Citrix Virtual WAN Reduces WAN Costs by 80%

Citrix announced the "CloudBridge™ Virtual WAN Edition, which reduces the cost of delivering applications, documents and IT services to branch offices by up to 80 percent, while ensuring nearly 100 percent application availability. The new CloudBridge Virtual WAN solution provides businesses with the flexibility to employ multiple cost-effective WAN technologies, offering the ability to scale WAN bandwidth at dramatically lower cost than traditional approaches".

"The solution also ensures the best possible user experience by securely sending mission-critical, delay-sensitive data over the highest performing path. The new CloudBridge Virtual WAN solution extends the CloudBridge platform and its integration with the company’s HDX and application acceleration technologies, to offer the most cost effective and highest performance solutions for securely delivering mobile workspaces with the applications, documents and IT services people need to work better in remote and branch offices". 

".. the new CloudBridge Virtual WAN solution allows enterprises to create a virtualized WAN by bonding multiple network services such as MPLS, broadband, mobile and satellite internet together to maximize WAN capacity and reliability. CloudBridge Virtual WAN constantly assesses the performance of paths within the virtualized WAN to instantaneously and automatically adapt to changing network conditions. This ensures constant connectivity of mission-critical applications without human intervention or complex routing table reconfigurations: 

See "Citrix Powers “Always-On” Branch Workspaces" - here.

Teclo Migrates its Mobile Acceleration Technology to Enterprise Networks

Teclo Networks announced the "launch of the B-Series, a simple to deploy solution that speeds up business networks. Based on its mobile data acceleration technology and expertise [see "Free [France] Uses Teclo's TCP/IP Optimization" - here] - delivering lightning-fast Internet for wireless operators- Teclo Networks now brings outstanding network performance and reliability to the enterprise.

Proven to speed up business networks by as much as 400%, the B-Series will improve a number of network functions including: cloud computing, file transfers, web browsing and video conferencing. The B-Series runs off just one single hardware unit, making it both cost effective to buy and install. Regardless of the amount of devices or operating system connected, the B-Series is able to improve the performance and user experience on smartphones, tablets, PCs, laptops and Mac devices".

See "New Enterprise Class Technology from Teclo Networks to Power Workplace IT Networks" - here.

[Guest Post]: Optimizing cell architecture for better enterprise service delivery

By Shaun McFall*, Senior VP and Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Aviat Networks 

From its early analog origins in the 80s, some of the earliest adopters of mobile telephony were business users. Enterprises were quick to identify the opportunity that “portable telephones” offered. The shackles that rotary dials and fixed landlines placed on business were no more. The enterprise could now conduct business and make deals anytime anywhere. That’s why one of the most iconic images of the 80s remains Wall Street’s Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) with a Motorola DynaTAC-brick-phone.

Over the years, as technology evolved and mobile phones became cheaper, mobile users diversified. A recent report from the International Telecommunications Union estimated that there could be more than six billion mobile phones globally. However, as subscriber figures have grown, the revenues for mobile operators have flattened and in some cases decreased. 

 

One reason for this has been the growing popularity among consumers for Over The Top (OTT) services such as WhatsApp and Skype. OTT services allow subscribers to circumvent the mobile operator and use alternative messaging, voice and video calling services. OTT is eroding voice and text revenues – so much so that Ovum estimates that WhatsApp has cost mobile operators around $35bn in lost text messaging revenues. 

 

While consumers have embraced OTT services and have been willing to put up with its unreliable connectivity, patchy sound quality and video delays - the majority of enterprises have shied away from using OTT communications services for their day-to-day business needs. That’s because businesses need robust, effective and reliable communications. Therefore, the enterprise market remains the most promising and lucrative for mobile network operators. In fact, US and Western European markets alone could be worth more than $100bn. And herein lies the challenge facing mobile network operators. 

 

While the enterprise market is the most profitable segment, it is the most elusive for mobile network operators. Most operators are acutely aware of the need to win enterprises over, but how to address it without resorting to discounting is not always clear. 

 

Mobile operators are inherently well positioned to deliver enterprise services. A multi-service IP network combined with high-capacity wireless connectivity solutions in 3G/4G or microwave, and mobility services which can be bundled with other capabilities, puts MNOs in a unique position. By looking beyond margin-eroding discounts and looking at how they could instead provide additional value, the enterprise market could be far easier to win over. But how can a mobile operator deliver these fixed communications services to enterprises most effectively?

 

This is where a new class of communications product comes to the fore: the microwave router. Situated at the cell site, the microwave router incorporates microwave connectivity and a built-in IP/MPLS router, thereby delivering a complete enterprise access and VPN solution straight from the existing mobile backhaul infrastructure – all in a single device. Not only does the microwave router deal with the growing problem of network densification by combining the functionality of up to five separate devices, it also opens up the enterprise opportunity to mobile operators. This is because, with its access to Layer 3 at the edge of the network, new access services like VPNs become easy to launch and maintain. By putting more intelligence into the cell site, operators can deliver a whole range of enterprise-focused services. That means more access services as well as better support of high-bandwidth enterprise applications.

 

A recent study from analyst firm Heavy Reading surveyed a number of international mobile network operators to gauge their appetite for microwave routers. It found that 76% of operators they surveyed declared that they are ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ to deploy a microwave router within three years. That is that a remarkably positive consensus for such a recent innovation. Mobile operators are aware that enterprises offer the most lucrative opportunity for short and long-term revenue streams, but have consistently found it challenging. And now, a small, smart microwave router could be a big part of the answer.

_________

*As senior vice president and chief marketing and strategy officer, Mr. McFall provides overall direction for programs to position the company in its focus markets. Mr. McFall has been with the company since the formation of its UK subsidiary in 1989. His initial assignment was in new business development, first in the UK and later the European market. In 1994 he relocated to the company's headquarters in San Jose, California, assuming responsibility for worldwide product marketing. He has accumulated over 20 years of experience in the wireless telecommunications industry, holding prior positions with two UK based companies: Ferranti International Signal plc. and GEC Telecommunications Ltd. Mr. McFall holds a bachelor of science degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, UK.

Research Shows the Need for Application-aware Networking

Telstra's "Application Assured Networking" (here and here) provides "organisations with a clear view and more control over the increasing number of financial, relationship management, IP telephony, video conferencing and other business applications on their network".

A new research, Killer Apps 2012, conducted by Ipanema Technologies and Easynet shows the potential demand for such technology, either as a service (Telstra's example, with Alcatel-Lucent equipment) or by deploying a Wan Optimization solution.

   

Source: Killer Apps 2012

The research discovered that "performance problems are highly prevalent across networks, with 74% citing enterprise critical applications such as line of business (26%), ERP or CRM (26%) and video-based applications (22%) being those most at risk. In addition, the results unearthed a worrying trend on how such problems are discovered, with user complaints the second most common source of monitoring issues across networks".

In addition to the lack of visibility ("69% do not have visibility of the bandwidth requirements each network application requires"), there of course performance problems as well - "82% of respondents report speed and responsiveness problems in the past 12 months, 43% of companies highlighted that these issues are becoming ‘more frequent. The vast majority of companies (86%) report increasing bandwidth requirements". 

See "New study finds 82% of European organizations suffer application performance problems" - here.

Telstra's Application assured Networking Uses ALU

Alcatel-Lucent announced that Telstra's Application Assured Networking (see "QoS Deployments [147]: Telstra Offers Application Aware Control to Enterprises" - here) was deployed using ALU's products and technology.

"Telstra’s new Application Assured Networking™ service, which is built on Internet protocol (IP) routing technology from Alcatel-Lucent, will bring a new level of intelligence to network management, giving enterprises invaluable information they can use to improve efficiency and operational integrity, while identifying technical issues that could impair operations and drive up expense .. The solution from Alcatel-Lucent eliminates the need for enterprises to buy additional performance monitoring hardware, which can be costly to purchase and manage. Instead, that capability can be offered by service providers".

"Alcatel-Lucent’s Application Assurance solution is offered on top of the industry-leading Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Router (SR) and 7450 Ethernet Service Switch (ESS). The solution is based on the Multiservice Integrated Service Adapter (MS-ISA) - which extends the intelligence of the 7750 SR (see "Alcatel Lucent 7750 DPI Technology"-  here) and 7450 ESS - in combination with the 5670 Reporting and Analysis Manager (RAM), which provides extensive tools and capabilities to analyze and process detailed, application-level statistics per-subscriber".

See "Alcatel-Lucent supports Telstra in the launch of a new ‘smart’ service helping Australian businesses manage their data network resources" - here.

QoS Deployments [147]: Telstra Offers Application Aware Control to Enterprises

Telstra announced the " Telstra Application Assured Networking™ service will provide organisations with a clear view and more control over the increasing number of financial, relationship management, IP telephony, video conferencing and other business applications on their network. The new service will initially allow an organisation to produce reports on how networks are being used by applications which can be viewed via an easy-to-use secure online portal on the Telstra Business and Enterprise website. Coupled with this is a consultancy service desk to provide expert advice with regards to application and network performance". (see also "Telstra to Differentiate on Traffic on the Wireline and Wireless Edge" - here). 

Telstra also shows what's next:

• Manual Policy Control (coming soon)
  
  The online portal helps you to ensure critical applications perform at peak. Simply use the preconfigured templates to apply bandwidth priority, Quality of Service and service levels to the selected applications. You can also enable blocking policies to restrict unwanted applications on a site-by-site basis.
   
• Automated Policy Control (coming soon)
  
  With this enhancement, Telstra’s network will identify applications and apply your specified policies to them. Real-time, application-specific bandwidth bursting and shaping switches the application load as needed. Network resources will be available to help ensure a consistent service and user experience while changes are occurring.

See "Telstra launches network intelligence giving business the complete picture" - here.

P&G Saves $15M/year by Blocking "Non Business" Internet Traffic

Using traffic management (usually with DPI products) to optimize enterprise networks and internet access is not new, but recent numbers published by David Holthaus in Cincinnati.com show amazing consumption of recreational traffic by employees and potential savings.

"When Procter & Gamble’s IT sleuths investigated why the company’s computers were running so slow, they found something surprising: More than 50,000 YouTube videos were being downloaded from company computers every day. Along with watching videos, P&Gers were listening to 4,000 hours of music a day on Pandora, the personal playlist Web site .. The demand for desktop videos, music and other non-business entertainment delivered to PCs through P&G’s Internet network was so great that it exceeded the company’s capacity".

Nevertheless, it is not an easy to sort applications into business and non-business, and as such those 50,000 daily YouTube downloads are saved (for now):

"The digital emergency led P&G to block Pandora and the movie and video site Netflix .. P&G called Pandora and Netflix of “limited business need,” according to the company memo. P&G has not blocked YouTube or Facebook, which claims more than 500 million users around the world. The company uses both of those sites for marketing its brands and for internal and external communications".

"If the company keeps using bandwidth at the current rate, it will cost $15 million a year just to add more for non-business use, the memo estimated".

See "P&G puts clamps on web surfing" - here.

NI Deployments [120]: Belgacom [Belgium] Uses ALU 7750 to Provide Application Visibly to Enterprises

Alcatel-Lucent announced that "Alcatel-Lucent and Belgacom, are offering enterprises a new tool to enable them to improve operations and identify potential cost savings. Alcatel-Lucent’s ‘Application Assurance’ solution provides unprecedented visibility into which applications are using up the most resources on enterprise networks at any given time as well as how these applications are performing – critical information that can be used to enhance business operations .. Belgacom’s deployment of Alcatel-Lucent’s Application Assurance solution will help give enterprises the confidence that the applications they rely on – from both their own dedicated network and the cloud - are operating at optimum efficiency".

Tom Wuyts, director WAN, Internet & Security at Belgacom said: “With the Alcatel-Lucent Application Assurance solution, our enterprise customers will have clear insight into how much bandwidth various applications are using – this is a key element of our ‘Smart Networking’ initiative, which is geared toward bringing greater intelligence to our networks for the benefit of our customers.

"Alcatel-Lucent’s Application Assurance solution is offered on top of the industry-leading Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Router (SR) and 7450 Ethernet Service Switch (ESS). The solution is based on the Multiservice Integrated Service Adapter (MS-ISA) - which extends the intelligence of the 7750 SR [see  "Alcatel Lucent 7750 DPI Technology"-  here] and 7450 ESS - in combination with the 5670 Reporting and Analysis Manager (RAM), which provides extensive tools and capabilities to analyse and process detailed, application-level statistics per-subscriber".

See "Alcatel-Lucent and Belgacom help enterprises improve operations by tracking the use and performance of applications on their networks" - here. 

DPI Deployments [97]: U. of Exeter Deployed Allot "to throttle or block undesirable or illegal activity"

  

I mentioned few times the universities as a significant market for DPI products (here and here), as in many of them, the IT services are actually very similar to other public ISP services. Nevertheless, universities' IT also has some enterprise-like needs, such as protecting the university assets and preventing illegal activities.
 

Ron Condon reports to SearchSecurity (UK) the story of the University of Exeter ("16,500 full-time students, 40,000 active ports, traffic is doubling about every 18 months"): 

"Exeter had been trying to solve a content piracy problem that had been gradually growing over the years. Some students were visiting piracy sites and downloading material in breach of copyright laws, something the music and film industries are starting to police more effectively ..  So as part of a major network security upgrade this year installed the Allot Sigma-E traffic-shaping software .. product from Allot Communications"

According to Roger Snelling (picture), head of networks - "It allows us to provide bandwidth for legitimate purposes and to throttle or block undesirable or illegal activity .. The system went live just before the start of the new academic year, and it is already paying for itself .. It’s helping us to police the situation very rigorously ..  We have an eclectic mix of services, from researchers moving huge data sets, to the ability to support delay-sensitive traffic, such as VoIP, which we have included as part of our upgrade project"

See "University IT security pros thwart content piracy with traffic shaping" - here.



Source: Allot Communications



Optimization Vendor Expand Goes into Urgent Assets Sale

    

Shmulik Shelah reports to Globes that a receiver has been assigned to Expand Networks, an Israeli vendor of optimization equipment for enterprise and satellite networks (see "Expand Networks Enables Rural Broadband with Satellite Optimization" - here), by Haifa District Court.

"Expand Networks investor Plenus Venture Lending Fund petitioned the court to appoint the receiver. Expand has been unable to repay its $10 million debt to Plenus, which was due two years ago. The appointment brings Expand Networks to an end, 13 years after it was founded, raised over $100 million, underwent several restructurings and strategic changes, and made numerous attempts to find a buyer".

"The receiver will now try to sell Expand Networks' assets. It currently has 100 employees, including 60 in Israel, but layoffs are likely within weeks, along with a change in management. Potential buyers include equipment vendors Cisco, Juniper Networks  and Riverbed, which will want to improve their position in the field, or internet optimization solutions provides, such as Akamai Technologies and Limelight Networks or even Israeli companies".

 

I doubt if Cisco, Juniper or Riverbed will be interested in buying Expand's assets, as they all have competitive products and Expand customer base is relatively small.

If anyone interested, the company's CEO, Elie Barr (pictured), was assigned to search a buyer.

See "Court appoints receiver for Expand Networks" - here.

DPI: NSA Scans AT&T, Verizon and CenturyLink Traffic Going to Defense Firms

     
Ellen Nakashima reports to the Washington Post that "The National Security Agency is working with Internet service providers to deploy a new generation of tools to scan e-mail and other digital traffic with the goal of thwarting cyberattacks against defense firms by foreign adversaries, senior defense and industry officials say .. The program uses NSA-developed “signatures,” or fingerprints of malicious code, and sequences of suspicious network behavior to filter the Internet traffic flowing to major defense contractors. That allows the Internet providers to disable the threats before an attack can penetrate a contractor’s servers. The trial is testing two particular sets of signatures and behavior patterns that the NSA has detected as threats. The Internet carriers are AT&T, Verizon and CenturyLink. Together they are seeking to filter the traffic of 15 defense contractors".

See "NSA allies with Internet carriers to thwart cyber attacks against defense firms" - here.

While this is a case of "national security", security threats to enterprise customers are real and growing (see Cisco's report below). Nevertheless, security represents an opportunity for ISPs to sell a value-added service.

One aspect, offered by DPI/traffic management vendors is DDoS prevention functions, offered as an add-on to traffic management (see examples from Allot, Arbor, Procera and Sandvine), by detecting traffic anomalies and blocking the relevant packets, thus protecting networks and business or residential subscribers from being attacked.

A recent "Global Threat Report 1Q11" from Cisco (here) finds that "Malicious webmail represented 7% of all Web-delivered malware in March 2011, a 391% increase from January 2011 .. Enterprise users experienced an average of 274 Web malware encounters per month in 1Q11, a 103% increase compared to 2010. Unique Web malware encountered also increased (46%) in 1Q11, from 72,294 unique Web malware in January 2011 to 105,536 in March".

See also "ALU Bell Labs: Network Behavior Analysis Helps to Detect Malware Infection" - here and "Recent Cyber Monday DDoS Attacks "revealed a sophisticated and motivated attacker” - here.



Source: Cisco