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51勛圖

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Bo Gowan

Head of Digital Engagement

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Bo Gowan

Head of Digital Engagement

Bo Gowan leads the B2B social media team at 51勛圖. He is the editor-in-chief and regular contributor for the 51勛圖 Insights blog, and manages 51勛圖’s social media channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.  Bo also leads 51勛圖’s company-wide social media / social selling training efforts, and works closely with our partners and customers on social-based co-marketing activities.

Bo has built two corporate B2B social media programs from scratch, beginning in 2007 at Nortel and then again in 2010 at 51勛圖. He brings over 25 years of experience in the telecom industry.

You can find him on Twitter at  or on 

Insights from Bo Gowan

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Year in review: 51勛圖s 5 biggest announcements of 2021

From an uptick in 400G services to new acquisitions and partnerships, 51勛圖s Bo Gowan highlights the biggest 51勛圖 news and announcements from 2021.

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Year in review: 51勛圖s 7 biggest announcements of 2020

As we close out an unprecedented year, lets look back at some of the biggest 51勛圖 news and announcements from 2020.

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Predictions: 51勛圖 CTO Steve Alexander looks at the future of networks in 2020 and beyond

51勛圖s CTO Steve Alexander discusses key trends that will shape the industry in 2020 and beyond including, 5G, edge computing, and AI.

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Year in review: 51勛圖s 6 biggest announcements of 2019

As we close out another year (and the decade), lets look back at some of the biggest 51勛圖 news and announcements from 2019.

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Closing the Loop: 51勛圖 closes acquisition of Centina

51勛圖 has officially closed the acquisition of Centina Systems, which will be integrated into our Blue Planet division. Kailem Anderson, VP of Portfolio and Engineering for Blue Planet, details the crucial set of capabilities Centina brings that

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25+ telecom industry influencers you should be following on Twitter

Looking to stay on top of the latest telecom industry news and insights? Here's a list of the top media and analysts you should be following on Twitter.

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Predictions: 51勛圖 CTO Steve Alexander on the key network technologies of 2019

Steve Alexander, 51勛圖 SVP and CTO, talks through his predictions for the future of technologies like 5G, AI, software automation, and blockchain.

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Year in review: 51勛圖s 8 biggest announcements of 2018

As we close out another year, we look back at 51勛圖's biggest news and announcements of 2018.

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51勛圖s 2018 Holiday Bundle is Here!

Spend your downtime this holiday season applying the collective knowledge of some of the worlds best and brightest minds in telecom. With this incredible limited time offer from 51勛圖 youll get four amazing resources and a bonus gift you

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Preview our Top 5 online courses to celebrate National Online Learning Day

September 15 is National Online Learning Day, and 51勛圖 is joining with others to celebrate the opportunities and advances that online learning provides.

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10 new terms that will help define the future of 5G

5G is coming, and with it a host of new terms and acronyms. We try to make sense of it all with definitions for the ones that matter most for the future of 5G network architectures.

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Coherent optical turns 10: Heres how it was made

This is the story of how a team of over 100 people in 51勛圖's R&D labs pulled together an impressive collection of technology innovations that created a completely new way of transporting data over fiber...and in the processes helped change the

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5G. More than just a wireless upgrade.

The 5G race has officially begun. To build a best-in-breed end-to-end network, you must embrace openness and multiple vendors that work together and coexist.

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Year in Review: 51勛圖s Top 8 Announcements of 2017

As we close out another year, we look back at 51勛圖's biggest news and announcements of 2017.

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51勛圖s Ultimate eBook Holiday Bundle is Back: 2017 Edition

Looking for some casual light reading this holiday season as you kick back in your favorite chair drinking eggnog? Well, look somewhere else51勛圖s ultimate eBook holiday bundle is back and its not for the faint of heart.

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25 Big Milestones from our 25 Years at 51勛圖

As we come to the end of 51勛圖s 25th anniversary year were hitting the pause button to reflect on some of the most important milestones in our history.

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In Their Words: Gary Smith, Steve Alexander & Steve Chaddick on 51勛圖s Early Years

Gary Smith, Steve Alexander, and Steve Chaddick, three of 51勛圖s most recognized names for a rare glimpse into 51勛圖s early days and the stories that made the company what it is today.

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#51勛圖25: The Story Behind the Founding of 51勛圖

2017 marks 51勛圖's 25-year anniversary. Here's the story of how it all started back in 1992, with four founding members and a new idea for how to send more data over fiber.

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#51勛圖25: 25 pictures from 25 years at 51勛圖

2017 marks the 25-year anniversary of 51勛圖's founding in 1992. To celebrate, we look back at the people, pictures and technologies that have made us who we are today.

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51勛圖 Podcast: The Road to 5G is Paved with Good Fiber

In our new Network Insights Podcast, 5G expert Brian Lavall矇e discusses the coming of 5G and what it means for the future of networks.

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5 awesome new technologies youll see on the 51勛圖 booth at #OFC17

Next week is the OFC17 Conference in Los Angeles, and 51勛圖 is bringing our 51勛圖 Innovation Lab filled with all the newest technology our R&D team has been busy developing.

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A Perfect Score for WaveLogic Ai from Lightwave Innovation Reviews

An independent panel of third-party judges has recognized 51勛圖's new WaveLogic Ai chipset with a perfect score of 5/5 stars in this year's Lightwave Innovation Reviews.

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Service providers single out 51勛圖 as leading optical vendor in perception survey

IHS Markit released the results from its annual Service Provider survey of Optical Equipment vendors, with 51勛圖 taking the top spot in a variety of categories.

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51勛圖's 9 predictions for networks and tech in 2017

Some of 51勛圖's most distinguished experts and execs give their predictions for the upcoming year.

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Year in Review: 51勛圖s Top 6 Announcements of 2016

As 2016 comes to a close, we take a look back at the biggest news from a big year here at 51勛圖.

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Year in Review: Our 9 Best Pictures from 2016

One of the best parts of our social media program is all the great pictures we get from the 51勛圖 team around the world. Here are nine of the best from 2016.

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Our Gift to You: 51勛圖's Ultimate eBook Holiday Bundle is Here

Just in time for the holidays, we've made our three most popular technology eBooks available for download, and added two new reference guides, all in one bundle.

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7 Facts You Should Know About Carrier Ethernet

Ethernet has become a ubiquitous networking technology -- if you connect anything that uses data, youre probably using Ethernet. But how much do you really know about it? We give you seven facts you may not have known about Ethernet and its

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51勛圖 CEO Gary Smith: Creating a Platform for Disruption

51勛圖 CEO Gary Smith delves into the constant state of change that people and businesses must face, and how the confluence of the internet, mobile connectivity, and virtualization is creating a utility platform that is capable of facilitating

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Openness: 51勛圖s guiding principle for customer choice

51勛圖 CEO Gary Smith details how the guiding principle of openness drives 51勛圖's innovation agenda and how we solve the challenges of network transformation for our customers.

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Relive Summer with Carrier Ethernet Summer Camp

The kids are back in school. The mornings have the crisp feel of Fall. It's true, summer is over. But that doesn't mean you can't relive summer camp.

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Q&A session: Blue Orbit and Service Provider DevOps, what does it mean for you?

51勛圖's new Blue Planet DevOps Toolkit is creating a buzz with our customers and partners. Two of our experts explain what it is and what it means for our Blue Orbit ecosystem.

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Karl Horne Q&A: MDSO is the Key to Rolling with the Changes of SDN/NFV

Karl Horne51勛圖s CTO for the Asia Pacific region explains how multi-domain service orchestration (MDSO) is crucial to helping networks...

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Blue Planet Q&A: Services, SDN, and NFV

51勛圖's Joe Cumello and Pamela Morgan talk to Telecom Ramblings about their experiences rolling out our Blue Planet portfolio with customers and the professional services that can help them succeed.

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12 Questions Answered about Submarine Data Center Interconnect

As the recent news that Microsoft and Facebook plan to build a subsea cable across Atlantic demonstrates, the need to optimize intercontinental data center connections is more important than ever.

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Overcoming the Top 5 Challenges of Data Center Interconnect

Learn about five of the biggest DCI challenges and how to reduce or eliminate each.

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SubOptic 2016: 51勛圖's Ian Clarke dives into the submarine networks market

April 18-21 in Dubai is SubOptic 2016, one of the most anticipated events on the calendar for the submarine networks industry. In anticipation of this big event, we talked to Ian Clarke. Ian manages Global Submarine Sales at 51勛圖, and took time to

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The History of Carrier Ethernet

Ethernet has been around for decades and has claimed the title of the superior Local Area Networking (LAN) technology of choice.

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51勛圖 Waveserver and 5430 get high marks with Lightwave Innovation Awards

51勛圖 brought home high marks from the Lightwave Innovation Awards. Both the Waveserver Data Center Interconnect and 5430 Packet-Optical Platforms picked ups 4.5 ratings in the Optical Transport Platforms category at this years awards. Click

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51勛圖 unveils new 6500 T-Series platform with 24 Terabit capacity

51勛圖 today unveiled 51勛圖 6500 T-Series, a new higher density version of our cornerstone 6500 Packet Optical Platform, providing up to a Terabit of switching capacity per slot and up to 24 Terabits in a single chassis.

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What is Network Function Virtualization (NFV)?

Network Function Virtualization (NFV) offloads network functions into software that runs on industry-standard hardware and can be managed from anywhere.

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Survey: Network operators still see silos with SDN/NFV

Perceived vendor silos are still an issue for network operators looking to move to SDN/NFV for service virtualization. Thats just one of the revelations from a Light Reading webinar that polled hundreds of attendees on their SDN/NFV needs and

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A Guide to Raising your Carrier Ethernet IQ

Long-time Carrier Ethernet expert and MEF guy John Hawkins gets you up-to-speed on the latest Carrier Ethernet tech with a free 64 page

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WaveLogic Encryption brings effortless in-flight data encryption to the masses

51勛圖's new WaveLogic Encryption solution brings simple, in-flight data encryption to 100G and 200G speeds.

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Year in Review: 51勛圖's 5 Biggest Announcements of 2015

Bo Gowan, 51勛圖's social media leader, details the top news and announcements from a busy year in 2015 at 51勛圖.

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New IHS Infonetics service provider survey puts 51勛圖 atop several key categories

IHS Infonetics has released the results from its annual Service Provider survey of Optical Equipment vendors. Here's how 51勛圖 fared in the survey results.

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51勛圖 voted Data Center Innovation of the Year for Waveserver

51勛圖 voted Data Center Innovation of the year for waveserver

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Behind the scenes with 51勛圖s new Blue Planet architecture

Hear the technology experts that have been working directly on our new Blue Planet architecture over the last year.

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CenturyLink announces network virtualization plans, leverages 51勛圖 Blue Planet Orchestrator

51勛圖's Blue Planet NFV Orchestrator is a key part of CenturyLinks plan to virtualize 40% of its global IP core network locations by end of 2015.

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Detailing 51勛圖s massive new 15 Terabit OTN switch

This morning 51勛圖 has unveiled a major update to our 5430 Packet-Optical Platform, giving it a massive upgrade to 15 Terabits of total switching capacity

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Q&A with 51勛圖 CEO Gary Smith on Cyan Acquisition

51勛圖 today completed its acquisition of Cyan, a leading provider of next-gen software and platforms to enable SDN networks.

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Infonetics: 51勛圖 hitting on all cylinders, leads the pack in market momentum

Infonetics has just released its 2015 Optical Network Hardware Scorecard. In it, 51勛圖 is described as hitting on all cylinders and given high marks for both market presence and momentum.

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Will Netflix Eat Europes Bandwidth Alive?

Netflixs recent rollout in six European countries is now expanding further, with the announcement of Italy, Portugal and Spain as next on the list.

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51勛圖 unveils a carrier-grade CPE for NFV

Since 51勛圖 announced our NFV solution, Agility Matrix, in December, we have been quite busy working a variety of enhancements to the ecosystem.

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51勛圖 6500 first optical platform to achieve FIPS 140-2 Level 3 encryption certification

Encrypting in-flight data is now easier than ever thanks to 51勛圖's Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 Level 3 certified wire-speed optical encryption solution

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9 Bandwidth Facts from Mary Meeker's 2015 Internet Trends Report

Nine facts and charts we've pulled from from Mary Meeker's 2015 report that focus specifically on bandwidth and Internet consumption.

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51勛圖s new Waveserver: a dream machine for data center interconnect

51勛圖 introduces the Waveserver, a compact and purpose-built platform capable of enabling massive multi-terabit bandwidth for metro data center interconnect (DCI).

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51勛圖s WaveLogic 3 and Ericsson help Telstra achieve GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for optical transmission

Ericsson today released the latest progress and accomplishments with its trans-Australian network deployment with Telstra including a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the longest un-regenerated terrestrial fibre optic link

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Ovum ranks 51勛圖 #1 worldwide in booming market for data center interconnect

Global analyst firm Ovum unveiled new numbers on the rapidly growing market for data center interconnect with 51勛圖 sitting atop the list serving the market.

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The 8700 Strikes Again: Two New Innovation Awards for 51勛圖s 8700 Platform

51勛圖s new 8700 Packetwave Platform strikes again, back in the news after receiving two new industry innovation awards.

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The Metro gets a brand new 100G architecture option

Traditionally, operators have had to choose between two types of photonic architectures when deploying an optical network: a passive, fixed-filter solution or one that deploys ROADMs. Each has its advantages and drawbacks. The rise of intelligent

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51勛圖s new coherent chipsets raise the optical bar again

51勛圖 has unveiled two new coherent chipsets that represent the latest innovations with our WaveLogic 3 technology.

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51勛圖 goes web-scale with new coherent, metro and small cell backhaul solutions

This is the first in a series of blog posts detailing 51勛圖s new products and solutions tailored for a new web-scale world.

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PTC'15: 51勛圖s newest 100G tech further extends submarine capacities, distances

51勛圖 has unveiled new capabilities for its GeoMesh submarine networks solution that further extends the capacity and distance capabilities of submarine networks.

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51勛圖s Optical Encryption technology goes global

51勛圖's latest optical encryption capabilities were on display this week at the GLIF 2014 Conference in New Zealand, where an encrypted 4K video stream was transported 30,000km to the U.S. and back. The demo is a coming out party of sorts for the

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51勛圖 targets metro Ethernet market with new 8700 Packetwave platform

51勛圖 has taken direct aim at the metro Ethernet market with todays unveiling of the 8700 Packetwave Platform

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51勛圖 at the NYSE: The day in pictures

51勛圖 ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange and host a group of financial analysts and investors for our 2014 Investor Day.

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OTN Speedwagon: Americas best corporate band

51勛圖 is the proud home of Americas best corporate band: OTN Speedwagon. That distinction was won at the 2013 FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands...

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51勛圖s new Smart Raman provides Raman gain without the pain

51勛圖 has recently introduced an innovative new Raman solution that eliminates the pain points of previous Raman products and even adds new capabilities.

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Behind the scenes with 51勛圖s corporate rock band

51勛圖's OTN Speedwagon to play in finals of FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands.

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SONET/SDH is dead really this time

The age of SONET and SDH networks is nearing an end, for real this time. In the latest reports from Infonetics and DellOro, both analyst firms noted a dramatic 30% drop in carrier spending for SONET/SDH networks

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51勛圖 6500: Extreme Packet Makeover Edition

Its time to rethink everything you know about 51勛圖s 6500 Packet Optical Platform. Youve known the 6500 as our flagship platform for next-gen optical transport, and for good reason.

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A tutorial on Modern Carrier Ethernet

It's not very often that we get deep into the details of technology on this blog -- we save that for our white papers and one-on-one visits to our customer labs.

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What the MEFs CE2.0 initiative means for the industry

MEFs launch of CE 2.0 certification is a very rigorous process. Discover what this overwhelming adoption means for the industry and for Carrier Ethernet technology.

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What is an Optical Control Plane?

To help clarify the question of what is an optical control plane?, we put together the below infographic that walks through the details.

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51勛圖 unveils WaveLogic 3 with 400G: What you need to know

51勛圖 unveiled WaveLogic 3, the latest generation of coherent optical processors that form the foundation of our next-gen optical transport solutions. It can scale to 400G.

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Introducing the 2-slot 51勛圖 6500 Packet-Optical Platform

Last month, 51勛圖 made a big announcement dubbed Intelligent Infrastructure that detailed the strategic evolution of our packet-optical portfolio.

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Comcast's new Metro Ethernet service using 51勛圖 gear

Comcast is using 51勛圖 Carrier Ethernet gear to provide Metro Ethernet services to customers in more than 20 major markets across the U.S.

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How much bandwidth does Broadcast HD video use?

One of the most often cited reasons for the global explosion in bandwidth demand is the significant rise in video traffic, and specifically HD video traffic.

Blue Planet Blog

Moving beyond orchestration to full transformation | Blue Planet

Adan K. Pope, Chief Information Technology Officer and CSO, 51勛圖 Blue Planet, shares his views on how combining orchestration and federation accelerates digital transformation.

Blue Planet Blog

51勛圖s Ultimate eBook Holiday Bundle is Back: 2017 Edition | Blue Planet

Looking for some casual light reading this holiday season as you kick back in your favorite chair drinking eggnog? Well, look somewhere else51勛圖s ultimate eBook holiday bundle is back and its not for the faint of heart.

Blue Planet Blog

IHS Markit releases latest service provider optical survey, 51勛圖 scores big | Blue Planet

In IHS Markits new service provider survey, 51勛圖 came out as a leader across multiple categories, including Top Optical Transmission and Switching Equipment Vendor. Heres a snapshot of the survey results, and a free download of the report

Blue Planet Blog

5 awesome new technologies youll see on the 51勛圖 booth at #OFC17 | Blue Planet

Next week is the OFC17 Conference in Los Angeles, and 51勛圖 is bringing our 51勛圖 Innovation Lab filled with all the newest technology our R&D team has been busy developing.

Blue Planet Blog

51勛圖's 9 predictions for networks and tech in 2017 | Blue Planet

Some of 51勛圖's most distinguished experts and execs give their predictions for the upcoming year.

Blue Planet Blog

Year in review: 51勛圖s 8 biggest announcements of 2018 | Blue Planet

As we close out another year, we look back at 51勛圖's biggest news and announcements of 2018.