Open Network Featured Article

For those in the networking industry, the concept of vendor lock-in is a concept that represents some of the biggest problems around. Making for a hostile environment that generates more benefit for vendors than users, a report from the Open Networking Federation (ONF) notes it can mean fewer choices, greater expense, and in general less than optimal operations all around. Open source software development, meanwhile, has a great potential to blow open that market, and prevent vendor lock-in thanks to greater product availability.

The ONF, along with its various member companies, has been working to break the cycle of vendor lock-in with open standards development and more interoperability testing. Accompanying events, like AppFest and PlugFest, contribute to this movement by allowing better connection and collaboration with other developers in the field.

Essentially, the ONF notes that a lot of points that currently involve vendor differentiation really shouldn't, and in these points, open source software development can really step in and make a difference. Open source software can remove redundancy from some operations, and support interoperability, a point that gives networks added versatility and better real-world performance. Open source doesn't necessarily yield interoperability on its own, but rather, provides a better setting for interoperability to take place.  With things like software defined networking (SDN) coming into the picture more rapidly than ever, having those options will help ensure that users get the most out of the current environment.

Interoperability testing is a major part of a lot of operations out there, because it helps ensure a smooth transition between what's currently in place and what will be put in later. That's exactly the kind of thing that's desirable for users, as it ensures changes don't cause major disruptions in the current stream of work. Some disruption is inevitable, and most plan accordingly, but being ready for that disruption helps ensure that any damage to operations is minimal. Open source software also has terrific implications for the market; when a vendor can no longer count on a captive audience, it must therefore improve the product beyond the open source offering to maintain market share. If the product that actually costs money offers lesser performance than the free product—or even anywhere approaching comparable performance—most will take the free alternative just to save money. That means better product for the market, and a general win for the user.

Open source software can have a huge impact on a market, and that's why it should be encouraged. From fighting vendor lock-in to making the overall environment better, there's sufficient value in that open source to go around.