Extreme Networks Leads Transition to ‘New Normal’ Working Environments

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COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation efforts for organizations everywhere, driving rapid adoption of new cloud technologies to support remote working and online learning. In response, Extreme Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXTR), a cloud-driven networking company, has launched a #NewNormal initiative to help all of its customers adapt to the transition. The #NewNormal initiative is a comprehensive program that provides information and industry insights to help companies survive and thrive leveraging the industry’s only 4th generation cloud management platform.

 

ExtremeCloud IQ™ is a machine learning and AI- driven cloud management solution, built on a 4th generation cloud platform. Integrated with Extreme’s end-to-end enterprise networking technology, it assists in collecting data to build, secure, and maintain agile and distributed work environments. For organizations bringing employees back to work and students back to school, ExtremeCloud IQ helps ensure safe mobility on campus with IoT and robotics connectivity and visibility, as well as support for occupancy management and contact tracing applications.

 

Use Cases:

• Facilitating Agile Work Environments – For organizations needing to connect, secure, and manage remote network sites or remote workers, or enable distance learning, ExtremeCloud IQ can be deployed to manage Extreme’s curated Portable Branch Kits (PBK) and Bring Your Office Home Kits (BYOH). ExtremeCloud IQ offers analytics and tools to proactively monitor and optimize network health across every part of an organization, whether it be a fixed or temporary location, or over a wired or wireless network. As people return to work and school, the flexible and portable ExtremeCloud IQ application allows IT administrators to adjust to changing user, device, and data requirements.

 

• Occupancy Management – For facilities, human resources, and legal teams tasked with reducing risk reduction via safe social distancing, ExtremeCloud IQ integrates with Extreme network solutions and third-party technologies to provide real-time and historical presence analytics, location monitoring, and building monitoring, as well as real-time location services and in-door positioning. The collected data allows third-party applications to alert on excessive levels of congregation, volume of traffic over time, no-go zones, violations of directional flows, or other parameters, including notifying staff when an area requires additional sterilization after prolonged or excessive occupancy.

 

• IoT Monitoring and Robotics Automation – For organizations needing a high-level of visibility and environmental monitoring, Extreme offers secure wired and wireless connectivity and simple, secure device onboarding and management via ExtremeCloud IQ. The application provides complete visibility and management of connected devices that monitor health and safety, without requiring technical staff or staging services. It offers correlation of device location and gathered data, with unlimited data available in July. It also helps to manage remote operations for unmanned manufacturing facilities that are using robotics assistance to minimize staff exposure.

 

• Contact Tracing Enablement – The same network that is already providing corporate communication is also continually monitoring, gathering, and recording client activity. With ExtremeWireless™ access points, managed by ExtremeCloud IQ, organizations have complete visibility into their distributed network traffic, providing specific location information and unlimited historical data, starting in July. Administrators can easily track where users connected, where they roamed within the facility, and what other devices were connected in those areas at the same time, and then feed that data to third-party applications that support contact tracing.

 

Executive Perspectives

Norman Rice, Chief Operating Officer, Extreme Networks

“As we grapple with more data, coming from more places, more connected devices, and more SaaS-based applications, the cloud is becoming fundamental to establishing a new normal. This means organizations need an even better cloud – one that delivers infinite 9s of uptime, dependable and uncorrupted data over an unlimited time span, and the industry’s best security. That comes with a 4th generation cloud and Extreme is the only company that has one with its ExtremeCloud IQ platform.”  

 

Zeus Kerravala, Principal, ZK Research  

“Distributed connectivity demands even better centralized management. In a post-COVID world, IT teams in every industry will need more control and better insights than ever before to ensure a secure, enterprise-grade connection for employees, wherever they are located, and cloud applications and management will be required to scale and adapt. Extreme is working closely with customers and partners to implement security measures that help build trust, and to enable an agile and productive workforce wherever employees may be signing in from. Its 4th generation, unified cloud management solution makes it all possible.”

Aruba Unveils New Secure AI-Powered Solutions and Vision for the Reimagined Workplace

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New Approach to Working in 2020 and Beyond Uses Aruba’s AI-powered, Cloud-Native Platform to Deliver Enterprise Access and Enforce Safe Work Habits Tailored To Hybrid Work Environments

 

Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company (NYSE: HPE), today unveiled a suite of innovative workplace solutions and a new vision for three return to work scenarios – returning to the office and venues, working from home, and ultimately, the office reimagined. With Aruba’s AI-powered, cloud-native networking solutions as their foundation, each scenario provides pragmatic steps organizations can take today to expedite business recovery and implement contact tracing and touchless solutions that enhance the health and wellness of employees and visitors.

There’s no question that the new state of work will be much different from office life prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The mandate to shut down non-essential physical offices and businesses tested the effectiveness of fully virtual workforces, which has been successful when the right networking technologies and tools are in place. We will return not to one, but to many kinds of workplaces – traditional offices, homes, on the road – within which our safety must be ensured, and between which we must move seamlessly without retraining or compromise.

“The new fluid workplace requires contextual awareness, adaptability and scalability on a global scale – all without security gaps,” said Partha Narasimhan, CTO and HPE Senior Fellow for Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. “Throughout the pandemic, Aruba’s AI-powered infrastructure has adapted to optimize customers’ reimagined work environments at half a million customer sites worldwide, with massive teleworkforces dispatched to work from home, and for essential mobile workforces.”

Return to the Office and Venues

Traditional offices and buildings are relying on AI-powered contact and location tracing tools to enable social and physical distancing monitoring solutions that make the workplace safer for employees, students, patients, customers, and fans. Through Aruba-led innovations or implemented in concert with Aruba Technology Partners, these solutions use IoT and Bluetooth radios already built into Aruba access points and managed from a single pane of glass. The solutions operate on customers’ existing Aruba infrastructure, eliminating the need for rip and replace, and leverage cloud-based applications that are easy to activate and affordable to deploy.

• Contact and Location Tracing – Aruba will be releasing a new set of native contact and location tracing tools for existing Aruba infrastructure customers based on both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. This will be demonstrated at Aruba Atmosphere Digital on June 9, 2020. For expanded capabilities, Aruba Technology Partners AiRISTA Flow, CXApp, Kiana Analytics, Modo Labs, and Skyfii integrate with Aruba infrastructures to monitor social distancing and group sizes, and generate contract tracing trees of potentially exposed individuals.

• Contactless Visitor Management – In the new work environment, organizations are looking to avoid physical contact with front desk receptionists or using shared, self-service tablets for check-in. Aruba and its digital workplace partners, such as Envoy, allow pre-registration, automated host notification, and auto-generated individualized visitor Wi-Fi credentials – all with zero human-to-human contact.

• Video and AI-based Health Monitoring – Proactively identifying and assisting COVID-infected guests and employees keeps everyone in the workplace safer. HPE Pointnext and Aruba’s technology partners can deliver and support contactless thermographic solutions that measure forehead temperature of groups of people simultaneously. Ideal for lobbies and other high traffic areas, the solution incorporates automated voice response and interfaces with access control portals.

Working from Home

An effective long-term work-from-home solution has to deliver a secure, enterprise-like experience that enhances efficiency, creativity, and productivity.  Unlike solutions that use repurposed consumer network equipment, Aruba provides enterprise-class telework hardware coupled with plug-and-play installation, identity-based security, and cloud native management for rapid, simple and scalable deployment. Field-proven since 2008, Aruba’s work-from-home solutions scale to accommodate organizations of any size, and are available with FIPS 140-2 validation for defense-related telework.

• Secure Remote Access to Business-Critical Resources – Aruba Remote Access Points (RAPs) and gateways extend access to enterprise applications and services hosted on-premises or in the public cloud, anywhere employees work. Compatible with broadband and cellular networks, RAPs provide both Ethernet and wireless connectivity so employees can use IP phones, VDI terminals, trading consoles, and mobile devices at remote locations with the same security and quality of service they enjoy in the office.

• Seamless, Secure Access While on the Road – Aruba Virtual Intranet Access (VIA) VPN software client provides secure connectivity to laptops, phones, and tablets. Unlike other VPN solutions that require the customer to set up additional layers of protection, VIA includes an embedded firewall that intelligently segments the traffic and enforces the security policies down to each user.

“For too long organizations have treated working locations as a binary choice – we’re either assigned to an office or are remote workers,” said Ryan Anderson, VP of Digital Innovation for Herman Miller. “The current requirement to work remotely has blown the doors open for a new hybrid workplace reality that experience designers and technologists alike need to account for in the future. A comfortable, secure and reliable work-from-home setting will be a key requirement for this new era.”

The Office Reimagined

The recent trend for the modern corporate office – to deliver open, collaborative work spaces – will soon need to be revalidated. Moving forward, organizations are considering lasting changes in office layout and frequency of employee visits that are more on-demand and modular than ever before. This type of next-generation space poses challenges to traditional networking and security infrastructure intended for a static work environment.

The office will become increasingly smart using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IoT sensors, and other capabilities that were invested in during the COVID-19 reopening phase, but then may be repurposed to provide employee experience-enhancing applications, as well as security and crisis capabilities, should any type of health or other emergency resurface. To help customers through this office and workstyle transformation, Aruba has established relationships with key leaders in the field of office architecture, design, and furnishings, such as Herman Miller, whose products, in conjunction with Aruba’s AI-powered infrastructure, can help customers redefine next generation spaces. For more information read: Strategies for Returning to the Workplace after COVID-19

To experience what Aruba has to offer for the Reimagined Workplace and the Intelligent Edge, join us starting June 9, 2020 for Aruba Atmosphere Digital: https://www.arubanetworks.com/atmosphere/

 

Aruba Expands Instant On Portfolio to Support Small Business Continuity and Rapid Capacity Expansion

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New Switches Create a Unified Network Infrastructure that Delivers Simplicity through Hands-off Management and Automation

Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company (NYSE: HPE), today announced the expansion of the Aruba Instant On product family to include a new series of switches that enable small businesses to deploy a unified, high-speed network that is easy to set-up, manage and maintain. Whether deployed as part of a business continuity strategy or connectivity upgrade project, the new Aruba Instant On 1930 Series of smart-managed switches seamlessly integrate with existing Instant On indoor/outdoor access points (APs), and can be centrally managed with the Instant On mobile app.

Patron expectations for seamless and secure connectivity are high, whether they are engaging with a large, multi-national chain or a small local business. This places undue pressure on small businesses that often do not have the resources to keep IT personnel on staff to address networking challenges. The issue is further compounded when unexpected crises strike – such as the recent global pandemic. The social distancing mandates that have resulted are fundamentally changing the business engagement model from mostly in-person interactions to online-only, which can cause fluctuating network demand. Local grocers, restaurants and other essential businesses have had to make a major shift in operations in order to stay viable in the current environment. According to the SMB Group, “71% of SMBs have already moved activities from the physical world to the virtual one, and 16% are planning to do so.”[1]

“With this latest addition to the Instant On portfolio, Aruba is addressing the primary pain points for small businesses that want to take a ‘set it and forget it’ approach, while still delivering the robust security features and management simplicity that small businesses need,” said Norm Lillis, vice president of Small Business at CDW. “Especially in uncertain times like these, when smaller organizations that supply essential services to their community have more pressing priorities to attend to, they’re looking for IT solutions that they can rely on to support their business continuity efforts today and into tomorrow.”

Like large organizations, small businesses are concerned with reliability, security and infrastructure costs, yet at the same time, they lack the staff to handle complex management or set-up of the network. Dynamically changing business connectivity and capacity requirements make operational simplicity a critical factor when choosing a networking solution. To address these challenges, Aruba Instant On offers unified management for all network services, a single architecture for both switches and access points and an innovative mobile app for hassle-free set-up, monitoring and management across the entire network.

The new Instant On 1930 Switch Series features:

  • Flexible configurations with 8, 24, or 48 1G ports with PoE and high speed 10G connectivity
  • Enhanced PoE+ on all ports to power a range of Internet of Things devices
  • Choice of management modes for flexibility:
    • Cloud-management via mobile app or web browser
    • Local web GUI
  • Limited lifetime warranty for maximum investment protection

Remote access to business services and tools is essential for small businesses, however, they lack the resources that a large enterprise can leverage to set-up and maintain virtual private networks (VPNs). Aruba has teamed up with NordVPN, a trusted online security solutions provider with more than 12 million users worldwide, to deliver VPN services to Aruba Instant On customers. Adding NordVPN to an Aruba Instant On network requires just a few simple steps and no IT expertise, enabling employees to remotely access sensitive business data when they can’t work on site.

“Small businesses play a critical role in our communities and, for those that provide essential services, staying connected with their customers has now become a necessity,” said Amol Mitra, vice president and general manager of Global Small and Medium Business at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. “For those who are looking for a simple, hassle-free networking solution that provides secure, high-performance, enterprise-like connectivity, that solution exists today with Aruba Instant On.”

Pricing and Availability

The Aruba Instant On 1930 Switch Series is available beginning June 1, with list prices starting at $129 USD. For more information on the Instant On family of products for small businesses, please visit www.ArubaInstantOn.com.

[1] SMB Group, “Organizational Issues Facing SMB Operations During COVID-19 And Business Solutions,” April 2020

Anker Innovations introduces eufy HomeVac S11 Go cordless Go Stick lightweight vacuum cleaner

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Anker Innovations introduces the new eufy HomeVac S11 Go cordless Go Stick lightweight vacuum cleaner that comes with an ultra-strong power to take on any cleaning task.

Suitable for delicate surfaces, eufy HomeVac S11 Go comes equipped with a 120AW suction power, detachable battery and a 2-in-1 crevice tool to deep clean carpets to hard floors.

Faraz Mehdi, Regional Sales Head at Anker Innovations MEA said, “The innovative technological features in the eufy HomeVac S11 Go include a washable high-efficiency filter that ensures minimal maintenance and improved performance plus the device can be detached to empty the dustbin in seconds. Increased efficiency also includes dust-tight containment for reduced air pollution.”

The eufy HomeVac S11 Go’s long crevice tool can be used to suck up crumbs and dirt in any corner or hard-to-reach areas and the advanced 5-tier filtration system safeguards and maximizes the motor performance.

The long-lasting detachable battery offers up to 40 minutes of cleaning time and the max-mode provides 8 minutes of fierce and focused cleaning when tackling the deepest dust and debris. With eufy HomeVac S11 Go, whether an impossibly tight space or a delicate surface, or the AC vent grill at a height there is an attachment suitable for any cleaning scenario.

The eufy HomeVac S11 Go is available on Amazon.ae.

Mobile Telecom Industry Making Rapid Progress Toward 5G, Including Increased Network Virtualization, According to New Survey

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BPI Network Survey Finds Operators Rethinking Security in Light of 5G Network Traffic, Dramatic Increase in Connected Devices and New Mission-Critical Use Cases

Mobile service providers say they are making substantial progress toward ushering in a new generation of 5G Networks that will enable ultra-high-speed mobile connectivity and a wide variety of new applications and smart infrastructure use cases.  Progress includes steady work toward virtualizing core network functions and a reexamination of the security investments they will need to protect their networks and customers.

COVID-19 is not expected to significantly delay 5G deployments, according to a new global study report, “Toward a More Secure 5G World,” developed by the Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network, in partnership with A10 Networks. The percentage of mobile service providers who say their companies are “moving rapidly toward commercial deployment” has increased significantly in the past year, climbing from 26 percent in a survey announced in early 2019 to 45 percent in the new survey. Virtually all respondents say improved security is a critical network requirement and top concern in the 5G era.

Download the complimentary report at: http://bpinetwork.org/thought-leadership/studies/77/download-report-toward-a-more-secure-5g-world

Early 5G networks are being designed in accordance with the already-approved non-standalone 5G standard. However, 30 percent of respondents say they are already proactively planning to add standalone 5G, and another 9 percent say their companies will move directly to standalone. Standalone 5G will require a whole new network core utilizing a cloud-native, virtualized, service-based architecture. Many respondents, in fact, say they are making significant progress toward network virtualization.

“Our latest study indicates that major mobile carriers around the world are on track with their 5G plans, and more expect to begin commercial build-outs in the coming months,” said Dave Murray, director of thought leadership with the BPI Network. “While COVID-19 may result in some short-term delays for operators, the pandemic ultimately demonstrates a global need for higher speed, higher capacity 5G networks and the applications and use case they enable.”

Among key findings of the survey,

  • 81% say industry progress toward 5G is moving rapidly, mostly in major markets, or is at least in line with expectations.
  • 71% expect to begin 5G network build-outs within 18 months, including one-third who have already begun or will do so in 2020.
  • 95% percent say virtualizing network functions is important to their 5G plans, and some three-quarters say their companies are either well on their way or making good progress toward virtualization.
  • 99% view deployment of mobile edge clouds as an important aspect of 5G networks, with 65% saying they expect edge clouds on their 5G networks within 18 months.

“Mobile operators globally need to proactively prepare for the demands of a new virtualized and secure 5G world,” said Gunter Reiss, worldwide vice president of A10 Networks, a provider of secure application services for mobile operators worldwide. “That means boosting security at key protection points like the mobile edge, deploying a cloud-native infrastructure, consolidating network functions, leveraging new CI/CD integrations and DevOps automation tools, and moving to an agile and hyperscale service-based architecture as much as possible. All of these improvements will pay dividends immediately with existing networks and move carriers closer to their ultimate goals for broader 5G adoption and the roll-out of new and innovative ultra-reliable low-latency use cases.”

Challenges—the Security Mandate

The industry’s top 5G challenges:

  • Heavy cost of build-outs (59%)
  • Security of network (57%)
  • Need for new technical skills (55%)
  • Lack of 5G enabled devices (42%)

Importance of security to 5G

  • 99% rate security as important to their 5G planning, higher than even network reach and coverage or network capacity and throughput
  • 97% say increased traffic, connected devices and mission-critical use case significantly increase security and reliability concerns for 5G
  • 93% say their security investments are already being affected (52%) or are under review (41%) due to 5G requirements

Top Use Cases Expected to Power 5G Adoption

Next two years

  • Ultra-high-speed connectivity (81%)
  • Industrial automation & smart manufacturing (62%)
  • Smart cities (54%)
  • Connected vehicles

Next 5 to 6 years

  • Smart cities (62%)
  • Ultra-high-speed connectivity (59%)
  • Connected Vehicles (57%)
  • Industrial automation & smart manufacturing (42%)

“Mobile operators globally need to be proactively preparing for the demands of a new 5G world,” Reiss said.

Anker’s eufy HomeVac S11 Go cordless Go Stick lightweight vacuum cleaner takes on any cleaning task.

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HomeVac S11 Go

Anker Innovations introduces the new eufy HomeVac S11 Go cordless Go Stick lightweight vacuum cleaner that comes with an ultra-strong power to take on any cleaning task.

Suitable for delicate surfaces, eufy HomeVac S11 Go comes equipped with a 120AW suction power, detachable battery and a 2-in-1 crevice tool to deep clean carpets to hard floors.

Faraz Mehdi, Regional Sales Head at Anker Innovations MEA said, “The innovative technological features in the eufy HomeVac S11 Go include a washable high-efficiency filter that ensures minimal maintenance and improved performance plus the device can be detached to empty the dustbin in seconds. Increased efficiency also includes dust-tight containment for reduced air pollution.”

eufy HomeVac S11 Go

The eufy HomeVac S11 Go’s long crevice tool can be used to suck up crumbs and dirt in any corner or hard-to-reach areas and the advanced 5-tier filtration system safeguards and maximizes the motor performance.

The long-lasting detachable battery offers up to 40 minutes of cleaning time and the max-mode provides 8 minutes of fierce and focused cleaning when tackling the deepest dust and debris. With eufy HomeVac S11 Go, whether an impossibly tight space or a delicate surface, or the AC vent grill at a height there is an attachment suitable for any cleaning scenario.

The eufy HomeVac S11 Go is available on Amazon.ae.

Contemporary Japanese Experience Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo

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Mandarin-Oriental-Tokyo_Exterior-Building

Edited by Shereen Shabnam

Superbly located in the prestigious financial district within the historical and cultural centre of Tokyo, Mandarin Oriental Tokyo’s visionary design and award-winning service has been recognized numerous times as the epitome of sophisticated luxury in the city with spectacular views of the city skyline.

Mandarin Oriental Tokyo has recently completed a comprehensive renovation of its guestrooms and suites to create new levels of luxury, that confirm the five- star hotel’s status as one of the best in the world.

The hotel has luxuriously appointed guest rooms and suites, ten restaurants and bars and an award-winning spa situated within the soaring, Cesar Pelli-designed Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower.

The makeover of all spacious guestrooms and suites draws on Japan’s rich culture, to provide guests with a strong “sense of place”. Japanese craftmanship has been combined with the latest technology to ensure a thoroughly contemporary Japanese experience.

Renowned textile designer Reiko Sudo and art director Ryu Kosaka have transformed the guestrooms and suites, and built on the existing ‘Woods and Water’ interior design theme. Jeffrey A. Wilkes has acted as principal interior designer for the Presidential Suite, which is the largest and most luxurious suite in the hotel.

Mandarin-Oriental-Tokyo_Deluxe-Corner_King

Bespoke fabrics and furnishings representing the woodlands and the changing seasons, have been incorporated throughout, with autumn leaf colours of gold, orange and purple and blooming springtime wisteria and sakura patterns embroidered onto headboards.

To honour the hotel’s location in Nihonbashi, an area that is closely connected to the culture of the Kimono, Reiko Sudo has used locally produced fabrics in all suite and guestroom interiors.

Mandarin Grand Roomuses contemporaryJapanese style and materials, ranging from an embroidered headboard depicting weeping cherry blossoms to a light fixture made from bamboo strings. Curvaceous lines, such as the round table and curved back for the chaise longue, create a welcoming, approachable atmosphere.

Featuring the original Flower Shower textile pattern on furnishings, such as the sofa and chairs in the living room, the hotel’s restyled suites are designed to conjure up thoughts of blissful moments with flowers. A wisteria in full bloom is embroidered onto each headboard, while each bedside chest is crafted with wood from the Paulownia tree.

A silver-leaf round table and gold-leaf embossed cabinet brighten the living room, while the carpet blends the look of Japanese ink and brush work with a motif of clouds and gentle breezes, a nod to the extensive views of Tokyo that can be enjoyed from the hotel’s suites.

Another quintessentially Japanese highlight are lampshades inspired by the Andon, a traditional Japanese lamp. Made from washi paper, these have been placed in asymmetrical positions throughout each bedroom, a distinctive characteristic of Japanese design.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world’s most luxurious hotels, resorts and residences. Having grown from its Asian roots into a global brand, the Group now operates 30 hotels and six residences in 21 countries and territories, with each property reflecting the Group’s oriental heritage and unique sense of place.

DNS Evolution Critical to the Adoption of 5G and Next Generation Network Technologies, Infoblox Research Finds

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Infoblox Inc., the leader in Secure Cloud-Managed Network Services, today announced new research that identifies the challenges Communication Service Providers (CSPs) face in transitioning to distributed cloud models, as well as the use cases for Multi-access edge computing (MEC), 5G New Radio (NR), and 5G Next Generation Core (NGC) networks.

The report, titled “DNS and the Edge: The Evolution will be distributed” was conducted by Heavy Reading and surveyed communication service providers around world to understand the role that DNS plays in the evolution of these cloud-based network models.

“Distributed cloud models such as 5G and multi-access edge computing networks have the potential to drastically change the CSP industry, delivering high-bandwidth, low latency services to network customers” said Dilip Pillaipakam, Vice President and GM of Service Provider Business at Infoblox. “Yet to fully take advantage of the benefits of these new technologies, DNS will have to evolve to address the challenges that come from delivering these high-value services at the network edge.”

DNS is a critical element to these new network architectures and technologies, enabling devices to access the network securely and reliably. And as 5G NR, NGC, and MEC technologies enable faster, more distributed networks with significantly more connected devices, DNS will need to be increasingly automated and operate at greater scale and with greater flexibility.

Yet, despite the importance of DNS to the reliable functioning of these networks, the survey found that few CSPs believe that their DNS is currently capable of supporting MEC or 5G NEC.

To meet this need, networks will need to leverage the benefits of distributed DNS technology that can enable network managers to meet users where they are—at the network edge.

Other key findings of the survey include:

  • CSPs consider DNS to be critical to the adoption of next-generation network technologies like 5G (71%), cloud-based managed security services (66%) and MEC (63%)
  • More than one third of CSPs surveyed plan to implement MEC (36%), 5G (35%), and NEC (35%) in the next 12-18 months.
  • Despite this, the lack of a mature vendor solution ranks as the largest obstacle these providers face in MEC (36%), 5G NR (46%) and 5G NEC (39%) deployments.

The CSPs surveyed included companies that represent all aspects of the industry; the largest groups were converged operators (46% of respondents), mobile operators (26%), and fixed-line and cable operators (10% each). The survey asked about their plans for implementing MEC, 5G NGC, and 5G NR technologies, business use cases, as well as concerns and obstacles to implementation.

The survey’s findings indicate that the future of DNS will hinge on the delivery of a fully distributed and fully capable edge-based DNS.

“CSPs seeking to advantage of the benefits of cloud-based and distributed technologies like MEC, 5G NR, and 5G NGC, will need DNS services that can keep up with the challenge of edge-centric network models,” continued Pillaipakam. “DNS providers will need to adapt and evolve to ensure that customers in this industry are provided with the features, flexibility, and security that these new architectures demand.”

Nutanix Expands Integration with ServiceNow to Streamline IT Operations and Costs

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Company Announces New Automation Capabilities to Help Customers Simplify IT Operations During Global Crisis

Nutanix (NASDAQ: NTNX), a leader in enterprise cloud computing, today announced expanded integration with the leading digital workflow company ServiceNow, as well as new capabilities in Nutanix Calm, the company’s application automation and management solution for DevOps. As customers look to streamline their IT operations and costs during this global crisis, these new features will help customers to simplify and automate infrastructure, application, and cloud management.

“As IT teams focus on delivering remote work solutions, they sometimes struggle to support the business more broadly because they are strapped for time and resources,” said Rajiv Mirani, Chief Technology Officer at Nutanix. “This strengthened integration with ServiceNow, along with the broader suite of Nutanix automation solutions, will allow IT teams to reduce the amount of time they spend on day-to-day management of their cloud infrastructure, as well as applications, so they can focus on supporting business priorities.”

Manual processes are still the norm in IT despite the cost savings and increased speed from automating repetitive operations. It is expected that by 2024 organizations will lower operational costs by 30% by combining hyperautomation technologies with redesigned operational processes, a transition that might accelerate in response to the current global situation. According to a PwC survey, 62% of organizations are looking at containing costs and 54% are concerned about the potential or significant impact to business operations as a result of the global pandemic.

Nutanix aims to simplify automation and make it more accessible to IT professionals at all levels. With Nutanix, IT generalists will be able to simply set up triggers and automated actions to simplify day-to-day operations. Integration with leading automation solutions like ServiceNow allows Nutanix customers to further simplify cloud and application management by integrating with their existing IT ticketing system to simplify workflows. With these latest product enhancements, Nutanix aims to significantly expand on the suite of automation and cost governance benefits for its customers.

To further enable IT teams, Nutanix announced strengthened integrations and product capabilities to simplify operations. Specifically,

  • Simplified DevOps: Nutanix Calm 3.0 will deliver expanded capabilities as well as strengthened ServiceNow integration. Customers can now automate their app lifecycles, including upgrades, patches, expansions and more, while taking advantage of the approval flow and audit capabilities of ServiceNow. They can also increase their security posture by maintaining passwords in a central CyberArc vault, particularly important for government and enterprise customers. In addition to the strengthened integration, Calm 3.0 enables DevOps teams to easily automate workloads across an organization’s hybrid cloud infrastructure, as well as provision Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with Python-based domain-specific language (DSL) for writing Calm blueprints. The Calm DSL offers all the richness of the Calm UI, but with the additional benefit of being human readable, version controlled code that can handle even the most complex application scenarios.
  • Simplified Infrastructure Management: Building on the previously released integration with ServiceNow, Nutanix Prism Pro customers can now respond to alerts and incidents directly in their ServiceNow portal. For example, customers can not only track infrastructure shortages or issues thru automatically created tickets in ServiceNow, but also resolve them right in their ticketing system. Adding third-party applications to trigger automation helps customers create an end-to-end IT service management process.
  • Simplified Cloud Governance and Cost Optimization: The increased integration with ServiceNow will allow customers to simplify cost optimization and security practices, just as they’re increasing their reliance on public cloud. For example, they’ll be able to limit unintended public cloud consumption which often leads to significant budget overages. With this solution, customers will be able to automatically pull Nutanix Xi Beam’s cost and security optimization recommendations into existing ServiceNow workflows, by automatically creating tickets based on cost savings recommendations and security vulnerability alerts and assign them to an appropriate owner.

Expanded ServiceNow integrations are currently available to customers. Calm 3.0 is currently under development.

Customers looking to learn more about creating IT resilience in time of change can sign up for the upcoming webinar.

For more information about Nutanix solutions visit www.nutanix.com.

Anker Innovations new PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone enhances the professional meeting environment

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Portable Bluetooth Speakerphone has Professional Conference Call-Quality

To ensure call quality is not compromised as more professionals’ work from home or in offices with social distancing, Anker Innovations introduces the new Anker PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone that brings your professional meeting environment into any space with optimized sound clarity and volume.

Faraz Mehdi, Regional Sales Head at Anker Innovations MEA said, “Used as a portable conference phone or as a speakerphone, the PowerConf Bluetooth speakerphone automatically balances the sound to suit differences in volume and distance of user from the speakerphone. This is perfect when there are distractions or when multitasking.”

Power Conference can connect to the mobile phone or laptop ensuring everyone can view presentations and have group discussions as the incoming amplified sound allows everyone in the room to listen and speak simultaneously from the comfort of their chair, without coming near the device. This feature is perfect for teachers conducting e-learning classes as well.

The device features Omni-Directional Voice Pickup with six microphones arranged in a 360° array to pick up voices of up to eight people in a room without distracting noises and is compatible with all popular online conferencing services, including Skype, Google Hangout, Facetime, Zoom, WebEx, GotoMeeting, and Chromebox.

The PowerConf Bluetooth speakerphone has 24 Hours of call time and comes with integrated Anker PowerIQ technology that allows you to charge other devices via PowerConf at optimized speeds.

The lightweight and compact travel case protects PowerConf while on business trips or moving around and does not require other equipment to set up, making it perfect for small spaces. It is available on amazon.ae.