Cradlepoint Integrates Machine Learning into NetCloud to Enable Wireless SD-WAN

Cradlepoint recently announced that it has integrated new machine learning capabilities into its NetCloud Service, which reportedly will help the software learn data usage patterns on wireless links to accurately project future usage and potential overages.

More cellular WAN endpoint deployments are challenging IT managers to plan and monitor data consumption at ever increasing rates. Cradlepoint’s says this first implementation of machine learning within its NetCloud Service will provide data plan consumption insights and intelligence that would be difficult to discover manually.

The integration of machine learning capabilities is evolving SD-WAN technology for a wireless economy. The retail market in particular is poised to make the shift to a more wireless WAN.

The growth of IoT devices within retail networks and more network-connected, nontraditional locations such as kiosks and pop-up store locations are driving growth in LTE connections, which will likely accelerate with 5G implementation.

Meanwhile, more activity and applications designed to improve retail customer experience will drive the need for more agile, reliable and bigger WAN access links at every location. This will make it critical to achieve uniform WAN access. Cradlepoint said it believes that only cellular can provide this uniformity.

Of course, with more IoT functions, security is a concern, so providers need to create an air-gapped, segmented network that implicitly isolates IoT devices and traffic from the corporate WAN, leaning even harder on IT departments to manage multiple networks and network vendors. Cradlepoint said that all of this means that SD-WAN needs to evolve beyond the branch to support different endpoints and device networks from a single pane of glass.

“Over 75 percent of the world’s top retailers rely on Cradlepoint today to extend the reach and improve the reliability of their WAN at the store level and beyond,” said Todd Krautkremer, CMO, Cradlepoint. “We are committed to enabling their digital and customer experience transformation journeys. Our NetCloud Service and wireless edge routers combine software-defined networking and new machine learning functionality to unlock the full potential of LTE and 5G cellular networks and help our retail customers evolve to a wireless WAN future, faster.”

For a deep dive into both Machine Learning and SD-WAN, visit the #TechSuperShow, including the IoT Evolution Expo and SD-WAN Expo, coming up Feb 11-14 in Ft. Lauderdale Florida. Register now to get the best available rates!

Edited by Ken Briodagh