News and perspectives from the world of fiber optic networking

Article

• Cloud security

Cloud security-Part 2: The importance of Identity Access Management

Whenever you manage users who require access to multiple types of data in order to do their job or purchase a product, you need a strong set of standards to help you implement access controls and protect your information systems from cybersecurity threats. This is commonly known as Identity and Access Management (IAM).  Not only does IAM grant secure access to what you and your applications do, it also grants access to the many service-to-service calls that occur behind the scenes. An example of IAM in action is Amazon Web Service (AWS) IAM service handling more than 400 million API calls per second worldwide. Nonetheless, even if your organization only handles a single call per second, or minute, or even hour, IAM has never been more important than present day.

Podcast

Two industry visionaries join to tackle telecom’s biggest challenge

So, here is a question for you: why are we often so reluctant to change in business? Is it habit? Or maybe it’s the old adage "if it ain't broke, then don't fix it"? If that is the case, then a larger question may be how do we really know when to distinguish between what technically "ain't broke" versus what is just largely inefficient? This ability to know the difference, like many, is one often borne from extensive experience.

Podcast

• API

Consider APIs as part of your fiber network management strategy

Data protection, increased revenue generation, and improved customer experience are just a few of the many advantages that Communications Service Providers (CSPs) can count on when they enable their network management systems to open up to other business processes and applications through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). On a recent Fiberside Chat episode, guests Michael Measels, Vice President of Product Management at 3-GIS, and Matt Sherrod, GTM Americas Service Provider at Blue Planet, joined host Hilary Kennedy to discuss customers’ desired shift from traditional models of fiber network management to open systems.

• Cloud security

Cloud security-Part 1:Preparation and strategy for cloud security

$74.6 billion. That’s the estimated amount to be spent on cloud IT infrastructure in 2021, according to Statista¹. The explosive growth of cloud services is creating a unique set of challenges for enterprises seeking improved ways to secure their data.  

• GIS

Achieve faster network deployment leveraging geospatial intelligent ecosystems

The hard and soft costs of changing to real-time data management

Article

• Fiber network management
• Data integrity

Three simple considerations to promote fiber network data integrity

It may come as little surprise that communications service providers (CSPs) have experienced increases in operational efficiency by transforming their fiber records from paper and disparate digital files to fiber management specific programs and applications. In the Digital Transformation Tracker 5 report published in 2021 by TM Forum nearly “40% of CSP executives said they are well along the road and reaping significant benefits from [digital] transformation.” (1)

Podcast

• Cloud security

The playbook for tackling cloud security in 2021

It should go without saying that many, if not most, companies have had to make some changes in the last 18 months. In an era when most facets of life are marked by a pandemic, remote-first culture, the ideology of having employees work from home, has had widespread adoption. In order for this to work, employees need access to data and work files from wherever they are working. This has led many companies to either adopt, or increase, working from the cloud. Whether or not this was the case previously, there are many reasons a company should not rush into it without a strategy and some specific considerations.

Podcast

• Fiber network construction
• As-built
• Communications service providers

Tackling common challenges in the telecommunications industry

Because of the complexity of fiber, many of the common challenges faced by communication service providers (CSPs) today revolve around managing physical network assets. Historically, CSPs have often struggled with getting as-built records at the conclusion of the fiber rollout; but the necessity and growth of fiber has brought this issue further into the spotlight. As-builts are vital to avoiding unexpected expenses during deployment, particularly when construction strays from initial plans and designs.