More than two years into its Network Admission Control (NAC) infrastructure vision, Cisco Systems Inc. last week announced the addition of a new appliance to its NAC arsenal.
While it's not completely clear what impact Cisco's new NAC Appliance 4.0 will have on users, some industry analysts say an appliance-based approach to NAC could serve as a building block for a later framework rollout.
"They can get started with it now," Yankee Group vice president Zeus Kerravala said of companies that are considering NAC but are still teetering on the fence about deployment. "It can give them a taste of what it's like, and it lets them see the benefits."
For an NAC framework approach, users would have to go through a full router and switch upgrade, which is often costly, complex and time consuming. Though Kerravala said a framework approach is a better way to go, NAC alone can't justify a complete upgrade.
"If someone's running older routers and switches, NAC isn't going to be the sole reason for an upgrade," he said.
Simply put: An NAC framework is not a weekend road trip, it's a years-long journey and NAC 4.0 would be the gasoline.
Cisco NAC Appliance 4.0 is the latest incarnation of Clean Access. The upgrade provides policy enforcement at enterprise network entry points. Version 4.0 can be deployed in-line or out-of-band with network traffic at Layer 2, and it can be deployed out-of-band at Layer 3 to minimize the number of services required for multiple locations.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Apple, Microsoft consortium beats Google for Nortel patents
Nortel Networks has auctioned off its remaining patents and patent applications to a consortium of key technology firms for a money purchase value of US$4.5 billion.
Google, that offered $900 million for the patents in April, wasn't among the winning bidders.
Nortel said in a very statement late Thursday that a consortium consisting of Apple, EMC, Ericsson, Microsoft, analysis In Motion and Sony had emerged because the winning bidder within the multi-day auction. It failed to offer info on the opposite bidders.
"We believe the consortium is within the best position to utilize the patents in a very manner which will be favorable to the business long term", Ericsson said. the corporate said it'd contribute $340 million to the transaction that is anticipated to shut within the third quarter. RIM said its portion of the acquisition thought was regarding $770 million.
The sale includes quite half-dozen,000 patents and patent applications spanning wireless, wireless 4G, knowledge networking, optical, voice, Internet, service supplier, semiconductors and different patents, Nortel said.
The sale is subject to applicable Canadian and U.S. court approvals which is able to be sought at a joint hearing expected to be persisted July eleven, it added.
Nortel Networks said in April that it entered in into a "stalking horse" asset sale agreement with Google for the sale of all of its remaining patents and patent applications for a money purchase value of $900 million. The Google bid effectively set the minimum asking value in an auction for the assets.
In May, Nortel said that it obtained approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware and from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to simply accept the bid from Google.
"This outcome is disappointing for anyone who believes that open innovation edges users and promotes creativity and competition," said Kent Walker, Google's senior vice chairman and general counsel in an e-mailed statement. "We can keep operating to scale back the present flood of patent litigation that hurts each innovators and customers."
In a blog post in April, Walker said Google was bidding for the Nortel patents because it hoped the portfolio would produce a disincentive for others to sue Google, and additionally facilitate the corporate, its partners and also the open supply community, that is integrally concerned in comes like Android and Chrome, still innovate. Having a formidable patent portfolio is one in all a company's best defenses against an explosion in patent litigation that threatens to stifle innovation, he added.
Nortel filed for cover beneath U.S. Chapter eleven bankruptcy proceedings in January 2009, and has been selling off its assets ever since. Ericsson paid simply over $1 billion for the company's CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) wireless division, whereas Avaya paid just below $1 billion for its enterprise networking business.
Google, that offered $900 million for the patents in April, wasn't among the winning bidders.
Nortel said in a very statement late Thursday that a consortium consisting of Apple, EMC, Ericsson, Microsoft, analysis In Motion and Sony had emerged because the winning bidder within the multi-day auction. It failed to offer info on the opposite bidders.
"We believe the consortium is within the best position to utilize the patents in a very manner which will be favorable to the business long term", Ericsson said. the corporate said it'd contribute $340 million to the transaction that is anticipated to shut within the third quarter. RIM said its portion of the acquisition thought was regarding $770 million.
The sale includes quite half-dozen,000 patents and patent applications spanning wireless, wireless 4G, knowledge networking, optical, voice, Internet, service supplier, semiconductors and different patents, Nortel said.
The sale is subject to applicable Canadian and U.S. court approvals which is able to be sought at a joint hearing expected to be persisted July eleven, it added.
Nortel Networks said in April that it entered in into a "stalking horse" asset sale agreement with Google for the sale of all of its remaining patents and patent applications for a money purchase value of $900 million. The Google bid effectively set the minimum asking value in an auction for the assets.
In May, Nortel said that it obtained approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware and from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to simply accept the bid from Google.
"This outcome is disappointing for anyone who believes that open innovation edges users and promotes creativity and competition," said Kent Walker, Google's senior vice chairman and general counsel in an e-mailed statement. "We can keep operating to scale back the present flood of patent litigation that hurts each innovators and customers."
In a blog post in April, Walker said Google was bidding for the Nortel patents because it hoped the portfolio would produce a disincentive for others to sue Google, and additionally facilitate the corporate, its partners and also the open supply community, that is integrally concerned in comes like Android and Chrome, still innovate. Having a formidable patent portfolio is one in all a company's best defenses against an explosion in patent litigation that threatens to stifle innovation, he added.
Nortel filed for cover beneath U.S. Chapter eleven bankruptcy proceedings in January 2009, and has been selling off its assets ever since. Ericsson paid simply over $1 billion for the company's CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) wireless division, whereas Avaya paid just below $1 billion for its enterprise networking business.
Google bids $900M for Nortel patent portfolio
Google is bidding US$900 million in money for thousands of patents that Nortel can auction off as a part of its bankruptcy proceedings, the businesses said Monday.
The proposed deal is what is referred to as a "stalking horse" asset sale agreement, where the Google provide sets the minimum bar for different bidders for the portfolio of regarding half dozen,000 patents and patent applications, that cowl a broad vary of telecommunications, web search and social networking technologies.
Nortel expects the agreement to receive approval from U.S. and Canadian courts in June, when that the bidding can open for the intellectual property portfolio that "touches nearly each side of telecommunications," Nortel said during a statement.
The telecommunications technologies lined within the patent portfolio embrace wireless, 4G, knowledge networking, optical, voice, Internet, service supplier and semiconductors, Nortel said.
Meanwhile, Google said that it's bidding for the Nortel portfolio to defend itself against patent litigation and to spice up its technology innovation, specifically in its Android mobile platform and Chrome OS and browser.
"If successful, we have a tendency to hope this portfolio won't solely produce a disincentive for others to sue Google, however additionally facilitate us, our partners and therefore the open supply community -- that is integrally concerned in comes like Android and Chrome -- still innovate," Kent Walker, senior vp and general counsel, said during a blog post.
The proposed deal is what is referred to as a "stalking horse" asset sale agreement, where the Google provide sets the minimum bar for different bidders for the portfolio of regarding half dozen,000 patents and patent applications, that cowl a broad vary of telecommunications, web search and social networking technologies.
Nortel expects the agreement to receive approval from U.S. and Canadian courts in June, when that the bidding can open for the intellectual property portfolio that "touches nearly each side of telecommunications," Nortel said during a statement.
The telecommunications technologies lined within the patent portfolio embrace wireless, 4G, knowledge networking, optical, voice, Internet, service supplier and semiconductors, Nortel said.
Meanwhile, Google said that it's bidding for the Nortel portfolio to defend itself against patent litigation and to spice up its technology innovation, specifically in its Android mobile platform and Chrome OS and browser.
"If successful, we have a tendency to hope this portfolio won't solely produce a disincentive for others to sue Google, however additionally facilitate us, our partners and therefore the open supply community -- that is integrally concerned in comes like Android and Chrome -- still innovate," Kent Walker, senior vp and general counsel, said during a blog post.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Cisco changes take time
Cisco Systems' rumored job cuts of up to 10,000 globally are expected as the networking giant had warned earlier of impending cost-cutting measures, noted an industry watcher.
In an e-mail interview with ZDNet Asia, Ovum principal analyst Jens Butler said there would "not really" be any surprise if Cisco issues pink slips, as savings and restructuring were "on the cards" as indicated during its third quarter results announcements in May.
"Even though it posted slightly better-than-expected results for its fiscal third quarter ended Apr. 30, [Cisco] also issued lower-than-expected Q4 guidance and said it plans to cut expenses by US$1 billion by the end of the 2012 financial year," said Butler. "That will include reductions of both the employee and contractor workforce, although the company gave no details on how many people will lose their jobs."
Reports surfaced last week that the company has plans to axe as many as than 10,000 jobs. A Singapore-based Cisco spokesperson confirmed in an e-mail to ZDNet Asia that the job cuts were in line with the its announcements in May. He added that the company will share more details on the cost reductions, including layoffs, during its earnings call on Aug. 11.
According to Butler, the job cuts are part of Cisco's overall program which aims to build a company that is "simpler to deal with", is able to drive faster innovation and with simplified operations.
However, he noted that whether the changes will bring about increased profitability will be evident only after at least several quarters. "Such changes across such a larger and diversified organization are complex and will take time, given the levels and depths of stakeholders that need to be communicated with," he explained.
While the effects will not be visible in the immediate term, Butler said Cisco is refocusing and emphasizing on its core capabilities. The company is also specifically targeting areas it sees great potential, such as collaboration, data centers and virtualization and video, he added.
In a research note dated Jul. 13, Butler said Cisco's greater emphasis on its core competencies and cleaner engagement model with the multiple layers of its partner ecosystem shows the company is listening to and adapting to market dynamics "rather than attempting to force the market on its own". His observations were based on his attendance at the Cisco Live customer and partner event last week in Las Vegas.
Another industry watcher also welcomed Cisco's strategy change. In a blog post published last Friday, Forrester principal analyst Henry Dewing, who also attended the Cisco Live event, claimed that Cisco CEO John Chambers "has a clear vision of where Cisco needs to go and how to get there".
Dewing added Cisco "is sounding very much like a mature market leader as it balances risks and rewards in the rapidly changing markets for networking and collaboration".
In an e-mail interview with ZDNet Asia, Ovum principal analyst Jens Butler said there would "not really" be any surprise if Cisco issues pink slips, as savings and restructuring were "on the cards" as indicated during its third quarter results announcements in May.
"Even though it posted slightly better-than-expected results for its fiscal third quarter ended Apr. 30, [Cisco] also issued lower-than-expected Q4 guidance and said it plans to cut expenses by US$1 billion by the end of the 2012 financial year," said Butler. "That will include reductions of both the employee and contractor workforce, although the company gave no details on how many people will lose their jobs."
Reports surfaced last week that the company has plans to axe as many as than 10,000 jobs. A Singapore-based Cisco spokesperson confirmed in an e-mail to ZDNet Asia that the job cuts were in line with the its announcements in May. He added that the company will share more details on the cost reductions, including layoffs, during its earnings call on Aug. 11.
According to Butler, the job cuts are part of Cisco's overall program which aims to build a company that is "simpler to deal with", is able to drive faster innovation and with simplified operations.
However, he noted that whether the changes will bring about increased profitability will be evident only after at least several quarters. "Such changes across such a larger and diversified organization are complex and will take time, given the levels and depths of stakeholders that need to be communicated with," he explained.
While the effects will not be visible in the immediate term, Butler said Cisco is refocusing and emphasizing on its core capabilities. The company is also specifically targeting areas it sees great potential, such as collaboration, data centers and virtualization and video, he added.
In a research note dated Jul. 13, Butler said Cisco's greater emphasis on its core competencies and cleaner engagement model with the multiple layers of its partner ecosystem shows the company is listening to and adapting to market dynamics "rather than attempting to force the market on its own". His observations were based on his attendance at the Cisco Live customer and partner event last week in Las Vegas.
Another industry watcher also welcomed Cisco's strategy change. In a blog post published last Friday, Forrester principal analyst Henry Dewing, who also attended the Cisco Live event, claimed that Cisco CEO John Chambers "has a clear vision of where Cisco needs to go and how to get there".
Dewing added Cisco "is sounding very much like a mature market leader as it balances risks and rewards in the rapidly changing markets for networking and collaboration".
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