ChannelVision Magazine

virtual reality CenturyLink has been named an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Managed Service Provider (MSP) Partner. The company’s Cloud Application Manager, a hybrid cloud management platform, al- lows companies to automate application deployments, optimize costs, scale work- loads and manage connections across disparate operating environments. CenturyLink met rigorous AWS Managed Service Provider Program requirements and was validated by a third-party auditor. The global pro- gram, developed in response to AWS customers’ requests to identify reliable AWS Partner Network (APN) members that could help them migrate, run and optimize their AWS workloads, aligns customers with a set of validated next- generation APN Partners that can de- liver the full cloud experience. By working with AWS, CenturyLink is providing a complete cloud services and cloud management portfolio that allows customers to have low-latency access to virtually endless AWS re- sources paired with dynamic, network- aware orchestration, said the com- pany. CenturyLink provides services to architect solutions, migrates workloads and delivers security services that meet strict regulatory requirements. The company also offers numerous secure network connectivity options. California Telecom Partners with Versa Networks California Telecom has partnered with Versa to deliver a secure and customizable managed SD-WAN ex- perience. Looking to expand into the Secure SD-WAN market alongside its high-speed, high-capacity inter- net access and services, California Telecom will now offer a wide selec- tion of SD-WAN options for organi- zations of all sizes, from monitoring to complete outsourcing with its managed edge-router service. California Telecom has integrated Versa’s Secure Cloud IP platform into its existing infrastructure. This integra- tion enables California Telecom to pro- vide its customers with a broad range of features and options through a multi- tiered service offering anything from a basic failover all the way to a hybrid MPLS and cloud SD-WAN with unified threat management integration. California Telecom’s customers will benefit from appliance consolidation and removing the complex management of the WAN edge and cloud perimeter, said the company. With Versa, all solutions will now sit on a single appliance, while California Telecom’s backend control, management and analytics infrastruc- ture automates and provisions the ser- vice. Customers also gain access to a portal to simplify change management, provisioning and reporting. Versa’s na- tive analytics for networking and security provides California Telecom a multi-fac- eted view of any malicious activity down to the application, user and workstation level. Customers are able to access this from the customer portal, a simple graphical portal view and drilldown, en- abling California Telecom customers the power to maintain and have deep visibil- ity into security within their organization with or without intervention. CenturyLink Achieves AWS Managed Service Provider Partner Status  56% The proof of work (PoW) protocol that Bitcoin, Ethereum and other blockchains currently use is very compute- and energy-intensive. In turn, a recent study conducted by IC3, Cornell University and Technion found that roughly 56% of Bitcoin nodes and 28% of Ethereum nodes reside in data centers. Source: 451 Research Upgrading/retrofitting an existing faciliy Aligning data center processes across IT & facilities groups Closing down excess capacity Upgrading power and cooling equipment Outsourcing data centers to a third-party provider Leasing additional colocation space Building or buying a new data center 22% 22% 22% 20% 20% 17% 15% 13% 11% 10% 11% 9% 9% 8% 42% 34% 63% 22% 62% 20% 72% 17% Percentage of IT Assets On-Premises Today Source: 451 Research On-line only retailer Sec rity dealer Broadband service provider Direct fr manufacturer Other 250-999 employees 1-249 employees 1,000-9,999 employees 10,000+ employees Company-owned or leased data centers Off-premises hosted/managed environments Channel Purch se Locations - Ne Source: Parks Associates Companies Are Moving to a Hybrid Cloud Environment Source: 451 Research Q. Which of the followig best describes your organization’s overall approach and strategy around cloud based IT? We are moving to a hybrid cloud environment that leverages both on-premises and off-premises cloud resources in an integrated fashion We are building on on-premises cloud and leveraging off-premises public cloud/SaaS, but the two will be separate Cloud does not feature in our IT strategy We are moving to off-premises public cloud and SaaS environment only We are building an on-premises cloud environment only 44.4% 17.3% 16.0% 12.0% 10.3% Enterprise loT Adoption Q. Which of the following b st describes your organization’ a option of Internet of Things (loT)? In use (not including pilot projects) In discovery/proof of concept 46% Apr ‘18 Apr ‘17 U.S. broadband households that own a netw True Private Cloud Spending Source: Wikibon 2018 2019 11.6 13.9 1 20.4 37.5 5 32.0 51.3 7 0.0 50.0 100.0 150.0 200.0 250.0 300.0 Revenue $B Hosted Tr Tru Hosted True Private Cloud True Private Cloud On-Premises All TPC Hybridized Approach Organizations are now pursuing more deliberate multi-cloud and hybrid cloud strategies to balance performance and cost and meet the specific needs of applications and workloads, say analysts at 451 Research. Close to half of enterprises surveyed are moving to hybrid cloud environments that leverage both on-premises and off-premises cloud resources in an integrated fashion. “Almost without exception, every services supplier – barring the hyperscalers themselves – is becoming a broker of cloud services to meet this ‘new normal’ requirement,” said the research firm. Channel Vision | September - October, 2018 38