What’s All the Ruckus in Federal?

For too long, federal CIOs and IT managers have been clamoring for the needle-moving change that a truly modernized network edge delivers. Modern missions demand modern technology—and technology is only as effective as the ease of use, security and performance of the network on which it depends. True network transformation is available now. We’re Ruckus, a business unit of Brocade that supports the rapidly evolving requirements of the digital transformation era. We’re challenging and changing the conventional world of wired and wireless networking across the federal enterprise. With bold new ideas and solutions in advanced networking that are simple but powerful, we’re disrupting what's normal to create something better. Building on Brocade’s large networking base in government, we’re committed to delivering the change in networking that federal agencies need and want. We’re already a leading provider of secure wireless networking solutions across several sectors—from education and hospitality to service providers and urban centers. Our acquisition by Brocade allowed our best-in-class wireless to be teamed with a strong edge-switching portfolio. In June, Ruckus COO Dan Rabinovitsj highlighted the expanded capabilities and benefits that flow from this powerful fusion. Today, our combined portfolio of both wired and wireless technologies enables us to provide customers and partners with a complete, secure, cost-effective high-performance access infrastructure. We’ve been listening to federal customers as they share their frustrations, needs and desires concerning their networks.   Federal IT managers are fed up with “network status quo”    Agencies need gazelle-like agility but are hampered by turtle-like legacy networks. They face cumbersome device management and onboarding processes that create, not prevent, security risks. They face restrictive procurement rules that force them into costly, multi-year networking contracts with multiple vendors. And they have little ability to scale as needed. The list goes on. We shook our heads after hearing these experiences. We asked “Why?”   Helping federal agencies move out of the networking business, for good Federal IT leaders have long realized that the status quo must change. Indeed, since 2010, operations and maintenance spending on legacy IT has steadily increased as development, modernization and enhancement spending decreased. But while change happens slowly in government, it does happen. That’s what the ruckus in federal wired and wireless networking is all about. Forward-thinking, innovation and commitment to positive change have created a new networking model – one that produces time and cost savings and enables IT managers to focus on higher priorities. Now agencies no longer need to “rip and replace” thanks to more flexible procurement models. Cloud-based authentication and management tools make device onboarding and management more secure and easier than ever. Gone are the days of complex, manual onboarding. Networking today consumes far too much time, effort and resources at federal agencies—problems that are only exacerbated by manpower and budget constraints. Agencies need simplicity and ease of management when it comes to their networks so they can concentrate on what matters most. Fortunately, networking is evolving so that they can focus on their missions, not their networks. We’re not just challenging conventional wired and wireless networking across the federal enterprise. Ruckus is also shaking up the status quo by leading and delivering the change that agencies embrace. Customers can now have the affordable high-performance networks they want, together with ease of use and secure access to data. It’s what they need for enhanced mission success. Federal agencies need “simply better connections;” that’s why we’re here.