Currently, software-defined networking has reached near-buzzword proportions in the technology sector. Due to SDN’s ability to improve delivery of a range of different services, boost resource uptime and pave the way for a reduction in operating costs, organizations in a number of different markets are quickly adopting the technology within their infrastructures.
However, some users and decision-makers have recently posed an interesting question: Does SDN technology have staying power, or is it simply a passing fad? This is a legitimate inquiry, as administrators do not want to waste precious budget lines on a system that may be surpassed by emerging advancements. According to many, SDN has very promising future, especially within the telecom sector.
SDN Predictions: Developing use approaches
According to the Internet Society’s IETF Journal contributors Yuji Kamite and Yuichi Ikejiri, while a full realization of SDN has yet to be seen, groups are currently studying new utilization techniques which could provide a roadmap of the technology’s future.
One such strategy is leveraging SDN for expansion purposes. In this way, SDN could provide a valuable link between specific network types and the virtualized environment in the data center. Within such an arrangement, users would see improved management of infrastructure-as-a-service assets and enhanced, readily available resources.
Kamite and Ikejiri also noted that SDN technology could provide an alternative to the challenges of manual router configuration.
“Until recently, the IP/MPLS network settings of tunnel LSPs to carry user’s traffic were statically and manually configured at routers,” Kamite and Ikejiri wrote. “As a result, it was technically difficult to deal with a scenario in which source-destination pairs of LSPs frequently changed. SDN’s logically centralized approach has the capability to solve this kind of technical challenge.”
Overall, when searching for future uses, Kamite and Ikejiri recommend taking the end-user experience into consideration. This way, no matter how the technology is deployed, it will benefit the organization’s decision-makers, employees and clients.
The future of SDN in telecom networks
SDN also has the capacity to improve telecom network arrangements as well. According to an Informa whitepaper, telcos are currently seeing rising competition in the service provider market. In order to remain an effective force in the sector, these groups will be able to leverage SDN to enhance service delivery and better oversee network resources.
“LTE and software-defined networks are two key technologies that can help operators reposition themselves to become service providers yet again and operate truly flexible, service-oriented data networks,” the whitepaper stated.
Furthermore, the technology has a robust future with mobile vendors, as it can provide the support to make new services available without requiring additional hardware systems. Such is the case with LTE, as SDN can provide beneficial assets during deployment.
“Telco SDN is expected to be a significant tool to ensure the future profitability of mobile operators. It also comes at the right time, after initial LTE networks are deployed,” according to the whitepaper. “The data nature of LTE networks will create an ideal test bed for SDN while increasing revenue opportunities.”
Future depends on the viewpoint: ‘Radical and completely unexpected’
While many have made predictions and are studying the future implications of SDN, Jim Rapoza of the Aberdeen Group noted that the technology’s fate depends upon the lens through which it is viewed. For example, a telecom administrator will see different uses and benefits than a network engineer or a software developer.
“The problem is, everyone is looking at SDN from their own particular experience and perspective,” Rapoza wrote. “And this is why you won’t see any predictions for SDN from me outside of this, I don’t know what the future of SDN capabilities are but I do know that someone will use it to do something radical and completely unexpected.”
