Security, Hyper-V
Cradlepoint | August 02, 2023
Cradlepoint, the global leader in cloud-delivered LTE and 5G wireless network edge solutions, today announced that Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) has leveraged Cradlepoint to modernize the network infrastructure of one of the largest and most diverse counties in the United States, creating a new paradigm to enhance accessible voting capabilities to eligible voters.
Before 2020, the voting infrastructure and registration processes across Los Angeles County remained widely unchanged from the 1960s. The county recognized the need for a complete voting overhaul — technological and procedural — to address the significant demographic changes impacting equitable voting access. On the technological front, the RR/CC sought innovative, pop-up networking solutions capable of reliably and securely connecting voting technology across widespread and remote locations, while enabling centralized, real-time monitoring and management capabilities.
In November 2020, RR/CC approached their existing connectivity vendor Cradlepoint to test and deploy Cradlepoint’s 5G-optimized Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) solutions, in the form of NetCloud Manager and E3000 routers, which enabled highly scalable, reliable, and secure pop-up networks across approximately one thousand voting centers during the presidential election. Key solution capabilities and outcomes include:
Centralized network management:With NetCloud Manager, RR/CC’s in-house IT team successfully managed the deployment, configuration, and troubleshooting of each network device from centralized locations, reducing unnecessary complexity and on-site visits to quickly scale networks ad hoc for future election-related initiatives.
Consistent enforcement of security policies:NetCloud Manager and E3000 routers enabled the team to take a multi-layered approach to security with policy-based VPN tunneling and certificate-based authentication, keeping sensitive voting data secure to remain compliant with state and federal laws and maintaining the integrity of the democratic electoral process.
Continuous, flexible network connectivity:E3000 routers utilize ethernet, Wi-Fi, and 5G/LTE connectivity to enable multiple transport layers, which keeps voting technology operational across locations, despite any primary network disruptions or failures.
“Los Angeles County recognized the pressing need to modernize our network infrastructure to enhance the accessibility, transparency, and security in the electoral process, but limited IT resources impacted our ability to deploy and manage distributed networks at scale,” said Aman Bhullar, CIO at LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. “Our partnership with Cradlepoint enabled this transformation, helping us to not only accomplish our mission with innovative solutions, but also to set a new standard for widely accessible voting capabilities.”
“In today’s digital world, pop-up connectivity services have become vital to operate in new places and ways, and the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk is a great example of how LTE/5G connectivity and Cradlepoint’s 5G-optimized solutions seamlessly work together to help the office adapt to the modern needs of its constituents,” said Bryan Wood, Sr vice president of sales, North America for Cradlepoint. “We are honored to partner with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk office to ensure eligible voters have access to polling locations, no matter their whereabouts in the county during an election period.”
About Cradlepoint
Cradlepoint enables the freedom to connect people, places, and things that drive more experiences, more ways to work, and better business results — anywhere. The company is a pioneer in Wireless WAN, offering advanced 4G and 5G routers and adapters — controlled through Cradlepoint NetCloudTM. Enterprise businesses and public sector agencies rely on Cradlepoint and its Cellular Intelligence to build a reliable, secure network wherever they need it, connecting fixed and temporary sites, vehicles, IoT devices, and remote employees. Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Cradlepoint is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and part of their Business Area Enterprise Wireless Solutions.
Read More
Virtual Desktop Tools, Virtual Server Infrastructure
businesswire | July 13, 2023
MacStadium, the industry-leading Mac private cloud and software-as-a-service provider enabling macOS workloads, today announced it has secured two patents: one for injection molded “helmets” providing keyboard, video and mouse (KVM) and precise power button control remotely, and one for a new rack shelving design with optimizing server density along with the KVM system.
MacStadium’s helmets, which sit atop a Mac mini or Mac Studio, are specifically designed to retrofit the company’s current shelving offering. Leveraging 3D printing technology to rapidly prototype and refine the design, this innovation dramatically reduces time-to-market and yields very low cost per unit.
While the helmets remain compatible with former shelving solutions, the new shelf design offers six times the server density of older Mac Pro racks and 50% more server density than existing Mac mini racks. Additionally, each Mac server is provisioned with an Apple-focused KVM device providing significant capabilities and advantages while slashing rack shelving costs by 50% or more.
“These patents offer an exciting glimpse into how much we have grown and evolved our technology to better service our customers with scalability on-demand and faster deployment made possible via our enterprise hardware program,” said Paul Benati, MacStadium’s senior vice president and COO. “MacStadium has been and remains at the forefront of Apple enterprise innovation. As the first to market with new Apple servers, we continue to innovate, prioritizing reduced system friction, increased customer ease and satisfaction and decreased costs.”
MacStadium’s proprietary helmet - which is currently in production - houses a temperature probe, LED light, OLED display and a servo, which allows for granular remote control of Apple devices’ power button. These KVM devices can remotely control the Apple devices to which they are connected, eliminating the need for customers to request server control and for IT teams to physically go to data centers to correct issues. With these remote control and self-service features, customers unlock new capabilities, including the ability to dynamically define the purpose of the Apple device, access to network storage and the long-awaited ability to run FileVault. The KVM system is securely accessed via SSL, SSO integration and authentication and authorization via lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP).
The shelving system, which will soon begin production, is designed to hold 24 Mac minis and 24 Apple-focused KVM devices, increasing the capacity of a standard rack to 144 Mac minis. In addition to increased operational efficiencies and secure server access from anywhere in the world, the shelving design offers tremendous cost savings due to its injection molded manufacturing. Not only is this manufacturing offered globally by a multitude of vendors, but it also allows for reduced shipping costs and more server density per square foot due to the product’s reduced bulk and weight.
These innovations provide a clear competitive advantage for customers and are just some of the foundational elements of MacStadium's offering, aimed at driving Mac compute to customers via self-service.
The patents come after MacStadium announced Orka Workspace with Pulse, designed to enable high-definition audio and visual streaming on virtual Mac desktops via any HTML5-supported browser. In addition, the company recently made public its Orka Small Teams edition, a self-service purchase option, giving MacDevOps teams immediate access to the industry’s leading enterprise-grade macOS virtualization and orchestration tool. As tech companies look to streamline operations and maximize their resources, this automation is critical to remain competitive.
About MacStadium
Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Atlanta, MacStadium is a private Mac cloud provider delivering scalable and secure enterprise cloud solutions exclusively for macOS. The company’s suite of advanced software-enabled infrastructure, combined with its innovative technology, delivers the security, performance, reliability and flexibility its MacDevOps customers require for successful app development on Apple devices. Powered by MacStadium, Orka® (Orchestration with Kubernetes on Apple) Platform is the only virtualization layer available for Mac build infrastructure based on popular Docker and Kubernetes technology. MacStadium is a Summit Partners portfolio company with multi-site operations in the U.S. and EU.
Read More
Virtual Desktop Tools, Virtual Server Management
prnewswire | July 11, 2023
Anviz, an industry leader in professional and converged intelligent security solutions, has announced the launch of its next-generation access control solutions powered by Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP). The two new offerings – the SAC921 single-door access controller and C2KA-OSDP RFID keypad reader – are future-proof systems packed with state-of-the-art technology and smart features. Both solutions seek to ensure customer safety and peace of mind, providing a comprehensive security solution for today's modern world.
"Mounting concerns surrounding personal data security have raised awareness about the importance of digital safety in recent years, which is expected to drive significant changes in safety standards for data storage and transfer," said Felix, Product Manager of Anviz. "Aiming to take the lead in transforming how personal data is safeguarded, we launched our latest OSDP-based solutions equipped with tailor-made features for businesses looking for more advanced access control systems. We also believe SIA OSDP, the most widely-recognized standard for access control systems, will play a pivotal role in addressing security concerns by empowering manufacturers to offer enhanced security options with diverse functionalities to global users."
SAC921 Single-door access controller
SAC921 is a PoE-powered access control system that offers great flexibility and simplicity with a wider range of access control interfaces supporting alarm input, perimeter security, and device control. The SAC921 provides a revolutionary upgrade to the traditional Wiegand-based access control systems, significantly streamlining device operations while offering improved security features and better third-party compatibility.
Due to the adoption of PoE, OSDP, and built-in management software, installation of the SAC921 is easier and more cost-effective. Via Anviz's CrossChex remote control system, users can also access a more comprehensive set of security options, such as personnel identity verification, access control, and time attendance management system, granting powerful and customizable security capabilities.
C2KA-OSDP RFID keypad reader
The C2KA-OSDP RFID keypad reader ushers in a new era of PIN code access, delivering unrivaled convenience for both credentialed users and visitors alike. The cutting-edge reader goes beyond traditional access control by supporting multi-factor authentication with seamless integration of various credentials and access methods.
The keypad reader's breakthrough security capabilities are made possible by OSDP, securing connections and safeguarding against hacks. Unlike traditional Wiegand-based systems, OSDP-powered devices enable bidirectional communication between controllers and card readers using RS485, allowing for real-time monitoring of the card reader's status. This enables access control software to monitor, control, and encrypt data between the access control controller and card reader, delivering advanced tamper protection and usage tracking.
OSDP's key value come from its superior flexibility. Data shared between OSDP access control and readers are no longer confined to fixed-length data fields, such as 24 or 36, with AES128 encryption ensuring higher data security. As a member of SIA, Anviz intends to introduce more SIA OSDP Verified products to the global markets, allowing customers worldwide to enjoy higher security, richer functionality, greater ease of use, and increased interoperability brought by OSDP.
The packaged access control solution that combines the SAC921 access controller and C2KA-OSDP RFID keypad reader is scheduled to be launched in the second half of 2023. Anviz is also planning to upgrade its products to support greater compatibility with third-party solutions. This will be tailored to the needs of various industries, including education, government, commercial real estate, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and hospitality users, allowing them access to a comprehensive and integrated security control experience.
AboutAnviz Global
Anviz is the leading security solution provider for the commercial market. We are providing smart solutions based on cloud and IoT technologies to SMB and enterprises clients globally. Security is crucial to any office or facility, every building needs a way to keep the space safe, and most organizations also need to restrict access to certain areas. Anviz is the first access control company to make use of biometrics-based, RFID cards, mobile access technology and specialized hardware to achieve space safety goals. The powerful security features with convenient and flexible system, provide office efficiency for enterprises small and large.
Read More