Cloud computing and Juniper Networks
Juniper Networks Inc. is a Sunnyvale-California based developer of computer networking and other IT infrastructure.
Founded in 1996, Juniper is one of the IT firms that are growing at an impressive rate, and showing signs of perhaps becoming one of the most dominant players in the information technology field.
In the year 2008, for instance, Juniper’s revenues grew by a whopping 26% to stand at $3.5 Billion, out of which the company made a net income of $650 Million.
Juniper’s workforce today stands at more than 7,000 employees spread out all over the globe and the company is listed on the NASDAQ as JNPR.
Juniper’s Products
Juniper develops a whole range of computer networking devices from routers (mainly the popular M40 routers) to network switches, dynamic gateways, virtual private network gateways and network security devices.
Besides hardware components, Juniper also supplies the software to make it all work, creating a complete network solution.
Network software solutions from Juniper include its popular Juno network operating system, which allows for an integrated network solution approach and which, rather interestingly, is platform independent—a clear distinction from many other network operating systems that tend to place a lot of platform limitations.
Many high-end large-scale networks in the world are built on infrastructure bought from Juniper.
Cloud Computing at Juniper
The cloud computing revolution, which is fast gaining momentum, offers a good opportunity for large scale network solution providers like Juniper.
On its part, Juniper is taking the steps necessary to develop infrastructure products that the cloud is likely to require, since it is likely to require a robust network that was not previously demanded, or even thought of, before.
In order to prepare for the specific needs that the cloud is likely to require, Juniper recently announced that it is in the final development stages of a network switch called Stratus, which is perhaps the only switch made specifically with the needs of the cloud in mind.
The performance of Stratus, in terms of the parameters, will be at least ten times greater than the best product in the market today, Juniper promises.
Stratus for instance, will addresses scalability issues comprehensively, so that regardless of what a particular data center is based on, it will be able to integrate into the cloud quite effortlessly.
Obviously this is a big plus for Stratus, given that, in all probability, the data centers coming into the cloud will be based on different types of technologies and there will be a need to ensure accessibility to a network switch that can accommodate them.
Stratus will also solve another common complaint with data centers—latency.
The switch will also be built with the security needs that cloud computing is likely to bring with it and will integrate with Juniper’s Juno Network operating system in a way which makes the whole network manageable, just like a single Juno-based network.
Of course Stratus is bound to show its own quirks with time, but just the fact that Juniper has gotten there ahead of other major players in the industry could eventually translate into a great opportunity that changes the company’s fortunes forever.
The Future of Cloud Computing at Juniper
Juniper seems to be taking the whole cloud computing venture rather seriously and taking a proactive approach to the opportunities that the cloud offers.
This suggests that (all things holding constant) Juniper could be one of the major beneficiaries of the cloud.
Take for instance the fact that, while other players in information technology are still haggling and trying to see how the cloud shapes up, Juniper is already developing specific products for the cloud, like Stratus, and you can see just how high into the cloud Juniper is ready to go.
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Category: Juniper
