Open Network Featured Article

Did you ever use the phrase, “Are you networked together?” While this question in and of itself is not 100 percent accurate, it was still often used as we evolved from standalone individuals to an environment where everything was connected. Today, if something isn’t connected, we feel out of touch, isolated and without access to the resources we need. For some it could be a nice break; for others it’s a nightmare.

We’re now in the age of open networking and software-defined networking is changing everything. A recent eWeek piece cited ON (News - Alert).Lab Executive Director Guru Parulkar’s reference to “softwarization” of networking and how it’s changing the way users use networks and everything the network touches. This movement is definitely being led by open-source software, and new business, service and technology models are being driven by open-source projects.

Software-defined networking is less than seven years old, yet it is growing at a fast pace and many consider it ready for prime time. For those who may be unsure, take a look at the advancements in open networking and the speed at which global carriers are rebuilding their networks. NTT Communications, AT&T, Verizon, China Unicom (News - Alert) – they’ve all got projects in the works, ready to respond to this demand.

AT&T is trying to be at the forefront of technology and recently presented its ECOMP, a playbook for orchestrating virtual network functions. In use for just a year, this playbook is built on open source and AT&T’s (News - Alert) own code. The company, along with other telcos, is heavily involved in Central Office Re-architected as Data Center (CORD), a new open reference design that is built around ONOS.

The challenge for open networking success is that full adoption has yet to hit the enterprise. There is interest at this level, yet very few deployments. Part of the challenge is the overwhelming volume of open source code and rival open networking projects that cause uncertainty among IT network administrators and decision makers. As there are few enterprise use cases for SDN, it makes it even more challenging to replace old – yet proven – systems.

Still, the economics of open networking can’t be ignored. Proprietary boxes that demand large capital investments no longer make sense and in order to remain competitive, the enterprise can no longer pay top dollar. This could be a threat for key enterprise players like Cisco (News - Alert) and HP, yet given the speed of adoption, there’s still time for these players to get firmly in the game. 

Network functions will continue to diminish as software, white box vendors like Pica8 deliver more value for building out hyperscale networks for cloud providers and telcos. Those who are ready to take the risk will be better positioned to enjoy the fruits of their labor in the adoption shift.