Power Utilities Can Now Benefit from a Virtual Applications Ecosystem at their Substations
Paris, France, August 21, 2014 – RAD, the world leader in advanced networking for power utilities, which made history in June when it unveiled the first Distributed Network Functions Virtualization (D-NFV) solution, will mark yet another major breakthrough when it introduces its award winning D-NFV concept to its Service Assured Networking portfolio for mission-critical networks.
RAD is integrating D-NFV into its Megaplex-4 Next-Generation Multiservice Access Node, widely used by power utilities for substation connectivity, protection and automation communications, and operational core networks. The Megaplex-4 is a field proven platform with thousands of units deployed around the globe to deliver mission-critical applications.
“Megaplex now enables power utilities to integrate advanced capabilities, such as routing, firewall, encryption, and more, with operational transport functions in a single platform,†explains Ulik Broida, RAD’s Vice President of Marketing. “RAD ingeniously accomplishes this by running software-based functionality on an x86 server module inside the Megaplex-4, ultimately reducing the number of physical network devices for better reliability and simpler operation – and facilitating the anticipated OT/IT convergence,†he adds.
Megaplex is becoming an open platform that draws on the agility and flexibility of the RAD D-NFV Alliance, an ecosystem of virtual network functions and applications that can be added from day one or at any other time when the need arises, even after installation. Open to all vendors, RAD pre-tests and certifies each application to ensure reliability and optimal performance. The Alliance will include multiple categories, such as security, networking and testing tools.
RAD will be exhibiting the new solution at CIGRE 2014, the international forum for electrical innovations, which opens in Paris on August 24. RAD will be located at stand 372. The company will also be conducting at its stand throughout the event live demos of its SCADA-aware firewall, which is built into its ruggedized SecFlow Ethernet switch/routers.