Networks Europe May/June 2016 | Page 5

FOREWORD FOREWORD The broadband debate... 05 Your career architecture There is change afoot: in fact, we are in the midst of great and historic change. I am not about to plunge you into the forthcoming referendum debate, but rather, I invite you take stock of progress into the era of Cloud Computing. As we have already witnessed with the PC during the now familiar era of ClientServer Computing, this kind of change is inevitably driven by demand. And so it is Computing, big of data, commoditisation of everything and IoT, amongst Not a month goes by without someone finding a newwith wayCloud to send vast amounts data down a single fibre, but how will others, can all benefit from is be on offer, and whatwith is toexperts come. from ever-present high-speed broadband make a difference to ourwe Internet experience? Wewhat could interconnected But there is still confusion: allglobe, too often we refer to the cloud and discuss its all conceivable professions, accessing scientific and everyday equipment all over the reaching communities of all shapes merits and adoption. Should we use a private cloud or a public one? Perhaps a and sizes, using all sorts of new applications and services — all in real time. High-speed broadband can enable our projects to hybrid cloud is the answer? I think this term – the cloud – is a marketing term and be adopted across both our business and social lives, and the only effective way to deliver this future is with a fibre optic-based distinctly different to Cloud Computing and quite limiting. infrastructure.Tech investment is hitting record highs in the UK and the essential foundation of this booming growth is access to So what is the point? Well, this historic period through which we currently live broadband. In an ideal world the whole of the Unitedoffers Kingdom’s telecoms network would be based off a pure fibre optic network, the most comprehensive tool set to all organisations and every individual: but in reality it makes more economic sense to upgrade what already exists. Convincing stakeholders that fibre is a necessary actually I think it is highly democratic. This huge and growing choice is not investment is yet another obstacle. There is a clear role here forto providers to help demonstrate business case foroffer fibre.advantage The good and confined IT professionals. The utility the of this tool set can benefit a wide range of disciplines, including business news is thatBig all of the major operators are bringing fibre optictocables ever closer to homes, but we need to focusprofessionals. on take-up of As always, Data Big Data data centres and security it will be or thetwenty IT professionals who be areable asked deliverthe it, last butfew the metres opportunity is superfast broadband by businesses, not just consumers. In ten years we might to to replace of much than that. copper and coax with a true fibre optic connection, but timebigger will tell. What do you want from your career? To be a provider of business critical services or to be higher up the food chain and innovate those services to create a Enjoy the issue. capability previously undreamed of? Your future is in your hands. Nick Wells May/June 2016 NETWORKS EUROPE The magazine for network and data centre professionals DATA CENTRE SELECTION OBJECT STORAGE RESERVE POWER MANAGEMENT The rules have changed to provide more business driven choice. Amazon S3: the only game in town? Has it won the standards battle? Management of UPS and emergency power generation services Editor – Netcomms Europe Ray Smyth Editor – Networks Europe. INTELLIGENT R&MinteliPhy – Automated Infrastructure Management by R&M Manually managed infrastructure data has a 10% error rate*, 20-40% of ports in a network are forgotten over time**. The automated R&MinteliPhy solution continuously monitors each connection in one or more data centres or local networks, a (remote) central server records cabling status. The AIM-based solution has functions for management, analysis as well as planning cabling and network cabinets. R&MinteliPhy is easy to retrofit and can halve network monitoring and management costs. When new devices are integrated or changes made updates are automatically generated. Unused patch panels and ports in active equipment are instantly detected. Data can be traced in real time with a PC or smartphone, faulty connections are located in seconds. More info: [email protected] Convincing cabling solutions * Source: Watson & Fulton ** Source: Frost & Sullivan www.netcommseurope.com www.networkseuropemagazine.com NETCOMMS europe Volume V Issue 3 2015 3