The SDN Revolution Continues: Forward Momentum for the Movement and for Member Companies
We are in exciting times for software-defined networking, with many of our members developing and releasing new OpenFlow-based products, and/or building on their SDN strategies. The announcements we have seen just within the past few months truly speak to the actuality of the technology – indicating that SDN is real and working, that the products are available and in-demand, and that the revolution of this innovative technology is continuing. Take a read at some of the most recent announcements:
ADARA announced that it expanded its channel partner program to include SDN, to educate partners on the basics of the technology so they can more easily sell the product. The expanded program enables solution providers to supply the real end-user customers with SDN’s unique technology that improves the performance of applications and services across the entire network.
Brocade acquired Vyatta to further enhance its SDN strategy. With the acquisition, Brocade will utilize Vyatta’s SDN solutions and expertise to offer customers an end-to-end architecture built on a highly virtualized, dynamic network infrastructure to empower SDN deployments.
Big Switch Networks released their Open SDN product suite to accelerate network transformation and enable customers to quickly adopt new network applications. The product suite unifies applications and infrastructure across vendors and includes support for both physical and virtual switches, providing unified network intelligence, enterprise-class scalability, and high availability.
Coraid announced a new partnership with Big Switch Networks, in which both member companies will build a networked storage solution for enhanced end-to-end security, dynamic flexibility, and simplicity. The partnership further demonstrates the power of SDN, combined with software-defined storage in the network.
Cisco furthered its SDN strategy by acquiring Cariden Tech - a supplier of network planning, design, and traffic management solutions for telecom service providers.
Cyan introduced its new Blue Planet software, an SDN system that allows service providers to virtualize their networks – thus eliminating legacy cost structures, making the use of network assets more efficient, and radically accelerating service delivery. With this announcement we are also pleased to see that the member company has also attracted a variety of customers to adopt the new solution.
Extreme Networks announced two new Ethernet models – Super Scale 100 and 40 Gigabit – for its open fabric switch to further power data centers and support new SDN applications. The new models will offer high performance and increased flexibility, and options for virtualized networks where density, power efficiency, and performance are of utmost importance.
At the recent SDN and OpenFlow® World Congress, Huawei unveiled a Carrier SDN prototype, an end-to-end SDN architecture for carrier networks. With such innovations, our member company is further enhancing the Carrier SDN architecture, a broader approach to SDN that extends its application to end-to-end carrier networks.
Infinera announced the telecommunication industry’s first successful demonstration of a prototype SDN Open Transport Switch, an important first step on the path toward enabling Transport SDN. There are new applications of SDN found in the market every day, and this type of breakthrough technology will benefit of operators and users with critical performance and flexibility needs.
I am in Asia now at the SDN Japan Conference, and am seeing much continued momentum for SDN here as well. Stay tuned for an update on some of the specific conversations I have had and sessions I have seen. In the interim, what other announcements have you seen or predictions are you making about the growth of SDN?
-Dan Pitt, Executive Director
