< PreviousEricsson accelerates 5G for Enterprise with acquisition of Cradlepoint Ericsson has agreed to acquire Cradlepoint, the US-based Wireless Edge WAN 4G and 5G Enterprise solutions company. The investment is key to Ericsson’s strategy of capturing market share in the rapidly expanding 5G Enterprise space. Cradlepoint complements Ericsson’s existing 5G Enterprise portfolio which includes Dedicated Networks and a global IoT platform. The combined offering will create valuable new revenue streams for customers by supporting full 5G-enabled services for enterprise, and boost returns on investments in the network. Cradlepoint will become a fully owned subsidiary of Ericsson while continuing to operate under its existing brand. Cradlepoint employees will remain within the company, headquartered in Boise, Idaho. It will be part of Ericsson’s Business Area Technologies and New Businesses. The acquisition price amounts to an enterprise value of USD 1.1 b. with the transaction expected to close before the end of Q4 2020, subject to closing conditions. Cradlepoint’s sales for 2019 were SEK 1.2 b. with a gross margin of 61%. Ericsson’s operating margins are expected to be negatively impacted by approximately 1% in 2021 and 2022 - where half is related to amortization of intangible assets which arise from the acquisition. Cradlepoint is expected to contribute to operating cash-flow in 2022. Wireless wide area network (wireless WAN) Edge solutions connect through 4G and 5G to deliver fast, secure, and flexible connectivity wherever and whenever it is needed for businesses, mobility and critical frontline emergency services. Cradlepoint is strongly positioned in a market with underlying growth of 25-30%. Börje Ekholm, President and CEO Ericsson, says: "Portfolio-near acquisitions are an integral part of our earlier communicated strategy. The acquisition of Cradlepoint complements our existing offerings and is key to our strategy of helping customers grow the value of their 5G network investments. Ericsson is uniquely positioned to build on Cradlepoint’s leadership position in Wireless Edge and the wireless WAN market. Combining the scale of our market access and established relationships with the world’s biggest mobile operators we are making a strong investment to support our customers to grow in this exciting market. I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all Cradlepoint employees.” George Mulhern, CEO and Chairman, Cradlepoint says: “We have led the way in bringing the power of cellular networks and technologies to enterprise and public sector customers – helping them connect beyond the limits of traditional wired WANs. Ericsson with its global 5G leadership is a great match for us and I am very excited to continue to scale and expand our business together.” Founded in 2006, Cradlepoint has more than 650 employees. In addition to the company headquarters in Boise, Idaho, USA, the company operates a research and development center in Silicon Valley, California, and new market offices in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cradlepoint’s subscription model combines cloud-delivered software with hardware endpoints, support and training. Ericsson’s long-standing collaboration with Cradlepoint dates back to the launch of 4G in the U.S. market more than a decade ago. n www.networkseuropemagazine.comwww.networkseuropemagazine.com NEWS IN BRIEF 10 TP-Link delivers Omada Cloud Networking Business solution for 100% centralised cloud management TP-Link has delivered its Software-Defined Networking (SDN) business WiFi solution in the UK, unveiling new products in its Omada range. Omada SDN integrates network devices, including access points and switches, gateways to deliver a complete centralised cloud management for highly scalable networks controlled from a single interface. It provides fast, reliable wireless connections with Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6, as well as 10 GE, 2.5 GE, and GE wired connections, ideal for use in hospitality, education, retail, offices and various other scenarios. TP-Link is now able to deliver the full features of cloud-enabled business networking to customers in the UK, with the new arrival of the AC1750 Wireless MU-MIMO Gigabit Ceiling Mount Access Point (EAP265 HD), JetStream 28- Port Gigabit Smart Switch with 24-Port PoE+ (TL- SG2428P) and JetStream 10-Port Gigabit Smart Switch with 8-Port PoE+ (TL-SG2210MP). Integrating into the Omada SDN, the components combine to create an efficient network, intelligent network monitoring and centralised cloud management through the Omada app. Combined with AI-driven technology, Omada helps IT staff to automatically analyse potential network problems and receive suggestions to improve network efficiency. The Omada app dashboard makes it easy to see the real-time network status, check the network usage and traffic distribution, or even track key data for better business results. Cloud access makes the centralised management of different sites simple regardless of scale or number of devices in the network. Equipped with Fast Dual-Band Wi-Fi speeds totalling 1750 Mbps*, MU-MIMO, Load Balance and professional antennas, the EAP265 HD access point connects more devices simultaneously and improves capacity in high-density environments. The EAP265 HD supports both standard 802.3af/ at and Passive PoE (PoE adapter included). Meanwhile, the solution supports 802.11k/v for Signal Auto Transition to unlock seamless roaming, ensuring that video streams and voice calls are unaffected as users move between locations. EAP265 HD also provides a secure guest network, with multiple authentication options (SMS, Facebook Wi-Fi, Voucher, etc.) and wireless security technologies to suit the needs of any business type or environment. The launch of the JetStream TL-SG2210MP and TL-SG2428P Gigabit Smart PoE Switches provide high-speed connections for various networks, device and site requirements. The TL-SG2210MP switch has a 150 W PoE power budget with 8× 802.3at/af-compliant PoE+ ports and 2× gigabit SFP Slots and abundant security strategies enabled by built-in LAN Area Investment Protection. For sites with greater device and power requirements, the TL-SG2428P provides 250 W total PoE power budget with 24× 802.3at/ af-compliant PoE+ ports and 4× gigabit SFP Slots, enabling businesses to scale with seamless network connectivity. Both switches contain robust security strategies (IP-MAC-Port Binding, ACL, Port Security, DoS Defend, Storm Control, DHCP Snooping, 802.1X, Radius Authentication), with voice and video applications optimised through L2/L3/L4 QoS and IGMP snooping. Centralised cloud management is delivered through integration with the Omada SDN platform. “SDN matches the agility of modern business with dynamic and efficient network configuration, to improve performance and reliability at scale. As businesses grow, the reliance on efficient networks inevitably increases. Combining cloud management with AI-driven technology, SDN removes the complexity of managing existing networks, as well as centralising the configuration of new locations. Delivering on our promise of a cloud SDN business WiFi solution in the UK enables us to provide the capabilities needed to power highly efficient and scalable networks. With this technology, we can support businesses in meeting the connectivity demands of future workspaces,” commented Will Liu, Managing Director of TP-Link UK. nNEWS IN BRIEF www.networkseuropemagazine.com 11 www.networkseuropemagazine.com 11 Microchip announces high-speed CoaXPress 2.0 devices that speed machine vision image capture Until the 12.5Gbps CoaXPress 2.0 interface standard was ratified last year, machine-vision image-capture solutions had replaced conveyor belts as the primary roadblock to achieving faster production-line throughput. Microchip Technology Inc. has taken the next step toward realising the potential of CoaXPress (CXP) with single-chip physical-layer interface devices to include features that streamline machine vision system design, maximise transmission speed and simplify deployment in high-volume bottling operations, food inspection, industrial inspection and imaging applications. “We have worked with the Japan Industrial Imaging Association (JIIA) standards organisation and our lead customers to optimise our offering in conjunction with CXP so it fully exploits the specification’s benefits on the factory floor,” said Matthias Kaestner, vice president, Automotive Infotainment Systems business unit. “Our low-latency, low- power transmission solutions integrate an equalizer, cable driver and clock data recovery into a single chip that enables camera and capture card manufacturers to deliver high-speed, high-resolution video and control signaling along with power over a single coax cable.” Microchip’s EQCO125X40 family of CoaXPress devices implements the CXP 2.0 standard, starting from a new backward compatible design based on the specification, with an integrated clock data recovery (CDR) at all speed levels and a camera-side clock to support the demands of real-world environments. The devices significantly increase machine-vision processing throughput by enabling cameras and capture cards to transmit four to eight times faster than alternative solutions. In addition, these devices enable four times the cable/link distance with much lower power and near-zero latency. The product family also increases design tolerances and flexibility by seamlessly locking on all frequencies at any speed, from CXP-1 to CXP-12, and eliminates the need for multiple channels by supporting 12.5Gbps of bandwidth over a single cable. Broader cabling options ensure systems can be installed where needed and the integrated CDR improves jitter performance for the signal sent from the camera to the capture card. The on-camera low-frequency clock recovery eliminates the need to program a separate clock in the FPGA. The integrated link signal integrity testing enables the system to perform real-time checks of cable link integrity before and during operations. For card makers, Microchip’s new offering makes it easier and less expensive to develop more robust products that customers can deploy wherever they need them on the production line. The products enable pre- setup and real-time cable link quality tests to be performed, giving users more robust and comprehensive solutions to their challenges. They also have the option to scale up to 50 Gbps over multiple cables. “Microchip’s new CXP-12 family provides our latest products with a compact and low component count single-chip equalizer solution which can therefore easily meet the CoaXPress return loss specification,” said Chris Beynon, CTO with Active Silicon. “The devices also have an elegant feature to allow real-time cable margin testing to detect aging or worn cables before any bit errors would be seen in normal operation.” Microchip’s CXP devices enable manufacturers to get the same throughput from two ports on cameras and frame grabbers as they previously could with four. The devices can be used to retrieve a real-time low-frequency clock at the camera side, which provides more accurate signal timing. The manufacturers can also use it as a cable repeater, further extending the distances over which the cameras can be linked. Their low power consumption makes them ideal for bringing to market smaller, better- performing image-capture solutions that increase customer value yet are simpler and less costly to design. “With Microchip’s CXP devices, we support our market needs for a doubling in data throughput while keeping the same system costs,” said Andre Jacobs, director of marketing and sales with Adimec. “JIIA is excited to see that Microchip is bringing low-power, high- performance CoaXPress 2.0 solutions to market that fully comply to the recently released CoaXPress 2.0 specification,” said Sachio Kiura, Chairman of the Japan Industrial Imaging Association. In addition to providing key capabilities that Microchip believes will help to accelerate the adoption of better-performing, lower-cost machine-vision solutions in industrial inspection applications, the company expects that its CoaXPress 2.0 family will have an equally transformational effect on applications including traffic monitoring, surveillance and security, medical inspection systems and embedded vision solutions. The family is part of an extensive product portfolio spanning the requirements for creating total system solutions, including Microchip’s 12Gbps PolarFire field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) that seamlessly support the CoaXPress protocol with minimal developer effort while enabling a low-power, low-latency and small- footprint solution. n Secure remote and ‘At-the-Rack’ KVM-over-IP access Raritan, a brand of Legrand, and provider of data centre management and rack power distribution solutions, adds three combo “KVM- over-IP/LCD Drawer” models to its existing Dominion LX II portfolio. With local at-the-rack access these 8 or 16 port combo digital KVM switches with integrated 17” LCD monitor provide Java-free BIOS level control. Suited in IT environments for IT admin tasks with up to 256 connected devices and for organisations with multiple satellite server locations enabling both local and remote access. Standard productivity features such as virtual media, absolute mouse synchronisation, directory server authentication, and PC Share are all included in this new switch, enabling IT, data centre, test lab and network administrators to remotely manage computer and serial devices to maximise uptime and resolve issues. Dominion LX II models administer a wide range of servers, PCs and laptops with VGA, DVI, HDMI, USB-C, DisplayPort, USB, and PS/2 interfaces. With the integrated combo KVM-over- IP switches you can additionally manage 2 or 4 networking or serial devices via Dominion Serial Access Modules (DSAM). “The second-generation Dominion LX II KVM-over-IP switches and combo KVM drawers are the perfect affordable solution for today’s environment with people now both working from home and those gradually returning to their office environment.” says Richard Dominach, Director of Product Management at Raritan. “In branch office environments too the DLX2-xxx- LED models are the ideal solution for both ‘at- the-rack’ and remote access control.” nNEWS IN BRIEF www.networkseuropemagazine.com 12 Nord introduces the Nordac Pro SK 500P Nordac Pro SK 500P is the new generation of control cabinet inverters. The series is equipped with an integrated universal Ethernet interface that enables the use of the major real-time Ethernet standards via one single interface. Whether for Profinet, EtherNet/ IP, Powerlink or EtherCAT, the required protocol can be easily set by means of parameters. The new control cabinet inverters cover rated motor powers from 0.25 to 5.5 kW and feature high levels of connectivity, functionality and versatility. Various device versions can be allocated to various application requirements. Plug-in control, safety and option modules ensure flexibility and the compact book- size design format enables space-saving installation in control cabinets. The nature of the modular series is shown by its modern connectivity such as the use of an SD memory card as a storage medium for parameters, as well as a USB interface which enables “in the box” parameterisation of the inverter when the power is switched off. It also provides a CANopen interface, five or six digital and two analogue inputs, two digital and one analogue output, two potential-free multi-function relays, an HTL / TTL incremental encoder interface as well as a universal encoder interface which enables connection of SIN/COS, BiSS SSI, Hiperface and EnDat encoders. One Nordac Pro SK 550P highlight is the integrated multi-chip for Industrial Ethernet that enables the use of the real-time Ethernet standards via a single interface. The SK 550P can read out up to four encoder systems simultaneously and can therefore control several motors in positioning mode. Boasting features such as the integrated PLC for motor- related motion and logic control, a 200% overload reserve for perfect torque and speed performance as well as sensorless current vector control for asynchronous and synchronous motors (open loop and closed loop). The integrated brake chopper for 4-quadrant operation is a part of the basic equipment for the entire series, as is motor brake management, which is important, e.g. for lifting gear applications. NORD supplies the inverters with integrated STO and SS1. The integrated PLC processes the data from sensors and actuators and can autonomously initiate control sequences, as well as communicating drive and application data to a control centre, networked components or to cloud storage. This allows continuous condition monitoring and therefore forms the basis for predictive maintenance concepts as well as optimum plant dimensioning. With the Nordac Pro SK 550P, the Nord Drivesystems range includes future-proof and user-friendly frequency inverters for control cabinets. The overall concept has been revised, so that the inverter series provides a new platform which promises many years of power and performance from Nord. The new series is of course downwardly compatible with the current SK 500E series. n J2 Innovations, a Siemens Company, introduces a new version of their KNX IP connector to provide seamless integration of KNX devices with FIN Framework. FIN is a software platform for building automation and IoT applications. The KNX connector software module can read a KNX project file and present all the KNX points/group addresses available in an installation within the FIN open platform. The automatic configuration allows engineers to integrate and supervise the KNX components, along with other devices and systems that use other protocols. “From lighting, HVAC, shutters, intruder alarms and audio-visual systems to energy management and control, metering, monitoring systems; there have been a myriad of manufacturers that have developed KNX devices for building control applications,” says Matteo Pierone, Director of Professional Services EMEA at J2 Innovations. “Native KNX integration within a single management platform will remove a significant engineering overhead for OEM developers who routinely integrate multiple buildings protocols within complex BMS systems.” Pierone continues: “When compared with many of today’s KNX-specific controllers for commercial applications, FIN Framework offers users a major upgrade in supervisory and system control; offering a more powerful and richer feature-set for monitoring, scheduling, alarming, visualisation, analytics and IoT functionality.” FIN has a comprehensive suite of apps including a powerful and flexible graphics editor to deliver highly intuitive user interface designs. All visualisation is HTML5 compliant and fully responsive for improved mobile client experience. J2’s latest Edge2Cloud capability adds a secure remote connection so engineers can access building data, servicing or upgrade the system without requiring the cost and complexity of a VPN. n J2 Innovations introduces KNX IP connector Supermicro introduces NEBS level 3 certified 1U Server Supermicro Computer, Inc. announces a 1U NEBS (Network Equipment Building System) Level 3 certified system with up to four NVIDIA V100 or V100S Tensor Core GPUs. The new server system enables the latest AI, AR/VR, transcoding, gaming, and other high-compute workloads with low latency requirements in the telecom environment. The 1U system is available with either redundant AC or DC Power Supply (1+1) options and has nine 4cm fans to provide a cooling system that supports the extended temperature range. Also included are 2x 2.5" hot-swap SAS/SATA drive bays and 2x 2.5" internal drive bays. The system provides for secure SNMP v3, IPv6, and IPMI for management. "Supermicro is first-to-market with a 1U NEBS Level 3 V100 GPU accelerated server, a key enabler for the transition to 5G, with industry adoption of the most advanced applications and workloads found in AI/AR, and IoT," said Charles Liang, president, and CEO of Supermicro. "We have already received strong market interest in this system, which complements our extensive GPU portfolio, including 2U, 4U, and 10U multi-GPU servers leveraging our and resource-saving architecture." "The AI, HPC, data science, graphics, and 5G/telecommunications markets—from edge to core -- continue to grow and present unprecedented computational challenges," said Paresh Kharya Senior Director of Product Management for accelerated computing at NVIDIA. "The NVIDIA V100 GPU in the Supermicro NEBS Level 3 compliant system will enable more customers to leverage the performance and scalability required for these markets." nNetwise stays cool by using EcoCooling for new East London data centre Long-time customer Netwise has chosen EcoCooling to be the cooling provider for its new state-of-the-art 13,000 square foot data centre. Named Netwise London East (NLE), the new facility is due to launch in 2021 and is the third private design and build project for Netwise in its 10-year history. Following successful installations in its existing London South and London Central facilities, EcoCooling was very pleased to hear that Netwise wanted to collaborate again and install the latest internally fitted CloudCooler range. Having extensive experience using EcoCooling equipment across its two existing facilities, Netwise is confident in not only the efficiency of the CloudCooler equipment but also the performance. This latest facility will be home to 256 rack footprints across four data halls, so effective cooling will be of utmost importance in ensuring service level agreements are adhered to while maintaining power effectiveness. As part of a phased installation, EcoCooling will work alongside Netwise to ensure units are onsite and ready as the project dictates, with 28 coolers to be installed in total. As with its previous builds, Netwise strives to opt for the latest hyper- efficient technologies and by selecting EcoCooling’s internal evaporative coolers, they will achieve a PUE of as low as 1.05. This level of efficiency is not only more environmentally friendly but it ensures Netwise can offer customers excellent value for money due to reduced operational costs compared to other London based data centres. The ECT10800 CloudCooler units that Netwise has chosen for this project use the same evaporative cooling principles as found in the EcoCooling units in its two other facilities. The units are part of EcoCooling’s CloudCooler range, which is specifically designed for data centres. Manufactured as a modular and therefore scalable unit, the CloudCooler combines free cooling with evaporative cooling and humidification for facilities ranging from 5kW to 50MW. What makes the CloudCooler solution most appealing is its simplicity from installation through to maintenance, which helps to make it one of the lowest total cost of ownership solutions available. Alan Beresford, Managing Director of EcoCooling says it is brilliant to see how “Matthew Butt (Managing Director of Netwise) and his team at Netwise have totally embraced the environmental and economic advantages of using evaporative cooling in their data centres.” Knowing that this project was on the cards, EcoCooling’s R&D team used it as the stimulus to complete the planned upgrades to the ECT10800 units. This means that Netwise will be the first to benefit from our latest units that boast a renewed and upgraded control system using a Carel interface, which offers additional functionality. EcoCooling values the relationships it has with customers and will always work with organisations to ensure the right solution for them. For Netwise, this means its teams can concentrate on the more challenging elements of what is a complex build as they know that the cooling element is under control. Talking about the latest installation, Matt Seaton, Senior Manager at Netwise said: “We’ve used EcoCooling’s evaporative systems ever since building our first private data centre back in 2011, and couldn’t be happier to continue that relationship as we fit-out our latest facility. Their cooling technologies allow us to maintain our position as one of Europe’s most efficient data centre operators, something we’re very proud of. We work extremely closely with the design and engineering team at EcoCooling, which means we’ve never been limited to ‘off the shelf’ products that aren’t necessarily a perfect fit. The entire Netwise team is very excited to see our new system come online in early 2021!” The ongoing partnership with Netwise demonstrates EcoCooling’s ability to build long-lasting relationships with customers and we’re pleased to be a part of the latest Netwise build project. n NEWS IN BRIEF 13 CENTIEL Partners with Seahorse Electrical and Maintenance Services Ltd UPS manufacturer, CENTIEL UK, has joined forces with electrical sub-contractor Seahorse Electrical and Maintenance Services Ltd. Seahorse has now become one of CENTIEL’s preferred partners for DC and AC works. Louis McGarry, sales and marketing director, CENTIEL UK explains: “We have a long-standing relationship with the team at Seahorse and have recently completed several large projects with them including a 7.2MW installation at a major medical facility. We are now delighted to cement this relationship on an ongoing basis. “Most recently we have worked with Seahorse to complete the installation of a new UPS to protect the power to a central London venue. The Covent Garden located entertainment space is within an historical building used for dining, parties and drinks receptions, meetings and conferences for up to 1,000 delegates. The new UPS now supports the power for the entire building including lights, lifts, sound systems, a small gift shop, the internet, phone system and servers. “An outdated legacy UPS has been replaced with CENTIEL’s fourth generation three phase modular UPS, CumulusPower which offers industry leading 99.9999999% (nine, nines) availability translating to just milliseconds of downtime per year. One of CENTIEL’s top cable entry frame fitted with 5x50kW modules (200 N+1), along with 80 batteries now provides a ten minute run time which then allows the switch over to a generator to ensure power is protected to the venue at all times.” McGarry continues: “For this central London project, Seahorse managed the full design and build, working with the main contractor and the client. This included UPS, switch gear, lighting, flooring, ceiling, fire dampeners, battery build, DC build, cable trays and all the cabling which included 100 metres from the plant room’s switch gear to the generator located externally.” Jason Gibson, director of Seahorse confirmed: “Due to the small size of the plant room, it was important for us to utilise every inch of space and so CumulusPowerTM with its top cable entry option was chosen. The flexible, modular configuration of CumulusPowerTM allows the inclusion of an input terminal to accept cables from above via steel wire armoured (SWA). It offered the perfect solution for the small plant room. The project was completed from strip out to commissioning of the UPS in 15 weeks. “Working more closely with the CENTIEL team now means we have a reliable, experienced and trusted partner to support us with the delivery of major UPS installations.” nadvertisement feature www.networkseuropemagazine.com 14 RebuildingConfidence Whyaren'tyourstaffreturningtothe office? WithsomanystafffindingWFHmore appealingthantraipsingintotheoffice, makingthoseenvironmentsfeelsafe-and welcoming-willbeessentialtokeeping yourbusinessvibrantandproductive. Withoutoccasionalface-to-faceteam interaction&brainstormingsessions (whicharen'talwaysfluidusingZOOMor Teams),relationships&trustbetweenstaff candiminishandjobsatisfactionand productivitycanbeeffected. Incollaborationwithourtechnology partners,IM&M,we'vedevelopeda60- secondquiztohelpyoudeterminewhy yourstaffmaynotfeelconfident returningtotheworkplaceandwhat mistakesyoumaybemaking. WhatisyourReturntotheWorkplace Strategy? Thequizlooksatyourcurrentstrategyand issuesyouwithacustomisedreport, offeringsuggestionstohowyoucan encouragemorestaff-andclients-to returntotheoffice.Contactustoregister. Sowhataresomeoftheoptions? 1.AllowStafftoregulatethemselves PROS: Thisischeap& quicktodeploy! CONS:Canconflictwithanindividual's ownviewsorbeopentomisinterpretation, there'snoabilitytocheckifproceduresare beingfollowedandthere'sthepotential foruntraceablespreadingoftheinfection. 2.Thestickytapeoption PROS:Clearlines ofseparationfor socialdistancing. Cheap&quickto deploy!advertisement feature www.networkseuropemagazine.com 15 4.TheiDACSSolution iDACStechnologypartners,IM&M,have createdauser-friendlyAPP -Itsmoreeffectivethanoptions1&2 -Lowercostthanoption3 -Easytodeploy(noITinstallrequired) -EasytoUse&Understand -Cancreate'track&trace'reports -Offersapermanentrecordofareausage -Canbecustomisedtosuityouroffice Clientscommittoan initial6-9or12month period&arebilledona monthlybasis(sothe costisknownupfront). Contactustoregister forthe60-secondquiz ortoarrangeafree demoofournewAPP-andgetyourstaff backtotheworkplace,safelyandwith confidence. Stickytapeoption(continued) CONS:Thetapeisliabletobecomeworn andwillneedregularchecksand replacement,there'snotraceabilityof who'sbeeninthoseareasandnoflexibility forspaceusage. 3.TheTechnologyapproach PROS: Providesaccuratedetailsofbuilding usage, Providestheabilityto'track&trace'in caseofinfection Allowsflexibilityofspaceusageandoffers peopletheoptiontoselectthespace they'dliketouse(e.g.deskbooking) CONS: Morecostlythanoptions1&2 Needaccuratefloorplanstoimplement Arecentmarketsurveyfromprofessionalrealestateandinvestment managementfirm,JLL,foundthatbusinessesthatadapttheirreal estate&remote-workingplanspostcovidwillbetheonesmost likelytosurvive&thrive. Manysimilarsurveyshavefoundthatgenerallyemployeesover35preferworkingfrom home,astheyhavefamiliesandWFHoffersabetterwork/lifebalance. Whereasyoungeremployees,typicallywithlessspacetohaveadedicatedhomeofficeand lessopportunitytonetwork,feelmoreinclinedtoreturntotheworkplace. Socialinteractionhasbeenmissedacrosstheboardwithageneralconsensusthatcompany culturecanbedilutedandinnovativecollaborationlostifsomelevelofface-tofacemeeting (withclientsandstaff)isnotmaintained. Findingthisbalanceandbuildingenvironmentstomakepeoplefeelsafeandengaged intheoffice,blendedwiththeabilitytoworkeffectivelyathome(withalltherequiredtech &ergonomicequipment)willbekeytorunningaproductiveandsustainablebusiness.www.networkseuropemagazine.com NFV relevance today 16 Bert Salaets Senior Systems Engineering Director F5 Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) has been championed in the telco industry for the past few years. However, it appears that recently the technology may have lost its appeal. While it is true that adoption rates have fallen short of initial predictions, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that NFV is as relevant as it’s ever been. Perhaps even more so. Why uptake has been slower than expected In NFV architectures, the hardware is decoupled from the software. A common hardware layer (off-the-shelf servers) is leveraged to host a wide variety of vendor-supplied network functions running on virtual machines. These are known as virtual network functions (VNF). When used optimally, NFV architectures can increase the speed of enabling new services and network functions, as well as provide near real-time elastic network scaling to reduce the total cost of ownership. To date, NFV uptake has been slower than expected due to technological complexity and skills gap. An industry failure to deliver on projected cost benefits also hit confidence levels. Additionally, deploying, patching and orchestrating VNFs from several vendors has proven both difficult and cost prohibitive, if only in terms of sheer compute volume. Nevertheless – despite industry grumblings and deployment bottlenecks – NFV is still very much on most service providers' radars. And for good reason. Why service providers need network virtualisation The simple fact is that service providers need network virtualisation, and thus NFV, because of 5G. Irrespective of existing rollout roadblocks, 5G technology will rapidly fuel new service use cases, each imposing different network requirements related to speed, latency and isolation. In order to deliver at scale, the underlying network needs to be software driven and automated. This is why we need NFV: it is a necessary evolutionary stepping stone on the way to all-encompassing virtualisation. The COVID-19 pandemic has also intensified telcos’ attention on the technology, as the ability to remotely control, manage, and provision network services in a software-defined way is proving increasingly popular. According to figures from Research and Markets, the global NFV market is projected to grow from $12,9bn in 2019 to $36,3bn by 2024, which represents a compound annual growth rate of 22.9%. Adoption Elsewhere, a survey by Ovum found that 60% of service providers expect to achieve widespread NFV adoption in the next two years (rising from just 20% today). The same research also suggests that, while some of today’s virtual machines and VNFs will continue into 2030, the organisations running them will likely operate in a markedly different way. This includes service providers Don’t believe what you’ve heard, NFV is still on the radar for service providers – and for good reason. Bart Salaets, Senior Systems Engineering Director at F5, assesses the latest developments in NFV and why service providers need to stay on the ball.NFV relevance today www.networkseuropemagazine.com 17 Why NFV is more relevant than ever becoming more empowered to enhance and launch new services via automation and orchestration tools. These could be commercial platforms delivered by traditional telecom vendors. They could also be the same open source tools their IT and cloud colleagues use (i.e., Ansible or Terraform). Interestingly, some service providers are now starting to merge their cloud and NFV teams, which will further prompt industry best practices for tool sharing, service deployment and automation. Alliance A little over a year ago, an alliance of telcos and vendors launched the Common NFVi Telco Task Force (CNTT) to simplify NFV standards. CNTT aims to align the industry around unified network functions virtualisation infrastructure (NFVi) implementations to reduce the friction for onboarding virtual network functions (VNFs) and, eventually, container network functions (CNFs). Clearly, NFV is not dead—it is evolving as we speak. In the foreseeable future, it is a good bet that we will see both VNFs and CNFs being deployed side by side for different functions. In this scenario, we’re likely to see more and more service providers proactively creating and presiding over their own agile, distributed “telco clouds.” NFV: Not just a one-trick pony When we talk about NFV, we shouldn’t think about it in isolation. We should consider how we can use it and the transformational benefits it can bring to the end user (à la Rakuten). NFV is not simply about virtualising network functions, it is about delivering a path towards a full cloud native network. As more networks evolve to NFV, the abstraction of the control and data-forwarding planes will continue to simplify the creation and management of new services. If done correctly, service providers should be able to leverage a programmable network based on industry standard open APIs that unlock new levels of flexibility and agility. Ultimately, service providers need to think strategically about NFV in the wider context of an adaptive journey. Increasingly, this will entail being a vital cog in the “telco cloud”: an infrastructure built out to the edge with both VNFs and CNFs, as well as applications and their associated services (e.g. load balancing and security)—irrespective of where they are deployed. While NFV doesn’t need to be re-hyped as the buzziest acronym in the game, it would be a big mistake for service providers to underestimate its enduring (and continually evolving) merits. nfuture is hyperscale www.networkseuropemagazine.comwww.networkseuropemagazine.com 18 The future is hyperscale Niclas Sanfridsson CEO Colt DCS It is no secret that the past few years have been a period of massive growth for not only the data centre industry but also for technology and IT services in general. This growth has been driven by a surge in the uptake of large-scale, mission-critical IT and networking solutions that utilise cloud and IoT technologies. These solutions require never-before-seen levels of bandwidth and connectivity.www.networkseuropemagazine.com 19 future is hyperscale www.networkseuropemagazine.com 19 In order to stay relevant, not only for this generation of customers, but also for the next, data centre operators must build for the future and ensure they stay a few steps ahead of the technological curve. The bigger the better Only a few years ago we were referring to capacity requirements for customers in kilowatts. These days we are seeing customer data demand exceeding the 20-megawatt range. With analyst firm Gartner predicting that there will be as many as 5.8 billion enterprise and automotive endpoints by the end of 2020, capacity is only set to increase further in the future. As customers grow, data centre providers will be expected to grow faster. Operators who fail to incorporate scalability into their product roadmaps risk falling behind and losing enterprise customers to service providers that are better suited to their needs. The future is hyperscale It is no secret that the past few years have been a period of massive growth for not only the data centre industry but also for technology and IT services in general. Next >