Stories by Jim Duffy

Bob Muglia, executive vice president of Juniper Networks' software solutions division, has abruptly resigned from the company following the appointment of a new CEO.

Next year will see demonstrable evidence of the Internet of Things, real-time communications on the Web, and SDN-enabled platforms with killer applications for them.

Cisco's introduction of the Insieme Networks product line and strategy was the most anticipated networking announcement in almost two years. It represents Cisco's response to the software-defined networking trend pervading the industry, and threatening Cisco's dominance and profits. While not a watershed moment – Insieme didn't change Cisco's modus operandii, as explained below -- Insieme is nonetheless one of the most important events and product introductions in Cisco's history. Here are 10 things we learned or have yet to learn from the Insieme launch:

Juniper Networks has found its new CEO.

The Open Compute Project this week announced that it is considering four contributions for development of an open, operating system-agnostic data center switch it announced six months ago.

Alcatel-Lucent is reportedly looking again to sell its enterprise business as it attempt to cut expenses through an asset sale.

Cisco's Nexus 9000 product line, developed by spin-in Insieme Networks, is the company's response to the SDN craze

Cisco's network competitors VMware, Arista and HP predictably found holes in this week's launch of the Insieme Networks product line and strategy.

Game on: Cisco has acquired spin-in Insieme Networks for $863 million and rolled out a family of its switches that are the network giant's strategic answer to the growing software defined network movement.

Game on: Cisco has acquired spin-in Insieme Networks for $863 million and rolled out a family of its switches that are the network giant's strategic answer to the growing software defined network movement.

The launch of Insieme Networks has been one of the most anticipated events in the networking industry over the past 18 months or so, ever since word leaked that Cisco was funding the spin-in as its response to the software-defined networking trend. Today, Cisco ends the suspense and speculation on what the company has been working on and how it will impact SDNs specifically and the networking industry in general.

SDN start-up Big Switch Networks this week replaced its CEO with a former Juniper Networks executive as the company reboots its business plan in an attempt to boost the appeal of its products.

Kicking off a week that promises to be rich in data center and cloud networking news, Arista Networks today unveiled a new line of switches designed to bring programmable provisioning to smaller, more cost conscious deployments.

Juniper Networks is cutting its workforce by 280, or 3 per cent, this quarter as it realigns resources in high growth opportunities.

Alcatel-Lucent is offering its enterprise switch users a free software upgrade to converge wired Ethernet networks with wireless from Aruba Networks.