRO Wireless cuts through the technology fog with cloud intelligence and automation based on VIAVI's trusted expertise in performance validation, so our customers can stay focused on the drivers of the top and bottom line. About VIAVI VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) is a global provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions for telecommunications, cloud, enterprises, first responders, military, aerospace and railway. VIAVI is also a leader in light management technologies for 3D sensing, anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, industrial, automotive, government and aerospace applications. In 2023, we celebrate over 100 years of Network Transformation and Optical Innovation. Learn more about VIAVI at www.viavisolutions.com. Follow us on VIAVI Perspectives, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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Network Infrastructure

Arrcus Unveils Groundbreaking ACE-AI Networking Solution at MWC Las Vegas

Business Wire | October 03, 2023

Arrcus, the hyperscale networking software company and a leader in core, edge, and multi-cloud routing and switching infrastructure, is proud to introduce its trailblazing networking solution, Arrcus Connected Edge for AI (ACE-AI), designed to revolutionize the networking industry for AI/ML workloads. In the heart of today's digitally driven world, a monumental transformation is underway. Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has emerged as a powerful force, reshaping entire industries and redefining our digital landscape. At the epicenter of this transformative wave is the exponential growth of datacenter network traffic, driven by GenAI applications. AI/ML workloads will be increasingly distributed – at the Edge, in colos, telco PoPs/datacenters and public clouds. This growth underscores the urgent need for networks to evolve to become distributed, open, lossless and predictable to cater to this revolutionary paradigm shift. "AI networking bandwidth is going to grow over 100% Y/Y in the second half of 2023 and throughout 2024 based on the remarkable growth in vendor revenue associated with AI/ML, and this class of networking bandwidth growth is nearly three times that of traditional data center networking,” said Alan Weckel, Founder and Technology Analyst at 650 Group. “We see AI/ML as a major catalyst for the growth of Data Center switching over the next five years and is likely to be distributed in nature. Arrcus' adaptable ACE-AI platform effectively addresses these demands with its open and flexible network fabric, designed to unify the distributed AI/ML workloads wherever they may reside.” Arrcus' innovative ACE-AI networking solution based on ArcOS delivers a modern, unified network fabric for optimizing GPU and other distributed compute resources with maximum performance for AI/ML workloads. Ethernet as the underlying technology is well suited to address the needs with its inherent benefits for scalability, reliability, flexibility and low latency and ACE-AI builds on Ethernet to seamlessly weave together the entire network infrastructure, spanning from the edge to core to multi-cloud, encompassing switching and routing. Communication Service Providers (CSP), Enterprises and Datacenter operators can now harness the potential of 5G and GenAI by pooling compute resources wherever they may reside across the network to drive business outcomes. “AL/ML workloads, Large Language Models (LLM) and compute-intensive applications like GenAI need to be delivered in a distributed fashion, to enable pooling of scarce, expensive compute resources as well as ensure low latency at the point of consumption,” said Shekar Ayyar, Chairman and CEO, Arrcus. “With Arrcus ACE-AI, Enterprises, CSPs and Hyperscalers now have the ability to transition from the legacy, single vendor networks, to a more modern, scalable, and software-defined network with lower TCO in support of their AI expansion plans.” For next-generation datacenters, ACE-AI enables traditional CLOS and Virtualized Distributed Routing (VDR) architectures, with massive scale and performance to provide lossless, predictable connectivity for GPU clusters with high resiliency, availability and visibility. Features like Priority Flow Control (PFC), intelligent congestion detection and buffering at ingress points to prevent packet drops, ensure lower Job Completion Times (JCT) and tail latency. In the always-on world of GenAI, network high availability is crucial and is supported with features like Hitless Upgrade, reducing software maintenance upgrade times to under 20ms. “High-performing, reliable and low-latency networks that are energy efficient are fundamental to bring the AI/ML disruption to reality. Ethernet with its standards-based approach is perfectly suited to deliver this critical connectivity to the distributed AI paradigm,” said Ram Velaga, senior vice president and general manager, Core Switching Group, Broadcom Inc. “We share Arrcus’ vision and are excited to collaborate with them to create a network fabric that is open, programmatic and first rate performance.” To leverage 5G to deliver GenAI applications at the edge, ACE-AI also benefits from innovations like SRv6 Mobile User Plane (MUP) to enable the automated delivery of network slicing simply, efficiently and cost effectively. Network visibility is paramount for GenAI workloads, and ArcIQ is a modern network visibility and analytics platform that provides networking professionals with real-time, deep views of the networks and devices with actionable insights for proactive incident management and faster troubleshooting. Open networks serve as the cornerstone of adaptability and rapid innovation, and Arrcus supports a wide range of energy conserving merchant silicon and hardware options from multiple ODMs, ranging in speeds from 1G to 400G, across shallow and deep buffer switches, granting customers unprecedented choices. "The AI revolution is underway and demanding a comprehensive reevaluation of network infrastructure development to effectively address requirements of Distributed AI," said Heimdall Siao, President of Edgecore Networks. "We are enthusiastic about our collaboration with Arrcus to build the next-generation infrastructure combining Edgecore's Open Networking platform with Arrcus versatile ACE AI solution." “To adequately address high performance, low latency needs of applications like GenAI, combined with 5G transport it is critical to transition from legacy networking to an open, disaggregated stack that leverages hardware platforms built on the latest merchant silicon combined with scalable, programmable networking stack,” said Vincent Ho, CEO of UfiSpace. “UfiSpace and Arrcus deliver a highly innovative solution to address the 5G and AI revolution.” As GenAI reshapes industries, Arrcus delivers networks to match this dynamism by providing open, lossless, predictable, and distributed networks to lay the foundation for datacenters to flourish in this transformative era. About Arrcus Arrcus was founded to enhance business efficiency through superior network connectivity. The Arrcus Connected Edge (ACE) platform offers best-in-class networking with the most flexible consumption model at the lowest total cost of ownership. The Arrcus team consists of world-class technologists who have an unparalleled record in shipping industry-leading networking products, complemented by industry thought leaders, operating executives, strategic partners and top-tier VCs. The company is headquartered in San Jose, California with offices in Bangalore, India, and Tokyo, Japan. For more information, go to www.arrcus.com or follow @arrcusinc.

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Events