Network virtualization will completely transform the telecom industry, permeating every aspect of technological, operational and cultural infrastructure. New research from IDC (News - Alert) suggests that virtualization technologies, along with a growing shift toward the third platform of cloud, mobile, social and big data and analytics solutions will revolutionize the industry and completely shake up the legacy infrastructures that have dominated for decades.
The concept of virtualization is a complex one, but two of the main approaches communication service providers are embracing are software-defined networks (SDNs) and network functions virtualization (NFV). Simply put, NFV and SDN architectures virtualize entire network functions, which are used to create communication services. The virtualized network is an important part of cloud computing, and according to IDC, will catalyze use cases for disruptive technologies like voice over LTE (News - Alert) (VoLTE), which would be the nail in the coffin for the traditional circuit-switched phone network.
"Network virtualization for telecom represents some significant challenges, but the upside is extremely high,” said Elisabeth Rainge, research vice president, communications service provider operations, IDC. “And, while not everyone will reap the benefits of this profound sea change (e.g., entrenched telecom equipment manufacturers), IDC sees an evolution of infrastructure that is already underway."
When combined with the growing popularity of the disruptive third computing platform and the massive amounts of data it generates, the virtualization revolution means the data center industry will be revolutionized as well. Service providers and their customers are going to be looking for greater operating efficiencies and cost savings as they move, store and analyze ever larger amounts of data.
That bodes well for companies like Server Technology (News - Alert), a provider of rackmount power distribution and monitoring solutions. The company specializes in helping data center operators manage power capacity while reducing downtime and improving energy efficiency. That’s no small task given the aggressive forecasts for network virtualization and the third platform “revolution.” Power availability, redundancy and scalability are all important factors in this growing movement and solutions like Server Technology’s reduce downtime and costs for operators, while eliminating single points of failure.
Network virtualization and the third computing platform are sure to be disruptive technology trends, permeating every aspect of computing culture. The equipment powering the data centers that will manage this revolution is absolutely essential to its growth and success, and power distribution and monitoring are important components.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson