Expand Networks enables WAN Optimization-as-a-Service Benefits for Service Providers and Customers

Expand Networks www.expand.com, the leader in optimizing WANs for branch office consolidation and virtualization, today announced its advanced WAN Optimization solutions have been validated by Inmarsat, the world's leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services. 

Building on a successful relationship as an Inmarsat Connect Partner, this technology validation means Inmarsat’s global network of distribution partners can now confidently utilize Expand’s WAN Optimization technology to enhance their offerings by delivering and managing ‘virtual’ capacity as part of their service, assuring the user experience for customers worldwide.

Combining Space Communications Protocol Standard technology (SCPS) with compression, byte-level caching and layer 7 QoS, Expand mitigates the bandwidth and latency limitations that can traditionally affect the speed and performance of applications over satellite links. This enables service providers to pass on increased levels of quality of service and control, higher bandwidth throughput, reduced latency, and seamless delivery of business critical applications to customers via WAN Optimization-as-a-Service. Graeme Gordon, head of Inmarsat’s solutions team, said:

“The use of real-time and bandwidth intensive collaborative tools within virtualized and distributed environments has created new challenges in controlling traffic over satellite links. During testing, we found Expand to be highly effective at optimizing and controlling interactive traffic, such as Citrix ICA and Microsoft RDP, which is a critical capability for our partners in meeting the needs of today’s customers.”

By offering WAN Optimization as part of a managed service, customers can extend their communications investment to optimize the productivity benefits at reduced CapEx costs. 

WAN Optimization-as-a-Service takes away the complexity of managing technology enhancements, upgrades and management costs for the customer and provides a controlled billing environment where customers do not need to worry about the upfront costs of deploying a solution which offers increased improvements in IT resource and efficiencies while reducing IT costs.

Adam Davison, corporate VP sales & marketing at Expand concludes, “Through our work with Inmarsat, service providers will be able to optimize their offerings to add value and competitive differentiation to their services with flexible and scalable products that enable them to maximize their services for customers. Inmarsat has long been at the forefront of technology innovation, and we are committed to working to support its global network of distribution partners to in maximizing the communications environments of enterprise customers.”

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WAN Optimization-as-a-Service Surfaces

As cloud-based services become more prevalent, whether private or public, the provision of an end-to-end software solution for virtualized WAN optimization from the data center, to the branch office and mobile users will be paramount. Management, visibility and monitoring of the WAN and its traffic will be critical here. 

For example, QoS in and out of the cloud; mobile clients for remote cloud users; VDI/SBC support for DaaS (Desktop-as-a-Service) and for the support WOaaS (WAN Optimization-as-a-Service) will all be critical considerations. 

Only a wholly virtual WAN optimization offering will enable the cloud infrastructure, both private and public, to be deployed and managed from any location. This enables organizations to deploy into their hosted cloud offering over the wire as well as allowing managed service organizations to host WAN optimization-as-a-service in its own right or as part of a service they sell when providing their cloud offerings, be it just cloud or managed storage, applications, desktops, etc. 

Adam Davison, corporate vice president of sales and marketing for vendor Expand Networks


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OpSource CTO "Counts the Cloud" on New CloudTV Series | FreshNews.com

OpSource™, the leader in Cloud operations, today announced that co-founder, CTO and industry insider John Rowell will take on the myths surrounding Cloud adoption in the second episode of his new CloudTV webinar series, "The Real Cloud," which will air Tuesday, February 16th, at 2 p.m. ET and be accessible from https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/259590763.

This month's guest is influential blogger and Vircado co-founder Guy Rosen, who is known for his breakthrough work tracking Cloud adoption in his "State of the Cloud" series. Rowell and Rosen will discuss the realities of Cloud adoption today. Is it slowing down? Are there any Davids beating the Goliaths? What products and solutions are gaining steam? And which ones deserve to go away?

"There is so much hype, both positive and negative, about Cloud adoption that I am looking forward to sitting down with Guy and figuring out how we can accurately count the Cloud," said John Rowell, co-founder and CTO, OpSource. "Last month's show was a blast and sparked some great discussion. We'll be sure to stir the pot some more in our latest installment."

For more information on "The Real Cloud" and to register for the webinar, please visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/259590763.

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Cooperative Mobility

IT can’t do it alone.  Smartphones are coming in from all directions, many times driven by end-users.  And I haven’t seen many IT departments in 2009 flush with new resources to handle this influx as well as they would wish.  Employees need to share the responsibility with IT to manage security, cost, and mobile apps.  Think of it as self-governance guided by IT policy.

The basic notion of Cooperative Mobility is that most users want to do the right thing but don’t have the data or the tools to always make the right decision.  Cost control is a good example.  Everyone has their horror story of the $5,000 international roaming bill.  Usually it’s not voice – it’s data, because the user just didn’t know how much data traffic email and browsing actually generates.  In almost all instances, real-time visibility would have dramatically cut usage.

But which behaviors can be realistically changed and which require tighter control from IT?  And what is the cost trade-off?  If the premise of Cooperative Mobility is correct, striking that balance will reduce IT costs, scale IT effectiveness and actually increase user satisfaction by pushing more visibility and control to the perimeter.

MobileIron's Smart@Work delivers Cooperative Mobility

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Lowering Latency For US Army SatLinks

Expand Networks, a supplier of WAN Optimization products to US Government and Military agencies, announced its WAN Optimization technology is supporting the PEOC3T and the United States Army to improve the performance of critical applications and communications over low bandwidth — high latency satellite links. Expand Networks Accelerators are enabling fast and reliable connectivity for mobile warfighter units in Operation Enduring Freedom and remote executive travel teams.

Working in partnership with DTECH LABS, Inc., Expand Networks WAN Optimization technology has been incorporated into the DTECH LABS M3C4G (Mobile, Modular, Man-Carry C4 Gateway) and HALO Tactical RED/BLACK systems. As part of the initial deployment, 24 Expand Accelerators, embedded in M3C4G and HALO units, have been deployed in the field. Expand’s WAN optimization technology, with integrated Space Communication Protocol Standard (SCPS), mitigates the effect of low bandwidth and high latency obstacles that traditionally impede the speed and performance of applications over satellite links. Combining SCPS with compression, byte-level caching and layer 7 QoS, Expand’s technology enables available bandwidth and real-time interactive TCP traffic to be maximized, extending ‘virtual capacity’ to military personnel.

Expand Networks products are presently used in the Tactical Warfighter Information Network (WIN-T) Increment 2 system to help provide warfighters and brigade teams with maximum communications efficiency on the move. The inclusion of Expand technology in the DTECH LABS man-carry product lines helps extend the capabilities of WIN-T to smaller, more mobile units.

Expand has been awarded best Satellite product of the year with their "Virtual Accelerator VACC"

TMC.Net have awarded Expand Networks http://www.expand.com Satellite Product Of The Year 2009 for their Virtual Accelerator (VACC) platform which enables Satellite Service Providers to deploy VM based Acceleration solutions for low latency applications in the field. Read more @ TMC's web site - http://bit.ly/4qnaBn

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Exacta Secures Next Generation NetPilot Contract

Exacta Technologies, the specialist manufacturer of Intel based network appliances, has been awarded a major new contract by the IT security specialists, NetPilot Internet Security, to supply a range of high performance network servers, which will be the platform for the company’s latest Unified Threat Management (UTM) technology.

The NetPilot - http://bit.ly/6WhGKF - range of UTM appliances includes an entry level PC/server and 1U rack mount option capable of supporting organisations with up to 500 users. Each appliance can be configured in multiple formats to meet the specific requirements of the end-user organisation including operating as a dedicated firewall, SSL VPN server or fully integrated security appliance including email control, content filtering and IDS/IPS functionality.

The fully branded, high specification appliances have been designed and manufactured by Exacta’s in- house engineers working closely with the global chip manufacturer Intel using their next generation, solid state Intel mini ITX™ and SSD storage technology. This latest high performance, low power consumption technology operates almost silently making it ideal for the smaller business environment as well as producing significant operational cost savings and helping to reduce the end-user’s carbon footprint for larger organisations.

Designed to operate in a multi-user, high speed network environment the appliances are based on the Intel Atom™ or Intel Dual Core™ processors with capacity for dual 80Gb SSD storage in the range topping Globemaster 2250 appliance.

“Our brief was to provide a range of servers that could scale from 1 to 500 users and give NetPilot’s customers a reliable high performance security and remote access platform in a single appliance,” commented Exacta’s Managing Director, Nick Rogers. “To deliver what they wanted, within the acceptable price range, needed a new approach and a totally bespoke architecture, drawing on our close relationship with Intel’s technical support team to incorporate the new SSD technology. This has been an exciting project to work on and we are delighted to be playing a part in the delivery of the next generation of NetPilot products.”

Commenting for NetPilot, UK Channel Manager and founder Jamie Pushman said “As a rapidly growing security software company we wanted a hardware manufacturing partner that could work flexibly with us and provide a complete end to end service with minimal involvement from our side. Exacta’s experience in the enterprise security sector and their close relationship with Intel made the decision a simple one for us and we are looking forward to working with Nick and his team to help build on our success going forward.” ENDS 


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