Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Telecom Predictions for 2017

Frost & Sullivan’s Telecommunications Strategic Forecasting (Stratecast) practice has produced some interesting predictions for 2017 [1]. Below are the predictions that I found the most interesting, including some comments:

  • When it comes to big data, analytics and AI, enterprises will have a focus on using AI to search through massive volumes of raw data to provide actionable insights (i.e., what IBM is enabling with Watson). 
  • The retail industry continues expanding the use of analytics to optimize operations and serve customers in new ways. The healthcare industry is moving towards connected health ecosystems thanks to companies like Apple and IBM. 
  • NFV-based virtual network services from the likes of AT&T and Verizon gain traction among enterprise customers. An example is AT&T’s network functions on-demand offering called FlexWare [4].
  • Network-as-a-Service hits the market. NaaS can include services like WAN connectivity, DC connectivity, bandwidth on demand, and security services. Examples of NaaS providers include Amazon, AT&T, Level 3, Telefonica, and Verizon [2]. SDN and NFV are helping to make NaaS more common.
  • SD-WAN (i.e., applying SDN to WAN connections that connect enterprise networks including branch offices and data centers [5]) will take a step forward from the early adopter stage and be ready for wide-scale market adoption, driven by the availability of managed SD-WAN services. In managed SD-WAN services, the service provider installs and manages edge devices, procures and manages access links from multiple operators, and handles day-to-day network management
  • Infrastructure-neutral management platforms gain traction in hybrid cloud environments. Infrastructure-neutral refers to cross-infra management platforms that can aggregate and manage resources across multiple infrastructures.
  • Providers introduce fog or edge computing solutions to facilitate IoT workloads. Fog and edge computing avoid the need to send massive amounts of data to the central cloud for processing
  • AI enters the home thanks to devices like Amazon’s Echo, Google Home, or Siri in the latest Apple TV.
  • Original video content is king – this is of course what we are seeing with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc. But maybe we will be seeing also the likes of AT&T starting to invest increasingly in original content [3].
  • More and more enterprises engaging in platform-based strategy will move the way they conduct business to web-based services
  • Systems integration and consulting services will become major components of operations again. Communication Service Providers (CSPs) will need to rely on systems integrators since technology interconnection, interoperability, and business models are becoming more complex due to NFV, SDN, IoT, and digital service deployments.
  • Advanced malware sandbox is among the hottest new security technologies and will be in high demand.

Sources


Sunday, January 22, 2017

Security-as-a-Service (SECaaS) Market is Expected to Grow Rapidly

An article [1] in CIO argues that Security-as-a-Service (SECaaS) will have a promising future. SECaaS is a business model in which a service provider such as Cloud Service Provider (CSP), Managed Service Provider (MSP) or Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) integrates its security services into a corporate infrastructure on a subscription basis [3]. The service provider provides protection for apps, data, and operations that run in the cloud [4].

SECaaS covers a set of prevention, detection, and resolution services, including for example [1,3]:

  • Email security
  • SIEM (Security Information Event Management), which supports threat detection and security incident response through real-time collection and historical analysis of security events [5]
  • IAM (Identity and Access Management)
  • Endpoint protection
  • IDS/IPS (Intrusion Detection System / Intrusion Prevention System)
  • Anti-virus
  • Anti-malware/spyware
  • DLP (Data Loss Prevention)
  • DRaaS (Disaster Recovery as a Service)

There exist some interesting predictions for the SECaaS market:

  • 80% of organizations’ IT budgets will be dedicated to cloud computing services within the next 16 months [2]
  • By 2020, 85% of large enterprises will use a cloud access security broker solution, up from less than 5% in 2015 [1]
  • 78% of organizations plan to invest in SECaaS during the next 12 to 18 months [2] (this includes any form of SECaaS)
  • By 2020, the SECaaS market will exceed $8.52 billion, growing at a 22.2% CAGR from $3.12 billion in 2016 [6]

Some examples of SECaaS companies include [4]:

  • Cloud Access Security Brokerage (CASB) vendors provide a range of services designed to help a company protect cloud infra and data. An example of a CASB vendor is Palerra that is claimed to be the first vendor that was able to automate the entire security lifecycle from preventive measures to detection and remediation.
  • Single Sign-on (SSO) services make it possible to access all enterprise cloud apps with a single set of login credentials. An example of an SSO vendor is Okta that focuses on the IAM aspect of cloud security.
  • Email security SECaaS providers can protect enterprises for example from malvertising, targeted attacks, phishing, and data breaches. An example of a SECaaS provider focusing on email is Proofpoint.
  • Website and application security – here SECaaS providers such as White Hat Security offer services to for example expose and seal vulnerabilities in a company’s external-facing websites and web applications, or internal portals and intranets.
  • Network Security as a Service vendors such as Qualys deliver threat detection and intrusion prevention through the cloud, monitoring traffic moving in and out of the company’s servers and stopping threats before they materialize. Qualys offers continuous network monitoring, vulnerability management, compliance management, web scanning, web application firewall, malware detection and secure website testing.

According to MarketsAndMarkets, the healthcare vertical has the largest market size in the SECaaS market [6]. The market that is expected to grow with the highest CAGR is database cloud security. The major vendors in the SECaaS market include Symantec, McAfee, Cisco, Trend Micro, CipherCloud, ZScaler, Alert Logic, Radware and others. North America is expected to have the largest market share in the SECaaS market from 2015 to 2020. APAC is expected to have the greatest growth potential.

Companies are among other things looking at alternatives to a perimeter-based approach to cybersecurity, including network segmentation (i.e., zoning and micro-segmentation, which are getting new attention with the growing popularity of SDN) and Software-Defined Security (SDS) [1].

Sources

[1] Why Security-as-a-Service is Poised to Take Off, http://www.cio.com/article/3156291/networking/why-security-as-a-service-is-poised-to-take-off.html

[2] Blue Skies Ahead? The state of cloud adoption, http://www.mcafee.com/us/resources/reports/rp-blue-skies-ahead.pdf

[3] Security as a service, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_as_a_service

[4] Top 5 Security-as-a-Service Providers, http://technologyadvice.com/blog/information-technology/top-5-security-as-a-service-providers/

[5] Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), http://www.gartner.com/it-glossary/security-information-and-event-management-siem/

[6] Security as a Service Market worth 8.52 Billion USD by 2020, http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/security-as-a-service.asp

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Cisco and Huawei Gained Market Share in Cloud Infrastructure

A recent report from IDC [1] contains some interesting data about market shares for cloud IT infrastructure (servers, storage, Ethernet switches) [2]:

  • Cisco’s market share in the third quarter of 2016 was 12.2%, up from 9.8% in Q3 2015
  • Dell had a 15.5% market share, down from 17.6% one year ago
  • HPE dropped from 16% to 14.9%
  • Huawei grew from 2.1% to 3.3%

Vendor revenue grew by 8.1% year over year. In the next few quarters, hyperscale datacenters are expected to generate additional growth.

Private clouds are becoming more viable since OpenStack has become easier to implement and maintain.

Both private cloud and public cloud infrastructure growth was led by Ethernet switches.

According to telecoms.com, Cisco and Huawei increasing their market share could mean that these networking players have better adapted their propositions for the cloud mass market [3].

Sources

[1] Worldwide Cloud IT Infrastructure Market Revenue Grows 8.1% to $8.4 Billion in Third Quarter of 2016, Led by High Growth in Networking Equipment, According to IDC, http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS42056316

[2] Cisco Gains, Dell & HPE Lose on Cloud Infrastructure – Analyst, http://www.lightreading.com/enterprise-cloud/cisco-gains-dell-and-hpe-lose-on-cloud-infrastructure---analyst/d/d-id/729634

[3] Networking giants thunder into cloud infrastructure game, http://telecoms.com/478793/networking-giants-thunder-into-cloud-infrastructure-game/ 

Saturday, January 14, 2017

The Buzz around Virtual Assistants

Virtual assistants are getting an increasingly hot topic. Here’s a list of some of the virtual assistant that I have come across:
  • The most well-known virtual assistant is of course Apple’s Siri 
  • Google has both Google Now and Google Assistant (the next generation of Google Now) [7]
  • Microsoft’s Cortana, whose use Nissan just demonstrated in its cars at CES [11].
  • Amazon’s Alexa for which there have been some very interesting announcements lately. Huawei is bringing it to its Mate 9 smartphone [3]. Alexa has also recently found its way to Ford’s cars [4] and, interestingly enough, LG’s refrigerators [10].
  • Samsung’s new Viv-based assistant that will be included in Galaxy S8 [5]. Viv is a company Samsung acquired last year [12].
  • Cisco’s virtual assistant called Monica, which will be initially available in Cisco’s telepresence systems [6]
  • Facebook’s M virtual assistant [8,9]
  • Nokia’s Viki - Engadget reported recently that Nokia has applied for a trademark on “Viki”, which is a Siri-like smart assistant for smartphones and the web [1]. The filing for the trademark refers to a “Software for the creation and monitoring of mobile and web digital assistants working with knowledge and combining all data sources into a single chat and voice based interface” [2]. Nokia has not revealed any details about Viki, so it is not known on which (and on whose) devices it will eventually be available.

[1] Nokia appears to be working on its own AI assistant, https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/09/nokia-ai-assistant-trademark/

[2] Nokia gets Siri-ous about smartphones as it trademarks new AI assistant Viki, http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2017/01/09/nokia-ai-assistant-viki/

[3] Huawei's Mate 9 Becomes the First Alexa Phone, http://www.pcmag.com/news/350816/huaweis-mate-9-becomes-the-first-alexa-phone

[4] Ford vehicles will soon have Amazon Alexa on board, https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/04/ford-amazon-alexa/

[5] Samsung to debut Viv-based AI assistant alongside Galaxy S8, http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/11/07/samsung-to-debut-viv-based-ai-assistant-alongside-galaxy-s8

[6] Cisco Developing 'Monica' Digital Assistant, http://www.lightreading.com/enterprise-cloud/cisco-developing-monica-digital-assistant/d/d-id/725561

[7] The difference between Google Now and Google Assistant, https://www.cnet.com/how-to/the-difference-between-google-now-and-google-assistant/

[8] Facebook is testing suggested responses in its M assistant, http://venturebeat.com/2016/12/14/facebook-is-testing-a-new-feature-for-its-ai-powered-assistant-m/

[9] Facebook Reveals The True Purpose Of Its M Virtual Assistant, https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexkantrowitz/facebook-reveals-the-true-purpose-of-its-m-virtual-assistant?utm_term=.owaKnzr12#.jjXveo105

[10] LG put Alexa in a refrigerator and it seems like a great idea, https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/06/lg-smart-instaview-refrigerator-hands-on/

[11] Microsoft's connected car platform will put Cortana on the road,  https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/07/microsofts-connected-car-platform-will-cortana-azure/

[12] Samsung acquires Viv, a next-gen AI assistant built by the creators of Apple’s Siri, https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/05/samsung-acquires-viv-a-next-gen-ai-assistant-built-by-creators-of-apples-siri/


Thursday, January 5, 2017

State of the Art in Positional Tracking and Haptic Feedback for Consumer VR

Positional Tracking


A truly immersive and interactive VR experience requires full positional tracking. Rotational tracking, which is about detecting when the user turns his head, is already a standard feature. Additionally, some systems such as HTC Vive offer also full positional tracking of the user’s head (i.e., the headset) and hands (i.e., the controllers). However, precise and low-latency positional tracking of the user’s other body parts, such as the fingers, is not yet provided by commercially available VR systems.

Perhaps the most advanced commercially available system is HTC Vive’s Lighthouse positional tracking platform. The Lighthouse platform uses base stations that are small boxes placed around a room. The boxes flood the room with non-visible light. Photosensors on the tracked devices (the headset and the controllers) intercept the light and figure out where they are in relation to the boxes. Use of multiple boxes makes it possible for the system to determine where the devices are in the 3D space. The limitation of Lighthouse is that it tracks only the controllers and the headset – tracking of the user’s fingers and body parts other than the hands and the head is missing.

PlayStation VR uses a single camera to track the movements of the PS Move controllers and the headset via visible light [JSG]. Due to the use of a single camera, PS VR does not allow the user to roam around the physical room in order to move within the virtual world (which is something that the Vive can do with its base stations).

Oculus Rift comes with a single Constellation tracking camera, which uses infrared light for positional tracking. Although the system is primarily meant for seated and standing experiences, it can support room-scale experiences if more tracking cameras are added (Oculus recommends at least three Constellation cameras). However, the tracking is not as versatile as that of the Vive [DT]. The Oculus Touch system, which is sold separately from the headset, adds a secondary Constellation camera and two controllers that like the Rift headset, are equipped with infrared LEDs [TV]. One interesting feature of the controllers is that they are capable of detecting whether the user’s fingers are resting on the controller’s surface. This means that games can detect the difference between a lightly balled fist, a pointing finger, and a thumbs-up gesture [AT-1].

Haptic Feedback


Oculus Touch can also provide haptic feedback through vibration [Oculus]. Vibration is a good start since truly immersive VR experiences must take advantage of also other human perceptual senses than vision and hearing [SA]. Vibrations as haptic feedback is the current state of the art in consumer VR. Other types of tactile feedback that are needed include the feeling of pressure, touch, and texture. And besides tactile feedback, also kinesthetic feedback is needed, including the feeling of the size and weight of objects and their position relative to the hand, arm, joints, and body.

Microsoft Research has developed two experimental fully-tracked controllers that Microsoft calls NormalTouch and TextureTouch [RV2]. These controllers can provide both tactile and kinesthetic feedback [MS]. NomalTouch uses three servo motors to operate a small disc with tilt and extrusion movements. TextureTouch makes use of 16 servos to operate a 4x4 array of small block that move up and down to correspond to virtual shapes and structures.

Another example of advancements in haptic feedback is the Dexmo robotic exoskeleton glove from Dexta Robotics [RV3]. The glove can provide force feedback to simulate the act of touching objects in virtual reality. Yet another interesting approach comes from a Tokyo-based company H2L that has developed an advanced haptic feedback armband that can target the muscles in the user’s arm that control each finger and deliver precise responses that mirror onscreen actions [TC].

Tesla Studios is a startup that is developing a full-body haptic feedback suit called the Teslasuit, which uses neuromuscular electrical simulation (i.e., mild localized electric shocks) that trick the senses [EG]. Tesla Studios claims that the suit can, besides basic interactions with objects in the virtual world, also mimic for example the impact of bullets and explosions (which does not, by the way, sound entirely pleasant).

Ultrahaptics is a startup that uses an array of ultrasound emitters and clever algorithms that enable VR users to feel and manipulate virtual objects in the air [BB]. The limitation of the technology is that while ultrasound can simulate the sensation of touching the outline of an object, it cannot create the illusion of solidity – the user is able to push his fingers through the area of vibration.

There exists also a long list of other companies working on haptic controllers for VR. Some further examples are available foe example in [VT].

Inside-out Tracking


The type of tracking used by the HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, and Oculus Touch is called outside-in tracking since it relies on external cameras or base stations. In contrast, inside-out tracking places a tracking camera within the item being tracked (i.e., the headset). Inside-out tracking could be a game changer for VR (and especially AR) since it enables a self-contained headset not requiring external sensors. As an example, Microsoft HoloLens has multiple cameras around the headset, on the front and sides. They can capture video of the surroundings, track the user’s hands and gestures, and track head movements together with the headset’s other sensors [Wareable]. Another example comes from Oculus, which is working on a prototype headset called Santa Cruz that provides inside-out tracking technology [RV]. Santa Cruz uses four outward-facing cameras built into the device itself (embedded in the four corners on the front of the headset) combined with computer vision algorithms to let the headset calculate the user’s position and head angle [AT-2]. The cost of this approach is that running computer vision algorithms for input from four cameras adds overhead to an untethered headset that is already at a disadvantage when it comes to processing power compared to PC-based VR even without inside-out tracking.

Summary


When it comes to positional tracking and haptic feedback, the current state of the art in consumer VR is outside-in tracking of the headset and controllers, and use of basic vibrations for tactile feedback. Important future additions that different companies are working on include advancements in inside-out tracking, and advancements in both kinesthetic feedback and tactile feedback.

References


[AT-1] Oculus finally answers VR’s “where are my hands” problem, and it’s great, http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/10/why-oculus-has-my-favorite-vr-hand-tracking-controller/

[AT-2] Rift goes wireless: Ars walks around in Oculus’ Santa Cruz VR prototype, http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/10/rift-goes-wireless-ars-walks-around-in-oculus-santa-cruz-vr-prototype/

[BB] Meet the Man Who Made Virtual Reality 'Feel' More Real, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-02-03/uk-startup-ultrahaptics-is-making-virtual-reality-feel-more-real

[DT] Spec Comparison: Does the Rift’s Touch Update Make It a True Vive Competitor? http://www.digitaltrends.com/virtual-reality/oculus-rift-vs-htc-vive/

[EG] Teslasuit does full-body haptic feedback for VR, https://www.engadget.com/2016/01/06/teslasuit-haptic-vr/

[JSG] PlayStation VR Tracking Guide, http://jobsimulatorgame.com/psvrfaq/

[MS] NormalTouch and TextureTouch: High-fidelity 3D Haptic Shape Rendering on Handheld Virtual Reality Controllers, https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NormalTouch-TextureTouch-VR_3D_Shape_Controllers-2016.pdf

[Oculus] Haptic Feedback, https://developer3.oculus.com/documentation/pcsdk/latest/concepts/dg-input-touch-haptic/

[RV] Hands-on: Oculus’ Wireless ‘Santa Cruz’ Prototype Makes Standalone Room-scale Tracking a Reality, http://www.roadtovr.com/hands-on-oculus-wireless-santa-cruz-prototype-makes-standalone-room-scale-tracking-a-reality/

[RV2] Microsoft Research Demonstrates VR Controller Prototypes With Unique Haptic Technology, http://www.roadtovr.com/microsoft-research-haptic-vr-controller-prototype-normaltouch-texturetouch/

[RV3] Dexta Shows Off Latest Exoskeleton Gloves That Let You Touch VR, http://www.roadtovr.com/dexta-dexmo-exoskeleton-vr-glove-haptic-force-feedback-touch-vr/

[SA] Not the future: I tried the HTC Vive VR headset and was seriously underwhelmed, http://siliconangle.com/blog/2016/01/24/not-the-future-i-tried-the-htc-vive-vr-headset-and-was-seriously-underwhelmed/

[TC] H2L Launches Their Next-Gen UnlimitedHand VR Haptic Controller, https://techcrunch.com/2015/09/21/h2l-launches-their-next-gen-unlimitedhand-vr-haptic-controller/

[TV] Oculust Touch Review: The Oculust Rift Is Finally Complete, http://www.theverge.com/2016/12/5/13811232/oculus-touch-rift-vr-motion-controller-review

[VT] List of Haptic Controllers under Development for Virtual Reality, http://www.virtualrealitytimes.com/2015/03/13/list-of-haptic-controllers-virtual-reality/

[Wareable] Microsoft HoloLens: Everything you need to know about the $3,000 AR headset, https://www.wareable.com/microsoft/microsoft-hololens-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-futuristic-ar-headset-735

[XR] Marker-less, Inside-Out Tracking, http://xinreality.com/wiki/Marker-less,_Inside-Out_Tracking

Monday, January 2, 2017

Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) and Information Centric Networking (ICN) for 5G

5G Americas published an interesting white paper titled “Understanding Information Centric Networking and Mobile Edge Computing” [5G Americas], which discusses how Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) and Information-Centric Networking (ICN) could support the diversity of use cases for 5G ranging from IoT to high-definition video.

ICN evolves the Internet infrastructure by moving from the current host-centric paradigm to a network architecture in which the focus is on named information [WP].

MEC brings application developers and content providers cloud computing capabilities and an IT service environment at the edge of the mobile network [ETSI].

According to the 5G Americas white paper, a 5G network may use ICN for content distribution, transparent mobility among multiple access technologies, and leverage ICN’s ability to retransmit lost packets over an unreliable radio link. An end-to-end ICN framework could be implemented as an overlay on existing IP networks (ICN over IP). ICN could also be deployed within a 5G network slice where separate ICN frames would receive special treatment compared to IP packets.

MEC could be employed to reduce latency for AR and VR applications, or to perform distributed data reduction and security functions for an IoT network. The complete set of example use cases that the white paper lists include IoT, video distribution/content cache, generic compute resources (using a MEC server placed at the access network), edge analytics, cell-level performance optimization, and latency-sensitive applications.

There are also synergies that can be exploited when MEC and ICN are deployed cooperatively.

[5G Americas] Understanding Information Centric Networking and Mobile Edge Computing, http://www.5gamericas.org/files/3414/8173/2353/Understanding_Information_Centric_Networking_and_Mobile_Edge_Computing.pdf