Originally conceived in the mid-1990s, Software Defined Networking (SDN) as an approach to managing network services offers significant advantages in terms of network applications adaptability, manageability and cost. Despite these benefits, SDN has primarily been limited to an experimental technology deployed by smaller startups and research networks. Major carriers, meanwhile, have focused on proprietary implementations, their network planning decisions driven in part by equipment manufactures seeking to lock providers in to their hardware and features sets.
This is changing, due in part to another emerging technology trend – Network Function Virtualization (NFV). Created by a consortium of service providers, NVF is designed to speed up deployment of new network services, reduce OPEX and accelerate service innovation and provisioning.
Today, carriers are recognizing that the combined capabilities of NFV/SDN can significantly reduce their reliance on expensive and proprietary hardware platforms, as well as enable entry into new markets and services – a critical priority for carriers seeking new revenue streams. As a result, carriers are aggressively implementing SDN/NFV across a wide range of areas.
This ISG white paper examines NFV/SDN adaptation trends by carriers and service providers and potential implications and opportunities for enterprise clients.
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