News, Analysis and Opinion for WAN technologies and services

June 05, 2019 05 Jun'19

NSC joins forces with Silver Peak SD-WAN services

Silver Peak and NSC have partnered up to combine NSC IT services with Silver Peak SD-WAN services. NSC will serve as a single source provider and offer SD-WAN deployment services.

December 17, 2018 17 Dec'18

A recap of notable 2018 networking trends and news

Before the final days of 2018 fade into history like so last-generation 4G, spend some time reviewing the news and trends that graced the networking industry this year.

May 03, 2018 03 May'18

Enterprises move from SD-WAN testing to deployment, IHS says

Enterprises are undergoing SD-WAN testing to gauge how the technology can offer better WAN control, IHS Markit says. Also, OPNFV releases Fraser to support cloud-native applications.

January 23, 2018 23 Jan'18

Talari adds SD-WAN appliance for smaller edge sites

With its recently added SD-WAN appliance, Talari aims for smaller branch locations, like retail and remote sites; Cradlepoint introduces subscription-based networking packages.

January 04, 2018 04 Jan'18

Zayo SD-WAN available as a managed or on-premises product

Zayo Group has launched an SD-WAN product. The Zayo SD-WAN is available as an on-premises or managed product. Zayo is a bandwidth infrastructure provider in the U.S. and Europe.

November 15, 2017 15 Nov'17

Versa SD-WAN gets features focused on voice, video calling

Versa Networks is targeting voice and video quality with its latest software-defined networking technology. The new software is the latest addition to the Versa SD-WAN product.

October 26, 2017 26 Oct'17

Capital One, General Electric seek hybrid WAN benefits at scale

Capital One and General Electric are pushing the scalability of hybrid WAN. The companies are using the technology to cut networking costs. GE plans to save millions of dollars.

October 26, 2017 26 Oct'17

Singtel taps Versa for software-defined branch service

Singtel anchors its managed software-defined branch service with technology from Versa Networks; MegaPath looks to Fortinet to bolster security for its managed SD-WAN service.

May 18, 2017 18 May'17

Comcast Business beta trials managed SD-WAN with Versa Networks

Comcast Business chooses Versa Networks as its managed SD-WAN partner, while Sprint turns to VeloCloud. Also, NEC and Dell EMC announce the availability of their SD-LAN service.

January 26, 2017 26 Jan'17

Hughes' managed SD-WAN supports range of broadband access options

Hughes now offers managed SD-WAN, which supports wireless, fiber and satellite connectivity. Also, an IHS Markit survey reveals 2016 SDN expectations didn't meet the actual numbers.

December 14, 2016 14 Dec'16

Seven trends in place for SD-WAN technology in 2017

SD-WAN technology and deployment made leaps in 2016, with an increased number of use cases and suppliers. Check out seven trends on the SD-WAN horizon for 2017.

October 31, 2016 31 Oct'16

Liquor distributor turns to SD-WAN to support digital operation

Liquor distributor Republic National Distributing Co. chose the less expensive Silver Peak SD-WAN to raise the reliability of its new digital operation.

September 27, 2016 27 Sep'16

SD-WAN vendors seek larger market slice through partnerships, services

Silver Peak, Versa Networks and Viptela are the latest SD-WAN vendors to launch partnerships and services in a market expected to top $6 billion by 2020.

September 02, 2016 02 Sep'16

CloudGenix SD-WAN available as virtualized software

CloudGenix SD-WAN has been released as virtualized software, raising to three the number of deployment options. The others include bare metal and a CloudGenix appliance.

June 29, 2016 29 Jun'16

CenturyLink chooses Versa Networks for new managed SD-WAN service

CenturyLink is the latest provider to roll out a new managed SD-WAN service -- using technology from Versa Networks -- which it plans to make widely available later this year.

June 06, 2016 06 Jun'16

Talari Networks seeks market edge with SD-WAN partnership program

Talari has rolled out a new strategic alliance program, indicating the vendor's interest in supporting third-party products that complement its own SD-WAN technology.

December 12, 2014 12 Dec'14

Aryaka offers last-mile WAN traffic management systems function

ICYMI: Aryaka ONE offers last-mile WAN optimization service; 60 tech giants speak out against possible ISP regulation.

December 08, 2014 08 Dec'14

Can Netflix save enterprise WAN networks?

How long will it take for ISPs to come to enterprises and ask them to pay extra to ensure that their Salesforce.com data gets to where it's supposed to go?

December 04, 2014 04 Dec'14

Exinda offers granular WAN orchestration, more control for users

Exinda Networks makes WAN orchestration more granular with QoS control and bandwidth management over applications and users.

November 18, 2014 18 Nov'14

A VPLS Network procurement walkthrough

Organisations should never be forced into a features and benefits conversation with their prospective service providers. The majority of network designs produced by our BT Business partnership ...

July 01, 2014 01 Jul'14

Lender unclogs WAN infrastructure with Citrix upgrade

A Texas mortgage lender turbocharges clogged WAN with suite of optimization and VDI platforms from Citrix.

May 23, 2014 23 May'14

Talari WAN aggregation helps shake enterprise reliance on MPLS

WAN aggregation, coupled with WAN optimization, can help businesses take advantage of cheaper bandwidth options, while keeping reliability intact.

March 20, 2014 20 Mar'14

Anuta Networks expands device support for LAN and WAN orchestration

Anuta Networks has expanded device and feature support for network orchestration across data centers, campuses and branches.

December 05, 2013 05 Dec'13

Silver Peak adds dynamic path options to hybrid WAN users

Silver Peak targets firms with hybrid networks and with features that automatically determine better-performing links through which to send traffic.

March 29, 2013 29 Mar'13

Global IT consultancy chooses cloud WAN optimization over hardware

A global IT consultancy chooses Aryaka's cloud WAN optimization service over traditional hardware-based vendors.

March 21, 2012 21 Mar'12

Connecticut school district deploys Comcast Metro Ethernet network

The Farmington School district in Connecticut has deployed a Comcast Metro Ethernet network to support online testing and educational applications across the district.

February 22, 2012 22 Feb'12

VoIP over WAN: Basic network considerations

With proper configuration and good system management, VoIP over WAN delivers good voice quality.

January 10, 2012 10 Jan'12

WAN trends for 2012: Cloud computing, virtualization, SaaS and more

Cloud computing is one of the top five technology trends for 2012 that are reshaping the wide area network (WAN). Discover the other trends in this slideshow.

November 22, 2011 22 Nov'11

Should you allow video traffic over your enterprise WAN?

Decide whether you should support video traffic across your enterprise WAN (wide area network) using these recommendations.

November 15, 2011 15 Nov'11

Deploying Akamai’s Web application acceleration on a private WAN

A global manufacturer deployed Akamai’s content delivery network technology on its MPLS for Web application acceleration, a technology usually reserved for the Internet.

September 16, 2011 16 Sep'11

MPLS and Ethernet WAN connectivity send frame relay and ATM packing

Legacy WAN connectivity options, such as ATM and frame relay, are falling out of favor as businesses spend more on MPLS and Ethernet WAN services, according to In-Stat.

August 24, 2011 24 Aug'11

Cisco unveils new ISR model for enterprise M2M applications

Enterprise M2M applications are niche for now, but Cisco Systems has built a new ISR in anticipation of rapid growth in enterprise M2M communications.

August 10, 2011 10 Aug'11

With Ethernet exchanges, Ethernet WAN services available more places

With Ethernet exchanges, WAN pros have more options for Ethernet WAN services because a service provider can extend connectivity beyond its own footprint.

July 01, 2011 01 Jul'11

WAN pros find Metro Ethernet services fast, cheap, simple alternative

WAN managers tasked with satisfying an insatiable hunger for bandwidth are looking to Metro Ethernet and other Ethernet WAN services for bigger, cheaper pipes.

May 27, 2011 27 May'11

Interop 2011 Las Vegas recap: Wide area network news

Find out what happened around wide area network (WAN) technology in this Interop 2011 Las Vegas recap.

May 18, 2011 18 May'11

Breakthrough WAN technologies that will change your company's network

At Interop Las Vegas 2011, moderator Jim Metzler hosted a panel of five vendors creating breakthrough WAN technologies that will change the way you create and manage your network.

May 10, 2011 10 May'11

Vendors aim to improve SaaS performance with cloud WAN optimization

Vendors announced plans this week at Interop 2011 to beef up their cloud WAN optimization products, including a partnership between Riverbed and Akamai to tackle SaaS performance.

February 01, 2011 01 Feb'11

Time to unplug MPLS? IT pros consider broadband for WAN connectivity

Looking to cut WAN costs associated with expensive private circuits, enterprises are considering standard broadband as a primary means of WAN connectivity for select branches.

November 10, 2010 10 Nov'10

WAN pros welcome, question vendor claims to improve cloud performance

WAN optimization vendors have begun to tackle public cloud performance -- a move that WAN managers welcome, although some question whether efforts go far enough.

August 27, 2010 27 Aug'10

Virtual Private LAN Service: Extending the LAN over a dumb WAN

Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) enables multipoint-to-multipoint communication over carrier-based MPLS/IP networks, basically enabling enterprises to extend LAN segments over long distances. In ...

May 26, 2010 26 May'10

Establishing a private wireless WAN with microwave wireless backhaul

Wireless backhaul offers an alternative that goes the distance for organizations that can't trench their own fiber or add T1 lines, or want to avoid doing so.

December 16, 2009 16 Dec'09

Global carrier simplifies WAN security with next-generation firewalls

Deploying a group of Palo Alto next-generation firewalls allowed IDT Corp. to decommission dozens of weak legacy firewalls and simplify WAN security management.

November 25, 2009 25 Nov'09

Enterprises move to hybrid WANs with Ethernet services and MPLS IP VPNs

As frame relay, ATM and other legacy WAN architectures fade away, enterprises are moving toward hybrid WAN networks that consist of both Ethernet services and MPLS IP VPNs. It all depends on the nature of the enterprise and how much control it wants...

October 28, 2009 28 Oct'09

WAN managers must weigh using one or multiple service providers

Wide area network (WAN) managers need to think less like techies and more like business strategists when deciding whether to power the WAN with one or multiple service providers. Enterprises have to decide how much risk they can tolerate and weigh ...

October 13, 2009 13 Oct'09

Hospital builds WAN redundancy with load balancing and link failover

Investing in a WAN link controller that combines link failover and network load balancing has freed New Orleans researchers from burning the midnight oil just to transfer files.

October 05, 2009 05 Oct'09

Consolidation, centralization change the face of WAN managed services

In an era of tight budgets, a shortage of skilled staff and increasing network demands, WAN managed services are looking better as an option to help eliminate management and support stress on a company's IT department. There are also some ...

September 02, 2009 02 Sep'09

Private fiber optic WAN backbone connects Michigan's universities

Merit Network, a nonprofit regional wide-area network (WAN) that connects Michigan's major universities to one another and the rest of the world, made a major upgrade about five years ago from a carrier-based circuit network to a private, ...

August 26, 2009 26 Aug'09

WAN engineers prepare networks as cloud computing adoption rises

An F5 Networks survey found that cloud computing adoption is high. WAN engineers must make sure their enterprises have the right WAN infrastructure in place to support cloud services.

May 27, 2009 27 May'09

Service providers like Verizon offer WAN services to cut network costs

With budgets tightening, service providers are offering managed WAN services ranging from optimization to on-site maintenance as a way to cut internal costs.

May 13, 2009 13 May'09

Aruba's RAP-2 takes corporate WAN to the teleworker at $99

Aruba Networks introduces Virtual Branch Network, a portfolio of remote networking products that gives teleworkers and small branch offices secure and simple access to the corporate network.

March 04, 2009 04 Mar'09

Optimizing Oracle apps on the WAN: Detailed roadmaps minimize speed bumps

Delivering Oracle applications -- including Web-based ERP, JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, and Oracle Forms -- over the WAN requires careful planning for optimization and acceleration to ensure efficient network operations that reduce bandwidth needs and ...

November 19, 2008 19 Nov'08

Selecting an MPLS provider: Customer support should be a priority

When selecting a provider for a managed MPLS network, enterprises must focus on more than just how the provider designs and builds the network. They should also think about the support they will get from the provider once the network is up and ...

November 15, 2007 15 Nov'07

Is Cisco becoming the IP video giant?

Cisco has made a string of strategic acquisitions, culminating with the purchase of Cognio, which could vault it to the top of the heap when it comes to next-generation IP video applications like digital signage, interactive advertising and video ...

November 01, 2007 01 Nov'07

MPLS implementation gotchas

In this tip on controlling and implementing multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), learn how to eliminate network latency without getting caught in an SLA with a bad service provider.

July 14, 2007 14 Jul'07

Boeing beefs up its extranet with MPLS

The jet manufacturer says it's moving away from frame relay and ATM to MPLS to increase service to extranet partners, cut costs and increase internal productivity.

June 30, 2007 30 Jun'07

T1 or wireless? T1 is far more reliable

Some say fixed wireless is as secure and reliable as high-speed wired service, but one company explains why, for now, it relies on T1 links and uses wireless only in emergencies.

August 17, 2005 17 Aug'05

Frame relay still viable for many networks

Once a product or technology is labeled "mature," that usually means its days are numbered. Typically, it's just a matter of time until something newer, faster and better relegates it to the scrap heap. But in the case of frame relay, that may not ...

July 06, 2005 06 Jul'05

Is IPsec on borrowed time?

IT professionals say SSL VPN connections are easier to secure and manage than their IPsec counterparts. But don't count IPsec out just yet.

September 01, 2004 01 Sep'04

What is a virtual private network (VPN)?

Confused about what a virtual private network does? Start here, and then proceed through our links below.

April 19, 2004 19 Apr'04

Expand Networks offers WAN conservation appliances

Expand Networks has announced a new roster of WAN optimization appliances, intended to help remote offices avoid bottlenecks caused by enterprise applications.

August 04, 2003 04 Aug'03

Proxim enables 'last mile' WAN connectivity

Proxim has introduced a new line of "last mile" wireless WAN products for service providers and enterprises that need building-to-building connectivity without fiber optic cabling.

March 21, 2003 21 Mar'03

More on standard for bandwidth utilization over WAN circuit

June 20, 2002 20 Jun'02

SSL VPNs: Great for basic access but not for power users

A recent study from Infonetics research finds that Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) virtual private networks (VPNs) are poised to fill a market niche not covered by traditional Internet Protocol Secure (IPsec) VPNs. Ted Studwell, vice president for ...

May 02, 2002 02 May'02

VPNs: Virtela CEO speaks out

Managed IP VPN services provider Virtela Communications Inc. has a new president and CEO. Christopher Clark is a 15-year veteran of the telecommunications and computer industries, and comes to the two-year-old, Denver company from Sprint, where he ...

April 12, 2001 12 Apr'01