Cradlepoint Upgrades NetCloud OS With 4G LTE-Optimized SD-WAN

Software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) has transformed enterprise WAN architecture by removing the confinement of branch networks to a single location. Being able to establish SD-WAN at any given location instantly demands the use of wireless networks. According to Cradlepoint, whether it is vehicles, pop-up stores, smart cities and mobile operations facilities, 4G LTE (News - Alert) and the upcoming 5G wireless services will be an essential infrastructure in being able to deliver this type of flexible SD-WAN. The update of the company's NetCloud OS to version 6.3 includes this and other new features with extended SD-WAN functionality for 4G LTE-dependent networks.

Cradlepoint allows organizations to maintain end-to-end visibility, security and control with the speed and economics of wired and wireless Internet broadband for branch, failover, mobile and IoT networks. This has resulted in 75 percent of the world’s top retailers, 50 percent of the Fortune 100, and 25 of the largest U.S. cities making up over 15,000 enterprise and government organizations around the world to depend on the company's technology to keep critical sites, workforces, vehicles and devices connected and protected at all times.

The NetCloud software from Cradlepoint leverages the cloud-based network solutions the company provides to connect people, places and things over wired and wireless broadband by extending 4G LTE-enabled multi-function routers and ruggedized M2M/IoT gateways with cloud-based management and software-defined network (SDN) services.

With the release of version 6.3 NetCloud OS, Cradlepoint has taken its experience as an established cellular router vendor and created solutions to address SD-WAN and OTT delivery of services as the ecosystem continues to evolve. The new release bolsters the company's integrated wireless services into SD-WAN topologies, including 3G, 4G LTE and Wi-Fi-as-WAN. It also extends critical SD-WAN router capabilities with several new 4G LTE-optimized functions of the policy-based traffic prioritization, filtering, shaping and steering capabilities built into the NetCloud Traffic Control function.

“Our new NetCloud OS Release 6.3 provides several unique router features that make it easier to deploy 4G LTE for primary, hybrid and failover connections within SD-WAN environments while controlling performance and data plan consumption, and starts to pave the way to a 5G future,” said Ian Pennell, Chief Marketing Officer and head of product at Cradlepoint.

Some of the new optimized functions of NetCloud OS Release 6.3 include: client-side visibility that allows administrators to see and analyze LAN-attached devices on both Ethernet and Wi-Fi; adaptive quality of service by implementing an advanced traffic queuing algorithm that automatically adapts to differing wind speeds; and Smart WAN Selection (SWANS), a new traffic steering mechanism optimized for wireless connections.

As WANs extend beyond fixed branches and private data centers to connect to more of the devices and infrastructures that will be part of the Internet of Things (IoT), the new capabilities of the NetCloud OS 6.3 will play an important role as 5G increases these connections to billions of devices around the world.

The IoT market has been forecasted to be in the trillions of dollars, and understanding the ecosystem is key to capitalizing on the opportunities this technology provides. The TMC (News - Alert) IoT Evolution Conference and Expo, which will be held July 17-20, 2017 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, has now become the leading educational and networking forum for the enterprise looking to understand how to develop and implement IoT solutions. The CEO & Chairman of the Board at Cradlepoint, George Mulhern, will be delivering a keynote address at the Expo on Thursday, July 20 at 11:00 a.m.