SD-WAN and UCaaS: Better Together

Network Infrastructure, Network Management

Article | July 27, 2023

In the digital era, data is at the heart of an enterprise. So, managing the data has become the topmost priority of any organization today. As the data volume increases at a 10X rate, this data growth impacts many organizations in the form of the multiplication of in-company heterogeneous storages, remote sites, and cloud storages. This will require moving the data which results in time, infrastructure, and cost constraints. So, the need for a consolidated data management solution arises which uses AI automation to reduce time and infrastructure costs across the data value chain. As enterprises are increasingly standardizing on augmented analytics, it brings together two distinct worlds of data and analytics. This collision enhances interaction and collaboration between the two worlds shaping the associated paradigm in the market i.e. augmented data management. Augmented data management (ADM) utilizes AI/ML to automate manual data management tasks allowing highly skilled technical resources to focus on high-value tasks. According to Gartner, by 2022, data management manual tasks will be reduced by 45% through the addition of machine learning and automated service management.

Enterprise Mobility, Mobile Infrastructure

Article | June 16, 2023

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.

Network Management, Network Security

Article | July 17, 2023

If we’ve learned anything in the past year, it’s how much our progress hinges on the ability to share and collaborate around data.During the pandemic, we watched as scientists from around the world raced to develop COVID-19 vaccines in record time. A process that typically takes 10 to 15 years took less than a year—due in part to global collaboration and data sharing. As we transition to the post-COVID-19 era, the “need for speed has never been greater,” says McKinsey. The organizations that will thrive in this new economy will facilitate collaboration, empower individuals and teams, and build impactful partnerships. That success requires shifting from the traditional “don’t share data unless” mindset to a data-sharing mindset grounded in a solid foundation of technology, data-driven culture, and processes.

Article | September 16, 2021

If you are clued into IT, then most likely, you are aware of the latest trending technology, edge computing data centers. Edge Computing ensures exceptional speed, with firm privacy and security compared to the conventional cloud methods, thus making edge data centers an imperative option for everyone. The world is undoubtedly moving faster, thereby perpetually pushing the power of next-generation innovation. Edge computing data center has emerged as a substitute to cloud computing, that keeps the data processing power at the “edge” of the network. But, it also comes with a set of challenges to the network. Edge computing devices that have processing functions are expensive and to operate the older version, additional equipment is required, which incurs extra expenditure. Despite the challenges, edge computing has turned out to be the biggest technology investment. So, let’s break it down here with comprehensive details to understand how this latest trending technology is all set to shape the future of the data center. A Brief on Edge Computing The word edge refers to the literal geographic distribution that brings computation and data storage nearer to the data sources. It improves the response duration and saves bandwidth as it runs fewer processes in the cloud and shifts those processes to local destinations such as on a user’s computer, an edge server, or an IoT for that matter. In a nutshell, edge computing is a topology that enables data to be analyzed, processed, and transferred at the edge of a network, It helps diminish the long-distance communication that takes place between a client and server. A significant advantage of using edge computing lies in its high speed and better reliability. In addition, it offers improved security by distributing processing, storage, and applications across wide-ranging devices and data centers. What’s more, it paves the way for a budget-friendly route to scalability as well as versatility, enabling organizations to expand their computing capabilities through an amalgamation of IoT devices and edge computing data centers. Edge Data Centers and Their Usage! There isn’t any specific explanation that would describe the idea of an edge data center, considering it isn’t one consistent style of the facility. It instead consists of smaller facilities that serve both edge computing and larger-scale cloud services. Since they are located closer to the population, they could easily extend the edge of the network to deliver cloud computing resources and cached content to end-users. Typically, they connect to a larger central data center or multiple computer data centers seamlessly. Latency has forever been a matter of concern for cloud data center managers. In recent times, it has emerged as a key obstacle due to big data, the Internet of Things, cloud and streaming services, and other technology trends. Moreover, in today’s time and age, end-users and devices demand access to applications and services anytime and anywhere, which leaves no room for latency. Consequently, companies across the spectrum are establishing edge data centers to ensure cost-effective and high-functionality ways to provide customers with content and performance. A great way to learn more about the data center would be to understand its usage. The following are some of the services that primarily rely on edge computing: Internet of Things Internet of Things tools essentially require low latency and reliable connections to the data center to function with high intensity. IoT devices add up a vast number of edge computing utilities; thus using edge computing makes it simple and effective. Streaming Content Streaming content is one of the most consumed form of infotainment. Users today want their video to get started with a single click that edge facilities help achieve. Drones While Drones are increasingly getting popular, their features are also massively advancing. For example, with edge computing, drones could be controlled even from far-flung locations without any hitch. Artificial Intelligence AI is one of the most thriving technologies that have taken over the world with its magnificent scalability, To make AI advantageous to the system, it should be able to access data, process it, and communicate with the end-users effectively and quickly which an edge data center allows. Virtual Reality Virtual Reality needs to get updates as quickly as possible to create an immersive world for the users. Though primarily associated with gaming, VR has also gained recognition for different paradigms such as communication, education, and several other significant uses. Edge Computing and Data Centers – The Future! A dedicated 5G Provider Edge Computing is underway, building mammoth telecommunications capabilities into data center growth trends. These facilities could change the dynamics of 5G providers for enterprise brands and emerge as the dedicated 5G providers for organizations. Support sustainable business goals Edge data centers are being looked to as a periphery that can help build more efficient solutions to enable the sector’s sustainability. Edge computing is specifically designed to keep applications and data closer to devices and their users. Therefore, there is little doubt over the impact that edge computing will have on sustainable business goals. Making way for Robot Security Guards Evolution in AI and IoT has drastically changed the human staffing needs inside the data centers and made way for Robots. Currently, Robots have been deployed in some of the hyper-scale data centers for specific tasks. Whether it is the automated inspection, faulty disc locating, or disc charging, with Robots at the helm of affairs, everything can be completed seamlessly. Many data center and robotics professionals are predicting that the next couple of years will be big leaps when it comes to placing more robotics in the data center environment. Bill Kleyman - now Switch EVP of digital solutions - wrote in 2013. How Does One Choose a Location For a Data Center? Data centers are a critical part of any business enterprise operations. Hence, decisions regarding its locations cannot be relegated to an arbitrary choice. In the past, companies used to set up their edge data centers closer to their offices to maintain the proximity. However, that is swiftly changing now as the equipment administration and monitoring can be achieved remotely. With the data center industry transforming, performance is no longer the sole consideration. To create a defining success of the data centers, companies are now looking for different sites for their data centers, primarily focusing on factors like economic, political, social, and geographical. The current scenario highlights the significance of considering Energy efficiency, business continuity plan, and resource optimization. With so much at stake, the edge data centers should be effortlessly accessible. Conclusion Edge computing and data center growth has garnered a lot of interest among the users over the past few years. It will continue to thrive for many more years to come as it meets the eye of the global tech demands and the current and future needs of the users worldwide. Frequently Asked Questions What are the benefits of edge computing? One of the top benefits of edge computing is its quick response time and low latency period across all devices. It also simplifies the bandwidth and creates less risk in corporate security. What are the drawbacks of edge computing? A significant drawback of edge computing is the need of a huge storage capacity. The security challenge is also relatively high due to the massive amount of data stored in it. Moreover, the expensive cost factor is also a disadvantage of it. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{ "@type": "Question", "name": "What are the benefits of edge computing?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "One of the top benefits of edge computing is its quick response time and low latency period across all devices. It also simplifies the bandwidth and creates less risk in corporate." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "What are the drawbacks of edge computing?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A significant drawback of edge computing is the need of a huge storage capacity. The security challenge is also relatively high due to the massive amount of data stored in it. Moreover, the expensive cost factor is also a disadvantage of it." } }] }