Cisco has introduced significant innovations to its Unified Computing System (UCS), delivering a broader and more powerful portfolio of technologies to help customers capitalise on the next data centre transition brought about by the Internet of Everything.
The new unified computing systems are optimised for intensive data analytics and applications at every scale and are designed to address the needs of companies of all sizes – from small IT environments to enterprises and cloud service providers – across a range of industries and use cases.
Built on the architectural foundations, partnerships, and rapid customer adoption of UCS, Cisco’s newly enhanced and expanded portfolio includes the new Cisco UCS M-Series for cloud-scale applications, Cisco UCS Mini for workloads at the edge, and new Cisco UCS Server, UCS Invicta and UCS Director offerings for data-intensive applications and application acceleration.
“Applications have had a transformative impact on organisations over the past five years, evolving from your run-of-the-mill database to desktop virtualisation, mobile, video and the cloud,” says Natius van der Watt, data centre specialist, Cisco South Africa
“We are in a new world where the scale requirements of applications and the opportunities for businesses to capitalise on the deeper intelligence and faster decisions they afford are really taking off. Cisco is delivering the next wave of unified computing innovation with our expanded UCS portfolio – we are re-thinking what data centre infrastructure should be,” adds Van der Watt
The expansion of the UCS portfolio adopts Cisco’s application-centric approach to computing while leveraging innovations inspired by customers, resulting in new systems and software that bring unified computing technology to cloud-scale, data-intensive applications and workloads at the edge. Highlights of the new portfolio expansion include innovation in three areas:
Cloud-scale computing
The all-new UCS M-Series consists of modular, high-density servers for online content providers and cloud service providers and for distributed applications in industrial high performance computing and enterprise grid. The Cisco UCS M-Series leverages Cisco’s exclusive, next-generation Virtual Interface Card technology to create the industry’s most innovative and efficient approach to disaggregated computing.
Edge-scale computing
Unified Computing innovation is now optimised for remote sites, branch offices, and small IT environments with the introduction of UCS Mini. This all-in-one solution delivers servers, storage and networking in an easy-to-deploy, compact form factor. UCS Mini can combine with UCS Central Software to deliver remote management of distributed IT at massive scale
Performance-scale computing
New UCS Server, UCS Invicta and UCS Director Products deliver power and control for intensive data analytics and application acceleration:
Cisco recently achieved the ranking of No. 1 provider of x86 blade servers in the Americas, measured by revenue market share, according to a report by IDC. Cisco also demonstrated the highest industry growth in the total worldwide server market according to the IDC report, with 39% revenue growth on a cumulative four quarter basis ending in calendar Q1 of 2014, a period where other vendors in the top five posted flat or declining results.
“The Cisco Global Cloud Index predicts that through 2017 the Middle East and Africa will have the highest cloud traffic growth rate (57% combined annual growth rate). Thanks to the increasing use of cloud-based applications and an increase in smart device penetration across South Africa, organisations need data centre solutions that support the processing of unprecedented amount and type of data,” added Van der Watt.
“As a result, our UCS enhancements enable South Africa’s public and private sectors to leverage Big Data solutions to make more informed business decisions, innovate their IT infrastructure, and drive regional and global economic competitiveness.”
