Masergy a revelation for the CTO of Profit Enhancement Systems

After years as the CIO for Panavision, John Buccola became the CTO for IT consultancy Profit Enhancement Systems (PES). See how his years of partnering with Masergy to deliver innovative solutions made John a vocal supporter of Masergy Managed SD-WAN, Unified Communications, and Managed Security solutions.

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Ascendum Solutions

Ascendum provides innovative and accelerated digital transformation solutions, quality assurance services, SAAS-based product solutions, and staffing of on-demand talent to enterprise clients. Ascendum has excelled at automation and integration by leveraging industry expertise, global scale and emerging technology excellence.

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Data Center Networking

Singtel delivers a model for future 5G and edge connectivity

Article | July 5, 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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Network Infrastructure, Network Management

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

Article | July 10, 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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Network Infrastructure, Network Management

Ericsson researchers top 4.3Gbps downlink on 5G millimeter wave

Article | July 27, 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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Ascendum Solutions

Ascendum provides innovative and accelerated digital transformation solutions, quality assurance services, SAAS-based product solutions, and staffing of on-demand talent to enterprise clients. Ascendum has excelled at automation and integration by leveraging industry expertise, global scale and emerging technology excellence.

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Mobile OS

Celona Signs Agreement to Advance the State of Seamless Mobile Connectivity at Stanford Health Care

GlobeNewswire | September 28, 2023

Celona, a pioneer and innovator of private mobile network solutions, today announced that Stanford Health Care (SHC) is standardizing on Celona’s 5G LAN products and technology. The solution is being deployed within its hospitals and clinics to advance the quality and speed of healthcare services and electronic communications for doctors, clinicians, patients, visitors and staff. The agreement, focused on delivering the first of its kind CBRS-based private wireless and neutral host connectivity services, will provide in-building public cellular coverage for T-Mobile subscribers along with highly reliable private cellular network connectivity and mobility services to support critical care use cases. Stanford Health Care will initially implement Celona private wireless and neutral host services across four buildings, including a hospital facility and three medical offices. This deployment is anticipated to inform future installations across other Stanford Health Care locations. Today’s healthcare organizations increasingly rely on wireless connectivity to optimize internal operations and improve the care experience for patients, visitors, doctors, and clinicians. Traditional Wi-Fi and distributed antenna systems (DAS) have inherent limitations in addressing the growing demand for seamless mobility and reliable, pervasive wireless coverage. Addressing these challenges, Stanford Health Care will deploy Celona's 5G LAN and neutral host architecture that leverages shared cellular spectrum and existing enterprise network resources to create an efficient, cost-effective communications infrastructure. The new public/private wireless network ensures the highest levels of connectivity, security, and uninterrupted mobility for all users, regardless of facility size. The network will also enable new private wireless use cases such as critical clinical communications and digital mobile applications on devices like mobile devices, handhelds, connected IoT devices etc. Stanford Health Care’s new private wireless infrastructure will be based on Celona's 4G/5G CBRS radio access network technology integrated into SHC's existing IP network and connected to Celona's cloud-based Multi-Operator Exchange Network (MOXN) service. This modern approach to improving in-building cellular signal coverage gives organizations more control over the user experience. All mobile subscriber connections are automatically aggregated and directed through a single secure tunnel to the mobile network operator (MNO) core thereby guaranteeing a seamless and reliable user experience. In the initial phase, this solution will provide T-Mobile service, with the potential to provide service for other mobile network operators in the future. "Stanford Health Care is at the forefront of innovation, aiming to provide the best healthcare experience possible, for both our patients and our staff," stated Christian Lindmark, CTO of Stanford Health Care. “In addition to providing in-building cellular signal, our vision includes using the platform to create a secure, private wireless network for core medical wireless technologies, such as clinical communication, patient monitoring and clinical video feeds.” Celona's Multi-Operator Exchange Network (MOXN) technology — a cloud-hosted software exchange that streamlines operations by eliminating cumbersome hardware — ensures a seamless user experience while meeting subscriber service level agreements and key performance indicators. Clinical Mobility, a leader in healthcare wireless communication, will provide design, engineering, implementation, and ongoing support for the project. Over the last year, Clinical Mobility leveraged their experience in wireless technologies in healthcare to advise Stanford. This advice has covered understanding the key use cases for this technology in the Stanford environment as well as assisting with an analysis of various vendors in the market. Clinical Mobility is also expanding the partnership with Celona to the broader healthcare market. "We are proud to collaborate with Stanford Health Care to redefine mobile experiences within healthcare," said Rajeev Shah, Co-Founder and CEO of Celona. "Our 5G LAN solution, combined with the cloud-based MOXN technology, will reshape in-building wireless economics through shared infrastructure, ultimately advancing the future of healthcare connectivity." This deployment represents a leap forward in healthcare innovation, embedding private 5G connectivity into the heart of patient care. This transformational technology is set to reshape healthcare by integrating advanced solutions into medical facilities. Celona's 5G LAN solutions empower healthcare professionals to access real time data, remote diagnostics, and telemedicine services at their fingertips. This milestone marks the beginning of a new era in connected healthcare where private 5G connectivity establishes a gold standard for efficiency, accuracy, and patient well-being. About Celona Based in Silicon Valley, Celona is a pioneer and leading innovator of enterprise private wireless solutions. The company is credited with developing the industry’s first 5G LAN system, a turnkey 4G/5G system that enables enterprises and mobile network operators to address the growing demands for more deterministic wireless connectivity for critical business applications and vital use cases not met by conventional wireless alternatives. Celona’s products and technology have been selected and deployed by a wide range of customers including Verizon, NTT, SBA Communications, Standard Steel, and Haslam Sports Group. To date, the company has raised $100 million in venture funding from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, NTT Ventures, Cervin Ventures, DigitalBridge and Qualcomm Ventures. For more information, please visit celona.io and follow Celona on Twitter @celonaio.

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Google Cloud forges 5G edge deal with AT&T, launches telecom-tailored version of Anthos

Light Reading | March 05, 2020

Google Cloud today announced a comprehensive new strategy to help telecommunications companies digitally transform. Google Cloud’s strategy focuses on three key business outcomes for telecommunications companies: monetizing 5G as a business services platform, engaging customers with data-driven experiences, and improving operational efficiency across telecom core systems. Enabling and Monetizing 5G as a business services platform. Google Cloud is partnering with telecommunications companies to harness 5G as a business services platform. To meet this goal, Google Cloud today unveiled its Global Mobile Edge Cloud (GMEC) strategy, which will deliver a portfolio and marketplace of 5G solutions built jointly with telecommunications companies; an open cloud platform for developing these network-centric applications; and a global distributed edge for optimally deploying these solutions.

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New York's utility to test private LTE network with several vendors

Light Reading | March 05, 2020

The New York Power Authority (NYPA), the nation's largest state-owned power utility, is about to begin testing a massive private LTE network that it hopes to use for applications ranging from energy metering to flying inspection drones. "NYPA is looking to build a 3GPP standards-based private LTE network to support its efforts to help modernize the electric grid in New York State. This secure and reliable network will support NYPA's efforts to enhance its operational and programmatic capabilities and leverage the benefits of evolving innovation in wireless equipment," the agency wrote in a filing with the FCC requesting permission to begin testing the network.

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Mobile OS

Celona Signs Agreement to Advance the State of Seamless Mobile Connectivity at Stanford Health Care

GlobeNewswire | September 28, 2023

Celona, a pioneer and innovator of private mobile network solutions, today announced that Stanford Health Care (SHC) is standardizing on Celona’s 5G LAN products and technology. The solution is being deployed within its hospitals and clinics to advance the quality and speed of healthcare services and electronic communications for doctors, clinicians, patients, visitors and staff. The agreement, focused on delivering the first of its kind CBRS-based private wireless and neutral host connectivity services, will provide in-building public cellular coverage for T-Mobile subscribers along with highly reliable private cellular network connectivity and mobility services to support critical care use cases. Stanford Health Care will initially implement Celona private wireless and neutral host services across four buildings, including a hospital facility and three medical offices. This deployment is anticipated to inform future installations across other Stanford Health Care locations. Today’s healthcare organizations increasingly rely on wireless connectivity to optimize internal operations and improve the care experience for patients, visitors, doctors, and clinicians. Traditional Wi-Fi and distributed antenna systems (DAS) have inherent limitations in addressing the growing demand for seamless mobility and reliable, pervasive wireless coverage. Addressing these challenges, Stanford Health Care will deploy Celona's 5G LAN and neutral host architecture that leverages shared cellular spectrum and existing enterprise network resources to create an efficient, cost-effective communications infrastructure. The new public/private wireless network ensures the highest levels of connectivity, security, and uninterrupted mobility for all users, regardless of facility size. The network will also enable new private wireless use cases such as critical clinical communications and digital mobile applications on devices like mobile devices, handhelds, connected IoT devices etc. Stanford Health Care’s new private wireless infrastructure will be based on Celona's 4G/5G CBRS radio access network technology integrated into SHC's existing IP network and connected to Celona's cloud-based Multi-Operator Exchange Network (MOXN) service. This modern approach to improving in-building cellular signal coverage gives organizations more control over the user experience. All mobile subscriber connections are automatically aggregated and directed through a single secure tunnel to the mobile network operator (MNO) core thereby guaranteeing a seamless and reliable user experience. In the initial phase, this solution will provide T-Mobile service, with the potential to provide service for other mobile network operators in the future. "Stanford Health Care is at the forefront of innovation, aiming to provide the best healthcare experience possible, for both our patients and our staff," stated Christian Lindmark, CTO of Stanford Health Care. “In addition to providing in-building cellular signal, our vision includes using the platform to create a secure, private wireless network for core medical wireless technologies, such as clinical communication, patient monitoring and clinical video feeds.” Celona's Multi-Operator Exchange Network (MOXN) technology — a cloud-hosted software exchange that streamlines operations by eliminating cumbersome hardware — ensures a seamless user experience while meeting subscriber service level agreements and key performance indicators. Clinical Mobility, a leader in healthcare wireless communication, will provide design, engineering, implementation, and ongoing support for the project. Over the last year, Clinical Mobility leveraged their experience in wireless technologies in healthcare to advise Stanford. This advice has covered understanding the key use cases for this technology in the Stanford environment as well as assisting with an analysis of various vendors in the market. Clinical Mobility is also expanding the partnership with Celona to the broader healthcare market. "We are proud to collaborate with Stanford Health Care to redefine mobile experiences within healthcare," said Rajeev Shah, Co-Founder and CEO of Celona. "Our 5G LAN solution, combined with the cloud-based MOXN technology, will reshape in-building wireless economics through shared infrastructure, ultimately advancing the future of healthcare connectivity." This deployment represents a leap forward in healthcare innovation, embedding private 5G connectivity into the heart of patient care. This transformational technology is set to reshape healthcare by integrating advanced solutions into medical facilities. Celona's 5G LAN solutions empower healthcare professionals to access real time data, remote diagnostics, and telemedicine services at their fingertips. This milestone marks the beginning of a new era in connected healthcare where private 5G connectivity establishes a gold standard for efficiency, accuracy, and patient well-being. About Celona Based in Silicon Valley, Celona is a pioneer and leading innovator of enterprise private wireless solutions. The company is credited with developing the industry’s first 5G LAN system, a turnkey 4G/5G system that enables enterprises and mobile network operators to address the growing demands for more deterministic wireless connectivity for critical business applications and vital use cases not met by conventional wireless alternatives. Celona’s products and technology have been selected and deployed by a wide range of customers including Verizon, NTT, SBA Communications, Standard Steel, and Haslam Sports Group. To date, the company has raised $100 million in venture funding from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, NTT Ventures, Cervin Ventures, DigitalBridge and Qualcomm Ventures. For more information, please visit celona.io and follow Celona on Twitter @celonaio.

Read More

Google Cloud forges 5G edge deal with AT&T, launches telecom-tailored version of Anthos

Light Reading | March 05, 2020

Google Cloud today announced a comprehensive new strategy to help telecommunications companies digitally transform. Google Cloud’s strategy focuses on three key business outcomes for telecommunications companies: monetizing 5G as a business services platform, engaging customers with data-driven experiences, and improving operational efficiency across telecom core systems. Enabling and Monetizing 5G as a business services platform. Google Cloud is partnering with telecommunications companies to harness 5G as a business services platform. To meet this goal, Google Cloud today unveiled its Global Mobile Edge Cloud (GMEC) strategy, which will deliver a portfolio and marketplace of 5G solutions built jointly with telecommunications companies; an open cloud platform for developing these network-centric applications; and a global distributed edge for optimally deploying these solutions.

Read More

New York's utility to test private LTE network with several vendors

Light Reading | March 05, 2020

The New York Power Authority (NYPA), the nation's largest state-owned power utility, is about to begin testing a massive private LTE network that it hopes to use for applications ranging from energy metering to flying inspection drones. "NYPA is looking to build a 3GPP standards-based private LTE network to support its efforts to help modernize the electric grid in New York State. This secure and reliable network will support NYPA's efforts to enhance its operational and programmatic capabilities and leverage the benefits of evolving innovation in wireless equipment," the agency wrote in a filing with the FCC requesting permission to begin testing the network.

Read More

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