DataDirect Networks (DDN) announced record performance results across the entire spectrum of the SPEC SFS 2014 benchmark suite. The SPEC SFS 2014 benchmarks provide a standardized approach to comparing performance for file server throughput and response time across different vendor platforms. In the latest round of testing, DDN improved on existing benchmark results by at least 25 percent.

The SPEC SFS 2014 benchmarks were introduced to test five aspects of a storage solution’s performance in the number of simultaneous software builds that can be performed: the number of video streams that can be captured; the number of simultaneous databases that can be sustained; electronic design automation; environment simulation; and the number of virtual desktops that can be maintained. DDN’s success across all test parameters demonstrates the flexibility and robust performance capabilities of DDN SFA platforms.

CenturyLink, Inc. is expanding its portfolio of SD-WAN solutions, offering more technology choices for network transformation. CenturyLink will offer customers across the United States Managed Cisco SD-WAN powered by Viptela.

This new offer provides the tools, technology and expertise needed to design, deploy, configure, migrate and manage SD-WAN services. CenturyLink will support the offer across Cisco’s Viptela vEdge series routers and enterprise network computer system (ENCS) 5000 series virtualized network platform, with multiple feature packages available. Customers will also have access to a dedicated CenturyLink SD-WAN portal.

NetApp, the data authority for hybrid cloud, today announced new solutions to enable customers to deliver data-driven business outcomes for applications across hybrid cloud and multicloud environments, including NetApp Cloud Insights, Azure NetApp Files, Cloud Volumes Service, Cloud Volumes ONTAP, NetApp HCI, SaaS Backup for Microsoft Office 365, and NetApp Data Availability Services.

These new data products and services bring to life NetApp’s vision to empower customers to innovate in the cloud, in any form, to improve business outcomes in the face of a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Cloud reliance is now essential for taking advantage of data across the organization to make better business decisions, improve customer experiences, and leverage the Internet of Things to offer new services and develop new business models. However, success in the cloud depends on integrating, protecting, and optimizing data stored in any cloud environment.

"It’s not an exaggeration to say that every time we create a product or service at NetApp, we always first ask ourselves what it will be able to do in the cloud," said Anthony Lye, SVP and GM, cloud data services, NetApp. "For our customers, the competitive demand to transform into a cloud-first organization is now a given – but achieving significant business impact as a result is not. Our vision is to inspire data-driven innovation with the cloud."

DataCore Software today announced the results of its seventh consecutive market survey, "The State of Software-Defined, Hyperconverged and Cloud Storage," which explored the experiences of 400 IT professionals who are currently using or evaluating software-defined storage, hyperconverged and cloud storage to solve critical data storage challenges. The results yield surprising insights from a cross-section of industries over a range of workloads, including the fact that storage availability and avoiding vendor lock-in remain top concerns for IT professionals, and illustrate the status of the industry on its journey to a software-defined future.

The report reveals what respondents view as the primary business drivers for implementing software-defined, hyperconverged, public cloud and hybrid cloud storage. For example, the top results for software-defined storage include: automate frequent or complex storage operations; simplify management of different types of storage; and extend the life of existing storage assets. This portrays the market’s recognition of the economic advantages of software-defined storage and its power to maximize IT infrastructure performance, availability, and utilization.

The report also highlights the capabilities that users would like from their storage infrastructure. The top capabilities identified were business continuity/high availability (which can be achieved via metro clustering, synchronous data mirroring, and other architectures) at 74%; disaster recovery (from remote site or public cloud) at 73%; and enabling storage capacity expansion without disruption at 72%.

Armor, a leading cloud security solutions provider, has released the results of its second annual social media poll. The responses will give readers a quick take on how businesses and institutions view their cybersecurity posture, especially as it relates to adopting the cloud.

The annual #ArmorU poll fielded responses from 37,000 Twitter users over a 13-week period. According to the findings captured in the #ArmorU Report, many corporate employees are ready to store highly sensitive data in the cloud. However, many are still skeptical of the security posture of their own organizations. Additional key findings show that reducing the cost of managing security, maintaining compliance, and improving incident response capabilities are important pieces of the security puzzle as digital transformation pushes companies toward cloud adoption.

Pulse Secure, the leading provider of Secure Access solutions to both enterprises and service providers, announced the launch of new packaging of its award-winning Pulse Access Suite for Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs). The solution offers service providers an accelerated, cost-effective means to differentiate and build out their service portfolio to meet the massive demand for protected connectivity to cloud applications and hybrid IT resources.

Pulse Secure offers a comprehensive, integrated and highly interoperable set of Secure Access solutions spanning remote, mobile and cloud access security; network visibility and access control; and application delivery. The suite allows service providers to extend lucrative access protection, endpoint compliance, threat response and availability services for the data center, hosted in the cloud or running as SaaS.

The service provider packaging optimizes capital expenditure through an on-demand, pay-per-use model. MSSPs can spin up or spin down virtual Secure Access instances and licenses at a cost based on the number of concurrent monthly users. On-demand provisioning and tiered, user-based pricing gives service providers needed flexibility for customer onboarding, growth spurts and business downturns.

"Even the best laid disaster plans can go awry, especially if no one bothers to test them," said Peter Tsai, senior technology analyst at Spiceworks. "Ideally, a company’s disaster recovery plan should evolve and improve over time as weaknesses are exposed during testing and an organization’s needs change. However, the results show testing is often infrequent or not taking place at all, leaving many organizations vulnerable when disaster strikes."

Platform.sh, the Idea-to-Cloud Application Platform that simplifies cloud infrastructure, announced the availability of its white-label platform, which enables software companies and SaaS entrepreneurs to transform their existing on-premise software or build new SaaS businesses with unprecedented speed.

Organizations spend increasingly significant amounts of time and budget on the development and maintenance of infrastructure, distracting focus from the core value that they provide to their customers – amazing applications and digital experiences. Platform.sh allows them to put their energy towards exciting and engaging customers – rather than building teams and technical debt to manage tooling, servers, containers, and cloud infrastructure – and eliminates capital expenditures needed to launch new lines of business.

In a matter of days, Platform.sh can provide a fully branded experience for the rapid deployment of SaaS software, commerce apps, mobile back-ends, and web applications at scale, built in multiple languages or frameworks. This capability leverages Platform.sh’s API-first approach to development, its unique instant-cloning technology, and its complete "batteries included" continuous deployment workflow, where infrastructure becomes composable and managed with the same tools as application code.

A10 Networks announced availability of major advancements to its Thunder Application Delivery Controllers (ADCs) with Harmony Controller support for centralized, multi-cloud management, rich per-app analytics and DevOps tool integration. Numerous new enhancements also enable integration with Kubernetes, enhanced Ansible Playbooks and simplified ADC policy configuration with expanded Application Centric Template (ACT) support.

Organizations are striving to become more agile as the role of IT and software becomes paramount. Fast roll-out, control and optimization of applications drive revenue, competitive advantage and customer satisfaction. Apps must be secured and quickly delivered regardless of where they reside.

A10’s ADCs with their tight coupling to the Harmony Controller lead the industry in enabling administrators to intelligently manage, control and automate the deployment of application delivery services to maximize agility, provide actionable insights and ensure app availability and security while simplifying operations with lower TCO. Augmentations to A10’s Thunder ADC with Harmony Controller intelligent automation capabilities include: