< Previouswww.networkseuropemagazine.com NEWS IN BRIEF 10 New DigiCert Smart Seal displays identity and improves consumer trust DigiCert has announced the DigiCert Smart Seal, a new dynamic site seal that gives website visitors confidence that their information is secure on the web. Real-time security indicators enabled through various micro- interactions alert visitors that the seal is actively present on the page, the site has been validated and the site is protected by an active certificate from the world’s most trusted certificate authority. When site visitors roll over the DigiCert Smart Seal, they see the company’s logo which has been verified by DigiCert. They also view usable information about the site’s security delivered right to the seal, so users do not have to leave the page to verify a site’s legitimate identity. Dean Coclin, Senior Director of Business Development, DigiCert, said, “HTTPS has changed in recent years and consumers can no longer rely on just looking for the lock - they need to look beyond the lock for assurance and trust that they are visiting the legitimate website. The DigiCert Smart Seal takes site seals into a modern era in a way that helps organisations demonstrate that they take security seriously, and that gives their end- customers peace of mind.” The DigiCert Smart Seal is the first seal to visually display the site owner’s brand via a verified brand logo. It also is the first to bring information previously trapped inside the digital certificate and provide it in terms that users can understand. Trust is fundamental for online transactions, and consumers need assurance that sites are secure and authentic. Traditional trust seals are subject to spoofing, lapses or general misuse that can undermine trust. With browser UI trust indicators shifting, the DigiCert Smart Seal is an innovative way for enterprises to instil real-time confidence in users that their site identity is verified, their certificate is up-to-date and the site is reliable. A 2020 study by DigiCert found that 71% of consumers look for security seals before proceeding with transactions. Another study from Crazyegg found that sites that display site seals or trust marks perform 48% better than sites that don’t, thus increasing conversion rates and ROI. Continued Coclin, “With the web now enforcing HTTPS by default and cybercriminals using TLS certificates, users need additional ways to protect themselves online. The DigiCert Smart Seal may not prevent all web spoofing and fraud but it’s an important step forward in providing a powerful trust indicator that brands can control for their customers.” The DigiCert Smart Seal is available now as part of DigiCert Secure Site and DigiCert Secure Site Pro certificates and early adopters are already expressing positive feedback. Riccardo Cazzola, CEO, Trust Italia, said, “Brand indicators and trust are really important for Italian web users and the DigiCert Smart Seal indicates to visitors that our site is legitimate and secure. We are committed to using the best solutions in the market and providing trusted services for some of Italy’s largest enterprises, which is why we use DigiCert and their innovative offerings.” Jindrich Zechmeister, Director of IT Security, ZONER software, a.s, said, "Among continued web-based attacks, website visitors are looking for signs of trust that the site they are visiting is legitimate and secure. The DigiCert Smart Seal is a great step toward restoring this trust, giving website operators a dynamic indicator of their identity, displaying a verified logo and essential information about the status of their TLS certificates and other site security measures." Marcus Wessberg, Head of IT, Ports Group, said, “We want to build trust and our customers recognise our trademark, so when they visit our webpage, we want them to feel safe. Certificates offer so much more than crypto: it’s all about identity, brand recognition and trust. The DigiCert Site Seal provides that brand recognition and trust for our site visitors.” n Innodisk releases new SSD Innodisk’s new-patented blockchain technology introduces its latest SSD solution ‘InnoBTSTM SSD’, alleviating data integrity and validation concerns through the use of digital signature and blockchain that is fully software independent. Innodisk's new solution combines blockchain technology to secure valuable data in recent IoT scenarios, such as POS systems at unmanned stores, smart meters and digital ID cards. The important data written to the SSD will create an encrypted hash string that corresponds to the specific data set and the encrypted hash string is spread on the blockchain network, essentially creating a decentralised ledger that is distributed between numerous unique computers. The process is to make the encrypted hash string “chained” on the blockchain network. If tampering happens, the chained data is checked with an encrypted hash string on the network, clearly showing any discrepancies. The InnoBTSTM SSD incorporates a hardware-run digital signature. Through the sophisticated use of private and public keys given to each file that is sent, the receiver can always verify the correct sender. The SSD creates and secures the private key within an internal safety zone, ensuring maximum private key security. n Logicmonitor expands global partner network LogicMonitor has added 11 new partners to the LogicMonitor Partner Network. Of these, eight partners are located in Europe, a region where cloud computing is expected to grow exponentially in the next few years. According to a study by Global Market Insights, Europe’s cloud computing market is anticipated to grow from its current value of $25 billion to over $75 billion by 2026. Cloud computing adoption rates continue to grow among European enterprises due to the cloud offering a scalable approach that often results in reduced costs, increased operational efficiency and enhanced business agility. European partners are turning to LogicMonitor to give enterprise customers unprecedented visibility into their networks, infrastructure and applications as they begin or continue their cloud migration journeys. Sanjay Gupta, Global Vice President of Channel and Alliances at LogicMonitor, said, “Enterprises have accelerated their digital transformation initiatives over the past 12 months and are eager to adopt cloud-based monitoring services in order to manage increasingly complex hybrid infrastructures and multi-cloud deployments. Our cloud-based LogicMonitor platform is indispensable to modern enterprises seeking visibility into and control over every facet of their environments and we’re proud to align ourselves with best-in-class partners around the world to extend its reach.” New LogicMonitor partners in Europe include Amasol in Germany, CDW in the UK, Corporate Finance International (CFI) in Switzerland, Exccon AG in Germany, KAEMI in Germany, Netsecurity AS in Norway, Proact in Europe and the US and SoftwareOne in the Netherlands. Additional partners joining the LogicMonitor Global Partner Network outside of Europe include Arvensys Technologies in Australia, Total eBiz Solutions in Singapore and Xylex Technologies in the US. nDo you have news to share? Would you like to contribute a feature article? Contact the editor at: editor@networkseuropemagazine.com www.networkseuropemagazine.com NEWS IN BRIEF 11 Anritsu’s MT8000A and MediaTek M80 5G modem achieve over 7Gbps downlink throughput Anritsu has announced that its Radio Communication Test Station MT8000A achieved a downlink (DL) throughput over 7Gbps using FR1+FR2 Dual Connectivity (DC) technology and 256QAM modulation in 5G Standalone (SA) mode in conjunction with MediaTek’s latest M80 5G modem. This industry-first achievement demonstrates Anritsu’s commitment to contribute to the development and wider rollout of new 5G services which, through its collaboration with MediaTek, verifies leading-edge 5G technology features. Together, MediaTek and Anritsu have been focusing on the development and testing of both FR1 and FR2 technologies and functions. Increasing data throughput based on FR1+FR2 DC and 256QAM has been one of the latest successes in this ongoing partnership. FR1+FR2 DC combines FR1 and FR2 technologies to improve data throughput per user by grouping cell base stations with different frequency ranges to transmit data; the 256QAM modulation technology uses advanced RF and signal-processing technologies to support faster communications by sending 8 bits of data in a single symbol. Increased data throughput has been a key factor in facilitating rich mobile services and the combination of FR1+FR2 DC technology with 256QAM supporting DL throughput speeds greater than 7Gbps represents an important milestone in the future growth of 5G services. Anritsu, in partnership with MediaTek, will continue to play a proactive role in the future development of leading 5G communications technologies. JS Pan, General Manager of Wireless Communication System and Partnership, MediaTek, said, “Anritsu’s powerful test platform has helped prove the technology-leading capabilities of the MediaTek M80 5G modem. Our continued partnership with Anritsu will lead to early development and faster time to market for our global 5G mobile devices.” On achieving this joint test result, Takeshi Shima, President of Test & Measurement Company, Anritsu Corporation, said, “By offering our leading test solutions, Anritsu is happy to have assisted MediaTek in development of its market-leading 5G products. We look forward to continuing our future partnership with MediaTek in clearing the path for advanced 5G to contribute to building a happy and rich global culture through new wireless technology.” The Radio Communication Test Station MT8000A is an all-in-one platform supporting RF and protocol testing, functional and application operation testing, beam characteristics testing and more. As well as supporting both NSA and SA-mode base-station simulation functions required for the development of 5G chipsets and terminals, it also covers FR1 frequency bands, including 600MHz, 2.5GHz, 3.5GHz, 4.5GHz, and 6GHz unlicensed bands, as well as the FR2 24GHz, 28GHz, 39GHz, and 43GHz mm wave bands, to support all the main bands used by 5G services. Additionally, it supports the functions required for high-speed communications, such as 4x4 MIMO in FR1, 8CC and 256QAM in FR2 as well as supporting the latest 3GPP Release 16 features. Furthermore, the MT8000A provides a versatile and efficient test environment that is easily configured using a simple user interface and software to test device performance. n Clavister launches fastest 5G security software Clavister has announced the launch of the latest generation of Clavister NetShield Virtua. With data rates of over 600Gbps on a single Intel Xeon-based server, Clavister has set a new high-water mark for 5G security capacity. The demand for more applications and services and the adoption of 5G means more virtualisation and containerisation of the network as many of the 5G standards call for these technologies. Simultaneously with the proliferation of virtualisation has come steadily increasing traffic levels. As the volume of data flowing through networks increases, so do security risks. More data means more camouflage for malware. As the volume of data rises, mobile operators find it increasingly difficult to analyse traffic as it enters and exits the network. Cybersecurity solutions that can keep up with this increased data consumption are a key concern for mobile operators. The security mechanisms deployed need to effectively prevent unauthorised intrusion, repel denial of service attacks and prevent attackers from injecting malware into the mobile network. All this across multiple interfaces and in a vastly distributed infrastructure and without disrupting the service. In this environment, the ability to more securely deploy and manage solution elements in a cost-effective way is paramount. Service providers can address this dilemma with a Services-Based Firewall (SBFW). An SBFW is designed for virtualised environments and enables rapid scalability, high data throughput and easy management. It can also bring functionality such as application management and load balancing. Clavister NetShield Virtual is a Services-Based Firewall that enables a high rate of packet forwarding while keeping data more secure. It runs on Intel Xeon Scalable processor and Intel Atom processor-based systems. As packet inspection demand grows, Clavister NetShield Virtual scales to match. It’s manageable with a single tool, capable of managing tens of thousands of instances. Clavister NetShield Virtual operates using either VMware vSphere or KVM hypervisors. The software can run on a minimum of two CPU cores with only 2GB of RAM in its most basic configuration, which makes it one of the least resource-demanding 5G security products. For larger applications, NetShield Virtual can fully utilise modern multi-core CPUs. Clavister NetShield Virtual is proven in commercial deployments with several tier-1 5G and 4G operators in live operation under massive load, deployed both as virtual and bare metal. The solution is available through leading telecom system integrators, including Nokia under the brand Nokia NetGuard Firewall. John Vestberg, CEO, Clavister, said, "It's fantastic to see that the years of effort we have put into building a high-performance solution for the future is paying off. Now the future is here with 5G and we deliver performance beyond expectations. This is the beginning of a new era and we intend to stay in the lead of high-performance 5G Security." nNEWS IN BRIEF www.networkseuropemagazine.com 12 Aqua Comms, Telia Carrier and Ciena trial new 400GbE POP to POP trans-atlantic service Aqua Comms and Telia Carrier have successfully completed a trial with Ciena to offer 400GbE commercial services between New York and Frankfurt. The trial follows the announcement that Aqua Comms upgraded its two trans-Atlantic submarine cable routes with Ciena’s GeoMesh Extreme submarine network solution which leverages WaveLogic 5 Extreme coherent optical technology. Aqua Comms provided the Trans- Atlantic capacity and 400GbE service from New York to London with Telia Carrier, providing the ongoing terrestrial service from London to Frankfurt, demonstrating that their traffic can be passed on seamlessly across their respective transmission networks and utilised on Telia Carrier’s IP Backbone (AS1299) with active 400G interfaces routing on both continents. Chris Bayly, Chief Commercial Officer, Aqua Comms, said, “The trial is an exciting initiative for Aqua Comms and Telia Carrier as we continue to respond to the growing demand for critical infrastructure services. The alliance with Telia Carrier and Ciena allows us to deliver an innovative solution that we believe will deliver efficiencies to our carrier, cloud and content clients as they strive to support the hyper-growth traffic between the US and Europe.” Ivo Pascucci, Vice President - Sales, Telia Carrier, said, “Staying ahead of our customers' ever-increasing connectivity needs is paramount for us. This 400G pan-continental trial on a production network is all about ensuring the flexibility at all layers of the network and especially in the underlying high-capacity transport infrastructure required for delivering the best high-performance connectivity for our customers in the US and Europe and for their end-users.” Ian Clarke, Vice President of Global Submarine Solutions, Ciena, said, “The race to 400G is on, and Telia Carrier and Aqua Comms continue trailblazing a path in the subsea market by evolving their networks to support the explosive traffic growth and high-bandwidth services driven by the cloud and video streaming. With WaveLogic 5 Extreme, Aqua Comms and Telia Carrier offer new 400GbE services to customers over the critical transatlantic route between New York and Frankfurt.” n Inc & Co to sell MyLife Digital to Germany’s DataGuard Inc & Co, the business group founded in Manchester which includes companies such as Skylab, Cuhu, KNOMO London and Laundrapp announced the successful sale of MyLife Digital, to Germany-based DataGuard. MyLife Digital was founded in 2014 and acquired by Inc & Co in July 2020 alongside Wood for Trees and Insight Analysis. DataGuard is a leading data privacy and information security company with offices in Munich, Berlin and London. Over 1,500 customers – ranging from small and medium-sized businesses to large enterprises – use DataGuard’s end-to-end “Privacy-as-a-Service” and “Information Security-as-a-Service” solutions. With this acquisition, DataGuard will add a new solution called DataGuard Consent to its privacy software suite and further expand its footprint and customer base in the UK. Jack Mason, Group CEO of Inc & Co, said, “We are delighted to have found a fantastic home for MyLife Digital, whose technology empowers consumers to think ‘privacy first’ when shopping and doing business online. DataGuard & MyLife Digital have synergies that will create a strong leader in the privacy and data protection arena and I’m excited to follow their progress in the coming months. “The sale will enable us to support our growing portfolio of data, retail and digital businesses including the newly formed Inc Retail, which now includes Chop’d, KNOMO London and Laundrapp. We’re excited to be able to dedicate more time and resources to Inc Retail in addition to supporting the development and growth of new acquisitions currently on our radar.” Thomas Regier, DataGuard Co-Founder and Co- CEO said, “We are thrilled to welcome the MLD team into DataGuard. Together, we will expand their strong customer base and help many more organisations across the globe become privacy compliant and generate value through transparency and consent." Kivanc Semen, DataGuard Co-Founder and Co-CEO added, “The MLD team has built a best-in-class and highly scalable consent and preference management product that will be an integral element of our software suite – allowing us to extend DataGuard’s capabilities into another crucial area of the Privacy UX.” n Kao Data hosts Civo’s OCP-ready Kubernetes cloud platform Kao Data has welcomed a new customer in Civo, a flexible, developer-first cloud platform based on K3s Kubernetes technology. The agreement will see Kao Data deploy the UK Innovation Corridor’s first fully operational OCP-Ready system and enable Civo to launch its UK cloud region. Civo offers a managed Kubernetes service based on K3s, aimed at the start-up and enterprise developer communities. Its cloud configuration, built on OCP Accepted hardware and Kubernetes technology, offers the ability to develop superfast clusters with launch speeds under 90 seconds, in a simplified, disruptive cloud platform. To date the company has worked with over 4,000 developers in more than 128 countries, creating a developer-first environment that allows users to create clusters quickly, with high levels of resilience. Supported by systems integration specialist Vespertec, Civo’s K3s containerised environment is housed within high-density, 15kW+, standardised, OCP Accepted rack enclosures, containing the latest Intel Xeon servers and NVMe storage which is easy to deploy within Kao Data’s OCP Ready facility. The system is also compatible with the latest processor and GPU technologies, enabling developers to test and scale with reduced latency, achieve higher input/output operations per second, and benefit from a 10% lower power consumption. Mark Boost, CEO, Civo, said, “Kao Data’s OCP-Ready facility and their technical expertise in high-density computing made them a clear choice to deploy the first Civo cloud in the region. The growth of Kubernetes also makes this an extremely exciting time to launch our new platform in the UK and we’re proud to be driving the next evolution of Kubernetes technology with Kao Data.” Lee Myall, CEO, Kao Data, said, “We’re delighted to welcome Civo as Kao Data’s first OCP-Ready customer, and help them launch their world-class cloud platform in the UK. Kubernetes adoption continues to accelerate at great speed and we anticipate their cloud- native capabilities will be welcomed by the AI start-up communities within Cambridge and the UK Innovation Corridor.” n Share your news. Send your press releases and company news to the editor at: editor@networkseuropemagazine.comNEWS IN BRIEF www.networkseuropemagazine.com 13 ANSecurity awarded Palo Alto Networks managed security service provider status ANSecurity has become a Palo Alto Networks Managed Security Services Partner (MSSP), after delivering Palo Alto Networks security solutions for more than 10 years. David Hood, CEO, explains, “We already work with many of our clients using Palo Alto Networks technology as part of our own co-driver managed services methodology, and this certification is a formalisation of a long-standing relationship that validates that our security teams have the skill and expertise to implement and manage the entire product portfolio in accordance with best practice.” The new Palo Alto Networks MSSP offering will also be available via the Crown Commercial Service’s G-Cloud 12 Framework as part of the 20 security-focused services that ANSecurity has available through G-Cloud across cloud hosting, cloud software and cloud support categories. Stuart Taylor, WEUR Channel Director at Palo Alto Networks, said, "ANSecurity has been a trusted partner of ours for about 10 years, currently holding Platinum status. Palo Alto Networks is pleased to award them MSSP status. We look forward to working together to help customers transition to a managed services model that offers many benefits in terms of delivering an improved security posture while overcoming the acute cybersecurity skills shortage we see in the market today.” The ANSecurity Palo Alto Networks MSSP offering includes support for next-generation firewalls, advanced endpoint protection, SaaS security and centralised management and is backed by a 24/7 Security Operation Centre. n New partnership between QED and EmpiricAl brings Computer Vision AI to the wider market EmpiricAI has secured a major new distribution agreement with electronic security distributor QED, its first UK partner, that will see its innovative Computer Vision AI (Artificial Intelligence) solution offered across the UK and Europe. The announcement comes against a growing realisation that the security industry plays a crucial role not only in the protection of people and places but providing peace of mind for employers and employees in a wide variety of workplaces. QED now becomes one of the first to market with an advanced Computer Vision AI solution, which was developed by EmpiricAI specifically for improving health & safety and productivity in business and industry. Headquartered in Preston, Lancashire, QED is expecting strong demand for its new offering from a range of sectors including construction, manufacturing, corporate offices, retail and other customer-facing branches. QED was initially attracted by EmpiricAI’s WorkSafe Analytics (WSA) platform because of its functionality and ease of use. WSA uses AI-powered Computer Vision technology to help businesses get an accurate view of potential risks in the workplace. The software ensures compliance with health and safety guidelines. Integrated into on-site CCTV implementations, WSA is able to carry out real-time monitoring and detecting of any non-compliance of social distancing, and correct PPE/mask usage and occupancy guidelines. Comprehensive analytics and reporting on compliance at room, building, site-wide levels and their trends over time enables organisations to monitor and improve the effectiveness of their health and safety initiatives. EmpiricAI’s Computer Vision technology has been shown to restore employee confidence around safety. This is against a background of research showing that more than 60% of workers report inadequate safety in their workplace when considering all factors, not just the pandemic, which can significantly affect their productivity. Steve Constantine, Product Development Director, QED, said, “This partnership with EmpiricAI has been driven by the need to add more flexibility to our product range to support our partners working in environments where it’s important to monitor compliance with safety procedures. In addition, it also allows us to provide a timely and relevant solution to help address the health and safety challenges businesses are currently facing. It is a pleasure to work with EmpiricAI, whose range of products fills a gap in the marketplace like nobody else.” Salman Chaudhary, CEO, EmpiricAI, explains, “Our WorkSafe Analytics will complement QED’s customer-driven solutions. We see the partnership with QED bringing the benefits of Computer Vision to a much wider market especially those that are required to adhere to strict health and safety procedures. The combination of our advanced technology, backed up with QED’s security offering and proven customer service, will make the benefits of Computer Vision much more accessible to customers.” QED provides next day delivery service, 24/7 online ordering, advice before and following the sale, with their ethos being to earn the lifetime loyalty of customers. A dedicated Account Manager from QED is assigned to all customers, supported by an experienced and knowledgeable technical team of professionals. n MoCA unveil new leadership as it maintains multi-gigabit network momentum MoCA, Multimedia over Coax Alliance, continues its lead as the coax standards body for managed networks announcing a new MoCA President and Executive Officers following its annual election. Recently elected for one-year terms, the Executive Officers and President come together from all corners of the broadband networking ecosystem including service providers, original design manufacturers, product developers, and semiconductor companies. The new leadership will help MoCA continue in its mission to create coax standards for managed networks while ensuring members can seamlessly introduce MoCA certified products to market. MoCA Executive Officers comprise Dr Jim Crammond, of MaxLinear, MoCA President; Mike Talbert, of Verizon, MoCA Vice President; Kinney Bacon, of Cox Communications, MoCA Treasurer, and Dr Zong Liang Wu, of Luster Teraband, MoCA Secretary. nNEWS IN BRIEF www.networkseuropemagazine.com 14 Bluepoint Technologies announces new partnership with Cel-Fi Bluepoint Technologies has expanded its affiliate portfolio by partnering with a best-in-class provider of cellular coverage. The partnership with Cel-Fi by Nextivity will see Bluepoint Technologies’ team access specialist training to enable extensive product knowledge and technical support for Cel-Fi’s award-winning mobile connectivity solutions. Nextivity’s Cel-Fi products are designed to mitigate business-impacting call quality and connection issues caused by a weak cellular signal. Fully compliant and authorised for use by 200 carriers around the world, Cel-Fi’s product range has solutions for every connectivity challenge from home use to enterprise environments. With ground-up cellular coverage in more than 100 countries, Cel-Fi’s capability aligns perfectly with Bluepoint Technologies’ client portfolio, as Managing Director, Kathryn Aves explains, “The work we do is diverse, but fast, capable and reliable mobile connectivity is always a critical theme and Cel-Fi leads the way in innovating connectivity. From basement buildings to remote rural locations, Cel-Fi has proven solutions to enable fast, clear and consistent communications and data streaming. “This partnership will enable our team to lead in Cel-Fi capability, product knowledge and service to help our clients access solutions that they can be confident will keep them connected in any environment.” n Bureau Veritas joins EUDCA as sustainability takes a front seat The European Data Centre Association (EUDCA) announced that Bureau Veritas has joined the trade association as members, bringing with it significant knowledge and expertise in classification, inspection, testing and certification for mission-critical industries. Bureau Veritas has recently extended its focus to cover the complete data centre lifecycle through the acquisition of Primary Integration Commissioning Company (now BVPI) and Secura Cybersecurity Conformity Assessment Services. Peter Balleby, Business Development Director, Bureau Veritas, said, “As a trusted partner and world-leader in audit and certification services, Bureau Veritas serves 400,000 clients – large and small - to meet the challenges of sustainability and social responsibility, safety and security, and service quality throughout their respective value chains. The recent signing of the Carbon Neutral Data Centre Pact demonstrates the commitment of the EUDCA and its members to protect the environment. Bureau Veritas will add value by helping the sector develop strategies for carbon reduction which can be tracked, audited and certified to make these efforts transparent to all onlookers.” Apostolos Kakkos, Chairman, EUDCA, said, “We warmly welcome Bureau Veritas into EUDCA membership, it’s a rare event for a relative newcomer like the data centre sector to count amongst its number a 200-year old company! We look forward to Bureau Veritas bringing the experience it has gained in other sectors to help EUDCA member companies to develop a structured and measurable approach as they work to reduce the carbon footprint of their data centre operations. We look forward to leveraging their skills and knowledge as the European data centre industry self-regulates its way to a net-zero future.” Bureau Veritas recently introduced its Green Line of services, empowering all public and private organisations to implement, measure and ultimately, achieve their sustainability ambitions. Green Line covers business areas including resources and production, consumption and traceability, buildings & infrastructure, new mobility and ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance), measurably and transparently demonstrating the impact of sustainability actions to help protect brands and reputations. The EUDCA is home to some of the best minds in the European commercial data centre operator community, promoting a roadmap for sustainable growth. As critical infrastructure enabling European business to function efficiently and grow, it is crucial that the data centre industry continues to collaborate to ensure that future facilities are built and operated to meet the high standards required to minimise its impact upon the planet. n Ignion rebrand marks new era for IoT technology with its Virtual Antenna Inspired by the wide adoption of its Virtual Antenna for IoT devices, Fractus Antennas has rebranded as Ignion, a change that marks a new era of expansion and growth. With over 25 million devices deployed in only the last five years, the benefits of Virtual Antenna are making themselves felt across the IoT industry. Designed to make it easy to deploy an antenna for any IoT device, Virtual Antenna slashes development time from months to weeks, ensuring manufacturers can compete effectively. Ignion’s ‘antenna booster on a chip’ technology ensures electronics engineers can incorporate them into their designs without being antenna experts. Able to support multiple cellular and non-cellular technologies, ranging from NB-IoT and LTE-M to low power LPWAN and Bluetooth, at frequencies up to 10GHz, the Virtual Antenna can be used in a wide scope of IoT designs, simplifying procurement and logistics. The innovative technology is changing Ignion’s customers’ practices. Justin Matthews, Wireless Communications Device Architect, Landis+Gyr, said, “I recommend Ignion to cover all the bands across different regions by using a single variant of hardware. It was much easier from an inventory management perspective. The Ignion solution has definitely helped us because we’ll be able to launch the product sooner. There’s much less complexity in design and much less time in validation on our side.” A simple three-stage integration process is supported all the way by Ignion’s services. This integration can be made even simpler by taking advantage of Ignion’s wireless Fast Track service tool, which places the antenna booster on the PCB virtually. Ignion then designs the first matching electronic circuit for the required frequency bands, all of which are optimised for the device’s designated board. This allows device radiation performance to be predicted from the very beginning. In line with Ignion’s ethos of providing innovative solutions and bespoke support to customers, users of wireless Fast Track receive feedback within 24 hours. This service is appreciated by Matthews who said, “Because [Ignion] reports are professionally fronted and template-based, they can be circulated internally without having to put any of your own effort or spin on them.” Similarly, other customers have chosen Ignion’s Virtual Antenna due to its features and the customer- centric ethos behind the Ignion brand. Peter Huang, Design Engineer for ZillionSource, said, “High performance and professional design were key considerations when we chose Ignion.” With easy design processes, configuration abilities and Ignion’s back-up support, Virtual Antenna helps manufacturers build rapid success in the growing IoT industry. nNEWS IN BRIEF www.networkseuropemagazine.com 15 Aruba introduces its DBaaS Aruba has introduced its Database as a Service (DBaaS) solution, offering a technological environment for managing data in the cloud securely to support all types of business application. Aruba is expanding its range of cloud services as part of its Platform as a Service solution, with a view to offering developers, IT consultants, software houses and IT Managers a powerful, flexible service for creating their own applications and focus on testing and development. At the same time, it provides production environments with guaranteed computational resources, as setup and configuration are becoming easier to manage. Aruba Cloud DBaaS offers maximum scalability by increasing the computational resources available as the database grows. It is configured as a managed service – as the customer does not have to worry about configuration, updates and backups, which happen automatically – and features clear, transparent costs thanks to a breakdown of spending, which can be monitored at any time. It also offers excellent performance, extensive resource availability, integrated security and maximum compatibility. Aruba DBaaS is available in two plans, both of which are billed monthly. The Shared DBaaS plan is for development and testing environments as well as for production environments, but for "non-mission critical" applications. The dedicated DBaaS plan is for production environments with guaranteed computational resources. Both plans include one public IP address, seven daily backups and optional backups on demand. “Developers, IT managers and consultants are increasingly looking at Cloud platforms and seeing them as the most agile way to implement new features and essential services for business", explains Gabriele Sposato, Aruba's Marketing Director, "DBaaS solutions are evolving quickly, and Aruba is proud to offer its customers new Cloud-based databases that are extremely scalable, secure and affordable, designed to support any kind of business application.” n Hawke International's new generation of cable glands Hawke International has launched its Rapid Connection Gland (RCG) range, offering rapid termination and disconnection solutions in a cost-effective package that significantly reduces ownership expenses. Hawke International, a division of the Hubbell Harsh & Hazardous Group, has developed the range to enable quick field connections of cables to equipment in instances where historically, hardwiring methods would have been required. The Exe/Ext certified range, rated to IP66/67, will reduce downtime and operating expenses in facilities while providing the opportunity to easily and safely swap out equipment and incorporate maintenance-light, sealed for life fittings. Matt Ogden, Product Manager, Hawke International, explains, “The range is the ultimate hybrid of a cable gland and connector and it provides an array of benefits for end- users, including operators in hazardous environments. “The RCG range is a plug and play product, so connections and disconnections can be made far quicker than is possible with hard wiring. In the case of hard wiring, power has to be shut down for hours while cable glands are disassembled, this is not the case with the RCG, dramatically reducing downtime to just a matter of minutes. This results in significant cost savings. In addition, the new range has a quick installation process which requires very few man-hours. “The plug and play technology also makes swapping out existing lighting, instrumentation and other pieces of equipment easier than ever. And, the range’s pre-termination capabilities make it simpler to pre-plan installation deployments with more precise hook-up time predictions.” Hawke International has also developed a certified Exe coupler, an inline quick connection product, which allows installers to extend an existing piece of cable without the need to use a junction box or a more permanent splice kit. This is suitable for all cable types including unarmoured, armoured and braided. Ogden adds: “The coupler can be quickly installed to enable swift corrections to be made when cable lengths have been incorrectly measured. It utilises plug and play technology to make changes to future installations, upgrades or swap-outs as hassle-free as possible.” Hawke International has also developed a range of accessories, including thread adapters, reducers and fittings, to easily overcome any fitting issues. The products enable the interconnection of dissimilarly sized connections on cable glands and enclosures while remaining compliant with international standards. n Megaport announces the launch of Megaport Virtual Edge Megaport has announced the launch of Megaport Virtual Edge (MVE), an on-demand vendor-neutral Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) service that enables branch-to- cloud connectivity on Megaport’s global Software Defined Network (SDN). With MVE, companies can host network functions such as virtual routers, SD-WAN controllers and future networking technologies directly on Megaport’s global platform to extend their network functions closer to the edge, in real-time and without the need to deploy hardware. MVE is a globally distributed compute and network service in one. The compute aspect of the service enables customers to host NFV instances in locations where they need them, on- demand and manage them in a point-and-click manner. On the network side, MVE’s built-in transit gateway provides a highly scalable access point for connecting networks via the public internet to Megaport’s private SDN. Virtualised devices hosted on MVE can utilise the transit gateway to create connections between the Megaport SDN and their own networks including branch locations, data centres, and private clouds. At launch, MVE is available in 11 metros across North America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe with 10 additional locations to be available at the end of April. This allows customers more flexibility to deploy virtual devices near concentrations of users to localise traffic and optimise data termination for performance. Many businesses have embraced SD-WAN and internet connections as a means of simplifying their IT connectivity. However, dependence on end-to-end internet connections to key services and resources can impact performance, availability, and security. With MVE, customers can host localised virtual SD-WAN controllers on Megaport’s global platform and reduce the distance data traverses over internet paths from branch locations to critical services in public or private clouds and even other branch locations. Once connected, customers can access Megaport’s leading ecosystem of more than 700 enabled data centres worldwide and over 360 service providers, including 200+ cloud on- ramps from the world's leading clouds such as Alibaba Cloud, AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, Oracle Cloud and Salesforce. nNEWS IN BRIEF www.networkseuropemagazine.com 16 Fluke launches clamp meters with non-contact voltage measurement to make testing safer Fluke has launched a family of clamp meters that make electrical measurements safer for servicing and maintenance technicians. The Fluke 377 and 378 are non-contact voltage True-RMS AC/DC clamp meters that allow technicians to make rapid electrical tests without the danger of coming into contact with hazardous live parts. The Fluke 377 and 378 use FieldSense technology to sense voltage and current through the clamp jaw with only a connection to earth needed for reference. With no direct connection with live components, the risk of electric shock and arc flash is minimised. The clamp meters measure up to 1000A True-RMS AC/DC and up to 2500A (AC) with the ‘iFlex’ current probe. Designed for ease of use, only three steps are needed to measure in three phase systems, with each voltage and current shown simultaneously on the dual display. Both meters are available in FC (Fluke Connect3:38 PM) versions with Bluetooth interface. The 377 FC and 378 FC versions also show phase rotation which can be displayed on a smartphone and saved to the cloud via Fluke Connect software, eliminating the need for handwritten notes. Fluke Connect allows maintenance technicians and service staff to document values and share them with their team. The data gathered can be used as a basis for designing a preventive maintenance program. The 378 FC includes a unique power quality (PQ) indicator that senses PQ issues relating to current, voltage or power factor. This allows users to rapidly check if issues relate to the power supply or the connected electrical equipment. n Ixxat Smart Grid Gateways enable IO and Wi-Fi sensors to be connected to energy networks HMS Networks has expanded its Ixxat SG-gateway series for networking of energy components. Two new multi-IO versions allow traditional IO-sensors as well as sensors or devices in WiFi networks to be connected to energy systems using IEC 61850 and IEC 60870. Users benefit from direct and seamless access to sensor data from the control room as well as IIoT capabilities for monitoring, maintenance and forecasting purposes. Digitalisation of energy technology is important for mastering the future challenges of sustainable energy supply. With Ixxat SG-gateways, device manufacturers, system integrators, energy suppliers and network operators get instant status information into the control room through direct access to plant data from various sources. This enables efficient system operation, fast reactions to network disturbances, as well as remote monitoring and maintenance of devices and systems. The compact Ixxat SG-gateways are especially suitable for retrofitting plants and digitalisation of substations and, are used in many areas of energy automation, eg in power plants and at large energy consumers. Thanks to the wide range of interfaces and protocols supported, Ixxat SG-gateways remove the need for installing several separate gateways, such as fieldbus gateways, sensor gateways, IoT gateways and firewalls. Adding to the existing support for IEC 61850, IEC 60870, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, MQTT and 4G, the two new SG-gateways feature Multi-IO and WiFi capabilities (WLAN according to IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n). With this, traditional as well as wireless sensors can be easily connected to control rooms and cloud systems. Besides RS232/485 and Ethernet, eight digital inputs/outputs (24V DC) and eight analog inputs (0-20mA or 0-10V) are available for direct sensor connection, all switchable via software. Example applications are temperature monitoring of high-voltage lines via WiFi using Modbus TCP, pressure and density measurement of cooling liquids using Modbus RTU, and room temperature or humidity measurement in buildings using analogue or digital IO. The acquired data from sensors, fieldbuses and energy protocols is made available by the SG-gateway in control room applications, SCADA and can also be integrated into the user’s cloud system of choice. For direct use in a targeted system and protocol, the data can be pre-processed by the SG-gateway using the integrated WEBPLC. Data security is ensured via a local firewall, access management and via encrypted data transmission. Depending on the used protocol, this is done either with openVPN or TLS 1.3. n Vantage Data Centers provides renewable energy options Vantage Data Centers has announced that it now provides access to renewable energy options at each of its North American and European campuses to enable customers to reduce their carbon emissions. Additionally, the company has hired two experts to lead its environmental sustainability commitments across the globe. Four of the company’s campuses are currently powered by more than 99% renewable energy (hydro, tidal and wind) for critical IT load through Vantage’s utility partners, while the other campuses provide access to green power purchases and renewable energy credits through local utility partners. Vantage actively works with energy providers, customers and industry groups to advocate and invest in additional renewable energy options globally. As part of an expanded focus on environmental goals, the company named Amanda Sutton as Senior Director of Sustainability to lead Vantage’s global sustainability program to lessen its environmental impacts worldwide. In addition, Neal Kalita will serve as the Director of Power and Sustainability with a focus on the company’s European campuses. Sutton and Kalita join a global team overseeing environmentally responsible facility design, construction and operations. Sureel Choksi, President and CEO, Vantage Data Centers, said, “Vantage is working collaboratively with our customers, investors and utilities to invest in sources of renewable energy and to set goals in all areas of sustainable development in order to make a positive impact in the communities where we operate. Part of our commitment to expand our ESG program included adding leadership in several areas and I’m thrilled to have Amanda and Neal on board to provide a new depth of expertise to our team.” As part of its Environmental, Safety and Corporate Governance (ESG) program, Vantage is taking a broad approach to the many facets of environmental sustainability. nNEWS IN BRIEF www.networkseuropemagazine.com 17 Fujikura launches 90S+ Fusion splicer as networks usage continues to rise across Europe Fujikura Europe has launched its 90S+ fusion splicer for engineers working on network upgrades and maintenance across Europe, as internet usage continues to surge. According to reports, internet use in some European nations more than doubled in 2020 as families and businesses went online to stay connected. In the UK, Openreach said customers consumed 50,000 petabytes of data in the year, compared with 22,000 in 2019, while Vodafone has reported a 50% increase in internet traffic in Europe since the pandemic began. As the surge in usage puts more strain on network infrastructure, network operators have had to rely on regular maintenance and upgrades to keep people online, meaning engineers' work schedules are even busier. To help network operators and engineers speed up work on the network, Fujikura’s new 90S+ splicer makes the entire splicing process faster and easier. With market-first fully automated features, the 90S+ uses Active Blade Management technology to improve the efficiency of the cleaver to reduce costs and boost productivity. It also has new Active Fusion Control Technology, which analyses the condition of the cleaver end face to perform optimal fusion control and minimise splice loss. Neil Bessant, Fusion Splicer Divisional Manager, Fujikura Europe, believes increased maintenance and network upgrades across Europe mean engineers need the latest splicing technology to be able to stick to strict project schedules. He says, “According to the latest research, the pandemic has accelerated internet usage by a number of years, with high- speed fibre-optic broadband lines in Europe expected to more than double during the next six years alone. With increased installations, upgrades and network upkeep, engineers need robust and reliable technology that will help to complete projects on time and on budget. That’s why we have launched the 90S+. “Against previous models, the 90S+ reduces overall working time and the unique design of the 90S+ has engineers front of mind. The easy splice positioning system makes it quicker for the user to handle the fibre, while real-time fusion control analyses the fibre’s brightness intensity during fusion - contributing to stable, reduced splice loss. “The 90S+ is one of the most reliable splicers on the market as it offers a quick return on investment, is able to withstand all the elements and has a lifespan over many years - all vital for engineers looking to win upcoming installation projects.” n HelpSystems acquires Beyond Security to continue expansion HelpSystems has announced the acquisition of Beyond Security. Beyond Security’s cloud-based products enable hundreds of organisations to easily scan their growing, complex environments for network or application vulnerabilities. The team and solutions from Beyond Security will fit into HelpSystems’ popular infrastructure protection portfolio featuring Digital Defense, Core Security, and Cobalt Strike. Kate Bolseth, CEO, HelpSystems, said, “Our global customers trust us to provide them with powerful, reliable security software to protect their data and infrastructure from malicious adversaries. Beyond Security meets strong demand from overburdened IT and security professionals whose hybrid environments grow more complex every day. We’re pleased to help customers get control of this and are delighted to welcome the team of vulnerability experts and their well-known solutions to HelpSystems.” Beyond Security accurately assesses security weaknesses in networks, applications, industrial systems and networked software. This is critical for IT and security teams managing an increasingly hybrid world where assets are on-premise, in the cloud, or tied to IoT and those needing to comply with industry and government security standards. Aviram Jenik, Beyond Security co-founder and CEO, said, “Beyond Security’s vulnerability management platform will continue to provide detection across networks, applications, endpoints and the cloud, for our fast-growing customer base as part of HelpSystems. HelpSystems’ global footprint and resources will empower us to continue to advance our vulnerability detection capabilities and afford our customers the opportunity to benefit from HelpSystems’ extensive security and automation solution stack. We are excited by the endless possibilities this combination provides and look forward to working together to help organisations around the world understand and address information security.” n TCA welcome success of integrated SIM standardisation The Trusted Connectivity Alliance (TCA) has published a new paper welcoming global standardisation efforts that have evolved integrated SIM functionality. TCA advocates global, open standards developed by recognised industry organisations including GSMA, which ensure that integrated SIM technologies for secure connectivity and services can provide interoperability and security levels that match their embedded and removable SIM counterparts. The paper – Integrated SIM Functionality: Drivers, Approaches to Standardisation and Use Cases – defines an integrated SIM as a solution where SIM functionality is implemented on a hardware Tamper Resistant Element (TRE) integrated within a host System-on-Chip. In addition to considering market forces driving the integration trend, the paper also summarises current industry standardisation efforts, details use cases and explores the benefits of integration for device security. Claus Dietze, TCA Chair, comments, “The publication of this paper is significant as it presents a unified, industry view that global efforts to standardise nascent integrated SIM technology have been successful and that solutions which align with open standards can now be recognised for their high levels of security assurance and global interoperability. Security is a critical consideration that must not be compromised if any ecosystem is to fully realise the performance and memory advantages of integration. “The standardised integrated SIM is now recognised by the TCA as an innovative, new SIM form factor, which sits alongside the established embedded SIM and which can bring numerous benefits to a broad range of secure connectivity use cases which require small SIM dimensions, low energy consumption, or high levels of accessible memory and/or advanced computing power for example. TCA additionally supports standardisation efforts and activities intended to reduce the overall time and complexity of certification for integrated SIM solutions.” TCA evolved from the SIMalliance in February 2020. As a global, non-profit industry association, TCA works to enable trust in a connected future. nwww.networkseuropemagazine.com data responsibility 18 Fire, flood, malware, or Acts of God – if your data is The OVHCloud data centre fire in March this year, raised questions about the perception of the services and the guarantees provided when technology is deployed into a data centre.www.networkseuropemagazine.com data responsibility 19 The fire demonstrated that the inconceivable can become a reality, and organisations that hosted their equipment at the Strasbourg site in the belief they were mitigating risk, potentially left themselves exposed. As a result, many of them may have suffered a permanent loss of data, potentially jeopardising their business. Service providers hosting their own physical or virtual servers appear to have been affected the hardest. With possible misunderstandings regarding the security of systems and the data they hold, there had been an incorrect belief that a disaster of such magnitude could not occur, but that if by chance it did, systems data was somehow being backed up as part of the service. Some organisations were in fact, carrying out data backups or replication. However, these were to hosted systems in the very same data centre. Responsibility for your data The data centre fire has brought the responsibility for data and system resilience into sharp focus with the potential for a complete system outage and permanent loss now a very real possibility. Regardless of where you are hosted, the responsibility for ensuring you can recover your systems and data quickly and reliably often falls to the customer. Looked at from another perspective, the data and system recovery contingencies in place with some organisations hosting at OVHCloud were far short of what was required, and a system outage with permanent data loss was possible without a catastrophic fire. In a very similar vein to the data centre fire, there are many organisations hosting servers at data centres, or running services from online providers or SaaS, believing that their systems and data are secure, being backed up, and will still be available in the event of an outage. Keep an eye on the Ts and Cs It’s possible that providers will only supply a ‘reasonable endeavours’ service to retrieve lost data; it’s not usually a prominent aspect in the Ts & Cs. So diligence is essential to understand just what is being provided. Consider the outcome if the provider of a prominent online service was hosted at the Strasbourg data centre and did not have the appropriate data resilience in place. malware, of God – if your gone, it’s gone Stephen Young Director AssureStor centre fire in March this ns about the perception of guarantees provided when yed into a data centre.Next >