How a modern data stack is unlocking agility across the retail industry

JEFF HUCKABY | May 19, 2021 | 111 views

In today’s shop-from-anywhere world, the model for success continues to change. Tried and true techniques are becoming obsolete as consumer expectations evolve, demand volatility rises, and supply chain disruptions become more frequent. Retailers are also dealing with online shopping surges that add new complexities to existing data strategies due to an influx of raw, unprepped, and largely underutilized data.

Spotlight

Optigo Networks

Optigo Networks makes smart buildings smarter. As a leader in connectivity for smart buildings, Optigo Networks provides a complete solution to connect, protect, and manage the most advanced smart buildings of today and tomorrow...

OTHER ARTICLES
ENTERPRISE MOBILITY

5G Small Cells: The Future of Wireless Networks

Article | June 28, 2022

5G small cells form the backbone of the modern wireless networks. Learn more about this technology is revolutionizing 5G deployment and enabling various use cases across industries in this article. Contents 1 Introduction to 5G Small Cells for Modern Businesses 2 5G Small Cells: Overview 2.1 Characteristics of 5G Small Cells 2.2 How Small Cells Fit into 5G Architecture 3 Benefits of 5G Small Cells for Businesses 3.1 Improved Coverage and Capacity 3.2 Enhanced Network Performance 3.3 Lower Latency 3.4 Cost-effectiveness 4 Use Cases for 5G Small Cells 4.1 Urban Areas 4.2 Rural Areas 4.3 Indoor Environments 5 Conclusion 1 Introduction to 5G Small Cells for Modern Businesses Small cells are low-power radio access nodes that operate in licensed and unlicensed spectrum bands and are typically deployed in areas with high demand for wireless connectivity. They are a vital component of the 5G wireless network architecture and are designed to complement traditional cell towers, providing improved coverage, network capacity, and faster data speeds. Small cells come in several types, including femtocells, picocells, and microcells, and can be deployed according to the use case. 2 5G Small Cells: Overview 2.1 Characteristics of 5G Small Cells 5G small cells are characterized by small form factors and are designed to be compact and discreet for deployment in various settings, such as urban areas, rural areas, indoor environments, and public spaces. In addition, they consume less power than traditional cell towers, making them more energy-efficient. They also operate on high-frequency bands, which enables them to provide faster data speeds and lower latency than traditional cell towers, which makes small cells essential for 5G. The 5G small cell architecture can be deployed in dense networks, providing better coverage and capacity in areas where traditional cell towers may not be able to reach. Also, a 5G small cell antenna can be configured to provide seamless handoffs between cells, ensuring users have a consistent and uninterrupted wireless experience. These characteristics make them ideal for specific 5G use cases, which will be explored further in the article. 2.2 How Small Cells Fit into 5G Architecture Small cells and 5G evolution are closely linked, and this technology is an ideal solution for future wireless networks. They offer greater capacity, coverage, and flexibility than traditional cell towers, allowing them to meet the demands of an increasingly connected world. By operating on high-frequency bands and being deployed in dense networks, small cells in 5G can provide faster data speeds, lower latency, and better coverage than previous generations of wireless networks. Additionally, their small form factor and flexible deployment options allow for use cases like private 5G networks that revolutionize industries. 3 Benefits of 5G Small Cells for Businesses 5G networks will support a massive increase in connected devices, including smartphones, IoT sensors, and other devices. Small cells are critical for achieving the full potential of 5G networks and the exciting new applications and services they will enable. 3.1 Improved Coverage and Capacity 5G small cells offer improved coverage over traditional cell towers in certain situations, particularly in urban areas. Buildings and other obstacles interfere with wireless signals, so the connection quality decreases in areas with such infrastructure. By deploying small cells closer to users, the network can provide better coverage and capacity in these areas. Small cells can also be deployed indoors, providing better coverage and capacity in buildings and other enclosed spaces. This is important due to poor wireless range, signal interference from walls, and other obstacles. By deploying small cells indoors, the network can provide better coverage and capacity in these areas, improving the overall wireless experience for users. 3.2 Enhanced Network Performance The deployment of small cells enables network densification, which allows several devices to connect to the network simultaneously. This can help reduce network congestion and improve overall network performance, particularly in urban areas. They can also be configured to provide seamless handoffs between cells, ensuring that users have a consistent and uninterrupted wireless experience. This is important because users often move between different areas with different coverage levels and capacities, providing a streamlined experience. 3.3 Lower Latency Small cells are designed to operate on high-frequency bands, which enables them to provide faster data speeds and lower latency than prior generations of wireless networks. This is especially important for applications that require real-time communication, such as virtual reality, autonomous vehicles, and remote surgery. By providing faster data speeds and lower latency, small cells can help enhance these applications' performance, providing a better overall user experience. 3.4 Cost-effectiveness Small cells offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional cell towers, particularly in urban areas with high land and real estate costs. By mounting 5G small cell antennas on existing infrastructure, such as lampposts and buildings, deployment costs can be lowered. Additionally, small cells can be deployed in a modular fashion, allowing for targeted and cost-effective expansion based on the required coverage and capacity. This approach avoids large-scale and expensive deployments of new infrastructure. Moreover, small cells can be powered by low-cost, low-power sources like solar panels or batteries, reducing ongoing operational costs. Furthermore, small cells consume less power than traditional cell towers, resulting in lower energy costs. 4 Use Cases for 5G Small Cells 4.1 Urban Areas As discussed previously, small cell radio antennas in 5G can improve networks in dense urban environments, alleviating network congestion and improving data speeds. In addition, by deploying small cells in areas with high user demand, network operators can provide targeted coverage and capacity improvements to specific areas, ensuring that users have fast and reliable connectivity. 4.2 Rural Areas Small cells can be used to extend coverage to underserved or unserved areas by traditional cell towers. They can fill in coverage gaps, providing reliable connectivity to users in rural areas that may not have access to high-quality wireless services. This will enable use cases such as remote workforces in rural areas, smart agriculture, and distance education and training. 4.3 Indoor Environments Traditional cell towers may not be able to provide reliable connectivity indoors due to physical barriers such as thick walls and ceilings. Small cells can provide targeted coverage and capacity to specific areas, such as conference rooms or shopping malls, where users require high-quality wireless connectivity. In addition to improving range, small cells can help alleviate network congestion and improve data speeds in high-traffic indoor environments. 5 Final Thoughts Small cells are a crucial element in developing and implementing 5G technology. By leveraging a small form factor and high-frequency band usage, small cells facilitate the deployment of 5G networks in a more cost-effective and targeted manner than traditional cell towers. They support a wide range of use cases by providing reliable and high-quality wireless connectivity to a growing number of devices. They will continue to be a critical technology for businesses and organizations seeking to leverage the benefits of 5G technology.

Read More
NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

5G Trends That Will Shape the Future of Technology

Article | June 7, 2022

5G trends are shaping the future of various technologies, from the Internet of Things to Virtual Reality. Learn more about the top trends in 5G to stay ahead of the competition in this sector. Contents 1 The Value of 5G for Businesses 2 5G Trends to Watch in 2023 2.1 Shift to Standalone 5G 2.2 Edge Computing for IoT 2.3 Adoption of Private 5G Networks 2.4 General Availability of 5G 2.5 Partnerships for Rapid Deployments 3 Conclusion 1 The Value of 5G for Businesses The fifth-generation network technology, or 5G, promises to revolutionize the way businesses communicate and operate. It offers lower latency, faster data transfer speeds, more robust security, and new and enhanced experiences. These capabilities enable 5G to support high-quality video conferencing, real-time collaboration, immersive virtual experiences, and more. By investing in 5G, businesses can stay competitive and meet the evolving needs of their employees and customers. With the growing adoption and use cases of this technology, keeping up with the technology trends in 5G is essential for staying ahead in today's business landscape. 2 5G Trends to Watch in 2023 2.1 Shift to Standalone 5G The rapid deployment of 5G across the world has been made possible due to the existence of an already-established 4G infrastructure. This has allowed operators to concentrate on developing the radio access network components while relying on 4G networks as a failsafe. This approach has enabled operators to deploy 5G networks at a faster pace, thereby allowing the benefits of this technology trend to reach a wider audience. The integration of a 5G core and radio forms the backbone of 5G infrastructure, enabling the 5G stand-alone network to achieve its full potential. Wireless providers have been actively promoting the key features of 5G, such as ultra-low latency and complete network slicing, which are exclusively available through the stand-alone version of this advanced technology. By utilizing this emerging technology, businesses can unlock an entirely new level of performance, allowing them to deliver innovative and immersive services to their end-users. Stand-alone 5G is also a necessity for certain unique use cases, and many 5G trends in 2023 will rely on its capabilities. It is essential for businesses to understand the benefits of this advanced technology and adopt it to remain competitive in the ever-evolving digital landscape. 2.2 Edge Computing for IoT The convergence of 5G technology and IoT is transforming how businesses operate across industry verticals. This 5G trend enables edge computing for the IoT by providing low-latency and high-bandwidth connectivity. With 5G, data can be transmitted and processed at the edge of the network, closer to the source of the data, rather than being sent to a central data center for processing. While extensive IoT fleets can operate on a 4G network, a 5G network will improve upon those capabilities with massive multiple-input, multiple output capabilities, enabling an increased number of devices to connect with the cell tower. This is especially useful in IIoT, where a large number of IoT devices are present within a small area, which requires this level of connectivity. The low latency and high bandwidth offered by 5G infrastructure also support innovative IoT solutions, such as integrating artificial intelligence, by enabling real-time processing of data and faster response times. Edge computing allows IoT devices to perform complex processing tasks and make decisions locally, rather than relying on a centralized cloud server. Businesses that operate in industries that require real-time processing will especially benefit from the digital transformation through 5G. 2.3 Adoption of Private 5G Networks Private wireless networks are suitable for many industrial applications, and the market for private 5G networks is set to expand rapidly. Private 5G networks offer greater cybersecurity, control, and reliability, making them ideal for mission-critical applications that require high levels of security and privacy. This is one of the key 5G trends because it is applicable to industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and finance, where IoT devices collect and share sensitive data that requires greater cybersecurity. Businesses can also utilize private 5G networks to benefit from higher bandwidth, lower latency, and greater flexibility compared to public networks. Private 5G networks can be customized and tailored to meet the specific requirements of each application, making them ideal for specialized functions. As more enterprises look to benefit from network-intensive technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and big data, the demand for private wireless networks will continue to rise. Network operators are also more willing to offer private 5G networks because they represent a new revenue stream and a growth opportunity while also allowing them to provide a more personalized service to their customers. 2.4 General Availability of 5G The 5G trends have moved towards access to 5G across the world, with 5G now available in 95 countries and reaching to more than 1.2 billion people. 5G networks are becoming more widespread in 2023, and as a result, many 5G trends and technologies are expected to emerge. Furthermore, 5G has become standard across all premium devices and many mid-range ones, making it an attractive option for consumers. For businesses, this means a whole new world of possibilities. 5G networks offer faster speeds, higher bandwidth, and lower latency, enabling businesses to offer more innovative products and services. With the increased availability of 5G, businesses can develop and deploy emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning, augmented reality, and virtual reality. Remote work and related use cases will also rise in popularity as 5G becomes more common. However, the distribution of 5G networks differs by region. 5G trends indicate that urban populations will likely be the first beneficiaries of public 5G rollouts and will benefit the most from 5G capabilities such as network densification and massive MIMO. With the deployment of 5G small cells for connectivity, 5G networks will support new use cases and faster, more reliable connectivity for the general public, especially in urban areas. 2.5 Partnerships for Rapid Deployments By connecting disjointed B2B and B2C networks with ecosystems, service providers can become service enablers, working with businesses, consumers, and even competitors to create unique 5G offerings. Digital transformation is possible through new approaches to partnerships, through which service providers manage commoditization pressures and a hyper-competitive market. Partnerships also provide businesses with access to industry skill sets that are in high demand, such as cloud, cybersecurity, and automation. By partnering with players who are already experts, cellular network providers offer specialized solutions to their customers that they may not have been able to provide otherwise. Hosted labs also help to speed ecosystem validation of use cases and new technology, ensuring that solutions are effective and efficient. Furthermore, partnerships enable service providers to create products with global scale, as demonstrated by SAP, IBM, ServiceNow, and Deutsche Telekom, which have collaborated to create global connectivity offerings ranging from 5G to software-defined networks. In the race to increase revenue and control costs in the 5G industry, collaborating with industry experts and integrating solutions will become one of the key 5G technology trends. Through collaboration, service providers can offer unique solutions to their customers, access necessary industry skill sets, and create products with global scale. These partnerships are necessary for businesses to remain competitive in an ever-changing market. 3 Conclusion The ongoing rollout of 5G networks is set to transform businesses across all industries, bringing faster speeds, lower latency, and the ability to connect more devices than ever before. As technology continues to evolve, businesses need to stay up-to-date with the future trends in 5G in order to take advantage of its full potential. The growing demand for low latency and massive connectivity due to new use cases such as edge computing and the IoT is driving the growth of 5G networks. These trends will enable businesses to create new products and services, increase efficiency and productivity, and ultimately transform the way they operate. As 5G networks continue to mature, businesses that invest in this technology will have a competitive advantage over those that do not. They will be able to deliver faster, more reliable services to customers, streamline operations, and reduce costs. With the right approach, organizations can capitalize on the latest trends in 5G and unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation in the years to come.

Read More
WIRELESS, 5G

SA and NSA: The Difference Between 5G Architectures

Article | May 18, 2023

Choosing the right 5G architecture is crucial for enhancing operations while keeping scalability and budget in mind. Learn whether SA or NSA is more suitable for your business needs with this article. 1. Introduction to 5G Network Architectures 2. What is 5G SA? 2.1 Characteristics of SA Architecture 2.2 Benefits of SA Architecture 3. What is 5G NSA? 3.1 Characteristics of NSA Architecture 3.2 Benefits of NSA Architecture 4. Factors to Consider When Choosing Between SA and NSA 4.1 Cost Implications of Each Architecture 4.2 Future Implications of Each Architecture 5. Conclusion 1. Introduction to 5G Network Architectures Widespread implementation of 5G is transforming how businesses across verticals operate, providing enhanced speed, low latency, and massive connectivity. The advancements in 5G system architecture enable new use cases, from autonomous vehicles to smart cities. There are currently two types of 5G network architecture, namely 5G standalone (5G SA) and 5G non-standalone (5G NSA). These two architectures differ in how they connect to the existing 4G infrastructure, the type of equipment required, and the level of network independence. Therefore, understanding the difference between SA and NSA is crucial for companies and organizations implementing 5G architecture. 2. What is 5G SA? 5G SA architecture is an entirely new technology that uses 5G core network architecture, independent of the current 4G LTE network. It has various use cases, such as combining 5G with AI and edge use cases. 2.1 Characteristics of SA Architecture Independent Network: All components of the architecture, including the 5G core architecture, radio access network, and user equipment, are not reliant on any 4G technology. High Performance: 5G SA architecture is optimized for high performance and low latency, enabling fast data transfer rates and near-instantaneous response times. Distributed Architecture: This allows efficient resource allocation and dynamic management of network resources. End-to-End Encryption: It provides end-to-end encryption, which ensures that data is secure and protected from unauthorized access. Higher Cost: 5G SA architecture is more expensive to implement than NSA architecture due to the need for a fully independent 5G network infrastructure. 2.2 Benefits of SA Architecture Low Latency: Applications of 5G that require real-time processing are only possible with SA architecture. Customization: As SA does not depend on existing network architecture, it can be tailored to company requirements. It also enables network slicing for 5G enterprise private network use cases. Security: End-to-end encryptions ensure a more secure network, and 5G network slicing keeps various access levels separate. Scalability: 5G architecture is designed to be highly scalable and handle large volumes of data and devices. Future-proofing: SA architecture will be able to support upcoming 5G features and capabilities by design. 3. What is 5G NSA? 5G NSA provides a transition into 'true' 5G architecture by incorporating 4G network infrastructure for deployment. 3.1 Characteristics of NSA Architecture Non-Independent Network: 5G NSA architecture is designed to leverage the existing 4G infrastructure to deliver 5G services. Transition to SA: NSA offers lower latencies and faster speeds than 4G LTE without deploying 5G architecture. Integrated Deployment: 5G NSA can be deployed quickly since it integrates existing infrastructure. Limited Scalability: As it relies on the existing 4G infrastructure, NSA is limited in scaling. Low Scalability: There is a lower limit on how many devices can join the network and the data volume that can be processed on NSA. 3.2 Benefits of NSA Architecture Faster Deployment: 5G NSA architecture can be deployed more rapidly than SA architecture. Easier Integration: 4G integration with existing networks is easier since it uses architecture. Cost-effective: 5G NSA architecture is generally less expensive to implement as it doesn't require a complete overhaul of the existing infrastructure to a 5G core architecture. Improvement Over 4G: While not providing the speed and low latency of 'true' 5G, NSA offers significant improvements over 4G networks. 4. Factors to Consider When Choosing Between SA and NSA 4.1 Cost Implications of Each Architecture SA architecture requires a complete overhaul of the existing infrastructure, which can result in higher infrastructure and deployment costs. However, SA architecture can be more cost-effective in the long run due to its future-proof design and ability to provide greater scalability and customization. On the other hand, NSA architecture leverages the existing 4G infrastructure, resulting in lower infrastructure and deployment costs. However, upgrading and maintaining an existing 4G network to support 5G technology can be complex and may result in higher operational costs in the long run. 4.2 Future Implications of Each Architecture SA architecture is designed to be future-proof and scalable, supporting upcoming 5G features and capabilities. This can give organizations greater flexibility and agility to respond to changing business needs and emerging technologies. On the other hand, NSA architecture may be less future-proof and require additional investments in infrastructure and resources to support new 5G features and capabilities. 5. Conclusion While NSA architecture may offer lower upfront costs and a faster deployment timeline, SA architecture may be more future-proof and scalable in the long run. Choosing the appropriate 5G architecture is a critical determinant for organizations aiming to utilize 5G technology in building a connected industry of the future. Organizations must evaluate their requirements and consider each architecture's short and long-term costs and operational implications before making a decision.

Read More

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

Article | February 13, 2020

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

Spotlight

Optigo Networks

Optigo Networks makes smart buildings smarter. As a leader in connectivity for smart buildings, Optigo Networks provides a complete solution to connect, protect, and manage the most advanced smart buildings of today and tomorrow...

Related News

DATA CENTER NETWORKING

NV5 Acquires AT Advanced Technologies, Strengthening Data Center Commissioning and Mission Critical Services

NV5 | December 29, 2021

NV5 Global, Inc. (the “Company” or “NV5”) (Nasdaq: NVEE), a provider of compliance, technology, engineering, and environmental consulting solutions, announced that it has acquired AT Advanced Technologies Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. (AT), an international consulting firm providing commissioning management and engineering services for high tech facilities and data centers. AT’s clients include large international technology and financial companies that depend on the efficiency and reliability of mission-critical data centers for their day-to-day operations. The acquisition was made with a combination of cash and stock and will be immediately accretive to NV5’s earnings. “Data center commissioning and mission critical engineering is a high-margin, high-growth sector that NV5 entered in early 2021 with the successful acquisition of Industrial Design Associates International,Singapore is one of the largest and fastest growing data center markets in the world, and AT Advanced Technologies’ give us a competitive edge in capitalizing on data center market growth in Singapore and throughout Southeast Asia.” -Dickerson Wright, PE, Chairman & CEO of NV5. Founded in 1999, AT has completed more than 350 projects in Asia and Australia and operates out of three offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, and India. “We are excited to join NV5 and the acquisition strengthens our existing platform for further expansion,” said Victor John Carey, CEO and Founder at AT Advanced Technologies. “AT Advanced Technologies complements our energy efficiency and building analytics services and expands our international commissioning capabilities. We look forward to presenting our combined capabilities to existing customers and new client pursuits,” - Gary Hui, PE, Vice President of NV5 Energy Efficiency and Mission Critical Services. About AT Advanced Technologies AT Advanced Technologies is a building services engineering, commissioning management, and energy management consulting firm providing clients with integrated skills and expertise to match the expectation of blue chip multi-national companies. With a unique blend of qualified technical staff from the UK, Australia, Singapore, and various countries in South East Asia, AT Advanced Technologies delivers world class services to clients in the financial and technology markets. AT Advanced Technologies is a member of the USGBC (LEED), the Commissioning Specialists Association (CSA) and is bizSAFE Star certified. About NV5 NV5 Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVEE) is a provider of compliance, technology, engineering, and environmental consulting solutions for public and private sector clients supporting sustainable infrastructure, utility, and building assets and systems. The Company focuses on multiple verticals: testing, inspection & consulting, infrastructure, utility services, buildings & program management, environmental health sciences, and geospatial technology services to deliver innovative, sustainable solutions to complex issues and improve lives in our communities. NV5 operates out of more than 100 offices nationwide and abroad. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at www.NV5.com. Also visit the Company on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Read More

NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

Broadcom Empowers Meta’s Data Center Network Fabric With World’s Highest Bandwidth Ethernet Switch Chip

Broadcom | November 10, 2021

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) announced that Meta is now deploying the world’s highest bandwidth Ethernet switch chip, the Broadcom StrataXGS® Tomahawk® 4 switch series, in its data center network fabric. A leading-edge 25.6 Tbps Ethernet switch, the Tomahawk4 is now shipping in high volume in Meta’s Minipack2 platform— an industry first. “Broadcom is pleased to support Meta and its ecosystem partners on the transition to a leading-edge 25.6Tbps networking fabric, Our multi-year collaborative effort has resulted in the successful integration of multiple generations of the marketplace’s highest bandwidth Tomahawk switch chip into Meta’s industry- leading Wedge400 and Minipack2 networking platforms.” -Ram Velaga, senior vice president and general manager, Core Switching Group, Broadcom The Tomahawk family has consistently led the market in switching bandwidth. This has continued with the Tomahawk4 family shipping in volume for over one year, remaining the only 25.6Tbps solution in production today. Members of the Tomahawk4 family, currently in production, include the Tomahawk4-50G, Tomahawk4-100G and Tomahawk4-12.8T. The Tomahawk4 switch series provides the world’s lowest power per bit of throughput, enabling significant savings in operational expense and allowing for ultra-high density network equipment. The variety of SerDes speeds and bandwidth points provided by the Tomahawk4 devices, enable direct connection to high-volume 200Gbps, 400Gbps, and 800Gbps optics. The Broadcom Tomahawk3, the Tomahawk4’s predecessor, has been shipping in production since 2018. It has been deployed in Meta’s previous and current generation platforms. The Tomahawk4 and Tomahawk3 are the foundation of numerous hyperscale data center fabrics worldwide with a broad ecosystem of ODMs, OEMs, and Network Operating System partners. In addition to Tomahawk4, Minipack2 uses Broadcom’s 7nm Barchetta2, a 16×56-Gb/s full-duplex PHY, featuring demonstrated interoperability with Broadcom merchant switches and ASICs. This 400G/200G/100G retimer is designed with industry-leading 56-Gbps PAM4 Serdes architecture that supports greater than 30dB of insertion loss on both host and line interfaces. Ram Velaga, senior vice president and general manager, Broadcom, will join Omar Baldanado, director of Engineering, Meta, on stage at the 2021 Open Compute Project Global Summit in San Jose, California, to discuss the companies’ multi-collaborative efforts. The session titled, Networking and New Data Center Challenges- Presented by Meta,” will take place at 9:17a.m., SJCC- Concourse Level- Grand Ballroom 220. Availability Tomahawk 4, Tomahawk 3, and Barchetta2 are currently in high volume production. For more information on the Tomahawk switch series, Barchetta2, and all Broadcom products and solutions please click here. About Broadcom Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO) is a global technology leader that designs, develops and supplies a broad range of semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions. Broadcom’s category-leading product portfolio serves critical markets including data center, networking, enterprise software, broadband, wireless, storage and industrial. Our solutions include data center networking and storage, enterprise, mainframe and cyber security software focused on automation, monitoring and security, smartphone components, telecoms and factory automation. For more information, go to https://www.broadcom.com.

Read More

DATA CENTER NETWORKING

Rockport Networks Unveils Switchless Network to Drive New Era of Innovation in Data Center Performance

Rockport | October 27, 2021

Rockport Networks announces the commercial availability of its new switchless network architecture that delivers industry-leading performance and scalability necessary for performance-intensive computing workloads including HPC, AI and ML. Addressing the longstanding data center chokepoints that are throttling innovation, the Rockport Switchless Network offers a completely new design, using breakthrough software and data-routing techniques to overcome congestion, delivering predictable performance improvements of more than 3X that of centralized switch-intensive networks.The Rockport Switchless Network distributes the network switching function to endpoint devices, where these devices (nodes) become the network. By eliminating layers of switches, the Rockport Switchless Network also significantly frees up rack space to be better used by compute and storage, as well as creating savings in associated power, cooling, and administrative overhead. No longer are compute and storage resources starving for data, and researchers have more predictability regarding workload completion time. “Rockport was founded based on the fact that switching, and networking in general, is extremely complicated. Over the years, this complexity has forced organizations to make tradeoffs when it comes to performance at scale, so we decided to make it simpler,We made it our mission to get data from a source to a destination faster than other technologies. Removing the switch was crucial to achieve significant performance advantages in an environmentally and commercially sustainable way.” - Doug Carwardine, CEO and co-founder, Rockport Networks Rethinking network switches creates an opportunity to leverage direct interconnect topologies that provide a connectivity mesh in which every network endpoint can efficiently forward traffic to every other endpoint. The Rockport Switchless Network is a distributed, highly reliable, high-performance interconnect providing pre-wired supercomputer topologies through a standard plug-and-play Ethernet interface. The Rockport Network Operating System (rNOS) is software at the core of the Rockport Switchless Network and runs on the Network Card, fully offloaded from the compute cores and server operating system. The rNOS enables the network to self-discover, self-configure and self-heal. Like a navigation app for data, this patented approach selects and continually optimizes the best path through the network to minimize congestion and latency, while breaking down packets into smaller pieces (FLITs) to ensure high-priority messages are not blocked by large messages or bulk data transfers. Designed to integrate easily into existing and emerging data centers, the Rockport Switchless Network installs in a fraction of the time required to cable traditional switch-based networks. As an embeddable architecture, it will work in any form factor. The software is deployed and managed using three main components: The Rockport NC1225: The NC1225 is the industry’s first true Network Card, replacing standard network interface cards (NIC) within servers and storage enclosures, along with the layers of switches that form traditional network fabrics. It adaptively aggregates the bandwidth of multiple parallel network paths, drawing from 300 Gbps of available network capacity. The Rockport SHFL: The SHFL eliminates months of wiring with a single optical device, this new passive cabling invention provides a simple way for end users to implement sophisticated supercomputing network architectures in a fraction of the time of switched networks. The Rockport SHFL is available in multiple versions to help simply scale out networks. The Rockport Autonomous Network Manager (ANM): The ANM offers a holistic view and deep insight of the active network. It continuously monitors all aspects of the network and stores historical data for 60 days with the most recent seven days collected at high fidelity within the timeline. Rockport’s technology delivers significant TCO, sustainability and security benefits including: Eliminates the need for redundant devices for reliability De-materializes and de-carbonizes the data center, reducing carbon footprint Requires between 34% and 69% less energy consumption when compared to switch-based technologies Eliminates up to 72% of cabling requirements Reduces rack space and weight in the network by as much as 77% Protects against security breaches as a result of continual re-optimization of data paths “When the root of the problem is the architecture, building a better switch just didn’t make sense,With sophisticated algorithms and other purpose-built software breakthroughs, we have solved for congestion, so our customers no longer need to just throw bandwidth at their networking issues. We’ve focused on real-world performance requirements to set a new standard for what the market should expect for the fabrics of the future.” -Matt Williams, CTO, Rockport Networks. After an extensive beta program for cloud service providers and elite government and academic research labs, the Rockport Switchless Network is being deployed by customers including the University of Texas’ Advanced Computing Center (TACC). The company is also working with industry organizations including Ohio State University (OSU) to contribute to performance-intensive networking standards. The Rockport Switchless Network is available immediately.For additional information including full product details, please visit: https://rockportnetworks.com/. About Rockport Networks Rockport Networks’ next-generation of high-performance networks unlocks the entire data center to produce more results, faster, and with better economics and environmental sustainability. Modeled after the world’s fastest supercomputers, the Rockport Switchless Network replaces centralized switch architectures with a distributed, high-performance direct interconnect that is self-discovering, self-configuring and self-healing, and that is simple and transparent to operate. By virtually eliminating congestion and latency, data center workloads can be completed significantly faster, enabling organizations to improve ROI and make critical decisions more quickly. Learn more at www.rockportnetworks.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Read More

DATA CENTER NETWORKING

NV5 Acquires AT Advanced Technologies, Strengthening Data Center Commissioning and Mission Critical Services

NV5 | December 29, 2021

NV5 Global, Inc. (the “Company” or “NV5”) (Nasdaq: NVEE), a provider of compliance, technology, engineering, and environmental consulting solutions, announced that it has acquired AT Advanced Technologies Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. (AT), an international consulting firm providing commissioning management and engineering services for high tech facilities and data centers. AT’s clients include large international technology and financial companies that depend on the efficiency and reliability of mission-critical data centers for their day-to-day operations. The acquisition was made with a combination of cash and stock and will be immediately accretive to NV5’s earnings. “Data center commissioning and mission critical engineering is a high-margin, high-growth sector that NV5 entered in early 2021 with the successful acquisition of Industrial Design Associates International,Singapore is one of the largest and fastest growing data center markets in the world, and AT Advanced Technologies’ give us a competitive edge in capitalizing on data center market growth in Singapore and throughout Southeast Asia.” -Dickerson Wright, PE, Chairman & CEO of NV5. Founded in 1999, AT has completed more than 350 projects in Asia and Australia and operates out of three offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, and India. “We are excited to join NV5 and the acquisition strengthens our existing platform for further expansion,” said Victor John Carey, CEO and Founder at AT Advanced Technologies. “AT Advanced Technologies complements our energy efficiency and building analytics services and expands our international commissioning capabilities. We look forward to presenting our combined capabilities to existing customers and new client pursuits,” - Gary Hui, PE, Vice President of NV5 Energy Efficiency and Mission Critical Services. About AT Advanced Technologies AT Advanced Technologies is a building services engineering, commissioning management, and energy management consulting firm providing clients with integrated skills and expertise to match the expectation of blue chip multi-national companies. With a unique blend of qualified technical staff from the UK, Australia, Singapore, and various countries in South East Asia, AT Advanced Technologies delivers world class services to clients in the financial and technology markets. AT Advanced Technologies is a member of the USGBC (LEED), the Commissioning Specialists Association (CSA) and is bizSAFE Star certified. About NV5 NV5 Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVEE) is a provider of compliance, technology, engineering, and environmental consulting solutions for public and private sector clients supporting sustainable infrastructure, utility, and building assets and systems. The Company focuses on multiple verticals: testing, inspection & consulting, infrastructure, utility services, buildings & program management, environmental health sciences, and geospatial technology services to deliver innovative, sustainable solutions to complex issues and improve lives in our communities. NV5 operates out of more than 100 offices nationwide and abroad. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at www.NV5.com. Also visit the Company on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Read More

NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

Broadcom Empowers Meta’s Data Center Network Fabric With World’s Highest Bandwidth Ethernet Switch Chip

Broadcom | November 10, 2021

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) announced that Meta is now deploying the world’s highest bandwidth Ethernet switch chip, the Broadcom StrataXGS® Tomahawk® 4 switch series, in its data center network fabric. A leading-edge 25.6 Tbps Ethernet switch, the Tomahawk4 is now shipping in high volume in Meta’s Minipack2 platform— an industry first. “Broadcom is pleased to support Meta and its ecosystem partners on the transition to a leading-edge 25.6Tbps networking fabric, Our multi-year collaborative effort has resulted in the successful integration of multiple generations of the marketplace’s highest bandwidth Tomahawk switch chip into Meta’s industry- leading Wedge400 and Minipack2 networking platforms.” -Ram Velaga, senior vice president and general manager, Core Switching Group, Broadcom The Tomahawk family has consistently led the market in switching bandwidth. This has continued with the Tomahawk4 family shipping in volume for over one year, remaining the only 25.6Tbps solution in production today. Members of the Tomahawk4 family, currently in production, include the Tomahawk4-50G, Tomahawk4-100G and Tomahawk4-12.8T. The Tomahawk4 switch series provides the world’s lowest power per bit of throughput, enabling significant savings in operational expense and allowing for ultra-high density network equipment. The variety of SerDes speeds and bandwidth points provided by the Tomahawk4 devices, enable direct connection to high-volume 200Gbps, 400Gbps, and 800Gbps optics. The Broadcom Tomahawk3, the Tomahawk4’s predecessor, has been shipping in production since 2018. It has been deployed in Meta’s previous and current generation platforms. The Tomahawk4 and Tomahawk3 are the foundation of numerous hyperscale data center fabrics worldwide with a broad ecosystem of ODMs, OEMs, and Network Operating System partners. In addition to Tomahawk4, Minipack2 uses Broadcom’s 7nm Barchetta2, a 16×56-Gb/s full-duplex PHY, featuring demonstrated interoperability with Broadcom merchant switches and ASICs. This 400G/200G/100G retimer is designed with industry-leading 56-Gbps PAM4 Serdes architecture that supports greater than 30dB of insertion loss on both host and line interfaces. Ram Velaga, senior vice president and general manager, Broadcom, will join Omar Baldanado, director of Engineering, Meta, on stage at the 2021 Open Compute Project Global Summit in San Jose, California, to discuss the companies’ multi-collaborative efforts. The session titled, Networking and New Data Center Challenges- Presented by Meta,” will take place at 9:17a.m., SJCC- Concourse Level- Grand Ballroom 220. Availability Tomahawk 4, Tomahawk 3, and Barchetta2 are currently in high volume production. For more information on the Tomahawk switch series, Barchetta2, and all Broadcom products and solutions please click here. About Broadcom Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO) is a global technology leader that designs, develops and supplies a broad range of semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions. Broadcom’s category-leading product portfolio serves critical markets including data center, networking, enterprise software, broadband, wireless, storage and industrial. Our solutions include data center networking and storage, enterprise, mainframe and cyber security software focused on automation, monitoring and security, smartphone components, telecoms and factory automation. For more information, go to https://www.broadcom.com.

Read More

DATA CENTER NETWORKING

Rockport Networks Unveils Switchless Network to Drive New Era of Innovation in Data Center Performance

Rockport | October 27, 2021

Rockport Networks announces the commercial availability of its new switchless network architecture that delivers industry-leading performance and scalability necessary for performance-intensive computing workloads including HPC, AI and ML. Addressing the longstanding data center chokepoints that are throttling innovation, the Rockport Switchless Network offers a completely new design, using breakthrough software and data-routing techniques to overcome congestion, delivering predictable performance improvements of more than 3X that of centralized switch-intensive networks.The Rockport Switchless Network distributes the network switching function to endpoint devices, where these devices (nodes) become the network. By eliminating layers of switches, the Rockport Switchless Network also significantly frees up rack space to be better used by compute and storage, as well as creating savings in associated power, cooling, and administrative overhead. No longer are compute and storage resources starving for data, and researchers have more predictability regarding workload completion time. “Rockport was founded based on the fact that switching, and networking in general, is extremely complicated. Over the years, this complexity has forced organizations to make tradeoffs when it comes to performance at scale, so we decided to make it simpler,We made it our mission to get data from a source to a destination faster than other technologies. Removing the switch was crucial to achieve significant performance advantages in an environmentally and commercially sustainable way.” - Doug Carwardine, CEO and co-founder, Rockport Networks Rethinking network switches creates an opportunity to leverage direct interconnect topologies that provide a connectivity mesh in which every network endpoint can efficiently forward traffic to every other endpoint. The Rockport Switchless Network is a distributed, highly reliable, high-performance interconnect providing pre-wired supercomputer topologies through a standard plug-and-play Ethernet interface. The Rockport Network Operating System (rNOS) is software at the core of the Rockport Switchless Network and runs on the Network Card, fully offloaded from the compute cores and server operating system. The rNOS enables the network to self-discover, self-configure and self-heal. Like a navigation app for data, this patented approach selects and continually optimizes the best path through the network to minimize congestion and latency, while breaking down packets into smaller pieces (FLITs) to ensure high-priority messages are not blocked by large messages or bulk data transfers. Designed to integrate easily into existing and emerging data centers, the Rockport Switchless Network installs in a fraction of the time required to cable traditional switch-based networks. As an embeddable architecture, it will work in any form factor. The software is deployed and managed using three main components: The Rockport NC1225: The NC1225 is the industry’s first true Network Card, replacing standard network interface cards (NIC) within servers and storage enclosures, along with the layers of switches that form traditional network fabrics. It adaptively aggregates the bandwidth of multiple parallel network paths, drawing from 300 Gbps of available network capacity. The Rockport SHFL: The SHFL eliminates months of wiring with a single optical device, this new passive cabling invention provides a simple way for end users to implement sophisticated supercomputing network architectures in a fraction of the time of switched networks. The Rockport SHFL is available in multiple versions to help simply scale out networks. The Rockport Autonomous Network Manager (ANM): The ANM offers a holistic view and deep insight of the active network. It continuously monitors all aspects of the network and stores historical data for 60 days with the most recent seven days collected at high fidelity within the timeline. Rockport’s technology delivers significant TCO, sustainability and security benefits including: Eliminates the need for redundant devices for reliability De-materializes and de-carbonizes the data center, reducing carbon footprint Requires between 34% and 69% less energy consumption when compared to switch-based technologies Eliminates up to 72% of cabling requirements Reduces rack space and weight in the network by as much as 77% Protects against security breaches as a result of continual re-optimization of data paths “When the root of the problem is the architecture, building a better switch just didn’t make sense,With sophisticated algorithms and other purpose-built software breakthroughs, we have solved for congestion, so our customers no longer need to just throw bandwidth at their networking issues. We’ve focused on real-world performance requirements to set a new standard for what the market should expect for the fabrics of the future.” -Matt Williams, CTO, Rockport Networks. After an extensive beta program for cloud service providers and elite government and academic research labs, the Rockport Switchless Network is being deployed by customers including the University of Texas’ Advanced Computing Center (TACC). The company is also working with industry organizations including Ohio State University (OSU) to contribute to performance-intensive networking standards. The Rockport Switchless Network is available immediately.For additional information including full product details, please visit: https://rockportnetworks.com/. About Rockport Networks Rockport Networks’ next-generation of high-performance networks unlocks the entire data center to produce more results, faster, and with better economics and environmental sustainability. Modeled after the world’s fastest supercomputers, the Rockport Switchless Network replaces centralized switch architectures with a distributed, high-performance direct interconnect that is self-discovering, self-configuring and self-healing, and that is simple and transparent to operate. By virtually eliminating congestion and latency, data center workloads can be completed significantly faster, enabling organizations to improve ROI and make critical decisions more quickly. Learn more at www.rockportnetworks.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Read More

Events