There are currently a few novel trends in technology that are capturing most of the tech industry’s attention. Although nothing can be compared to the hype surrounding big data, SDN is generating quite a buzz and it is seen as potentially game changing concept for the networking industry. Software Defined Networking (SDN) aims to reshape traditional networking and to push the evolution of networks forward so that they can accommodate increasing data traffic levels. SDN introduces much needed agility to networks and makes them programmable by enabling centralized control over both virtual and physical machines through a software layer. This way an entire network can be managed from a single centralized controller and reconfigured to handle changing requirements.
SDN promises to deliver great value for organizations, including reducing both costs and complexity of network management. SDN will enable IT departments to gain more control over their networks through centralized management and to rapidly provision network services that support business applications. This is highly important for enterprise IT as networks can be dynamically provisioned to accommodate changing user demands.
Software Defined Networking has the potential to re-architect both carrier and enterprise networks and also to bring significant changes to vendors, enterprise organizations, and the end user. The fact that SDN is introducing positive turbulence to networking industry is clearly seen in the number of companies entering the market with new SDN products. Companies such as Cisco, VMWare and Juniper Networks are already recognized as leading players in this nascent field, but looking at the state of the SDN market, they might soon be facing increased competition from innovative new companies. A recent study by SDN Central, Plexxi and Lightspeed Venture Partners showed that Software Defined Networking market picked up significantly and that there has been an increase in the venture capital investments in SDN startups. According to the report, VC funding of SDN-focused startups went up from $10 million in 2007 to $454 in 2012.
The adoption of SDNs among enterprises is mostly driven by the increasing demand for more control over their networks as they move beyond legacy infrastructure that wasn’t designed for the cloud. Organizations need to architect dynamic and agile networks that are also highly secure and reliable which can be achieved with SDN. However, most networking industry experts agree that it will take at least another five years before we see large-scale SDN adoption, both among carriers and enterprise organizations.
The latest big news from the world of SDN was the introduction of OpenDaylight Project, a new open source framework founded to drive innovation and accelerate Software Defined Networking. Big Switch Networks, Brocade, Cisco, Citrix, Ericsson, IBM, Juniper Networks, Microsoft, NEC, Red Hat and VMware are founding members of the project and will donate key technologies and help to define the future of an open SDN platform.
