A10 Networks extends carrier-class firewall product lineup with a container offering, new 5G network ready features

A10 Networks announced Wednesday that it is extending the capabilities of the Thunder Convergent Firewall (CFW), part of the A10 Orion 5G Security Suite, to support the coming cloud-native 5G requirements. The container-based carrier-class firewall delivers up to 180 Gbps throughput, one of the fastest in the industry. 

A10 is also releasing a new version of its Advanced Core Operating System (ACOS) 5.1, which includes multiple 5G-ready updates. Thunder CFW running ACOS 5.1 brings functionality, performance and scale of the existing physical and virtual appliances to the container firewall, helping to prepare service provider customers in their transition to cloud-native 5G infrastructures.

The Thunder containerized firewall was recently demonstrated as part of the Linux Foundation’s end-to-end cloud-native 5G network proof of concept at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon. This first of its kind proof-of-concept (PoC) was a fully containerized, end-to-end 5G non-stand-alone (NSA) distributed cloud network, which paves the way for commercial deployments in mobile operator networks globally.

The Thunder CFW includes functionality that helps ensure the security, reliability and availability of 5G networks as they transition from physical network functions to be completely cloud native. It can be broadly deployed in mobile networks at the SGi, roaming and radio access network (RAN) interfaces. 

The A10 vThunder virtual network function (VNF) package has been integrated and validated with leading NFV-MANO solutions, including Ericsson Cloud Manager, NEC Netcracker HOM, Red Hat OpenStack, and tested in recent ETSI NFV Plugtests for end-to-end VNF lifecycle operation capabilities.

“The Thunder CFW release is an integral foundational element to our comprehensive A10 Orion 5G Security Suite. With the ACOS 5.1 release, A10 has integrated comprehensive feedback from multiple proven deployments in tier-one mobile operators over the last year. These production networks have required hyperscale, lower latency, automation, and advanced security,” said Yasir Liaqatullah, vice president, product management at A10 Networks. “As 5G adoption increasingly requires multi-terabit performance on the Gi-LAN, we continue to provide industry-leading scale in virtual network functions (VNFs), cloud-native network functions (CNFs) and physical network functions (PNFs), including scale-out agile deployments with containerized solutions for virtual mobile edge compute requirements.”

In addition to the release of the high-performance containerized firewall CNF, A10 Networks also released new PNFs with its 7600 series models, delivering up to 385 Gbps throughput in a compact RU physical appliance.

The A10 Orion 5G Security Suite is available now. Thunder CFW with ACOS 5.1 and the new CNF and PNF form factors will be available later this month.

Amazon VPC Ingress Routing and Trend Micro help simplify network security

Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced availability of Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) Ingress Routing service. As a Launch Partner for Amazon VPC Ingress Routing, Trend Micro continues to innovate alongside AWS to provide solutions to customers—enabling new approaches to network security. 

Trend Micro TippingPoint and Trend Micro Cloud One integrate with Amazon VPC Ingress Routing deliver network security that allows customers to obtain compliance by inspecting both ingress and egress traffic, thereby providing user with a deployment experience designed to eliminate any disruption in the business.

Amazon VPC Ingress Routing is a service that helps customers simplify the integration of network and security appliances within their network topology. With Amazon VPC Ingress Routing, customers can define routing rules at the Internet Gateway (IGW) and Virtual Private Gateway (VGW) to redirect ingress traffic to third-party appliances, before it reaches the final destination. This makes it easier for customers to deploy production-grade applications with the networking and security services they require within their Amazon VPC.

By enabling customers to redirect their north-south traffic flowing in and out of a VPC through internet gateway and virtual private gateway to the Trend Micro cloud network security solution. Not only does this enable customers to screen all external traffic before it reaches the subnet, but it also allows for the interception of traffic flowing into different subnets, using different instances of the Trend Micro solution.

Trend Micro customers now have the ability to have cloud network layer security in AWS leveraging Amazon VPC Ingress Routing. With this enhancement, customers can deploy in any VPC, without any disruptive re-architecture and without introducing any additional routing or proxies. Deploying directly inline is the ideal solution and enables simplified network security without disruption in the cloud.

A defense-in-depth or layered security approach is important to organizations, especially at the cloud network layer. That being said, customers need to be able to deploy a solution without re-architecting or slowing down their business, the problem is, previous solutions in the marketplace couldn’t meet both requirements.

So, when customers wanted TippingPoint intrusion prevention system (IPS) capabilities to be brought to the cloud, Trend Micro responded with a solution. Backed by research from Trend Micro Research, including the Zero Day Initiative, Trend Micro created a solution that includes cloud network IPS capabilities, incorporating detection, protection and threat disruption—without any disruption to the network.

At AWS re:Invent 2018, AWS announced the launch of Amazon Transit Gateway. This architecture enables customers to route traffic through a hub and spoke topology, and leverage this as a primary deployment model in the Cloud Network Protection, powered by TippingPoint, cloud IPS solution, announced in July this year. This enabled customers to gain broad security and compliance, without re-architecting, and the company will soon add a flexible deployment model.

Atos announces new Workplace as a Service offering for optimal employee experience with Google Cloud

Atos announces its new Workplace as a Service | Google Edition, part of its Atos Digital Workplace solutions, to provide enterprise customers with a way of enhancing the employee workplace experience, through greater choice for users and a boost to productivity. 

With Atos Digital Workspace, users combine skills, from advisory to consulting and design thinking through to business and vertical solutions, including applications to the digital workplace platform. It offers complete solution to customers, with its end-to-end workspace transformation, helping customers’ address their employees’ needs with no compromise on security.

As part of its partnership with Google Cloud, Atos is offering a unique integrated and secure package including the supply and support of Chromebooks with Atos’ Circuit software, as well as Google’s G Suite, supported with setup, migration and management services.

G Suite and Chromebooks, used together, provide an enhanced user experience, which is consistent across all devices and apps, enabling workforces to be more productive and engaged, while security and compliance are built-in and reinforced with a ‘zero trust’ security framework, which requires strict ID verification for every person and device trying to access resources, in order to prevent data breaches.

The offering is available in a subscription-based model, delivered by Atos, with self-service, automation and virtual agents embedded, so businesses can both optimize costs and at the same time transform the way people collaborate thereby increasing productivity.

G Suite is a set of apps such as Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar, and Hangouts, which are designed with real-time collaboration and machine intelligence to bring people together and help them work smarter and safer.

Circuit, the Atos unified communications and collaboration cloud solution, provides easy-to-use, powerful team collaboration capabilities and can be used in combination with existing communication platforms and business apps, such as G Suite.

“At Atos, we’re proud to support our customers in providing a secure and innovative workplace environment in which people and businesses are engaged and effective,” said Eric Grall, senior executive vice president and head of global operations and infrastructure & data management at Atos. “Our new Workplace as a Service offering provides enterprise customers with greater choice and a complete package to deliver an optimal employee experience and enhanced productivity.” 

“The cloud can transform the way people collaborate and get work done,” said Kevin Ichhpurani, corporate vice president, global ecosystem at Google Cloud. “This new service from Atos provides customers with a streamlined path to adopt a cloud-native approach to collaboration and productivity with G Suite and Chromebooks. We are delighted to partner with Atos to bring these capabilities to customers.”

Amazon Web Services updates its AWS DeepRacer program with new sensing capabilities and training algorithms

Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced on Wednesday that it is upgrading its DeepRacer program by adding more chances to compete at AWS events & at own events, more chances to win, with new races including head-to-head multi-car competitions, and an upgraded DeepRacer car with new sensing capabilities.

AWS DeepRacer is an autonomous 1/18th scale race car designed to test RL models by racing on a physical track. Using cameras to view the track and a reinforcement model to control throttle and steering, the car shows how a model trained in a simulated environment can be transferred to the real-world.

AWS DeepRacer Evo is the next generation in autonomous racing. Take your car to the tracks and master brand new AWS DeepRacer challenges including racing head to head against other cars in the 2020 season of the AWS DeepRacer League. AWS DeepRacer Evo comes with dual stereo cameras, allowing the car to detect objects on the track, and LIDAR (light detection and ranging) helping to determine when to overtake another car and beat it to the finish line.

AWS DeepRacer offers hands-on experience with Reinforcement Learning (RL). Following launch of the AWS DeepRacer car and the AWS DeepRacer League, users could have the opportunity to get experience and new skills in a fun, competitive environment. In less than a year, tens of thousands of developers have participated in hands-on and virtual races located globally. 

The upcoming AWS DeepRacer Evo car will include a stereo camera and a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor. The added sensors will enable DeepRacer Evo to skillfully detect and respond to obstacles, including other DeepRacers. This will help users learn more about the field of reinforcement learning, which is ideal for use in autonomous driving.

The new sensors will be available soon in virtual form for use in the new My Garage section of the DeepRacer Console. AWS will release more details on production plans for AWS DeepRacer Evo, including a sensor upgrade kit for existing DeepRacer car, early next year.

AWS is also expanding the DeepRacer League in 2020. The company is adding eight additional races across five countries as part of an expanded AWS Summit presence, and 18 additional virtual races. There will also be a track (and a race) at re:MARS 2020. As a result, customers have the opportunity to participate in 30 events and join for an in-person AWS DeepRacer League Summit race, along with 24 Virtual Circuit races from anywhere in the world.

In addition to the existing time trial race, AWS is adding two new race types to give some new RL challenges, and the opportunity to experiment with different sensors. The object detection and avoidance features uses the sensors to detect and (hopefully) avoid obstacles, and the head-to-head racing against another DeepRacer that is on the same track. 

Veritas and NetApp deliver data protection of unstructured data for customers

Veritas Technologies announced an expansion of its partnership with NetApp that will help the largest enterprises protect their data more quickly and at scale on NetApp network-attached storage (NAS) devices.  

Veritas NetBackup leveraged NetApp SnapDiff APIs in 2012 to accelerate backup of primary NAS data to on-premises and cloud targets. By integrating with NetApp SnapDiff on secondary NAS, customers can meet stringent recovery time objectives (RTOs) on their premises and speed up data transfer to the cloud for long-term retention. 

This integration further strengthens the value to joint customers, adding faster unstructured data protection to capabilities such as business resiliency for applications connected to NetApp storage, and deep file analytics for NetApp NAS data.

The continued partnership between Veritas and NetApp offers customers numerous benefits, including business resiliency through integration of tier 1 applications and storage into high-availability and disaster recovery solutions; ability to protect file data on the premises and in the cloud across physical and virtual deployments; insights and deep file analytics through cataloging to better understand what data sits where, and how many copies are maintained; reduced TCO by tiering backup data to the cloud for long-term retention; and the ability to continuously meet stringent SLAs even as unstructured data increases.

Sony Electronics adds APIs to its aibo robotic companion; delivers further customization and feature enhancements

Sony Electronics has announced an extensive software update for its autonomous robot puppy companion, aibo. The software update, Version 2.50 for the ERS1000 aibo model, opens the device to developer customization and feature enhancements, reflecting Sony's ongoing commitment to the continued evolution of aibo. 

Both U.S. and Japanese aibo owners now have access to exciting new programmable resources with the update, as well as several new whimsical capabilities, such as the ability to virtually feed aibo cookies, potty train it and more. 

The Version 2.50 software update introduces a new aibo web-based application programming interface (API), which provides owners access to both the "aibo Developer Program" for more seasoned developers and the "aibo Visual Programming" for beginner programmers. The web-based API can be used free of charge and allows owners to program aibo's actions. aibo's personality cannot be altered by any web API programming, so while users can program aibo to perform different actions, they cannot change the emotion, character or mood of aibo through programming.

Sony is looking to developers to continue building on aibo's abilities and create greater possibilities for aibo in the future with the aibo Developer Program. It is a licensing program that is accessible through a Web API to any aibo owner with the desire to create new applications, traits and experiences for alibi. 

Developers can utilize this program to create services and applications that can be linked with aibo. The mechanism of this API is the same as a general REST API, and it can be implemented in almost any system with an Internet environment. 

aibo Visual Programming is an easy-to-use tool that allows owners to create original movements and tricks for aibo. The tool features a drag and drop block coding user interface for beginners making it easy to utilize. 

By encouraging programming and development through the Web API, Sony Electronics aims to expand and promote collaboration with products and services provided by various creators, companies, organizations and educational institutions. In the future, Sony plans to enable developers who use aibo's software API to provide cooperative applications that can be shared by aibo users. 

In addition to the programmable options made available through the API, Sony has included other new enhancements for aibo owners. Now, owners can have virtual fun feeding aibo through the My aibo App using the new mealtime feature, "aibo Food." 

The aibo Food feature can be enjoyed for free using "bonus coins," which can be exchanged for meals called "aibocrisps." Owners can earn "bonus coins" by signing into the My aibo App at specific intervals or during special events. Should an aibo owner run out of coins and wish to virtually feed aibo more frequently, more coins can always be purchased for a fee via the My aibo app.  

Nokia and VMware expand partnership to ease large-scale, multi-cloud operations; accelerate VMware Ready for NFV Certification for Nokia’s portfolio of network functions

Nokia and VMware expanded on Thursday its alliance that includes the development of integrated solutions to support communications service providers’ (CSPs) drive for operational improvements and cost efficiency through large-scale, multi-cloud operations.

After years of working with virtual or cloud-based network functions in limited production deployments, CSPs need to build out these functions at scale to handle the increasing use of new data-intensive applications for tomorrow’s 5G and edge computing use cases. Success of this strategy is dependent on seamless interoperability and efficient operations of cloud-based network functions.

VMware and Nokia have a broad mutual customer base globally, across both companies’ portfolios. Through the expanded partnership announced today, the two companies will advance the interoperability between Nokia software applications and VMware’s Telco Cloud, including VMware vCloud NFV. 

Nokia and VMware will also increase their investments in a deeper partnership with technology collaboration and advanced research & development to develop integrated solutions. As a result, CSPs will be able to more easily meet their business and use case objectives, using VMware cloud infrastructure that is engineered to work together with Nokia virtualized and containerized network functions.

Nokia and VMware have been working together to create seamless cloud redundancy by running Nokia’s applications, such as Nokia Service Management Platform, on VMware’s Telco Cloud platform and VMware HCX, an application mobility platform designed for simplifying application migration, workload rebalancing, and optimized disaster recovery across data centers and clouds. 

This will enable customers to embrace a multi-cloud strategy to unify network and IT environments and connect them to private enterprise clouds, edge clouds, and public clouds.

Nokia will continue to focus on the technical certification of Nokia VNFs and software applications on VMware vCloud NFV platform through a dedicated, on-site VMware Ready for NFV Certification Lab. The new lab includes performance characterization to enable CSPs to properly configure their technology environments for the best results. 

With the Certification Lab, Nokia and VMware will serve customers in an accelerated fashion, keeping pace with new features and releases and enabling better roadmap alignment between the two companies’ portfolios.

Several Nokia software applications, such as Nokia CloudBand Application Manager and Nokia Smart Plan Suite, along with virtual IMS, virtual packet core and session border controller are already certified for operations in VMware cloud environments. These and others can be found on VMware Solution Exchange.

“We are pleased to see Nokia and VMware come closer together to enable a more seamless deployment of Nokia VNFs and CNFs on VMware’s Telco Cloud platform,” said Dr. Alex Jinsung Choi, senior vice president, strategy and technology innovation, Deutsche Telekom. “We see great value in these two companies’ portfolios featuring greater interoperability and believe the contribution this expanded partnership will make to a viable ecosystem will help us accelerate our digital transformation.”

“With the advent of 5G and edge computing, customers are adopting VMware’s container-ready Telco Cloud supported by innovative efforts like Project Maestro multi-domain orchestrator,” said Shekar Ayyar, executive vice president and general manager, Telco and Edge Cloud, VMware. “We are delighted to partner with Nokia to enable faster deployment of Nokia virtual and containerized virtual functions on VMware cloud infrastructure, ultimately helping our customers prepare their telco cloud networks for the future.”

“In today’s digital era, communications service providers expect software solutions to be cloud-native and hardware-agnostic, with multi-vendor and multi-network capabilities built in,” said Bhaskar Gorti, president of Nokia Software. “The expanded partnership we are announcing today gives Nokia and VMware greater scope and capacity to accelerate innovation and best anticipate and deliver against the expectations of our mutual customers.”

Veeam release backup offerings for Microsoft Cloud platforms; adds data protection, scalability, enhanced control of cloud-based data

Veeam Software announced on Monday public beta release of the latest Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365v4 at Microsoft Ignite 2019. Additionally, the company will be offering Microsoft Ignite attendees a sneak peek of a NEW cloud-native data protection solution for Microsoft Azure workloads, Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure. 

Version 4 also includes added security with at-rest encryption for data in object storage and faster backup performance. These solutions support the company’s cloud strategy and provide Microsoft users with additional data protection, scalability, and enhanced control of their cloud-based data. 

With Office 365, Microsoft is responsible for the uptime of the Office 365 infrastructure, but backup and management of the data is the customer’s responsibility. 

The NEW Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365 v4 offers direct integration with Microsoft’s Azure Blob Storage, giving companies that want to keep their Office 365 data in Azure a cost-effective, scalable and secure solution for doing so. This latest release also adds additional performance improvements for backing up Microsoft SharePoint and OneDrive for Business.

Ease of use is built into the new Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure with turn-key deployment via the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, while recovery capabilities are also delivered with features like file-level recovery for native snapshots and Veeam backups. 

A built-in cloud cost estimator tool will provide customers with greater cost controls and savings while integration with Veeam Backup & Replication will allow customers to take control of their cloud data by protecting and managing Azure backups alongside their cloud, virtual and physical data.

Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365 v4 enables IT decision makers from cloud-first companies who prefer to store their Office 365 backups in Azure a cloud-optimized solution leveraging cost-efficient Azure Blob Storage for doing so. Significant benefits of the new version include the ability for customers to reduce costs with object storage and only pay for what is consumed; leverage unlimited scalability with unlimited storage capacity; and simplify deployment in the public cloud and no complex planning.