SearchEnterpriseWAN: Wide area networks news, advice and technical information

Cloud computing security: Balancing risks with convenience

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:48:54 EST

Cloud computing security and network controls that protect your data must be in place as enterprises move applications and services into the cloud.

Collaborate with programmers to deliver WAN application acceleration

Kate Gerwig — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:47:39 EST

As long as application development and networking groups operate with a separate silo mentality, an enterprise's wide area network (WAN) is bound to suffer from application latency. But if network administrators want to avoid asking their CIOs to spend thousands of dollars on WAN optimization gear, WAN application acceleration may be as simple as talking to the software development team.

WAN managers must weigh using one or multiple service providers

Jessica Scarpati — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:54:57 EST

Wide area network (WAN) managers need to think less like techies and more like business strategists when deciding whether to power the WAN with one or multiple service providers. Enterprises have to decide how much risk they can tolerate and weigh that against their budgets.

Cisco's next-gen ISR branch office routers deliver video, horsepower

Shamus McGillicuddy — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:31:31 EDT

Cisco's next-generation integrated services routers (ISRs) offer more service capacity, faster WAN speeds and branch office video capabilities.

Hospital builds WAN redundancy with load balancing and link failover

Jessica Scarpati — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:34:19 EDT

Investing in a WAN link controller that combines link failover and network load balancing has freed New Orleans researchers from burning the midnight oil just to transfer files.

Flu pandemic planning: Don't forget WAN security and remote access

Shamus McGillicuddy — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:29:02 EDT

In a flu pandemic emergency, millions of people could be stuck at home for weeks at a time. Companies must prepare their wide-area networks to support increases in remote workers. When doing this, network engineers mustn't overlook security. And remote access could be a challenge for overburdened home broadband connections.

Telecom expense management services cut costs, boost WAN efficiency

Tim Scannell — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:28:49 EDT

Manual management of telecom expenses is too old school. Network engineers tasked with managing their wide-area networks more efficiently and at lower cost should consider telecom expense management software and services. Savings of 10% to 30% are possible within the first year.

WAN optimization ensures productivity gains of workforce mobility

Tim Scannell — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:35:43 EDT

Workforce mobility continues to gain traction as executives and employees recognize the flexibility and productivity gains that working from home provides. But solving one problem has created another: Mobile employees can be a drag on an enterprise's wide area networks. Network engineers must optimize WAN connections for mobile workers, not just between data centers.

SAN replication trends a plus for cloud computing, but shifts burden to WAN managers

Tim Scannell — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:39:49 EDT

Storage admins are giving up their dedicated network links for SAN replication, which means more work for the network engineer managing production wide-area networks. This consolidation reduces complexity and enables cloud computing, but it also creates some headaches.

Private fiber optic WAN backbone connects Michigan's universities

Tim Scannell — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:14:04 EDT

Merit Network, a nonprofit regional wide-area network (WAN) that connects Michigan's major universities to one another and the rest of the world, made a major upgrade about five years ago from a carrier-based circuit network to a private, facilities-based 10 Gigabit Ethernet fiber optic network.