TeleGeography Explains the Internet

WAN Manager Podcast 216: To the Edge and Back

Today we're living on the edge!

Whether we're talking security and SASE, NaaS, or cloud computing—or many other topics, honestly—edge networks and edge computing are likely to make it into the conversation.

Greg welcomes two experts from Catchpoint to help us dig in: CEO Medhi Daoudi and VP of Operations Tony Ferrelli. Medhi's recent blog post Monitoring at the Edge of the Third Act of the Internet sets the tone for a great conversation, spanning enterprise apps, network monitoring, and the geography of the internet.

From This Episode

• Trends in Cloud Infrastructure and Global Networks
• Tour the Data Behind Our Latest Global Internet Map
• How Data Centers Adapted to Disruption in 2020
• Putting The Data Center Geography in TeleGeography
• For WAN Forum Members: Corporate Data Center Geography
• TeleGeography's Cloud Infrastructure Map
• About the WAN Geography Benchmark
• About Cloud and WAN Infrastructure
• About the Data Center Research Service

WAN Manager Podcast 215: Managing Multinational Network Modifications

It's another case study episode of the WAN Manager Podcast. Today we welcome Ian Calderbank, Enterprise Network Architect at PageGroup, to the hot seat.

In his conversation with Greg, Ian details the network transformation process for a multinational staffing agency.

An environment packed with knowledge workers and downtown office space, it sounds like an enviable position to be in as a WAN manager, no? But there's no shortage of lessons learned as the pair gets into pre-SD-WAN solutions, organizing major network transitions, overlay/underlay troubleshooting, and security strategy.

From This Episode

• Join Our Live Conversation on Cloud and WAN Geography on June 17, 2021
• Four New SD-WAN Findings for 2021
• Norsk Hydro Network Case Study
• H&M Network Case Study
• Search SD-WAN Vendor Profiles in Our Free Downloadable Guide
• Five Years of SD-WAN Migration Stories, Five Takeaways
• About the WAN Geography Benchmark
• About the WAN Cost Benchmark
• Explore the WAN Forum

WAN Manager Podcast 214: Citing Our Sources

In this episode, we dig into sourcing. Our listeners know that we often discuss the migration of large enterprises away from one or two global suppliers for a mostly MPLS network to a novel mix of transport types and suppliers. This is especially true due to changing trends in cloud migration, SD-WAN, and security.

May it be local internet breakouts from a variety of ISPs alongside MPLS or sourcing a backbone between data center nodes, many enterprises have taken on a “telco-like” role in buying connectivity directly.

For more on the state of sourcing, Greg welcomes Steve Rome, Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder of Advantage. The pair wastes no time cutting through the complexity of sourcing the modern WAN.

From This Episode

Join Us June 17 for an Exploration of Cloud and WAN Geography

Everything You Wanted to Know About Sourcing Internet

For WAN Forum Members: Optimizing Hybrid WAN Costs with SD-WAN

WAN Pricing Mythbusters

Wargaming Your WAN

About the WAN Cost Benchmark

Take the 2021 WAN Manager Survey

Download our SD-WAN Vendor Guide

Visit the WAN Forum

WAN Manager Podcast 213: Nailing Down Network-as-a-Service

Our data shows that a majority of enterprises have more than one IaaS provider. For SaaS, that number can be dozens, hundreds, even more. And most have moved the majority of their data centers off corporate premises to some kind of shared facility.

This means most companies are dealing with multi-cloud connectivity in some shape or form; WAN managers of course have to handle that from a performance and cost perspective.

Today we hear from a data center insider, diving into network-as-a-service models, multi-cloud connectivity, data center interconnectivity, and the intersection of these topics.

We're joined by Christian Koch, Senior Director of Interconnection at DataBank. You might know him as the co-founder of NYNOG or perhaps you subscribe to his popular weekly internet infrastructure newsletter.

From This Episode

• Join Us June 17 for an Exploration of Cloud and WAN Geography
• For WAN Forum Members: All About Corporate Data Center Geography
• For WAN Forum Members: The Geography of the Cloud
• What is Internet Middle Mile
• How Data Centers Adapted to Disruption in 2020
• 2021 Global Internet Map Tracks Global Capacity, Traffic, and Cloud Infrastructure
• TeleGeography's Cloud Infrastructure Map
• About the WAN Geography Benchmark
• About Cloud and WAN Infrastructure
• About the Data Center Research Service
• Visit the WAN Forum

 

WAN Manager Podcast 212: Submarine Cables—It's Not Bitcoin

We often say that we'll be taking a "deep dive" into an issue at the beginning of our WAN Manager Podcasts. Today we almost mean that literally, as Greg welcomes TeleGeography Research Director Alan Mauldin to talk about submarine cables.

Whether you're joining us from the vendor side or enterprise side, you might want to know why submarine cables—usually thought of as a wholesale telecom issue—are relevant to the corporate WAN.

From This Episode

• The Utopian Future of International Networks
• Submarine Cables to Watch in 2021
• A Massive Global Bandwidth Pricing Update for 2021
• Out With the Old Cables, in With the New
• TeleGeography's Submarine Cable Map
• How to Connect to the Cloud
• About the Data Center Research Service
• About Cloud and WAN Infrastructure
• Explore the WAN Forum
• For WAN Forum Members: Corporate Data Center Geography
• For WAN Forum Members: The Geography of the Cloud

WAN Manager Podcast 211: I'm Just the Middle Mile Man

We're going back to the middle. The middle mile, that is.

Like many telecom terms, this is one that you might have to follow up with “what exactly do you mean by that?”

Greg dives into how one approaches the mysterious middle mile with Ciaran Roche, founder & CTO of Coevolve. What are vendors doing? How does Coevolve advise clients on all things middle mile? How is the middle mile space developing? Listen and learn.

From This Episode

What is Internet Middle Mile?

Episode 203: Stuck in the Middle Mile With You

Watch Our Panel Discussion on Middle Mile

TeleGeography's Cloud Infrastructure Map

How to Connect to the Cloud

About the WAN Manager Survey

About our Internet Middle Mile research

About Cloud and WAN Infrastructure

Explore the WAN Forum

For WAN Forum Members: Traversing the Internet’s Middle Mile

For WAN Forum Members: What problem is the middle mile trying to solve?

WAN Manager Podcast 210: MPLS is Dead. Long Live MPLS.

The average enterprise network had MPLS running at 82% of sites in 2018. That fell to just 58% in 2020. About one-third have active backups—and a quarter have passive backups—for their MPLS service.

Okay, we have to ask: what is the role of MPLS in the WAN moving forward? Industry expert and independent consultant Keith Langridge joins Greg to discuss the many different ways you can try to answer this question.

Is MPLS dead? Dying? Here to stay? Too complicated to say?

From This Episode

MPLS Holding on in 2021

SD-WAN Adoption is on the Rise

Four New SD-WAN Findings for 2021

More 2020 WAN Manager Survey Results

About the WAN Manager Survey

Take the WAN Manager Survey

About the WAN Cost Benchmark

Explore the WAN Forum

WAN Manager Podcast 209: Survey Says

Greg is joined by Analyst Elizabeth Thorne to dig into TeleGeography's latest WAN Manager Survey data.

From SD-WAN adoption stats to network configuration preferences and MPLS trends, the pair covers a lot of ground. If you want to learn more about the survey, those who take it, how we run it, and what the top-level findings are from our latest batch of data, punch that play button.

And if you like information like this, we hope you'll enjoy the WAN Forum, a new content subscription for those who manage wide area networks and maintain IT infrastructure. There's lots more like this over there.

From This Episode

MPLS Holding on in 2021

SD-WAN Adoption is on the Rise

Four New SD-WAN Findings for 2021

WAN Managers Reflect on COVID-19 Challenges

WAN Wargaming Series

About the WAN Manager Survey

Take the WAN Manager Survey

About the WAN Cost Benchmark

WAN Manager Podcast 208: The Art of Zen and Network Monitoring

Our latest episode of the WAN Manager Podcast is all about network monitoring.

Greg is joined by Kentik Co-founder and CEO Avi Freedman; they discuss the history of network monitoring, where it's going, and get a little philosophical in the process.

Most of the enterprises we interview are running dozens or more SaaS applications. And most of our WAN Manager Survey respondents have moved their data centers off-premises—the majority are connecting to multiple IaaS providers. Further, enterprises are increasingly more likely to piece together networks from multiple vendors.

This means we're seeing a more diverse underlay to orchestrate and manage. And a key to the successful management of such includes visibility into and monitoring of the network.

From This Episode

• About Kentik
• 2021 WAN Manager Survey Results
• WAN Managers Reflect on COVID-19 Challenges
• What is Internet Middle Mile?
• About TeleGeography's Internet Middle Mile Research
• About the WAN Manager Survey

This episode is brought to you by the WAN Forum. Want a preview of this new content hub for WAN managers? Email us at info@wanforum.com for a first look.

WAN Manager Podcast 207: SmartNICs, Explained

Most of our listeners are probably familiar with network interface cards (NICs, if you're savvy). But what about SmartNICs?

Fiserv's Michael Wynston is back with a full explainer on what SmartNICs are and how they differ from your run-of-the-mill network interface card. Greg and Michael look closer at this emerging technology and why WAN managers and those who serve them might want to take note.

From This Episode

The WAN and Working from Home

WAN Managers Weigh Greatest Challenges of Remote Working

About the WAN Geography Benchmark

About the WAN Cost Benchmark

About the WAN Manager Survey

This episode is brought to you by the WAN Forum. Want a preview of this new content hub for WAN managers? Email us at info@wanforum.com for a first look.