A new report from Argus Insights shows that software-defined networking maintained a healthy mindshare lead over network function virtualization during the past two months, citing data collected from blogs, message boards, Facebook and Twitter.
The firm noted that “relative mindshare reflects the expected revenue growth over the next two to three years.”
Some have predicted that NFV will surpass SDN in terms of service provider interest, with Sonus Networks CTO Kevin Riley recently noting in a 2015 prediction story that “NFV is incredibly appealing to service providers as they race against the competition to offer new services and drive down operational expenditures. Service providers are eager to virtualize in any way possible and we feel that NFV has finally matured enough to see initial deployment in the service-provider space in 2015 followed by widespread on-ramp in 2016.”
Infonetics Research late last year predicted the global service-provider SDN and NFV markets will grow from less than $500 million in sales last year to $11 billion in sales by 2018. Between the two technologies, Infonetics said it expects NFV to represent “the lion’s share” of the market between 2014 and 2018, with the value of NFV coming mostly from VNF software rather than orchestration and control. The research firm noted that VNF makes up more than 90% of the NFV software segment, and that it expects SDN and NFV software to comprise three-fourths of the total revenues in 2018.
In other telecom software news:
• Kontron announced it has joined Alcatel-Lucent’s CloudBand Ecosystem Program, which is focused on developing NFV-based solutions. In joining the program, Kontron said it is looking to increase the appeal of its Symkloud Series hardware platform to service providers adopting the CloudBand architecture.
Alcatel-Lucent initially launched the program in late 2013, noting it was looking to accelerate the development and adoption of NFV by allowing developers and vendors to access tools and test apps within a simulated cloud environment before putting them on a service provider’s network.
• Brocade launched native port-based encryption functionality for modular routers that it said can support data privacy across public and private cloud deployments.
Brocade said the offering uses IPsec Suite B algorithms with support for AES 256-bit keys embedded in its MLXe routers “via a purpose-built line module and operating system enhancements.” The offer also provides support for 128-bit MACsec encryption.
Hardware modules that support up to 200 gigabits per second of wire-speed MACsec encryption are priced starting at $90,000, while a module that supports both IPsec and MACsec at up to 44 Gbps wire-speed performance is priced at $120,000. Brocade’s Netlron OS 5.8 software that enables encryption functionality on the modules is available at no additional cost for customers with a Brocade service contract.
• SDN platform provider Elephant Talk appointed Armin Hessler and Martin Zuurbier as co-presidents of the company, reporting to chairman and CEO Steven van der Velden. The new positions are effective April 1.
Zuurbier is currently CTO at Elephant Talk, a position he will maintain, but with the added role of overseeing the company’s sales, vendor management and innovation and technology segments. Hessler joins Elephant Talk from Vodafone, where he currently serves as head of global data center management and service excellence.
• Software company 6Wind added two software appliances to its Speed Series with the Turbo Router and Turbo IPsec. Both are based on the 6WindGate packet processing software and are targeted at service providers, enterprises and cloud and content providers.
Both new appliances are designed to be installed onto x86 servers within bare metal and virtual machine environments, with the Turbo Router claimed to provide at least 200 gigabits per second throughput with 45% capacity available, while the Turbo IPsec is claimed to support at least 100 Gbps in throughput with 45% capacity available.
The company added that the appliances can be integrated with its Virtual Accelerator and third-party virtual functions as customers transition to NFV and virtual networking environments.
Software is becoming an increasingly important part of telecommunication networks and deployments as both wired and wireless carriers look to add functionality to operations while increasing simplicity and reducing costs. RCR Wireless News is keeping an eye on recent developments through its weekly “Software” wrap up.
Make sure to check out the latest in telecom-related software news at RCR Wireless News’ dedicated software page. If you have telecom software news to share, please send it along to: dmeyer@rcrwireless.com.
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