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Multiven

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Jgowdy (talk | contribs) at 14:28, 24 May 2013 (Disinterested editor thinks this is written like advertisement, even leads with what sounds like a company motto). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Multiven, Inc
Company typePrivate
IndustryMultivendor IP Networking
Network Consulting
IT Services
FoundedPalo Alto, California, USA (2005)
Headquarters
Zurich
,
Switzerland
Key people
Peter Alfred-Adekeye, CEO
Deka Yussuf, EVP & CMO
Websitewww.multiven.com

Multiven, Inc.[1] is dedicated to making the internet globally available, reliable and affordable.

Multiven provides multi-vendor Internet Protocol network infrastructure technical support, maintenance and consulting services.[2][3] to Large Enterprises, Internet Service Providers, Small, Medium Businesses, and Government agencies.

History

Founded in 2005 in Palo Alto, California by Peter Alfred-Adekeye, Multiven was created to ensure that organizations have a trusted vendor-neutral partner that enables round-the-clock maintenance and optimization of IP networks. Multiven is focused on making all IP network infrastructure work properly, irrespective of the underlying hardware, software and technologies.[4]

Since 2007, with the launch of intellectual collaboration platform Pingsta, the company provides industry expertise via a global crowdsourcing model.

In March, 2010, the company moved its headquarters to Zurich, Switzerland and has expanded its influence in the region. [5]

Services

Unique amongst its competition, Multiven is dedicated to ensuring customer choice in services through the global crowdsourcing and application of expert knowledge, delivered through flexible managed services-as-a-utility. This model allows Multiven to use only the most experienced and qualified engineers (most have over 15 years of experience) to fix network faults remotely [6]. Remote diagnosis and resolution of network software is the key premise behind the company’s services, which is often used by its client base to extend the working life of network infrastructure.

Specifically, Multiven provides the following services via its 100% cloud-based Oyster and Pearl products.

Current Oyster products [7]

  • Oyster Free (Free for up to 50 devices, providing device following and profiles, QR codes, user profiles, trending internet pulse, activity updates and unlimited file storage)
  • Oyster Plus ($1 per device, per month – adds mass upload/export functionality, unlimited device profiles, search, device map locations and personalized dashboard)
  • Oyster Pro ($3 per device, per month – adds device-level analytics, organisation-wide activity updates, admin account tools, real-time audit capabilities and premium support)

Current Pearl products [7]

  • Pearl Lite (from $5 per device, per month, includes all Oyster Pro features, adds 24x7 Direct-2-Expert™ Support, Task creation, 24x7 multivendor TAC support, software support, organisation-wide task collaboration, organisation-wide device visibility and task reports)
  • Pearl (from $20 per device, per month, includes all Pearl Lite features, adds advanced hardware replacement, tasks & devices analytics, software assets management and the ability to track overall network value)

Antitrust lawsuit against Cisco Systems

On December 1, 2008, Multiven, Inc. filed an antitrust lawsuit[8][9][10][11][12][13][14] against Cisco Systems, Inc. in an effort to open up the network maintenance services marketplace for Cisco equipment, promote competition and ensure consumer choice and value. Multiven’s complaint alleges that Cisco harmed Multiven and consumers by bundling and tying bug fixes/patches and updates for its operating system software to its maintenance services (“SMARTnet”) and through a series of other illegal exclusionary and anticompetitive acts designed to maintain Cisco’s alleged monopoly in the network maintenance services market for Cisco networking equipment. Multiven is represented by Blecher & Collins[15] and the official press release and full complaint can be read here.

CEO criminal charges

Cisco in turn accused Multiven CEO Peter Alfred-Adekeye of illegal access to Cisco material using a Cisco ID.[16][17]Alfred-Adekeye is a naturalised British citizen, a resident of Zurich, and a former Cisco employee.[16] After several months in which US authorities prevented his entry into the country for participation in the litigation, a special hearing in the case took place at a Canadian hotel on 20 May 2010, involving a US special master and four Cisco lawyers.[16] He was arrested from the court session by Canadian police based on a misleading US arrest warrant.[16]

Alfred-Adekeye was released after 28 days in custody but was forced to remain in Canada for another year before he was allowed to return to Zurich to his wife and toddler son.[16] In June 2011, a Canadian judge stayed the extradition, ruling that the strict standard of "extraordinary misconduct" was met by the circumstances and speaking of the "audacity of it all", of "Cisco's duplicity", and the "shocking" act of preventing someone's participation in a judicial proceeding by arresting them to supposedly force them to participate.[16] False material in the US attorney's letter had misled the judge who signed the Canadian arrest warrant.[16] "Grotesquely inflated" charges and the unjustified portrayal of the respected British entrepreneur as a Nigerian-born scam artist and flight risk had misled the Canadian judicial system further.[16] The underlying civil case by Multiven against Cisco had been withheld from them.[16]

Demand for public apology from Cisco Systems

On March 12th 2013 Multiven announced that it had filed a complaint against Cisco Systems, Inc. with the US Department of Justice and Swiss Cybercrime Coordination Unit for the theft of thousands of its proprietary and copyrighted data files from its knowledge base, mysolvr.com. Multiven claimed Cisco had, between December 2009 and January 2010, violated the US federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, 18 U.S.C. §1030 and the Computer Data Access and Fraud Act (§502 of the California Penal Code). 
 These thefts were alleged to have enabled Cisco Systems, Inc. to effectively replicate Multiven's entire knowledge base - a key component of Multiven's intellectual property, trade secret and livelihood with a value in the billions of dollars.[18][19]

Multiven however was willing to refrain from pursuing a civil redress of this matter if Cisco Systems, Inc.;

  • Issued a public apology on or before 17.00 Pacific Time on March 29, 2013
  • Confirmed in writing via the public apology to Multiven that it had not, and will not, use any of the stolen data in its current nor future products and services
  • Confirmed in writing via the public apology to Multiven that it had permanently deleted all online and offline copies of all stolen Multiven proprietary and copyrighted data in its possession

See also

References

  1. ^ "www.multiven.com". Multiven, Inc. 2005-09-15. Retrieved 2005-09-21.
  2. ^ "MSPAlliance Speaks with Peter Alfred-Adekeye, CEO of Multiven, Inc". MSP Alliance. 2006-08-02. Retrieved 2006-09-07.
  3. ^ "Peter Alfred-Adekeye discusses the future of wireless networking". BNET TV. 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
  4. ^ "History". Multiven, Inc. 2005-09-15. Retrieved 2005-09-21.
  5. ^ "Multiven wins network management contract with Comet Group". Telecompaper. 2012-12-12. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  6. ^ "Multiven takes on giants with crowdsourced network support". Information Age. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Multiven Services". Multiven, Inc. 2013-05-07. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  8. ^ "Multiven Sues Cisco". lightreading. 2008-12-01. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
  9. ^ "Net maintenance provider sues Cisco over allegedly monopolistic SMARTnet". NetworkWorld. 2008-12-01. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
  10. ^ "Cisco Accused Of Monopoly In Antitrust Lawsuit". ChannelWeb. 2008-12-02. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
  11. ^ "Multiven Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Cisco Systems, Inc" (Press release). Multiven, Inc. 2008-12-01. Retrieved 2008-12-01.
  12. ^ "Cisco Systems hit with antitrust lawsuit". SearchITChannel. 2008-12-04. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
  13. ^ "Lawsuit: Cisco blocks outsider gear maintenance". fiercetelecom. 2008-12-03. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
  14. ^ "Multiven Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Cisco". Yahoo News. 2008-12-05. Retrieved 2008-12-05. [dead link]
  15. ^ "Multiven Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Cisco Systems, Inc". Multiven, Inc. 2008-12-01. Retrieved 2008-12-01.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mulgrew, Ian. "U.S. used 'unmitigated gall' and B.C. court to jail exec : Judge's stinging rebuke aimed at Cisco and U.S. prosecutors". Vancouver Sun.
  17. ^ "Former engineer who sued Cisco now faces criminal charges". Network World. 2011-04-20. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  18. ^ "Cisco reported to enforcement agencies by Multiven for alleged 'theft' of data". ComputerWorld UK. 2013-09-13. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
  19. ^ "Cisco accused of stealing data from Swiss services firm Multiven". GigaOM. 2013-09-13. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
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