NEW YORK – Software-defined networking is currently a buzzword in the ICT world. The concept of separating the hardware layer from the software layer is expected to change the networking environment and industry drastically. After announcing its HP Virtual Application Networks SDN Controller a year ago, Hewlett-Packard launched two new features of its SDN ecosystem at the Interop New York conference: the HP SDN Developer Kit and the HP SDN App Store, both focused on enabling organizations to develop, test and deploy applications.
“HP Networking and SDN are very big parts of our strategy,” said Bethany Mayer, SVP and GM for HP networking. “It’s disruptive because it lowers the cost to both manage and deploy. SDN, from our perspective, will be the way to automate networks.”
This new technology is expected to change how companies think about networking. “It’s another paradigm shift,” Mayer said.
“About one year ago, we started to engage the community more, expanding partnerships,” stated Mike Banic, VP for global marketing at HP networking. Banic said that HP aims to make networks programmable and aligned to business applications, which requires a data center, campus and branch automation; open standards ecosystems; reigniting innovation and a new marketplace that is easily accessible.
SDN inhibitors include the complexity of legacy networks, closed systems that limit the ability to develop network applications, and a marketplace to sell and support SDN applications.
HP’s bet on applications relies on the fact that when boosting this environment, HP contributes to creating an open marketplace for ecosystem partners to sell SDN applications which customers can deploy on their network with a few simple mouse clicks. “The SDN market is expected to reach $3.7 billion by 2016, and nearly $670 million will come from SDN applications,” Banic said.
Standards are another critical point, which is why HP believes in providing an SDN ecosystem that is simple, open and programmable.
In a video, HP’s CEO Meg Whitman, highlighted that HP has lead the SDN market since the beginning in 2007, when it collaborated with Stanford University on the Ethane project, followed by the OpenFlow switch demo in 2008. One year later, HP counted ten lighthouse customers, a number that increased to 60 in 2010. Whitman noted that HP shipped the first commercially available OpenFlow switch in 2011 and launched the first SDN complete solution last year.
“I’m excited to announce that HP is leading the creation of an open SDN ecosystem,” Whitman said.
HP’s SDK is already available, and the SDN App Store will be launched in the first half 2014. The HP SDN controller will go on sale later this month—although some companies such as Vivo, Telefónica’s Brazilian brand, are beta testing the solution. Vivo is testing the solution’s ability to accelerate the delivery of next-generation services.
The HP SDN Developer Kit provides developers tools to create, test and validate SDN applications. The HP SDN App Store lets customers browse, search, purchase and directly download SDN applications onto their virtual application network SDN controller.
Current SDN ecosystem partners registered for the HP SDN Developer Kit include Aastra, Blue Coat Systems, BlueCat, Citrix Systems, Ecode Networks, F5, Infoblox, Infranics, Intel, Microsoft, MIMOS, PwC, Qosmos, Radware, Real Status, Riverbed, RMIT University, ShoreTel Inc., SAP, Tech Mahindra, VMware, Versatile and Websense. “We have over 30 developers right now and counting. We will have more in the coming days,” said Mayer.
HP provided travel costs to NYC.
