IT Executive news

• 19% off Polaroid ZIP Mobile Photo Printer with ZINK Zero Ink Printing Technology - Deal Alert

  18-07-2016 23:08
  
  Enjoy the power and fun of a Polaroid camera without the Polaroid camera. This little standalone photo printer connects to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth, and is powered by a rechargeable lithium polymer battery, so it's designed to be portable, easy and fun to use. On a single charge the gadget will print 25 photos -- without ink. Instead, it uses heat to produce deep, vibrant colors that are completely smudge-proof, on 2x3 paper that is waterproof, tear-proof and backed with adhesive
  
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• ZTE's $99 Zmax Pro smartphone packs in top-line features

  18-07-2016 22:38
  
  ZTE's US $99 ZMax Pro packs in some of the latest smartphone technologies, something you wouldn't expect in a low-priced handset.The smartphone has a 6-inch screen and is available only through MetroPCS in the U.S. It weighs about 175 grams and is 8.9 millimeters thick.It has some top-line features found in the latest smartphones, like a USB Type-C port. It also runs on the latest Android OS 6.0 code-named Marshmallow.The Gorilla Glass 3 screen shows images at a full HD resolution. The hand
  
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• Apple updates OS X El Capitan with final non-security fixes

  18-07-2016 22:30
  
  Apple today updated OS X El Capitan, likely for the last time other than for security patches.
  The update -- the sixth since El Capitan debuted last September -- signaled that its successor, macOS Sierra, may appear earlier on the calendar than the last several annual upgrades.
  El Capitan 10.11.6 featured a very short list of resolved stability and compatibility issues, including unsaved parental control settings and inaccessible networked speakers and multi-function printers. A trio of enterpr
  
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• Tesla to make 'significant' upgrades to Autopilot

  18-07-2016 22:18
  
  Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk tweeted Sunday that that he had a "promising call" with Bosch, a German auto-technology supplier that makes the radar sensor for Tesla's all-electric vehicles.Musk's tweet said that 'significant' upgrades might be possible for Autopilot, but did not specify what those might be. The improvements will eventually be added to vehicles with Autopilot capability via an over-the-air upgrade, Musk said. Twitter Musk tweeted that improvements are coming to Autopilot.To read thi
  
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• How to remove malware from your Windows PC

  18-07-2016 22:00
  Is your computer running slower than usual? Are you getting lots of pop-ups? Have you seen other weird problems crop up? If so, your PC might be infected with a virus, spyware, or other malware—even if you have an antivirus program installed. Though other problems such as hardware issues can produce similarly annoying symptoms, it’s best to check for malware if your PC is acting up and we’ll show you how to do it yourself.Step 1: Enter Safe ModeBefore you do anything, you need
  
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• Rep. Pascrell's H-1B bill is a message to Democrats

  18-07-2016 21:58
  
  Early this month, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) introduced an H-1B reform bill that, he said, has little chance of being enacted this year. But that wasn't the point of the bill.
  "I introduced my legislation, in fact, when I saw [that H-1B] wasn't going to be in the [Democratic] platform," Pascrell said during a telephone press conference Monday about his legislation.
  The Democrats, both presumptive presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and the party itself, have not called for H-1B reforms.
  
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• IoT spurs surprise surge in assembly language popularity

  18-07-2016 21:55
  
  Assembly language, that reliable staple of low-level programming, has taken a back seat to the multitude of higher-level, easier-to-use languages that have emerged over the years. But it is making a comeback, thanks to the IoT (internet of things) and embedded computing.
  This month's Tiobe index, which gauges language popularity based on a formula examining internet searches, has assembly returning to its top 10 for the second time this year, with a 10th-place slotting. It also reached the top
  
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• Atomic-scale memory can store 500 times more than today’s best hard drive

  18-07-2016 21:35
  
  Dutch researchers have discovered a method of storing atom-sized bits on copper with a density of 500 Terabits per square inch (Tbpsi) -- 500 times more dense than the best commercial hard disk currently available.
  "In theory, this storage density would allow all books ever created by humans to be written on a single post stamp," lead scientist Sander Otte said in a statement.
  The research, published today in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, details how the scientists were able to construct a
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: SoftBank buys ARM: What will Apple do?

  18-07-2016 21:07
  
  Apple has had tremendous success with its iOS devices by licensing ARM’s instruction sets and manufacturing their own mobile chips. But the news that SoftBank plans to buy ARM has caused many in the Apple community to wonder how the sale might affect Apple’s products, and if Apple should try to buy ARM.
  I’ll share my own thoughts below, but the topic also came up in a recent thread in the Apple subreddit, and there were some interesting comments posted:WinterCharm: “What
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Start up your privacy awareness program: posters

  18-07-2016 21:00
  
  Every comprehensive privacy program includes a formal training component. In-person classes, computer-based training and webinars are some of the ways to fill this need. Formal privacy training most often occurs once a year. However, other initiatives be promoted by your organization probably has annual training as well.To keep privacy top-of-mind between annual training, an awareness program should be created. Awareness programs use informal, unscheduled mechanisms to remind your staff about pr
  
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• BrandPost: Data Consolidation: Taking the Shop Floor to the Cloud

  18-07-2016 20:45
  
  Manufacturers make things that matter every day, but garnering meaningful data from these processes can be a challenge. Cloud ERP is the answer to this problem, allowing manufacturers to consolidate operational and shop floor data. One such manufacturer who has accomplished this with Cloud ERP is Avon Gear Company.
  Bringing Precision to Manufacturing
  Headquartered in Shelby Township, Michigan, Avon Gear Company manufactures precision-machined components and subassemblies for heavy industrial eq
  
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• Skype updates its Windows 10 app beta on desktop and mobile

  18-07-2016 20:41
  
  Skype is bringing a new app to smartphones, computers, and tablets running Windows 10 on Monday, ahead of Microsoft's Windows 10 Anniversary Update launch.People who are beta testing Windows 10 through the Windows Insider Program now get a new version of the Skype Preview App, which will allow them to call mobile and landline phones from their computers, leave and receive voicemails, and put calls on hold.The new Skype app will replace the existing Skype desktop app, along with calling and messa
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 5 tips on negotiating a cloud agreement

  18-07-2016 20:28
  
  Companies in every industry are transitioning to cloud environments because of the reliability and cost-effectiveness of cloud-based services. A question that I get asked all the time is, "What should a CIO look for when negotiating a cloud contract?" While cloud computing is not new anymore to most organizations, there is still a lot to negotiate when it comes to cloud service contracts, because most of the standard terms are in favor of the vendor.
  As is the case with other types of contracts
  
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• NYC Wi-Fi project set to move forward as city beats payphone lawsuit

  18-07-2016 20:23
  
  A U.S. district court judge last week effectively ended a payphone company’s lawsuit against the City of New York, opening the door for an ambitious public Wi-Fi hotspot program to proceed.
  The payphone company, Telebeam, had sued the city in 2014, arguing that the city shouldn’t have been allowed to force Telebeam to cede up 1,300 public payphone sites when it awarded the contract to rival CityBridge.
  Counsel to the Mayor Maya Wiley said that the decision would have major resonance
  
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• Don't look now, but Harry Potter's invisibility cloak just got a big step closer

  18-07-2016 20:16
  
  Harry Potter fans, take note: Scientists have made an object "disappear" using a cloaking device similar in many ways to the invisibility cloak imagined by author J.K. Rowling.Researchers from the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science at the Queen Mary University of London worked with U.K. industry recently to demonstrate a device that allows curved surfaces to appear flat to electromagnetic waves. It's not an invisibility cloak just yet, but it could bring the much-yearned-for i
  
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• Android 7.0 Nougat Developer Preview 5 is now available

  18-07-2016 20:11
  
  Android Nougat (7.0) is coming real soon now. The final preview build, Developer Preview 5, has just been released. You can get the latest build for recent Nexus devices here.
  So what's new in the latest release? According to a post by David Burke (VP of Engineering) on the Android Developers Blog, you'll find the follow four major items:System images for Nexus and other preview devices
  An emulator that you can use for doing the final testing of your apps to make sure they’re ready
  T
  
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• Attackers could steal millions through online phone verification systems

  18-07-2016 20:05
  In the latest attack that shows how hard it is for users to identify phone numbers with premium call charges, a researcher has found that he could have earned millions by abusing the online phone verification systems used by Google, Microsoft, and Instagram.
  Many websites and mobile apps allow users to associate a phone number with their account. This can be used for two-factor authentication or as an account recovery and verification option. Many of these systems rely on codes sent via text me
  
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• Apple's song royalty rate proposal would hit Spotify right in the wallet

  18-07-2016 20:01
  Apple’s latest move to shake up the music industry could up-end Spotify’s entire business model. The company filed a proposal late last week with the Copyright Royalty Board, a commission of three judges appointed by the Librarian of Congress to set the rates and terms for songwriting royalties, to simplify the costs per stream. Apple thinks every service should pay 9.1 cents per every 100 plays, which would make it easier for artists to figure out what they’re owed. But for s
  
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• The definitive mid-2016 Fitbit buyers' guide

  18-07-2016 18:34
  
  My February 2015 “definitive Fitbit buying guide” is no longer so definitive, as Fitbit has released two more trackers since then: Alta and Blaze.So here’s an updated buyers’ guide to Fitbit’s current lineup of products, based on my own experiences using all the devices. I’ve arranged them from least to most expensive.But before I delve into the trackers, three things are worth mentioning.1. You don’t need a Fitbit device to track steps with Fitbit. The
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Some observations about Microsoft-GE enterprise IoT partnership

  18-07-2016 18:32
  
  This week, at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference, Microsoft and GE announced a strategic alliance to bring GE's Predix IoT platform to Microsoft's Azure cloud. While the partnership is certainly relevant, it was interesting to see the immediate excitement in the news, including coverage by major media outlets and an exclusive CNBC interview with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and GE CEO Jeff Immelt. The stock prices of both companies rose slightly in response to the news.To read this article
  
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• 3 things to know about Softbank's plan to acquire ARM

  18-07-2016 18:24
  
  Since the release of the iPhone, ARM's chip designs have driven a mobile revolution. The small chip company has brought giants like Intel to their knees in the realm of mobile phones and tablets, and now it's on the verge of being acquired by Softbank for a stunning US$32 billion.
  You may not know it, but outside of PCs ARM is in almost every device we use, from smartphones to TVs to home appliances. It licenses chip designs to manufacturers, and over the last 25 years, over 90 billion ARM-desi
  
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• Microsoft's new service is like YouTube for the enterprise

  18-07-2016 18:00
  
  It's called Stream, and it's supposed to let people easily work together with one another on videos, and then share that content both inside and outside their company.In the realm of consumer web services, video is ascending. Facebook has been emphasizing video posts on its popular social network, while YouTube is still going strong. Microsoft is trying to take some of that mojo and bring it to the business world with the launch of an open beta for Stream on Monday.To read this article in full o
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How to create a bootable USB drive of Linux distros

  18-07-2016 17:41
  
  If you've been wanting to try Linux, whether because you're  worried about privacy in Windows 10, don't like Microsoft's "ignore what users want" approach or want to stay out of Apple's walled garden, this tutorial is for you.
  One of the biggest advantages of Linux is that, unlike macOS and Windows, you don’t have to wipe your hard drive to test it. You can test it right from a USB stick. You can also use this drive to rescue data from corrupt Windows systems.To read this article in
  
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• Early Android app support rolls out to two more Chromebooks

  18-07-2016 15:57
  
  Google recently added Google Play support to two more Chromebooks in Chrome OS's developer channel. That means you can now run Android apps on three separate Chromebooks. The two new Chromebooks include the Acer Chromebook R 11 C738T, and Google’s own Chromebook Pixel, although in the 2015 version only.
  Google had previously announced on its Chromium site that support would be coming to the two Chromebooks in either June or July, but didn’t provide a firm date. The Play Store u
  
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• 27% off 3 Squares TIM3 MACHIN3 Rice and Multi Cooker - Deal Alert

  18-07-2016 15:42
  The 3 Squares TIM3 MACHIN3 Rice Cooker, Slow Cooker, Yogurt Maker & Food Steamer will make a lot more time for you while making great meals for your family. The TIM3 MACHIN3 cooks rice up to 45% faster than competing rice cookers. With Fuzzy Logic 2.0 and a 20% thicker cooking pot ensure that quickly cooked rice comes out delicious - with no burning. This unit is currently rated 4.5 out of 5 stars (read reviews) and is currently selling for $50.99 on Amazon .To read this article in
  
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• Box moves telephony, Web conferencing to the cloud

  18-07-2016 15:01
  
  You would be forgiven for assuming that a native cloud company -- a company whose raison d'etre is selling cloud applications and platforms -- wouldn't have a lick of on-premises software. But the reality is that for companies founded as recently as 10 to 15 years ago, SaaS analogs for every core computing operation did not exist. For that reason, migrating to SaaS solutions is still very much the mission for Box CIO Paul Chapman.Box CIO Paul Chapman.To read this article in full or to leave a co
  
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• HP's Elite X3 smartphone with Windows 10 will ship this month for $699

  18-07-2016 15:00
  Not many are using smartphones with Microsoft's Windows 10 Mobile, but HP's flagship Elite X3 -- which ships this month -- could boost the OS's sagging fortunes.
  The premium smartphone will be priced starting at US$699 in the U.S. It feels more like a phablet, but HP believes it could also be a PC in a pinch with its top-line mobile processor, OS and innovative accessories.
  HP first announced the Elite X3 at the Mobile World Congress trade show in February.
  It has a 5.96-inch AMOLED screen that
  
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• When should you buy your kids their first smartphone?

  18-07-2016 14:55
  
  I live in San Francisco, a city so enamored of technology that people cross busy, four-lane thoroughfares with their noses buried in a smartphone. So you’d think that our digerati would be the first to equip their kids with the latest smartphones. But maybe not.
  I conducted an informal poll of local friends on Facebook and found that most of the parents among them had little interest in listening to the pleas of their technology-enthused children – at least until middle school.
  Troy
  
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• Samsung beefs up enterprise lineup with Notebook 7 Spin

  18-07-2016 14:24
  
  Looking to appeal to two types of business users, Samsung today unveiled a pair of Windows 10 devices, adding more options to its current lineup of enterprise-geared mobile products.SamsungEarlier this year, the company released the Galaxy Tab Pro S, a tablet hybrid device built to compete with the iPad Pro and Surface Pro 4, as well as the Notebook 9 Ultrabook aimed at executives and road warriors. Joining the Samsung family are two versions of the Notebook 7 Spin -- a device that combines the
  
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• How project managers can master transformational change

  18-07-2016 14:17
  
  Before you can help implement change management, you need to understand what this broadly used term in the context of project management. Change management is a discipline that allows businesses to effectively and precisely identify and document anticipated changes to the business as well as understand how those changes affect individuals in terms of their workflows/processes. It also aids in preparing individuals for those changes and helps guide them towards best practices within new processes
  
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• Battery-less energy harvesting sensors a step closer

  18-07-2016 14:16
  
  Wireless sensors can be used to monitor a building’s water usage and power consumption, they can be used to predict when a machine needs maintenance, when a pipe might burst, stop you getting sunburnt, and even alert parents’ if baby needs changing.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Room-temperature qubit breakthrough as quantum computer race heats up

  18-07-2016 14:15
  
  We are one step closer to a true quantum computer following a breakthrough which researchers say will allow qubits to be used at room-temperature.
  One of the practical challenges of quantum computing has been the requirement to cool the quantum bits (qubits) to incredibly low temperatures, close to absolute zero and comparable to the temperature of space.
  This super-cooling is necessary so that the quantum states of the qubit’s components remain ‘coherent’ and can perform comp
  
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• Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus review: No longer the best budget smartphones available

  18-07-2016 13:00
  
  A year ago, I would have enthusiastically endorsed you bringing home a third-generation Moto G if you wanted the best budget Android device. But after a few days with its successors, the Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus, I’m now preparing for the beginning of the end of what was once Motorola’s best smartphone.
  These are the first Moto G phones developed with Lenovo at the helm, since acquiring Motorola's mobile business in 2014. While It hasn’t completely steamrolled over everything
  
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• How to build a strong employee referral culture

  18-07-2016 12:37
  
  A strong referral culture not only helps streamline the recruiting and hiring process, but also delivers benefits such as increased engagement, collaboration and job satisfaction -- not to mention improving retention and loyalty.
  The recent Active Job Seeker Dilemma survey from Future Workplace, a research firm and workforce management consultancy, and Beyond.com, a career and hiring marketplace, polled 4,347 U.S. job seekers and 129 HR professionals and found that 71 percent of those surveyed s
  
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• Tech leaders challenged daily to sort through a crush of new security apps

  18-07-2016 12:30
  
  A tech leader's day can be unpredictable, but Ginny Davis, CIO at entertainment services company Technicolor, can rely on one thing: She's guaranteed to get an email from a new security provider urging her to check out its latest and greatest technology.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Why Google Fi? Because it's fast, cheap and easy

  18-07-2016 12:00
  
  I'm a digital nomad.
  In fact, I've been living (and loving) the digital nomad lifestyle on and off for 10 years now. Specifically, my wife and I got rid of our house and put all our stuff into storage. Now we choose various places around the world, rent a house or apartment for between one and four months, and live there as "temporary locals." (I maintain a blog about the digital nomad lifestyle called "Becoming Nomad.")
  As a writer who typically interviews sources via Skype or email and files
  
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• Essential Azure automation tricks for Windows admins

  18-07-2016 12:00
  
  Any organization making use of the cloud will want to leverage the power of infrastructure automation. This holds true whether you’re tapping Amazon Web Serices, Microsoft Azure, or any other cloud service. Automating repetitively executed tasks will save considerable labor and reduce human error.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• 15 free Modern Windows apps for IT pros

  18-07-2016 11:59
  
  There are countless free app lists out there for traditional Windows applications and mobile OSs, but not as many for the newer Modern Windows apps. Most of these apps are still very basic in their functionality, but nevertheless there are some that are quite useful, even for network and IT professionals.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Flaw in vBulletin add-on leads to Ubuntu Forums database breach

  18-07-2016 11:37
  
  Ubuntu support forums users should be on the lookout for dodgy emails after the website's database of 2 million email addresses was stolen.
  Canonical announced the security breach on Friday after being notified that someone was claiming to have a copy of the UbuntuForums.org database. An investigation revealed that an attacker did get access to the website's user records through a vulnerability.
  The exploited SQL injection flaw was located in the Forum Runner add-on for vBulletin, commercial we
  
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• SoftBank will acquire ARM for $32 billion

  18-07-2016 04:50
  
  Japan’s SoftBank will acquire UK chip design company, ARM Holdings, to cash in on growing demand for processors and other technologies for the internet of things and mobile markets.SoftBank is paying £24.3 billion (US$32 billion) in cash for the chip company that licenses its designs to a large number of chip suppliers to smartphone makers and to the emerging IoT market.The Japanese company will retain ARM's headquarters in Cambridge and plans to double the number of employees in the
  
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• SoftBank said to acquire ARM for about $32 billion

  18-07-2016 04:50
  
  Japan’s SoftBank is set to acquire UK chip design company, ARM, to cash in on growing demand for processors and other technologies for the internet of things and mobile markets, according to news reports.Softbank is paying  up to US$32 billion for the chip design company that licenses its designs to a large number of chip suppliers to smartphone makers and to the emerging IoT market, according to the reports.SoftBank has invested in a number of media and technology companies, includin
  
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• Battery-life boost from Sunshine Coast nanotechnology innovation

  18-07-2016 03:58
  
  Battery-life is increasingly the sticking point of technological progress.
  The latest electric vehicles can practically drive themselves, but only for so long. Outback energy woes look like they could be solved by solar and home energy storage, if the available batteries can be improved. And what about the Pokemon GO players, cutting hunting trips short due to the battery-sapping requirements of the app?
  The solution could come from Sunshine Coast nanotechnology company Nano Nouvelle, which is
  
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• AT&T likes 'white-box' networks and hopes you will, too

  18-07-2016 02:00
  
  AT&T’s march toward standard “white-box” network gear will come to enterprises this week with the introduction of a standard x86 server that can take the place of four specialized network devices.
  AT&T is aggressively pursuing SDN and NFV (network functions virtualization), a pair of technologies that are expected to change the face of networking over the next several years. The carrier is on track to have nearly one-third of its own infrastructure virtualized this yea
  
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