Software-defined networking has generated a lot of interest across numerous sectors, including data center operations, enterprise networking and the telecom industry. The basic concept behind this technology is that by decoupling a network's data plane from its control plane, administrators can essentially detach their network traffic management capabilities from the physical hardware, giving them far more oversight and control regarding the allocation of resources.
For many business leaders, the how of SDN is less important than the why. Changing the foundational components of their networks' data transmitting processes may not appear to have much appeal at face value. Enterprise decision-makers want to know precisely how SDN will benefit their organization before making the jump and investing in the technology. As the telecom industry and other sectors increasingly hear positive news regarding the development of SDN-based network tools, one question continues to arise: How can this technology innovate and improve enterprise networks?
SDN offers effective network management
David Shacochis, a member of the Research & Development team at Savvis, Inc., explained that SDN offers different advantages to individuals depending on their profession and field of interest. For instance, network engineers will be interested in the technology's support of automation and centralized application management. By streamlining data transmissions and placing monitoring capabilities for the entire network within a single location, SDN will significantly enhance the network activity, paving the way for more seamless traffic delivery. Shacochis also noted that because SDN operates at a software level, it can deploy these benefits across network architectures regardless of their makeup.
From a telco perspective, the ability to enhance network traffic will provide major benefits for carriers and consumers alike. Telecoms will be able to monitor their network environments at both broad and granular levels, allowing personnel to dynamically make changes to avoid disruptive bottlenecks and allocate more bandwidth to areas that experience surges in usage. Ultimately, the ability to divert resources as needed will enable carriers to improve their service delivery capabilities and keep their customers satisfied.
Make Web filters more efficient
International software house Comarch outlined several use cases for SDN in a 2013 white paper, highlighting its practical applications for telecoms. For instance, Ericsson has developed SDN-enabled routers that can greatly enhance Web filtering processes. Given the amount of objectionable material on the Internet, many telco customers continue to worry that their children may have unfettered access to obscene or otherwise inappropriate content. Ericsson's SDN tools offer a more intelligent way to determine the identity of the user and reconfigure flow tables to process or circumvent Internet filters as needed. Because activation of the filtering service is handled entirely by the central SDN controller, telcos can cut down on the number of network resources utilized unnecessarily for these processes.
SDN enables accurate billing
The Open Networking Foundation touched upon another innovative application for SDN in the telecom sector. The organization described how businesses could use this technology to obtain bandwidth-on-demand services, essentially allowing organizations to pay only for the bandwidth and services that they utilize. This feature could have major ramifications for telcos, which have traditionally presented flat fees for their Internet offerings. The oversight and monitoring capabilities provided by SDN could enable carriers to only charge their customers for the precise amount of bandwidth consumed.
For customers, this would lead to more accurate billing, potentially cutting back their monthly statements. This will result in a more satisfied client base, reducing attrition rates and shoring up telecom revenue streams. Furthermore, telcos would be able to more readily identify individuals who routinely go over their allotted bandwidth and charge them appropriately. The ability to fairly bill customers based on network usage would likely keep telecoms from being forced to implement unpopular measures such as bandwidth caps, further supporting customer retention measures.
Organizations have only begun to scratch the surface of the benefits that SDN can offer the telecom industry. As companies make further advancements with the technology, new, performance-enhancing applications will surely arise.
