An increasing number of companies are relying on Web-based applications and software as a service (SaaS) alternatives to channel resources to their users over both wired and wireless networks. As a result, the performance and reliability of those networks and point-to-point connections are critical to the success of IT operations, especially when dealing with a widely scattered and remote user base operarting within the cloud.
Although the network is important as the data highway, other technology segments have become equally important as indispensable elements in WAN optimization. One of these areas is storage, which explains why such leading players as EMC Corp. are suddenly very focused on cloud computing and such things as WAN acceleration, applications and data prioritization, and business continuity.
In fact, the company has partnered for some time with Brocade Communications Systems and Silver Peak Systems toward that end, which from EMC's viewpoint is the "seamless federation" between internal and external resources, according to an EMC spokesman.
Read the full blog post on network and storage convergence in the cloud on the Window on WANs blog.
