NEC’s Collaborative Solutions: Highlighting Interop 2016

Connect. Communicate. Collaborate. These three tenets of our organization were proudly on display as NEC showcased its Smart Enterprise solutions at Interop 2016, the 30th anniversary of the conference.

The Interop conference was founded to focus on network interoperability and openness. Initially, the show just emphasized IP networks, but throughout the years it has broadened its scope to technology collaboration in today’s cloud computing era.

All the NEC solutions on display were well integrated with this year’s Interop theme – that behind every successful innovation is effective communication and collaboration.

One of the highlights of our booth was NEC’s partnership with Dell to demonstrate our strengths in campus networking.

Campus networks include many diverse and challenging requirements, such as technology integration, provisioning, and security policy enforcement. By their nature, campus networks are frequently multi-tenant, meaning the networks must be virtualized so various users can ensure their distinct policy enforcement. Layered switch fabrics, ever-changing connectivity requirements, wired and wireless connectivity, and complex regulatory environments make campus networks difficult to manage.

NEC’s ProgrammableFlow Controller overcomes these obstacles. This solution enables network owners to control and manage their network centrally, bringing the same benefits of server virtualization.

NEC’s ProgrammableFlow Controller with @Dell S3100 switches will optimize campus network ops #SDN Click To Tweet

Together with Dell, we demonstrated how to deliver the performance, security, and agility campus networks demand in a cost-effective, easy-to-manage way. Deploying NEC’s ProgrammableFlow Controller with Dell S3100 switches will optimize campus network operations and reduce management overhead, boost scalability, and deliver secure and reliable connectivity.

Also showcased in the booth was NEC’s global open networking partner program, SDN Partner Space. With NEC and Netcracker SDN/NFV expertise behind it, SDN Partner Space enables network and IT vendors to enter the SDN/NFV market and redefine the rules imposed by traditional flat networks, while also benefitting from new business opportunities.

Joining SDN Partner Space can help transform the traditional business by including new applications and services that are only available in virtualized network environment. Moreover, SDN Partner Space enables in-house virtual network functions to be compatible with other SDN/NFV solutions so they can be cross-sold to businesses in any market.

Visitors to our booth were also able to see our high-availability data center on display. Large data computing tasks and the evolving requirements of the Internet of Things requires intelligent fault tolerant solutions to power a Smart Enterprise. Whether on premises or off premises, NEC’s infrastructure solutions provide the necessary foundation to meet these demands.

Interop 2016 was a great opportunity to share ideas, connect with the world’s IT community, and illustrate NEC’s commitment to orchestrating a brighter world.

NEC, six partners demonstrate Software Defined Network Interoperability at Interop booth 815

NEC was host to six great partners Tuesday, May 8, as we demoed live a ground-breaking Interoperable OpenFlow Fabric featuring Brocade, Extreme Networks, IBM System Networking, Intel, Microsoft and Radware, all controlled by Best of Interop Grand Prize winner, NEC ProgrammableFlow Controller PF6800 v2.  Press and analysts were invited to our first demo of the morning, where we were joined by knowledgeable representatives from each of the partners.

SDN Partner logosKicking off the day and welcoming our guests was our own Don Clark, soon joined by Samrat Ganguly, Chief Network Architect for ProgrammableFlow.  Samrat   demonstrated the functioning network, showcased the contributions of all six companies in a single, programmable network.  It was the first time an interoperable OpenFlow fabric has been demonstrated.  This new ecosystem is a viable alternative to inflexible, closed and proprietary network infrastructures.

Microsoft’s Ross Ortega, Principle Program Manager, Windows Networking, gave a fascinating perspective of how Microsoft sees the private cloud changing the industry landscape, and how a virtual network controlled by ProgrammableFlow provides the flexibility and time-saving benefits customers seek.   Following Ross was Radware’s VP of Technology, Amir Peles, who shared another first:  a security application built on top of ProgrammableFlow-Radware Attack Mitigation System, announced just this week.

NEC SDN partner demoVice President of Technology, Shehzad Merchant of Extreme Networks, talked about the benefits of an open Software Defined Network spanning enterprise infrastructure from mobility to WAN, providing break-through flexibility.  And Daniel Williams, Director of Product Marketing at Brocade described an open ecosystem that will give customers previously unknown flexibility with their hybrid switches that operate in either an OpenFlow environment or a standard L2/L3 network.

Intel’s Gary Lee, from Intel’s Switch and Router Division Product Marketing, talked of their support for Software Defined Networks, an area they believe shows great promise in the future.  And Rakesh Saha from IBM rounded the session out sharing his perspective on SDN and our ongoing collaboration with IBM System Networking.

To the delight of a standing room only crowd, NEC French Telecom customer, research scientist Christos Kolias, spoke later in the day on the company’s OpenFlow experiences to date.

We look forward to seeing you today in booth 815, our last day at Interop!