News

• VMware: Faster app provisioning makes SDN a keeper

  Software defined networking (SDN) is generating a lot of buzz these days, but the technology will ultimately make itself useful in the enterprise largely because it will save enterprises time in deploying new applications, predicted Martin Casado, chief architect of networking at VMware.

• The birth of the network function virtualization (NFV) ISV community

  A key requirement for the success of the nascent network functions virtualization (NFV) market is the emergence of an independent software community to drive innovation in telecom software. At the recent Open Network Summit (ONS) event there was significant activity around NFV, including a number of smaller suppliers demonstrating products.

• ODCA: Virtual machines inching to portability

  While some progress has been achieved in getting virtual machines to run across different types of hypervisors, more work is still needed to bring them to the level of portability that enterprises are seeking, according to a study released by the Open Data Center Alliance (ODCA).

• Citrix bequeaths Xen to the Linux Foundation

  In an effort to attract a more diverse set of contributors, enterprise software vendor Citrix has donated its open source Xen hypervisor to the Linux Foundation.

• Dell dives deeper into SDN with new hardware and software

  Dell says it's hoping to move closer to the forefront of data center technology with the release today of a suite of new products designed for software-defined networking.

• What's next for Virtual Instruments

  Virtual Instruments, whose software and hardware is used to manage data center performance, plans to release the next edition of its VirtualWisdom software in the fourth quarter.

• Cisco extends Microsoft support in datacentre portfolio

  Cisco last week extended its datacentre product line to support Microsoft's Windows Server 2012 hypervisor and VM management features to more tightly align their respective datacentre and Cloud architectures for joint customers.

• Microsoft extends Windows 8 management features in Desktop Optimization Pack

  Microsoft has released the latest version of its Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) suite of IT management tools, an upgrade that deepens its ability to manage Windows 8 PC deployments.

• EMC teams with Avaya (not Cisco) on communication pods

  Two stalwarts in the enterprise IT market joined forces today to release a unified communications stack that integrates hardware from EMC, virtualization technology from VMware and communications apps from Avaya. Perhaps most interesting about the news, though, is a company that was not involved: Cisco.

• LenovoEMC fortifies small-business storage with enterprise smarts

  Small and medium-sized enterprises with no full-time IT staff are beginning to get some of the same features that large data centers have for efficiency and control.

• Port Macquarie school deploys Chromebooks

  St Columba Anglican School (SCAS) in Port Macquarie, NSW, will this week become one of the first schools in Australia to roll out laptops purpose-built for Google's Chrome OS.

• Silver Peak announces virtual appliance for offsite replication

  Silver Peak Systems announced a new virtual application designed to dramatically speed up data duplication for disaster recovery without the purchase of additional hardware.

• Progress report: Building, and managing, the 21st century data center

  Even if you've never heard of Flextronics you have probably used or benefited from one of the products this global digital equipment manufacturer has helped assemble -- a Microsoft Xbox 360, for example, or components that show up in everything from Cisco and Motorola devices to aerospace and automotive equipment.

• Citrix outfits NetScaler with troubleshooting tools

  Citrix has released new software to help users of its NetScaler Application Delivery Controller (ADC) more easily troubleshoot application performance problems in complex network and data center environments.

• VMware ships Horizon Mirage with application layering for modular desktops

  VMware's Horizon Mirage 4.0 allows IT departments to be more flexible when they put together centrally managed desktop images using separated application packages.