The world of networking, software defined networking specifically, has just closed a particularly exciting quarter. Not only did the Foundation and our member companies participate in Interop Tokyo last month, but a slew of member companies released announcements and products that truly speak to the realness of the technology. These announcements, all highlighted below, indicate two things: that the technology is real and working, and that the products are available and in-demand. Take a read:
- Big Switch Networks incorporated OpenFlow® Overlay technology into the Corona beta of its Big Virtual Switch application, the company's flagship SDN application for network virtualization built on the Big Switch Controller Platform. We are happy that Big Switch Networks makes continuous efforts to innovate and accelerate the creation and adoption of OpenFlow.
- Cisco introduced Cisco ONE, which is aimed at helping customers drive the next wave of business innovation through trends such as cloud, mobility, social networking, and video. We applaud our member company’s enthusiasm for SDN and its initial support for the OpenFlow® standard.
- In the product realm, we were delighted to hear that Infoblox and Erlang Solutions released the first OpenFlow® 1.2 compliant switch. The product gets OpenFlow-based SDN into the hands of real users, and allows customers to cost effectively improve the performance of clustered applications in high density data centers and reduce their operating costs.
- On the deployment front, NEC Corporation announced a new network system at Kanazawa University Hospital that features NEC's OpenFlow® and SDN control technologies. It is nice that the benefits of SDN solutions have been deployed and brought directly to users at the hospital.
- ONF was excited to see that NTT Communications announced Enterprise Cloud, the world's first globally seamless enterprise cloud service that incorporates OpenFlow. The new infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) offering will launch later this week for networks built within and between data centers.
- NTT Data also made a big announcement with its plans to start its SDN business on a full scale later this year. The Foundation is pleased that in doing so, NTT Data will conduct network integration, system development and consulting services utilizing OpenFlow!
In any market there will be multiple approaches to a solution, and the many announcements that we have recently seen about SDN display just that. With both direct and hybrid approaches, and a standard like OpenFlow, we are witnessing how rapid market adoption is propelling and promoting a best-of-breed competition. The Foundation believes that a significant benefit of OpenFlow-based SDN is that it can both serve as the foundation of a new network and can help organizations reach the full benefits of SDN.
More products, approaches and solutions will continue to come, but for now we are applauding the networking industry - for the true momentum it has made to get SDN and OpenFlow® into the hands of users, and for creating a demand for the technology.
--Dan Pitt
