Riverbed expands acceleration platforms to meet rising AI demand
The expanded range features ten new SteelHead acceleration solutions powered by the latest iteration of Riverbed's RiOS software, RiOS 10. These solutions are designed to enhance the transfer and security of data across cloud environments, data centres, and edge locations. The update also includes the launch of Riverbed Flex, a new subscription model that enables clients to transition licenses across hardware, virtual, and cloud deployments and scale capacity according to business requirements.
According to Riverbed, the roll-out comes after a 59% increase, year-on-year, in bookings for its Acceleration business, amid growing demand from enterprises deploying artificial intelligence solutions that produce and process significant volumes of data. Industry data highlighted by Riverbed shows global networks experiencing annual increases of 35% in data volume, putting strain on existing infrastructure.
Research from Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) indicates that 91% of IT leaders see AI as a factor making network acceleration solutions essential, while 85% believe AI is directly influencing network planning and operations. As enterprise data creation and use by AI applications rises, network capacity and speed have become key concerns for IT teams.
Dave Donatelli, Chief Executive Officer at Riverbed, commented: "Riverbed was founded 23 years ago this month with a focus on accelerating applications and the movement of data over networks. AI and data-hungry applications have introduced new and more demanding network requirements. I'm proud that Riverbed continues to solve our customers' most critical challenges, as demonstrated today by our largest Acceleration launch in seven years. In the first quarter of this year, we saw strong demand in our Acceleration business, achieving 59% year-over-year bookings growth. These new solutions build on our momentum and deliver a proven return on investment by helping customers move data faster, optimise application performance, and strengthen business resilience."
RiOS 10 introduces architectural enhancements designed to support cloud computing, data centre operations, and edge deployments, with new provisions for post-quantum cryptography, platform security, and confidential computing. The SteelHead 90 series includes models tailored for specific deployment needs, such as the Data Centre-ready CXA-8090, capable of delivering up to 60 Gbps of data movement over optimised WANs, and the CXA-2090, intended for edge locations.
SteelHead 6090 targets mid-size data centres with up to 20 Gbps of optimised data movement, while SteelHead 4090 and 2090 address mid-sized data centre and edge cases, supporting accelerated traffic loads of 500 Mbps and 200 Mbps, respectively, and up to 10 Gbps of traffic for application classification requirements.
Chalan Aras, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Acceleration at Riverbed, stated: "Network congestion is no longer just a nuisance—it's a choke point that can cripple a business. Without fast and efficient data movement over networks, enterprises will quickly find themselves falling behind, missing out on the promise of AI. Riverbed's new resilient networking solutions help organisations stay ahead of the curve by securely managing growing data volumes and application performance demands, while also improving IT agility to support the dynamic demands of cloud, data centre and edge computing."
For workloads in virtualised environments, RiOS 10 also powers SteelHead Virtual, a software-only solution compatible with VMware ESXI, KVM, and Microsoft Hyper-V and aimed at private cloud deployments.
Riverbed also announced SteelHead RS, a software offering developed to support edge computing operations by enabling near real-time synchronisation with data centres, local processing, and consistency across distributed locations.
SteelHead Cloud, also powered by RiOS 10, expands compatibility to Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, and Google Cloud Platform. The new solution is available via each provider's marketplace and is designed to support enterprise data and application transfers at up to 20 Gbps.
Jim Frey, Principal Analyst for Networks at Enterprise Strategy Group, shared: "AI initiatives are increasing the criticality of network performance, requiring reduced latency, increased bandwidth, and richer network observability. While performance can be improved by upgrading network gear and external services, organisations should also prioritise continuous optimisation of network connections. These are all requirements that Riverbed's resilient networking solutions address for successfully supporting growing AI workloads."
The Riverbed Flex subscription model has been designed to give businesses flexibility, investment protection, and ease of scalability by allowing dynamic license reassignment and hardware upgrades in line with evolving IT requirements.
Dr. Alexei Vederko, Senior Director of Engineering at Viasat Energy Services, remarked: "Riverbed Flex allows us to continue to manage our network performance in a smarter, more agile way - exactly what we need in the fast-moving world of offshore operations. With rigs constantly relocating, IT must scale, move, and optimise network acceleration on demand. The Flex model allows us to replace and upgrade hardware: minimising risk when equipment is lost or outdated. As a long-time SteelHead customer, our work with Riverbed allows us to effectively deliver critical data to our oil platforms and ensure operational resiliency. Riverbed Flex is a further step forward in future proofing our network with greater flexibility and control."
The newly announced solutions are expected to be generally available in May 2025. Additional features, including some capabilities for post-quantum cryptography and expanded cloud support, are anticipated to be introduced in the second half of 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Techday NZ
07-08-2025
- Techday NZ
Teleport launches Secure MCP to protect AI enterprise workflows
Teleport has announced the general availability of its Secure Model Context Protocol (MCP) for use on the Teleport Infrastructure Identity Platform. The Secure MCP solution seeks to address new security challenges emerging from the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence across enterprises. Recent data from Enterprise Strategy Group indicate that 44% of enterprises have now deployed AI within their organisations. Teleport's Secure MCP is designed to provide security guardrails for AI systems as they interact with databases, MCP servers, and other forms of enterprise data. The Model Context Protocol is an open standard that enables AI models to connect with various tools, databases, or applications using a simplified, universal interface. This is intended to streamline integration in a manner akin to technology standards such as USB-C for physical devices. Despite these integration benefits, MCP was not originally intended with access control, which presents risks around unrestricted data access for AI models. Consequently, there is a need for mechanisms that can provide controlled, audited, and secure access to sensitive data. Teleport's Secure MCP responds to these needs by employing its Infrastructure Identity Platform, which extends existing trust frameworks to AI-based workflows. The platform enforces both Role-Based and Attribute-Based Access Controls (RBAC and ABAC) to manage the resources that large language models (LLMs) can access. Every session involving AI data access is logged, thereby contributing to regulatory compliance and audit readiness. Ev Kontsevoy, Chief Executive Officer of Teleport, commented on the development: "AI is terraforming how software is deployed in organizations. It shouldn't require a major public security incident to motivate business leaders to prepare for this impending challenge. Applying the same access control guardrails for AI, humans, and non-human identities accelerates AI adoption while locking in the protection needed to prevent unauthorized access of data. That's why we launched our secure MCP solution for Teleport, to enable enterprises to confidently unlock AI's innovation without falling prey to its security vulnerabilities and loopholes." Industry analysts have noted a concurrent rise in deployments of AI agents that operate within core enterprise systems, increasing the urgency for businesses to address identity and data security concerns. Todd Thiemann, Principal Analyst for Identity Security & Data Security at Enterprise Strategy Group, highlighted the pressing nature of these issues: "A wave of AI agent deployments that touch on core enterprise systems is in process, and identity teams need to be prepared. Recent Enterprise Strategy Group research showed that data privacy and security for AI agents were major concerns for enterprise security teams. Teleport's Secure MCP solution lays the groundwork for secure agent deployment and enables identity teams to get ahead of the game in securing their AI agent deployments." Secure MCP delivers several key architectural components for AI and MCP deployments. These include Zero Trust Networking, allowing only authenticated clients to interact with MCP servers over encrypted connections. A live MCP server inventory feature allows administrators to discover and register MCP tools across hybrid infrastructure environments automatically. Strict access control ensures that language models are only able to access resources for which they are specifically authorised, while the principle of least privilege means that authorisations are granted on a just-in-time basis for defined tasks. This minimises the potential risk of overprivileged or persistent access by AI models. Additionally, comprehensive audit trails provide a record of every attempt - successful or denied - by LLMs to access data. The extension of these security controls to MCP allows engineering teams to develop technology that incorporates AI without opening new avenues for unauthorised access to company data. By supporting both machine and user-driven LLM workflows, Teleport states its platform is positioned to accommodate a range of AI integration scenarios while maintaining a strong security posture. Follow us on: Share on:
Scoop
05-08-2025
- Scoop
Taking New Zealand Biodiversity To The World
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari and Ekos are making history by launching New Zealand biodiversity and conservation into the global marketplace. This is the first time a New Zealand conservation project is trading biodiversity credits on an international trading platform. This provides direct access to global audiences, connecting the world to the incredible biodiversity outcomes for which New Zealand is renowned. Ekos CEO Sean Weaver says this is a milestone moment, not only for Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, but also for the future of conservation funding in New Zealand. "The need for conservation funding in New Zealand far outweighs the current resources available through traditional grants and philanthropic support. Biodiversity credits from the Ekos BioCredita programme offer a new pathway to integrate biodiversity conservation into the heart of the economy here and around the world,' he says. 'These biodiversity credits don't commodify nature. Instead, they represent the human resource and technology cost to look after it. Buyers are purchasing measured, reported and verified biodiversity conservation outputs in a performance-based system." Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari CEO Helen Hughes says being the first in New Zealand to connect international market platforms with the world-class biodiversity outcomes achieved by her team is in keeping with the innovative mindset that the sanctuary was founded on. 'The Sanctuary is the largest of its kind in the world, built just over 20 years ago with ambitious goals and innovative thinking. Today, our 1,000-year plan and our scale provide the opportunity to test new ways of doing things, including finding new revenue streams to enable the sanctuary to continue to deliver exceptional biodiversity outcomes,' she says. Weaver says that linking biodiversity credits to international companies is a positive step for New Zealand. 'Being able to trade on the international trading platform, ClimateTrade, opens the door to foreign exchange to help fund biodiversity conservation in a global biodiversity hotspot. This opportunity is made possible by our rigorous standard, third-party verification protocols, and blockchain registry system for biodiversity credit issuance and tracking.' 'This allows us to tap into a well-established global market where conservation-linked ESG targets and reporting are becoming standard practice. While biodiversity credits are still a relatively new concept here, the BioCredita programme enables New Zealand to align with international frameworks and attract investment from companies already familiar with these mechanisms', he says. Hughes adds that the goal is to connect with domestic and international markets that align with Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari's ethos and value environmental sustainability, social responsibility, productive partnerships and meaningful community engagement. Outcomes she says the sanctuary delivers on every day through its operations. 'By connecting to impact investors and values-based buyers—both here and abroad—we're not just funding conservation, we're shaping a future where nature and communities thrive together. This is not just a transaction; it's a shared commitment to delivering biodiversity outcomes at a global scale,' she says.
Techday NZ
15-07-2025
- Techday NZ
New property fund targets NZD $1 billion export-focused assets by 2030
A newly established wholesale property investment fund is launching with the acquisition of a coolstore facility in Hawke's Bay valued at NZD $24 million, with ambitions to build a NZD $1 billion portfolio by 2030. The Erskine Owen Veritas Property Fund's inaugural purchase is a 7,000 square metre smart coolstore leased long-term to Mr Apple, the subsidiary of Scales Corporation, which is among the largest vertically integrated apple exporters in New Zealand. The asset marks the fund's entry, under a 20-year triple net lease agreement. Portfolio growth The fund has revealed a strategy to reach NZD $1 billion in holdings within a five-year time frame, by diversifying across sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, manufacturing, office and retail, targeting income-generating assets with strong links to export activities and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations. "We chose this site as the fund's foundation because it ticks all the boxes. It is a core industrial logistics facility, under a long-term lease to a globally competitive exporter, located in a region that is vital to New Zealand's agri-economy. "We're focused on assets that help drive New Zealand's global competitiveness and that perform well in both stable and volatile markets. These are the kinds of buildings that don't go out of fashion, that provide reliable income and that help sectors like horticulture and agribusiness perform at the highest level," said Alan Henderson, Director at Erskine Owen. A capital raise to support the investment in the Groome Place coolstore is now underway. Henderson stated, "This is a Fund with a long-term growth and diversification strategy, which is intended to spread investment risk across sectors and locations. We are aiming to have $200 million in assets within 12 to 18 months and increase that to a billion dollars within four years after that. "The asset quality here speaks for itself. There's clear investor appetite for export-aligned infrastructure backed by strong tenant covenants," he added. Technology and efficiency The Hawke's Bay coolstore features advanced design and automation, including systems that reduce the time between orchard and packhouse by 25 percent. According to Mr Apple's Head of Coolstores, Logistics and Engineering, Michael Caccioppoli, these upgrades are significant for product quality and competitiveness in export markets. "This turnaround speed directly supports export quality, and by shortening the time from picking to cooling, we're able to preserve internal fruit integrity. "That means apples are fresher when they hit the ships. It improves shelf life, reduces quality complaints and lifts the eating experience for millions of consumers around the world, which is critical as we establish markets for new varieties," he said. In 2024, 72 percent of Mr Apple's exports comprised premium varieties such as Dazzle, Posy and NZ Queen, with a stated aim to expand that to 75–80 percent by 2027. The smart coolstore supports this goal by introducing optimised workflows, precision-controlled storage, and a 15 to 20 percent reduction in CO2 emissions compared with older facilities. The facility is operated by just eight staff, as automation and integrated systems allow for tight control of environmental variables, reduced handling, and lowered labour costs. Mr Apple processes approximately 3,000 bins of apples daily, using technology to accelerate throughput while protecting product quality. Caccioppoli highlighted the broader advantages of the advanced facility, stating, "The system helps protect margin and reduce risk in a volatile global freight market," he observed. Investor demand Henderson commented on current sentiment in the investment community, with more investors seeking reliable income and ESG-aligned assets with export relevance. "It reinforces our view that there is real demand for high-quality, income-generating assets in this sector. "The coolstore reflects the kind of high-performance infrastructure we're targeting - efficient, export-driven and future-ready," he said. The Erskine Owen Veritas Property Fund is now open to wholesale investors interested in income-producing infrastructure assets.
