The Strong One

  The lack of understanding around SD-WAN technology can be detrimental to British businesses as the benefits of the technology are twofold. In today’s evolving technology landscape, developing a successful business is no longer just a matter of finding a great location, hiring the best people and offering products and services the market demands. In order to stay ahead of the competition, developing a successful business requires connectivity you can rely on, that is fast, flexible and secure. Read the article over at IT Pro over here .

What safeguards does your organisation have in place to prevent cyber attacks? According to recent reports, many companies were victim to cybercrimes in 2017. Largely because of poor security measures that were taken by those corporations. Large enterprises face complex challenges in the market and in order to overcome such issues, they must come up with and implement plans and strategies to achieve security. 2018 has already proved to be much better than 2017, companies are investing more in security to protect their data and confidential information from hackers and other cyber threats.    Here are 10 steps through which you can increase the security of your business.

What problems are YOU addressing? This is a very simple and straight question which in my opinion is not being answered by IT silos in the enterprise. The modus operandi has always been to recruit consultants, who have appeared in these flavours: ITIL consultant version one - rename the help desk to a service desk, changes diddly squat, flogs some "compliant" software and exits stage left. ITIL consultant version two - says that ITIL is too difficult to fully implement, and states that the renamed help desk is all about incident management. Sprinkles some change management, declares that this house of cards is now standing and exists stage right. ITIL consultant version three - has had a Damascus experience and declares the CMDB as the monkey wrench that is going to tighten all bolts. This is very lucrative as the service desk software that has been flogged is turned

With ASHRAE determining that electrostatic discharge (ESD) is a function of dew point or absolute humidity and not relative humidity, TIA-942-A has been updated to modify lower operating ranges for humidity based on dew point rather than relative humidity.  The result is that TIA-942-A states that computer rooms shall comply with class 1 of TIA-569-C , which is harmonized with ASHRAE.  Specifically: Temperature: 18-27°C (64-81°F) dry bulb Maximum relative humidity: 60% Maximum dew point: 15°C (59°F) Maximum rate of temperature change: 5°C (9°F) per hour The upper limits have been specified to for relative humidity and dew for the purpose of reducing failures caused by conductive anodic filament growth on printed circuit board laminate materials. The upper limits have changed from 25 to 27 C (77 to 81 F) .  Be aware that this can have a detrimental effect on equipment  acoustical noise and fan power, since inlet temperatures increase can cause dramatic in

The following is a checklist for change management. This checklist is not for a pilot flying a plane but for use in IT, but is named as such because pilot's were the first to use this methodology. The checklist is a form used to standardise a processes. A checklist includes a list of items to check, steps to take, or information to mine. Pilots use checklists to do a pre flight check. Checklists are useful to make sure no items are missed which may happen if a person just does what they remember. Checklists can also aid in providing documentation to aid in trouble shooting. Here is the checklist: Clarify what Change Management will accomplish in the enterprise. Change Management focuses on the oversight and approval aspects of the process, ensuring that only authorized changes are b

Recent power cuts and the announcement that South Africa’s power utility Eskom will be receiving R23-billion (about US$1.5-billion) a year in government support for the foreseeable future are symptomatic of operational and financial crises at the utility.  The conventional wisdom is that a major restructuring will address the crisis. But this is misleading. Defensible justifications for the restructuring are mostly about Eskom’s future problems, not its current ones. And there’s a risk that restructuring could exacerbate some of the underlying causes of the crisis. Read the article over at TechCentral here .

  Introduction Data centre migrations, particularly those involving a "lift and shift" approach, pose significant risks to enterprises. This method involves moving an entire data centre, including its equipment and infrastructure, from one location to another. While this approach may seem efficient, it often carries high risks and limited mitigations, especially for enterprises lacking resilience. In this article, we will explore the challenges and pitfalls associated with lift and shift data centre migrations, emphasizing the need for more strategic and secure methodologies. The Single Data Centre Dilemma For enterprises with a singular data centre, a lift and shift migration is a worst-case scenario. Typically scheduled over a long weekend, this method assumes a longer timeframe for migration and allows for problem

In the ever-evolving landscape of networking, the transition from traditional Wide Area Networks (WANs) to Software-Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WANs) is nothing short of transformative. With the SD-WAN market projected to skyrocket from $3.5 billion in 2023 to an astronomical $30 billion in 2030, according to leading analysts, there's a compelling reason behind this paradigm shift. SD-WAN offers a more efficient and flexible way for businesses with distributed operations, including branch offices, chain locations, or remote employees, to connect seamlessly. In this post, we delve into the top SD-WAN benefits, including laying the foundation for Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), and how embracing this cloud-friendly network architecture can positively impact your operations. Improved Network Performance Understanding the benefits of SD-WAN requires a look at the downside of traditional WAN architecture. Traditional WANs often route all traffic to a central data center, leading t

Currently, there is no standardized mechanism by which to determine dependencies in an IoT system. This article explores some example cases in which IoT sensors with this utility would be useful. Read the article by Ronald Bartels over at iot for all over here .

Important metrics to consider One of the driving contractual issues within a telecommunications (Telco) service provider environment is the underpinning contract that specifies the Service Level Agreements (SLA). These are important because often there are claw-backs with the client can use to penalize the Telco or alternatively use it as a gauge to decide whether to move services elsewhere. Metrics There are a large number of metrics that exist within Information Technology (IT) which I have written about here . In a Telco the important are mostly Mean Time to Respond, Mean Time to Repair and Availability. The norm in a Tier 1 Telco is 20 minutes to respond, 4 hours to repair and 99% availability. Incident lifecycle The first is a metric to det

Inspections are frequent at SNRI : inspection is a way for the customer to check that the requested equipment complies with his expectations and specifications. For the supplier, this stage is one of the major hold points of the product testing process. The inspector therefore comes to attend the tests, endorse the minutes, review the measures, documentation, quality, operation of the valves before shipment to the customer. Read the article over at SNRI over here .

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) has only been around for four years and while developed for critical infrastructure, resulting from Executive Order 13636 , it has been widely adopted across both private and public sectors and organizational sizes.  It is used inside of the US government, with 20 states using it (at last count). In addition, international organizations such as the Italian government, as well as private sector organizations including technology and education are using the framework.   Read the blog over at at&t here .

As enterprise computing environments grow more complex, IT system failures and network errors are bringing down data centers in greater numbers, causing more unplanned downtime. Read the article over at Network World over here . 

Microsoft Cloud App Security is a multimode Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB). It provides rich visibility, control over data travel, and sophisticated analytics to identify and combat cyberthreats across all your cloud services. Find out more about the product here .

See and stop threats before they cause harm, with SIEM reinvented for a modern world. Azure Sentinel is your birds-eye view across the enterprise. Put the cloud and large-scale intelligence from decades of Microsoft security experience to work. Make your threat detection and response smarter and faster with artificial intelligence (AI). Eliminate security infrastructure setup and maintenance, and elastically scale to meet your security needs—while reducing IT costs. Find out more about the product here .

One company specializing in such solutions is ScaleMatrix, which has developed something called Dynamic Density Control (DDC), a technology that uses a hybrid air-water cooling system for controlling the temperatures of servers housed in a 45U cabinet. Chris Orlando, co-founder and chief executive officer of ScaleMatrix, says it was designed to “let customers deploy any hardware, any manufacturer, at any density, and put it just about anywhere.” Read the article over at the Next Platform over here .

We felt the best way of learning about Multapplied Networks is through our customers’ experiences and hearing directly from them how it is to work with Multapplied Networks. A number of our customers were asked to share their thoughts. We are sharing their unfiltered responses over the next few weeks and frankly, we could not be happier. The fact is we have incredible partners we work with and Dan Rink, the CEO of iTel Networks, Inc. is one example. This is how Dan Rink responded when asked: “Why did you choose Multapplied Networks”?

No matter the industry and no matter the business, maintaining a competitive edge can be incredibly difficult. This is especially true for businesses that don’t have the right communication methods in place. Many businesses have discovered making the switch to VoIP technology to be one of the smartest moves they’ve ever made.  The key to differentiating your brand is finding a VoIP service provider that excels in helping you deliver a superior customer experience (CX). When searching for VoIP service providers, though, you’ll be flooded with approximately 70M results.  The CX serves as the most vital component in the buyer’s journey. Let’s explore eight ways VoIP services can differentiate your brand by helping you shape a CX that leaves a lasting impression on your customers. Read the blog post over at Multapplied here .

In the second of a series of promoted podcasts with Seacom, TechCentral’s Duncan McLeod talks to chief commercial officer Steve Briggs about how technology is reshaping society.  The conversation touches on the digital divide — especially in the South African context — and what can be done to address it. This divide is not only about access to the Internet, but also to work opportunities and growth in an environment where technology skills are increasingly prized by business. Access the podcast over here .

Adapt Your Digital Transformation Framework To Your Aging Workforce Your veteran workers are your most valuable resource. With decades of experience managing complex systems, they keep your business running. But what happens when these workers retire? That’s the challenge facing industries around the world. Approximately 72% of Utilities employers are struggling to fill positions due to retiring workers. The situation for Oil & Gas companies is so dire, they’re calling it The Great Crew Change. Leading companies are looking to Digital Transformation to make up the difference. But you won’t benefit from Digital Transformation unless you can transfer knowledge from experienced workers to new hires quickly and seamlessly. If you want to stay competitive, you need a knowledge transfer plan that accomplishes two things: Preserves the best elements of your business. Paves the way for innovation. Keep reading here for the top three elements you need to include in a

The South African Post Office is notorious for bad service. Letters sent via the Post Office have a low probability of delivery. This is a state owned company that is a burden to the tax payer. In times of economic hardship, we seriously need to make the South African Post Office work or close it down.   Here is my idea to rescue it.

This article is meant to provide facts and support logical, qualified decision-making. It is in this vein that we would like to share how Multapplied’s SDWAN outshines and out performs in the SDWAN marketplace. Such a differentiation is needed since SDWAN is largely undefined and all too often companies take advantage of this industry vagueness and create confusion.  Multapplied Networks believes in straight talk that clearly defines how our partners will benefit. Here are just a few of the features that our partners believe make Multapplied Networks’ SDWAN platform the best in the field. Read the blog post over at Multapplied over here .

Building a better, faster and frictionless network is a significant priority for IT and Network managers. But the prevalence and use of third-party platforms such as cloud and hosted applications, big data and analytics in the business ecosystem, are increasing the amount of stress on these networks. And poor network performance reduces productivity, which ultimately causes an organization’s top and bottom line to suffer.  This is why enterprises across the globe are embracing Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SDWAN) as a solution to procure agile, efficient and integrated application connections across the IT ecosystem. This ready acceptance in its adoption can be seen in its projected sales. SDWAN’s growth is expected to hit $34.9 Billion by 2022, according to Gartner, Inc. SD-WAN market forecast Read the blog post over at Multapplied over here .

Service Providers across the globe integrate Multapplied SDWAN into their product offerings to increase bandwidth at branch offices and drive the growth and performance of their core hosted applications , which improves customer satisfaction and accelerates business growth. Video Read the blog post over at Multapplied over here .

A UK-based SDWAN provider gets a lot of questions about how SDWAN is used . It’s a relatively new technology which means that many businesses aren’t familiar with its applications. This article gives examples of how the technology can help businesses, making it easier for you as a reseller to understand the wide range of uses and benefits for your clients.  SDWAN paves the way for agile, reliable and most importantly, profitable customer networks . The technology provides optimum resilience features and functionality such as encrypted multi-site private WAN and bonded internet.  Because it’s virtualised and cloud-based, it’s quickly overtaking traditional, hardware-based network creation and management systems such as MPLS.  Here are some examples of real-life applications of the technology.

  On-net or off-net, ensure network packets arrive on-time, and in-sequence. Every time. Quality of Service is an incredible network feature that is increasingly being demanded as VoIP and Video-Conferencing solutions are replacing PRIs, and face-to-face meetings. Multapplied SDWAN not only bonds the bandwidth of multiple, diverse Internet connections, but it also provides application/traffic management outside the LAN, into the Core.  Let’s explain

Delivering FaaS (Firewall as a Service) over top of an SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide-Area Network) platform provides the network with always-on security to keep your customers satisfied. We allow our partners to select the Firewall vendor of their choosing to integrate with our SD-WAN. Read the blog post over at Multapplied here .

We’re excited to announce that Multapplied has been listed as a Vendor of Note in Gartner Inc.’s Magic Quadrant for WAN Edge Infrastructure Report (Oct. 2018). It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication that Multapplied staff and our Partners’ sales, marketing and technical teams have shown over the last years. Read the blog post over at Multapplied here .The Gartner report can be downloaded here .

QX.Net is Kentucky’s largest independent Internet Service Provider. Locally owned and operated, QX.Net has been in business since 1997. As the operator of the state’s largest wireless network, QX.Net is able to provide clients with a variety of connectivity options beyond the traditional wired connections. Read the interview over at Multapplied here .

Businesses who want to maximize their profitability are finding that keeping up with technology is critical to their success. This is an absolute necessity for those businesses who rely upon Wide-Area Networks (WAN) for an exchange of information across their organization. Typical WANs are used to connect enterprise networks over large geographical distances using broadband internet, 4G, LTE, or MPLS. Read the blog post over at Multapplied here .

If a picture is worth 1000 words – a video from our own VP of Sales Logan Campbell is worth several million.  Every Sunday Logan will share a video of that offers insights into SD-WAN and how Multapplied is helping our customers lower WAN costs while achieving greater business agility, increased application performance, visibility & control.  Access the video over at Multapplied over here .

We believe that the best way to measure any company is by what their customers say about them. At Multapplied Networks, we are thrilled to have our customers tell their stories about us.   In fact, we brought the camera to them and asked. Over the next few weeks, we will share the questions and their unfiltered responses. We were fortunate that so many great customers took time out of their busy schedules to share their thoughts with us.  One Example is Mike Gach VP of Sales at Tierzero.  The first question was simply “Why did you choose Multapplied Networks? Here is his response.

Managing the ever-increasing flow of data being transferred between a company’s headquarters, branch offices, data centers, and the cloud applications or infrastructure is a major of paramount concern for IT managers. Many are implementing a Software-Defined Wide-Area Network (SDWAN) as a cost-effective, and flexible alternative to traditional WAN solutions to improve the performance of applications both on-premises and in the cloud. Prospective customers often ask me to explain the overall benefits of adding switching to SDWAN to their business and operations. help manage the flow of data. This is a conversation that I love as prospective customers have usually spoken to many different SDWAN vendors and received many different answers to this question. My answer is that the best fit for each customer depends on the use-cases and business and technical requirements they are trying to address. In starting that discussion I like to cover off some and the answer may be sli

  We love our customers and the great things they say about us. We asked a number of customers about their experiences with us. We are sharing their answers as we believe that’s the best way to show you what it’s like working with Multapplied. Alex Ball VP at QX.Net was asked, “Why did you choose Multapplied Networks? Here is his response.

In the fast-paced world of business, where digital transformation is the name of the game, companies face ever-growing demands on their IT infrastructure. As cloud-based applications become integral to daily operations, the need for a reliable, efficient network solution is more critical than ever. Enter Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), the game-changer that simplifies network infrastructure, enhances performance, and slashes costs. What is SD-WAN? SD-WAN is a cutting-edge network technology designed to revolutionize the management and operation of traditional Wide Area Networks (WANs). By separating networking hardware from its control mechanism through software, SD-WAN brings unparalleled flexibility, agility, and cost-effectiveness to network management, outshining traditional WAN architectures that rely solely on hardware devices. With SD-WAN, network administrators gain centralized control to manage and optimize traffic flows across multiple locations, including br