Cisco Releases New Nexus 9000 Switches

Cisco celebrates five years of unprecedented growth in its UCS portfolio and launches new switches to the Nexus 9000 portfolio, China Mobile selects Alcatel-Lucent to transform to an all-IP ultra-broadband network, and Aeorhive Networks files for an initial public stock offering.

New Cisco Nexus switches for ACI and Cloud. Cisco (CSCO) introduced new Nexus 9504 and Nexus 9516 switches to the Nexus 9000 portfolio. The 9516 features 576 wire-speed 40 Gigabit Ethernet ports and 60 Tbps throughput, and was selected as a finalist in the data center category for a 2014 Best of Interop award. The new Nexus 9504 provides a cost effective option to solve migration from core-aggregation-access to spine leaf architectures. With the Nexus 9504 partners now have new engagement options for customers seeking lower density aggregation and access designs. A new Nexus 3164Q switch was introduced, designed for the most demanding workloads.  It is an ultra-dense, high performance switch that delivers flexible connectivity for either 40 Gigabit or 10 Gigabits ports (up to 256 10Gigabit ports) in a 2 RU and a rich NX-OS feature set. The Nexus 3164Q offers seamless mobility with workload isolation, wire rate layer 2/layer 3 switching, and enhanced programmability options. "We selected Cisco's Nexus 9000 series switches and Application Centric Infrastructure as the foundation for our new data centers because the solution will streamline our operational processes and reduce operating expenses for power, cooling and cabling," said Saleem Al Balooshi, Executive Vice President - Network Development & Operations, du.  "We particularly like the Cisco bi-directional optics which gives us four times the 40GE density as well as upgrades to 100Gb using the same cabling infrastructure, thereby removing the necessity for costly fibre upgrades."

China Mobile selects Alcatel-Lucent for transformation. Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) and China Mobile (CMCC)  announced a one-year comprehensive frame agreement valued at up to Euro 750 million to provide technology that will move the world’s largest mobile service provider to an all-IP ultra-broadband network paving the way for future network functions virtualization (NFV) and cloud-based services. In 2013, China Mobile selected Alcatel-Lucent to provide its innovative lightRadio 4G TD-LTE overlay, Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and small cells technology to support the new 4G network. Using Alcatel-Lucent’s virtualized proof of concept LTE radio access network (RAN) Baseband Unit (BBU) and its virtualized evolved packet core (vEPC) in a multi-vendor environment, the two companies demonstrated at Mobile World Congress how an open mobile cloud network enhances agility, efficiency and scale. “This is a significant achievement of Alcatel-Lucent and essentially makes us a key technology provider in virtually every aspect of China Mobile’s growing mobile ultra-broadband network," said Michel Combes, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent. "We have worked side-by-side with China Mobile throughout many developments in mobile technology, including the development of 4G TD-LTE.  We are continuing that close collaboration as China Mobile moves to the next level of ultra-broadband through NFV supporting future cloud applications and services.”

Aerohive Networks files IPO.  Aeorhive Networks announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 7,500,000 shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $10 per share. In addition, Aerohive has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,125,000 additional shares of common stock from Aerohive at the initial public offering price. The shares begin trading March 28th under the symbol "HIVE".