Cloud Computing: Is Software Defined Networking (SDN) A Sucker’s Bet?
August 8, 2013
Grazed from Forbes. Author: Patrick Moorhead.
It’s literally time to step right up and place your bets. While Software Defined Networking (SDN) is one of the hottest trends in enterprise networking today, it is easy to place the wrong bet. Looking at the previous large strategic bets that businesses have had to make – the Internet, virtualization, or cloud computing – it was a sucker’s bet. The answer was always “yes” and the only variables were how much and when.
It was like looking at a blizzard bearing down on the Midwest – you know it is going to hit, but when and how many inches were up for negotiation. While we have written an extensive analysis here, I want to provide you a snapshot of my thoughts here. With all of the talk about SDN in the market don’t assume that the answer is a slam-dunk as well…
Vendors are asking enterprise IT to bet on their vision and follow their path, but the “substitutability” of the products is anything but clear, and picking the wrong vendor can have catastrophic impact on a company’s business, not only in lost capital and lost productivity, but also in a major opportunity cost. At a time when the business cycles are starting to fire up again and the economy is looking more positive for the next 12 months than the previous, can you afford to make the wrong call on something this strategic? Or, to put a finer point on it, can enterprise IT afford to make the call too early?…
Read more from the source @ http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickmoorhead/2013/08/08/is-software-defined-networking-sdn-a-suckers-bet/