Key Points:
- Open RAN is a broad movement that seeks to virtualize RAN functions with standardized interfaces. The goal is to let operators use common, off-the-shelf hardware from a variety of vendors to deliver their services.
- The standardization effort is led by the?O-RAN Alliance, an international community of mobile network operators, vendors, and research and academic institutions that launched in 2018. Major backers include
AT&T
,
China Mobile International Limited
,
Deutsche Telekom
,
NTT DOCOMO
and
Orange
.
- By allowing more vendors to sell their products to operators, Open RAN's backers hope to speed up the deployment of 5G networks.
- They say proprietary RANs choke technological breakthroughs because operators can buy RAN equipment from only a select number of suppliers whose respective products are incompatible.
- The Open RAN movement has come a long way in just a few years, but with mixed results. Open RAN today accounts for only a small share of the broader RAN market, according to
Dell'Oro Group
Vice President
Stefan Pongratz
.
“With large-scale greenfield deployments now mostly in the past, the broader market sentiment will remain uncertain until 5G activity in the U.S. and Japan improves, or modernization projects utilizing the latest O-RAN ULPI interfaces firm up," Pongratz said.
You already know that every day at Network Computing brings the how and why behind next-gen networks, data centers, storage systems, communications, and cloud architecture.
That means original reporting from our team of journalists and unique commentary you won’t see anywhere else! But in case you missed them, here are some of our other must-read favorites from this week:
Tech is Upgrading the Fan Experience in the NFL
Key Points:
- The
San Francisco 49ers
will install a unified data storage system from NetApp as part of a bigger project to build an intelligent data infrastructure at Levi's Stadium. The technological upgrades are part of a plan to help Levi's Stadium prepare for two big events in 2026: the FIFA World Cup and Super Bowl LX.
-
NetApp
's Keystone storage-as-a-service platform underpins the changes to the stadium, supporting both on-premises and public cloud, according to
Gabie Boko
, NetApp's chief marketing officer.
- NetApp's platform will integrate with the stadium's Cisco Wi-Fi 6 system, which incorporates 1,300 access points sprinkled throughout the field; Xfinity provides free Wi-Fi to fans.
- The 49ers also recently upgraded to a
思科
hyperconverged collapse core network. The topology simplifies a network by combining the core and distribution layers, making data transmission more efficient.
- Bandwidth on the backend of the network lets data flow from the server to new 4K video boards, which require huge data files, said
Costa Kladianos
, executive vice president and head of technology for the 49ers.
Understanding Certified SASE Offerings
Key Points:
- As businesses embrace secure access service edge (SASE) to integrate security and networking, how can they be sure their strategy delivers the protection and performance they need? The answer: certification.
- A reliable and effective defense against cyberattacks is essential. With the rapid increase in malware, ransomware and other evolving threats, enterprises cannot afford to rely on theoretical defenses or unproven security claims.
- Performance is critical to maintaining user productivity and satisfaction, especially in a distributed workforce. Cloud-based services rely on secure connectivity designs that must not compromise speed or availability.
- Certification also helps enterprises avoid vendor lock-in by ensuring compatibility across diverse IT environments, including on-premises, hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures.
- Certified solutions guarantee that all network components work seamlessly together, reducing the complexity of multivendor environments while ensuring consistent security and compliance enforcement.
Inside
F5
's AppWorld Conference
Key Points:
- The new F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform combines high-performance load balancing and traffic management with app and API security. Earlier this year, the company announced its ADC 3.0 vision to align its core product line with the AI era.
- In a prebriefing,
Greg Maudsley
, senior director of product marketing at F5, said he believes the product is well positioned because of its single platform for application delivery and security, API automation, and consistent security policies across the cloud, on-premises and the edge.
-
Lori MacVittie
, distinguished engineer and chief evangelist for F5, said this unified platform is the culmination of years of innovation and acquisitions, including Volterra and NGINX.
- What began as a consolidated physical platform 30 years ago evolved into an ADC for all the activity that exploded with the rise of the internet and the need for cybersecurity.
- The ADC plays a key role in ensuring applications can be delivered efficiently and securely, and it will play an important role in controlling costs while ensuring performance is high.
Latest Major Tech Layoff Announcements
Original Story by Jessica C. Davis, Updated by Brandon Taylor
Key Points:
- As COVID drove everyone online, tech companies hired like crazy. Now we are hitting the COVID tech bust as tech giants shed jobs by the thousands.
- Updated March 8, 2025 with layoff announcements from Wayfair, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, TikTok and LiveRamp.
- Check back regularly for updates to InformationWeek's IT job layoffs tracker.
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