Here are the top stories SDxCentral wrangled this week related to SDN, NFV, 5G, IoT, containers, cloud, and more:

AT&T Makes its SD-WAN 'Dynamic' — The operator architected its SD-WAN through the AT&T Integrated Cloud.

IHS: Cisco, VMware in SD-WAN Market 'Two-Horse Race' — Recent purchases by both companies set them up to compete for the No. 1 slot in SD-WAN.

Alibaba Cloud Next-Gen Data Center Uses Cisco Tech — The Chinese cloud provider vows to "match or surpass" AWS by 2019.

Here are the week’s strays and stragglers we roped for you:
AT&T will launch LTE-Advanced, which it's calling 5G Evolution, in parts of Minneapolis ahead of the Super Bowl in February.

Cisco formed a $1 billion program to fund smart cities.

Dell EMC launched new machine learning and deep learning solutions for enterprises.

Ericsson filed a 5G patent application containing its complementary suite of 5G inventions.

IBM debuted a software for artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning for enterprises that want high performance data analytics (HPDA).

Microsoft’s cloud hardware design, Project Olympus, is now available on the Open Compute Project (OCP) Marketplace.

CENX released CENX 7, its hyperscale assurance platform that provides closed-loop assurance automation on a variety of networks.

ETSI’s open source MANO (ETSI OSM) group released general availability of its OSM Three, with new enhancements that better facilitate its deployment in production environments.

IBM partnered with Packet Clearing House and Global Cyber Alliance to launch a free service for businesses looking for privacy and security on the Internet.

Aqua Security launched an on-demand vulnerability scanning service for container images on Amazon Web Services (AWS) or on premises.

Rackspace completed its acquisition of Datapipe, a provider of managed hosting and data centers, for an undisclosed amount.

Panzura, a cloud storage provider, integrated its hybrid cloud storage platform with Docker.

Aryaka partnered with CallTower to deliver Aryaka’s SD-WAN over CallTower’s secure network.

Hitachi developed a technology that increases the speed of big data analytics on Hadoop by a maximum of 100 times that of a conventional system.

CipherCloud joined VMware’s Mobile Security Alliance and integrated its cloud with VMware’s Workspace One.

Calix has deployed AXOS Gfast in more than 100 service provider networks.

Morpheus Data released software that brings predictive analytics to cloud management and enables end-to-end app lifecycle management in multi-cloud hybrid IT environments.

Scality integrated  its software-defined object storage with HPE’s storage servers, creating an object storage appliance.

AppViewX released a free license of AppViewX — a management, automation, and orchestration platform.

Network monitoring company, InfoVista added end-to-end transport assurance (Xhaul) and centralized radio access networks (C-RAN) to its service assurance platform for MNOs.

NeuVector, a container security startup, released version 1.3 of its self-named container firewall solution.

Tower company Vincent Communications and Controls deployed Ciena’s packet networking platform for 10GbE and 1GbE services.

M1 partnered with VMware to launch a cloud offering, with Kubernetes and native-supported toolkits, for Singapore’s digital startups and SMEs.

LiveAction released a new version of its analytics software, LiveNX 7, which manages and monitors SD-WAN.

ECI, PCCW Global, Sparkle, and Tata Communications partnered to develop the MEF 3.0 Service Fulfilment and Activation Project. The project provides automatic service fulfillment and activation across multiple service provider domains.

TIM Brasil partnered with Accedian, a network performance company, to deploy Accedian’s virtualized network monitoring solution.

SciNet, a supercomputer center, deployed Excelero’s server SAN for supercomputing storage purposes. Excelero is a software-defined block storage provider.

DevOps and continuous delivery software provider, XebiaLabs, launched a DevOps Intelligence solution on its platform.

Here are the other stories SDxCentral covered this week:

  • Accenture, Pivotal Spin Up Cloud Migration Business Group
  • Chef and Puppet Throw DevOps Features at AWS OpsWorks Platforms
  • Broadcom Finally Closes $5.9B Brocade Deal
  • Red Hat Hugs AWS with Latest OpenShift Container Platform Release
  • China Mobile, Qualcomm, and ZTE Achieve 5G NR Interoperability
  • Facebook Target Routing Space With Open/R Platform
  • Intel Brings 5G Closer to Reality with Multimode Modems
  • Oracle Public Cloud Upgrades Target AI, Enterprise, and HPC Applications
  • Senet Wants to Expand IoT Connectivity Virtually
  • Cisco Security Revenue Grew 8% in Fiscal Q1 2018
  • Cisco's 2017 Buying Spree: From AppDynamics to Viptela, and More
  • AT&T, Orange, and Partners Shrink the World Using MEF LSO, ONAP
  • Radisys Acts as Integrator and Contributor to ONF's CORD Project
  • Charter Works with Nuage's SD-WAN, Focuses on Ethernet
  • CableLabs Opens TIP Community Lab in Colorado
  • Google's Cloud Spanner Global Database is Now Actually Global
  • MEF 3.0 Looks to Take Best From Carrier Ethernet and the Internet
  • Versa Optimizes SD-WAN Voice and Video from User's Perspective
  • Ex-Googlers Launch LightStep, Extending APM Beyond Applications
  • Juniper Builds Turn-Key Telco Cloud with Contrail, Red Hat OpenStack
  • Nokia Adds Analytics, Automation to Security Management Software
  • HPE, Rackspace to Sell Pay-as-You-Go OpenStack Private Cloud
  • OneAccess OS Manages Physical, Virtual Network Functions
  • CNCF Launches Kubernetes Conformance Certification Program
  • Qualcomm Tosses Out Broadcom's Unsolicited Bid
  • Docker's Kubernetes Support Leaves Questions Around Swarm