Two events hosted by Riverbed Technology in Johannesburg next week will offer insights into the transformation that software-defined wide area networks are about to make on businesses.
It may sound like just another acronym, but SD-WAN (software-defined wide area networks) is expected to transform the corporate network in the coming years.
That is one of the messages attendees can expect to hear at two events hosted by Riverbed Technology in Johannesburg on 20 April. Riverbed FORCE and Riverbed Partner Connect, targeted at end-users and the channel respectively, will address the challenges of end-to-end optimisation, visibility and control in hybrid IT networks.
In this context, says Riverbed’s sub-Saharan Africa head Wimpie van Rensburg, SD-WAN is set to be a “game-changer”. It will be introduced and extensively discussed during the event.
“In hybrid enterprises where people, apps and data are everywhere, assuring application performance is critical to business productivity,” he says. “Riverbed FORCE is an exciting opportunity for our customers to gain the tools and knowledge they need to address this complexity. The attendees will also gain valuable insights into SD-WAN which is set to be a game-changer, while also learning how our technology partnership with Microsoft will address their cloud, collaboration, Solution as a Service (SaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) ambitions.”
The sessions will follow a common theme of ‘Maximizing application performance’. The day will be split into two segments, with end-user focused sessions in the first half, followed by the partner event. Featuring presentations by local and international experts, the sessions will include a range of talks from top technical Riverbed specialists showcasing the Riverbed platform and its next-generation architecture of Software-defined networking (SDN) solutions. Leading partners will also update attendees on the trends and technologies transforming enterprises in the digital age.
Close to 80 business and technology decision makers, including CXOs, IT Directors and IT Managers, as well as technical professionals like network administrators, storage architects and enterprise architects, are expected to attend Riverbed FORCE, while Riverbed Partner Connect will draw in both new and existing channel partners.
“We remain 100% channel driven, so the enablement and education of our channel through such events is vital to our success,” says Van Rensburg. “By attending the event, resellers and integrators will be rapidly brought up to speed with the Riverbed Application Performance Platform. They will also have the opportunity to gain direct access to key members of our regional team and network with their peers.”
Riverbed FORCE will take place from 09:00 to 13:00, followed by Riverbed Partner Connect from 13:30 to 18:15. Partner Connect will close with an awards presentation for top achieving local partners.
