Viptela's Kingpins Have a New Stealth Startup

Less than a year after joining @Cisco as part of the $610 million acquisition of #Viptela, several key #SDWAN specialists have jumped ship to form a new tech startup backed by two of the biggest VC names in Silicon Valley, @SequoiaCapital and @KleinerPerkins Caufield & Byers. The startup is San Jose, Calif.-based @Alkira, which was founded in May this year. The company is keeping its plans and the extent of its funding secret currently, revealing only the identities of its backers:  But what's clear is that Alkira is building a team around some of the key personnel who: Founded Viptela in 2012 Attracted funding from Sequoia (usually a sign that a startup is doing something funky) Built one of the SD-WAN sector's leading players Eventually attracted a bid of $610 million from Cisco in May 2017, with the deal closing in August when Viptela became part of the giant vendor's Enterprise Routing Team within the Networking and Security unit. (See Cisco Snaps Up Viptela, Cisco Looks to $610M Viptela Acquisition to Simplify SD-WAN and One to Watch: Viptela.) What's also clear is that Cisco has now lost some of the human resource smarts it paid for just last year. The individuals who joined Cisco as part of the Viptela deal but who have now cleared their desks are:

https://www.lightreading.com/carrier-sdn/sd-wan/viptelas-kingpins-have-a-new-stealth-startup/d/d-id/744653?_mc=RSS_LR_EDT

VMware Takes on Cisco & Juniper With Network Vision

LAS VEGAS -- @DellTechnologies World -- @VMware threw down the gauntlet to @Cisco and @Juniper on Tuesday, outlining a vision for a unified network architecture that spans the on-premises #datacenter, enterprise branches, Internet of Things, as well as multiple #publiccloud providers. While some of the pieces are new, most of the architecture is comprises existing technologies from VMware Inc. (NYSE: VMW), some going back nearly a decade. But it's the most complete, unified vision that VMware has yet offered of how those pieces fit together, including the role played by @VeloCloud, the #SDWAN vendor acquired by VMware in December. (See VMware Acquiring SD-WAN Startup VeloCloud Networks.) New pieces include a deal with Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) to extend VMware networks to Azure cloud, following a similar deal with Amazon Web Services Inc. last year. (See Following Amazon Partnership, VMware Is a Cloud Company Now.) Additionally, NSX Data Center now supports workloads on Pivotal, Kubernetes and Red Hat OpenShift, with enhanced performance for telco NFV and higher-end enterprise applications, as well as support for bare metal Linux. "Our VMware strategy in a nutshell is any device, and any application, on any cloud," VMWare CEO Pat Gelsinger said in a keynote address at Dell Technologies World on Monday afternoon. VMware and its competitors got their start in the era when data centers were at the center of the enterprise, with branch offices connecting to the enterprise data center, and doing so via SD-WAN. But now, the enterprise data center isn't the center anymore -- it's one nexus of data and applications among many. Data and applications reside on the Internet of Things. They reside in branch business locations, such as chain restaurants, retail stores and oil rigs. They reside on the public cloud. All of that needs to be connected, and backhauling over MPLS is too expensive and rigid, said Rajiv Ramaswami, VMware COO products and cloud services, previewing VMware's announcement on a webinar with tech journalists last week. The IoT, in particular, stretches the boundaries of the network and IT infrastructure, Gelsinger said. "IoT is a powerful force that's just beginning to emerge that will drive your resources to the edge," he said. "IoT is where the digital world meets the physical world." Networks need to be programmable, flexible and elastic, adapting to real-time business needs, and scalable to manage varying workloads from the core to the edge, Gelsinger said.

https://www.lightreading.com/enterprise-cloud/network/vmware-takes-on-cisco-and-juniper-with-network-vision/d/d-id/742703

VMware's VeloCloud Acquisition Rekindles SDN Battle With Cisco

Virtualization and #cloudcomputing provider #VMware made its interest in thenetworking space known in recent years by venturing into the #softwaredefined networking market a few years ago. The company launched the @VMware #NSX in late 2013, which merged its existing #vCloud networking product line with the network virtualization platform of @Nicira (which it acquired in 2012) into a single product family. In the years since, VMware has witnessed strong demand for NSX, with the number of customers growing from just under 100 in 2013 to over 2,600 this year. Earlier this month, VMware announced that it will acquire #SDWAN startup @VeloCloud to further its presence in the #SDN space. This is obviously a concern for networking hardware vendors, since the software-centric approach has the potential to make branded high-end networking equipment redundant in the long term. Consequently, this has given a huge opportunity to white-box hardware manufacturers to sell cheaper hardware. As a result, established hardware vendors must compete with software companies (VMware in this case) to build high-end software to match evolving industry requirements and simultaneously match falling hardware prices. Back in 2014, VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger mentioned that Cisco branded VMware to be its “public enemy number one” following the NSX launch. At the time, VMware also reached an agreement with and @Cisco’s rival @Juniper Networks which leveraged VMware’s NSX to virtualize Juniper’s networking equipment. ADVERTISEMENT FedEx. We deliver to over 220 countries and territories. From where it’s sourced to where it’s used, FedEx helps deliver global e-commerce. Promoted by FedEx A key market space within SDN is the software-defined WAN (or SD-WAN) market. WAN (wide area networks) is the branch of networking that deals with connecting remote offices and computing devices to a central server or data center typically over a large geographical region. This is different from local area networks, which connect devices limited to distances within a building or a campus with locally managed network interconnects. SD-WAN, or software-defined WAN, uses cloud computing and virtualization technology by separating the hardware involved from its control mechanism. The SD-WAN market can potentially disrupt the traditional enterprise router market

https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2017/11/27/vmwares-velocloud-acquisition-rekindles-sdn-battle-with-cisco/#71c4664f17bd

IHS: Cisco, VMware in SD-WAN Market ‘Two-Horse Race’

#Cisco and #VMware are in a “two-horse race” for the No. 1 software-defined wide-area network ( #SDWAN) vendor spot, an IHS Markit report says. The SD-WAN market totaled $137 million worldwide in the first half of 2017, according to the IHS Markit Data Center and Enterprise SDN Hardware and Software Biannual Market Tracker. But the market is forecasted to reach $3.3 billion by 2021.

Recent deals by @Cisco and @VMware set up these two vendors to compete for the top spot.

In August, Cisco completed its $610 million acquisition of @Viptela, which was ranked as the No. 2 SD-WAN company in the first half of 2017. Earlier this month, VMware bought SD-WAN revenue leader, @VeloCloud, for an undisclosed amount.

VeloCloud’s revenue reached $42 million, or 31 percent market share, in the first half of the year, according to IHS.  Viptela’s totaled $16.9 million, or 12 percent.

“VMware and Cisco have acquired the two SD-WAN market share leader positions, making the SD-WAN market a two-horse race for the number-one spot,” said IHS Markit Analyst Cliff Grossner in a statement. “And we could see even more consolidation as vendors set out to add SD‑WAN to their capability sets, especially since the technology is key to supporting connectivity in the multi-clouds that enterprises are building.”

Both service providers partnering with SD-WAN vendors to deploy overlay solutions, and virtual network function (VNF)-based solutions becoming more closely integrated with carrier operations and business support systems, are driving market growth.

The report also found that data center and enterprise software-defined networking (SDN)revenue for in-use SDN-capable Ethernet switches, SDN controllers, and SD-WAN increased 5.4 percent in the first half of 2017 compared to the same period last year.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sdxcentral.com/articles/news/ihs-cisco-vmware-in-sd-wan-market-two-horse-race/2017/11/amp/#ampshare=https://www.sdxcentral.com/articles/news/ihs-cisco-vmware-in-sd-wan-market-two-horse-race/2017/11/

VMware to Enter SD-WAN Market With VeloCloud Buy

@VMware, building on the strength of its #NSX network virtualization technology, is buying @VeloCloud Networks as it extends its ongoing networking competition with @Cisco Systems into the fast-growing #softwaredefined #SDWAN market. VMware officials announced the deal Nov. 2, saying it will enable the company to build out its network virtualization portfolio and add branch networking to give it a more complete presence from core data centers to the network edge and out to the cloud. No financial details were released. The deal is expected to close within the next few months. Software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) is the fastest growing segment of the larger network virtualization space, which also includes such technologies as software-defined networking (SDN) and network-functions virtualization (NFV)

http://www.eweek.com/networking/vmware-to-enter-sd-wan-market-with-velocloud-buy

HPE quits cloud servers, two weeks after telling El Reg it wouldn't do that

#HPE has quit the business of providing custom servers to #bigcloud operators. Which may come as a surprise to readers who recall our story from October 5th. In that piece, HPE's @CarloGiorgi told us the cloud server business “... is being re-engineered or engineered to be more fit for purpose. It will still be a tailored offering for service providers, but will not have only standard SKUs and [its structure] will depend on the type of compute [required].” Now, however, HPE has posted slides that HPE president Antonio Neri presented to a financial analyst day this week. His third slide does the deed and is reproduced below. HPE President Antonio Neri's server-killing slide. Click here to enlarge Just what the “higher-margin products” HPE can offer big clouds is not revealed. But we'd be surprised if it's something entirely new because the fifth slide in Neri's deck outlines extensive – ahem – consolidation of the company's products, locations and languages. Which may explain rumours the company plans to axe 5,000 jobs. @HPE 's streamlining plan. Click here to embiggen The slide deck offers a few hints at the company's future directions, mentioning plans including: Something called “ #ProjectNewStack” that aims to offer “ #Hybrid as-a-service platform for application, data, and #infrastructure composability across clouds”; Expanding the @Aruba platform to challenge @Cisco’s #Meraki in the cloud-managed network; Developing #SDWAN capabilities as part of Aruba solutions to offer customers a single control point for Wi-Fi, switching and WAN; Extend programmability of campus aggregation switching with next generation of Aruba OS. The Register has asked HPE to clarify its server plans and, if the company does so, we'll update this story or write a whole new one
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/10/20/hpe_quits_cloud_server_business_two_weeks_after_telling_iel_regi_it_wouldnt/

FatPipe Networks to Participate in Right Stuff Innovation Awards at ONUG Fall 2017

Showcases SD-WAN enabling NFV deployments to Address Enterprise IT Leader Demands NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - October 17, 2017) - (ONUG Fall 2017) - @FatPipe® Networks, the inventor and multiple patents holder of #softwaredefinednetworks for wide area connectivity and hybrid #WAN s, is demonstrating multi-function #VNF (Virtualized Network Function) with integrated SD-WAN (Software-defined Networking) to enable digital transformation of NFV (Network Functions Virtualization) at the @ONUG Fall Conference, Oct. 17-18, 2017, to be considered for the ONUG Right Stuff Innovation Awards. As a part of the ONUG Working Group Initiatives, enterprise IT leaders, vendors, and cloud/service providers collaborated over the past year to compile requirements for the development of solutions that address the Monitoring & Analytics and Software-Defined Security Services uses cases. At ONUG Fall, FatPipe Networks will demonstrate FatPipe VNF™, based on the Software-Defined Security Services guidelines to be considered for the new Right Stuff Innovation Awards, which recognize companies that best address the goals outlined by the working groups. FatPipe Networks' participation in the Right Stuff Innovation Awards underscores their commitment to the development of markets and solutions required by the ONUG IT Community to support digital transformation strategies for the hybrid multi-cloud era," said Nick Lippis, ONUG co-founder and co-chairman. "We're confident that collaboration, such as this with FatPipe Networks, will contribute to an increase in the available choices and options available to IT buyers in the large enterprise and fill the solution gaps in the hybrid cloud market." "In the rapidly evolving SD-WAN market place, FatPipe's VNF/SD-WAN initiative not only delivers on the user benefits of VNF, but now, serves to simplify the introduction of NFV-based feature enhancements. Software-only network function virtualization enables and empowers enterprises to overlay next-generation functionality, as an application instance within SD-WAN, rather than yet another piece of hardware to manage and maintain," said FatPipe's CTO Sanch Datta. About FatPipe Networks FatPipe® Networks invented the concept of software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) and hybrid WANs that eliminate the need for hardware and software, or cooperation from ISPs and allows companies and service providers to control multi-link network traffic. FatPipe currently has 11 U.S. patents and more than 180 technology claims related to multipath, software-defined networking and selective encryption of broadband networks. FatPipe technology provides the world's best intra-corporate wide area network solutions that transcend Internet and other network failures to maintain business continuity and high transmission security. FatPipe, with several thousand customers, has offices in the United States and around the world, with more than 700 resellers worldwide including almost all national resellers in the US. For more information, visit www.FatPipe.com. Follow us on Twitter @FatPipe_Inc. About ONUG ONUG is the leading community of IT executives focused on enabling greater choice and options for IT business leaders by advocating open interoperable hardware and software-defined infrastructure solutions that span across the entire IT stack, all in an effort to create business value. The ONUG Board is composed of IT leaders from Bank of America, BNY Mellon, Cigna, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, eBay, FedEx, Fidelity Investments, Gap Inc., GE, Intuit, JPMorgan Chase, the Lippis Report, Morgan Stanley, Pfizer, State Street, TD Ameritrade, UBS, and Yahoo. For more on ONUG, go to www.onug.net or follow us on Twitter @ONUG. FatPipe is a registered trademark and FatPipe VNF is a trademark of FatPipe, Inc. Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

http://m.marketwired.com/press-release/fatpipe-networks-to-participate-in-right-stuff-innovation-awards-at-onug-fall-2017-2237423.htm

WLAN Market Reaches $2.4B As HPE Aruba, Huawei Gain Share

$2.37B Worldwide WLAN Market In Q2 2017  Market share in the wireless LAN vendor landscape is shifting with leaders incluing #Cisco Systems and #Brocade Communications losing share, while #HewlettPackardEnterprise and #Huawei are gaining momentum, according to second-quarter 2017 data from research firm IDC. "The enterprise #WLAN market's second-quarter 2017 performance sends a strong message that this market is still in growth mode," said Nolan Greene, senior research analyst, network infrastructure for IDC, in a statement. "WLAN is a critical enabler of end-to-end digital transformation strategies as wireless applications and devices continue to unlock new digital and business outcomes." CRN breaks down everything you need to know about the WLAN market for the second-quarter 2017.

http://www.crn.com/slide-shows/networking/300093531/wlan-market-reaches-2-4b-as-hpe-aruba-huawei-gain-share.htm

Avaya, FatPipe Hook Up for Pre-Integrated SDN, SD-WAN

#Avaya and #FatPipe Networks revealed July 18 that they will combine expertise to build data center software defined networking ( #SDN ) and software defined WAN (SD-WAN) packages into a single solution for networking and unified communications. The two companies in a joint statement claimed that this will become the first pre-integrated SDN and SD-WAN enterprise solution of its kind. Most deployments of this kind are worked up as needed on an ad-hoc basis within IT departments. @FatPipe Networks, founded in 1989, develops wide-area network products to corporations and government offices. The company’s core technology is router clustering, which enables data transfer through multiple lines, multiple internet service providers, and backbones over WANs with re-assembly of data streams.

http://mobile.eweek.com/networking/avaya-fatpipe-hook-up-for-pre-integrated-sdn-sd-wan.html

Cisco Invests in SD-WAN Provider VeloCloud

#VeloCloud announced this week $27 million in new Series C financing, bringing its total to $49 million. This latest round includes funding from #Cisco Investments and is good news for VeloCloud’s partners, says Michael Wood, the company’s VP of marketing. “VeloCloud relies on dozens of channel partners worldwide to drive a majority of our rapidly expanding business," Wood told Channel Partners. “This recent investment round enables VeloCloud to accelerate new product development and customer rollouts and ramp up channel sales and marketing in expanded theaters to meet growing global demand." VeloCloud takes a cloud-based overlay approach to software-defined WAN, enabling IT or partners to connect offices, data centers and cloud services using a mix of private lines, broadband Internet and LTE links. The driver for #SD-WAN is flexibility — sites may be added much more quickly and flexibly versus nailing up static tunnels. Partners using VeloCloud’s SD-WAN may select public, private or hybrid cloud versions of the software. The company also offers appliances for branch offices and data centers.

Jeff Reed, VP and GM of Cisco’s enterprise infrastructure and solutions group, said Cisco is committed to open networking, and interoperability with VeloCloud’s solution will provide an attractive option for Cisco Intelligent WAN customers looking to transition to SD-WANs.{ad}

Mike Fratto, a principal analyst on Current Analysis’ business technology and software team covering the enterprise networking and data-center technology markets, expects SD-WANs overall to grow in popularity this year as contracts for private lines expire and IPsec VPN and other WAN technology products are replaced.

Expect jockeying for position.

“Competition among SD-WAN vendors will be fierce," says Fratto, and he sees service providers, which don’t want to be marginalized to mere pipes, entering the fray with offerings of their own. Fratto says Cisco will also gain from this deal.

http://www.channelpartnersonline.com/news/2016/01/cisco-invests-in-sd-wan-provider-velocloud.aspx

FatPipe Participates in ONUG's First Multivendor Proof of Concept Based on Real IT User Requirements

SALT LAKE CITY, UT AND NEW YORK, NY, Nov 05, 2015 (Marketwired via COMTEX) -- #FatPipeNetworks today showcased a Multivendor Proof of Concept (PoC) as a part of #ONUG 's the first ever #SDWAN workgroup PoC Demonstration at ONUG Fall 2015. Based on ONUG's original use case requirements, the demonstrations mark the completion of ONUG's first full cycle of its working groups -- from original use case requirements to true product development. The ONUG PoC demonstration fair brings to life the growing software-defined infrastructure ecosystem and buildout of a new open framework.

"We were thrilled to see that so many members of the ONUG vendor community, like FatPipe Networks, are engaging with users to develop multivendor interoperable PoCs based directly on user-mandated requirements," said Nick Lippis, Co-Chairman and Co-Founder of ONUG. "This illustrates a major step forward in ONUG's mission to facilitate collaboration between the IT user and vendor communities aimed at driving the development of open interoperable hardware and software-defined infrastructure solutions."

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/fatpipe-participates-in-onugs-first-multivendor-proof-of-concept-based-on-real-it-user-requirements-2015-11-05