SDN:The Evolution from Hype to Competitive Advantage – CIO

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Unlike many hyped technologies that either never work as advertised, or arrive long after their 15 minutes of fame, Software Defined Networking (SDN) is delivering real-world benefits to its users.

A quick reminder on the foundational definition is good to review. SDNthe physical separation of the network control plane from the forwarding plane, and where a control plane controls several devicesis designed to deliver a host of networking services to datacenter and enterprise networks including automated provisioning, virtualization, and programmability. And its delivering, as designed.

Positioned at the peak of inflated expectations of Gartners Networking Hype Cycle back in 2013, SDN (one time, known as still done nothing) is firmly entrenched in the trough of disillusionment today. During 2015, we started to see production adoption of SDN solutions, though broad deployments are still relatively rare.

NFV and SDN Technology Drive Changes

While rare, thats not to say SDN deployments and its companion technology, network functions virtualization (NFV), are not accelerating. The numbers indicate that the networking industry vendors, service providers, and customersare eager to embrace the future of software-defined everything. For instance:

Set to Boom

SDN works and SDN is ready for prime time now, said networking guru Zeus Kerravala, founder and principal analyst with ZK Research. This is good news for the entire SDN market and customers looking to deploy the solution.

Enterprises have certainly bought into the promise of SDN. According to a February survey, 39% of enterprises are either currently using or planning to adopt SDN, but 49% would do so within 13 to 24 months. Another 25% are considering the technology, but had yet to set up a timeline.

SDNs top perceived benefits are cost savings (up to 30-50% savings on capital and operating costs over five years), improved network performance, increased productivity, and improved security. The top three implementation challenges are costs, integration, and security.

SDN promises to introduce much-needed agility into customers environments, said TBR Data Center Senior Analyst Krista Macomber. However, for customers, getting there requires navigating a costly and complex path spanning not only technology but also business silos, she added. It should also be noted that these SDN solutions also include network visibility. Now operators of the network have an integrated panorama view of services that are running on the network that allow for IT and business leaders to make decisions about how to prioritize application delivery.

Leverage the Digital Future with Connection

The emergence of SDN comes at a time when networks are challenged to enable an increasingly digital world and the unrelenting growth in devices, data, velocity, and their significance to business success. A trusted partner with networking expertise and experience can help you navigate the complexities of the software-defined technologies, and ensure you can take advantage of the speed and agility of the digital future.

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SDN:The Evolution from Hype to Competitive Advantage - CIO