AIOps: Using AI for Smarter More Efficient Operations

In this post, Peter Welcher delves into the growing significance of Artificial Intelligence in Operations (AIOps) and its transformative impact on Security Operations Centers. He explores how AIOps can streamline massive data streams by filtering out noise, predicting system failures, and offering automated, intelligent security solutions that adapt to the technological complexities of modern networks. The article also highlights several AIOps solutions, underscoring the importance of choosing tools with tangible benefits amidst a market proliferated with AI-enhanced products.


Edge Computing

In Peter Welcher’s recent NetCraftsmen article, the focus is on the increased attention and importance of Edge (Computing, Networking, Security, etc.). Breaching the significance of latency, cost factors, and reliability in Edge, the article underscores how automation is a key enabler while addressing challenges such as data management, security, and scale. It emphasizes that Edge is not just a trend but a natural progression in computing and networking, inherently equipped to handle current and future needs in the tech landscape.


Networking Service Awareness

Writing on the NetCraftsmen blog, Peter Welcher discusses the challenges that professionals face in staying updated with the latest features and technologies from Network as a Service (NaaS) and Cloud vendors. The post contends that vendors should be more proactive in communicating their capabilities and new features, instead of relying on customers to research these advancements. Welcher emphasizes the importance of structured knowledge acquisition and suggests use-case focused marketing could be beneficial for potential customers.


The Future of NAAS (Networking as a Service)

In this NetCraftsmen article, Peter Welcher discusses the future of Network as a Service (NAAS) while evaluating tenacity among vendors within the industry. With an exploration of the changing role of SD-WAN, connectivity gaps, and indispensable customer needs, Welcher contemplate future predictions for the NAAS landscape and its implications for consumers. He also discusses the potential for restructuring and how new tech offerings might deliver faster deployments, better service level agreements (SLAs), and lower costs, therein providing significant value to companies in the WAN/NAAS sectors.


Forward Networks Gets Cloudy

Forward Networks, a significant player in the Digital Twin product space, showcased their advanced capabilities at Cloud Field Day in January, focusing primarily on network assurance tool development. In addition to expanding its product range to accommodate more devices/vendors and protocols, Forward Networks now also gathers and models cloud state data to predict network behaviour efficiently. Moving towards cloud footprints’ visualization with Amazon, Azure, and Google, Forward Networks has emerged as a real outperformer in managing security and complex application flows, and devising fast, intuitive solutions to complicated problems.


What Does Selector.AI Do?

In this blog posted on NetCraftsmen, Peter Welcher discusses Selector.AI, a startup in the AIOps field that focuses on the network domain. Welcher discusses the capabilities of the product, such as its ability to convert large amounts of data across multiple domains into actionable information, and the way it uses artificial intelligence as part of its core functionality. Welcher sums up that Selector.AI could offer significant benefits, such as being a single source of truth and the ability to democratize data access.


Catchpoint BGP Monitoring

Catchpoint’s BGP Monitoring helps organizations track their networks and ensure they function at optimal levels. BGP is a complicated routing protocol used to provide information to several organizations on the web in terms of their routing peers, and each has an assigned Autonomous System Number (ASN). By monitoring such information, Catchpoint uses data center, ISP, and public route collectors to examine BGP performance, offering an overview of maintenance and usage costs, and displays charts and train tracks diagrams to highlight any issues. Catchpoint’s BGP dashboards provide useful, actionable, and straightforward information that is beneficial to clients. This article, sponsored by Catchpoint, is a follow-up to Peter Welcher’s previous discussion of their Networking Field Day presentation.


Catchpoint Excels at Internet Resilience

Catchpoint is a solution focused on monitoring the entire Internet stack, including applications and network traffic, with the goal of providing the best internet resilience. It offers the most global monitoring points for its customers to leverage, allowing candid reporting on external perceptions of performance as well as the hard Network performance data points. By providing comprehensive monitoring strategy, Catchpoint enables predictive insights, contingency planning, and continuous improvement over time, ensuring that users receive the best possible experience through the digital service delivery chain. Read more in this Gestalt IT article by Peter Welcher, sponsored by Catchpoint.


Winning WAN Ways

Peter Welcher shares his thoughts on Graphiant Network Edge and what it brings to WAN networking. Read the article on the NetCraftsmen website.


NFD29: Cisco Manages Your Clouds

Pete Welcher is taking in the Networking Field Day event presentations from Cisco and the content they delivered on MultiCloud, Meraki NextGen Dash, and DNAC. In his latest post on LinkedIn, Pete discusses his thought on one specific are of interest from the Cisco presentations: Cisco MultiCloud. He goes into detail on the tools that Cisco is evolving and how they will simplify customers’ lives. Check out Pete’s LinkedIn for more!


NFD29: What Would We Do Without Opengear?

Pete Welcher was struck by Opengear’s presentation at September’s Networking Field Day! He wrote all about Opengear’s remote Out of Band (OOB) network access capabilities on LinkedIn and refers to them as a “product refresh.” Pete urges all Networking folks to check out what Opengear has to offer!


NFD29: Broadcom Discussed Latest Chip Capabilities

Learn more about Broadcom’s presentation at Networking Field Day in September by checking out this post by Pete Welcher. You can read his thoughts and watch all of the presentations from Networking Field Day on the Tech Field Day website!


NFD29: Kentik and Network Troubleshooting

Check out Pete Welcher’s thoughts on Kentik and their presentation at the latest Networking Field Day event. You can read his post and watch all of the presentations from Networking Field Day on the Tech Field Day website!


NFD29 CatchPoint Tracks Connectivity Quality

Pete Welcher is categorizing CatchPoint as a ThousandEyes competitor with a bit more functionality! Pete attended the most recent Networking Field Day where Catchpoint presented on just a few of their additions like SSID, BGP monitoring, and more. In Pete’s LinkedIn post, he explains why Catchpoint has a good chance against their competitors and why we should check out their performance tools. Take a look here or visit his LinkedIn page for more!


NFD29: Juniper Apstra Goes FreeForm

Juniper presented on their Apstra product at this past Networking Field Day, now Pete Welcher is writing on his thoughts. He says “if you need automated campus or datacenter fabric management, take a look at Juniper Apstra.” Juniper surprised Pete, and other delegates, with Apstra FreeForm, visit Pete’s LinkedIn for more!


NFD29: Nokia Does Networking!

Pete Welcher was pleasantly surprised with Nokia at their most recent Networking Field Day presentation! Pete writes about Nokia’s demonstration on their digital sandbox capabilities and how they bring DevOps techniques to networking. Although this was new territory for Pete and other delegates, it was very eye-opening! Take a look here at what Pete has to say, or visit his LinkedIn profile for more.


NFD29: Graphiant

Pete Welcher attended the most recent Networking Field Day where Graphiant presented their SD-WAN alternative. In this post, he gives us a brief rundown of Graphaint’s key points and what makes them different. Check out Pete’s thoughts here, or visit his LinkedIn page for more!


Kentik Is Amazing

Peter Welcher attended the most recent Networking Field Day Service Provider where Kentik presented their highly innovative network centric database tool. In his latest blog, Pete talks about each innovation that has caught his interest, and goes into detail on the technical presenters and their topics discussed. Pete is a huge fan of Kentik’s analysis/reporting tools and urges you to check out their latest innovations!


NFDSP2: The Videos Are Now Posted!

Pete Welcher, a Field Day delegate, wrote a brief blog about the most recent Networking Field Day: Service Provider on his LinkedIn page. In this post he talks about presentations from a fellow delegate, Chris cummings, Kentik, and also includes the delegate Roundtable. Take a look at Pete’s thoughts here or visit his LinkedIn page!


Progress: The WhatsUp Gold and Flowmon Integration

Pete Welcher was part of the virtual delegate panel at the most recent Progress Tech Field Day Showcase this past July. Writing on the Gestalt IT website, Pete talks about how Progress deep dove into their two new products; WhatsUp Gold and Flowmon, both of which have now integrated with one another and appear to be tying in SNMP data where relevant! Take a look at Pete’s thoughts on these new Progress advancements!