In a nutshell, SDN delaminates the data and control planes of the network and NFV virtualizes the functional elements of the network—routers, switches, firewalls—and expresses these functions as programs that run on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) IT hardware. While they are distinct technologies, the two work together in concert to turn the network into an infinitely programmable dynamic mesh, versus a hardware-based static map. Where SDN is the network admin gone virtual; NFV is the gear gone virtual. Together, SDN and NFV promise to deliver a whole new world of networking.

Extreme performance increases and cost reductions can be realized by virtualizing functions that once required physical hardware and manual programming. Using commoditized computer hardware, not specialized, vendor-controlled equipment, network functions such as firewalls, DPI (deep packet inspection) appliances, tunneling gateways, and more can be programmed automatically and instantiated in numerous locations.

 A telecom server could host a router one day and a session border controller the next, depending on demand, latency, and other network conditions; in the past, this would require new equipment, a truck roll, and a network engineer. This dynamic utility makes CSPs much more agile, and allows for automated management and control of global resources.

Partnership

Absent a wholly-owned global network, partnering is a great way to extend reach into new areas and offer consumer and enterprise customers uninterrupted service and flat-rate billing. Tata Communications, for instance, offers access to its global network. Recent news shows how popular this strategy is. Vodafone and NTT DOCOMO have partnered to achieve M2M network ubiquity. Vodafone also signed a strategic alliance with France-based SFR. Google is attracting service providers with Project Loon, an initiative that seeks to beam the Internet at 3G speeds from high-flying, solar-powered balloons. Companies like Starhome Mach help manage the roaming end of these relationships so that customers aren’t surprised by inflated bills when they travel.

Thinking outside the sandbox

We’ve reached an era of coopetition, an era where there is no one network, but numerous loosely federated networks being used by numerous service providers. Yesterday’s sandboxes have been destroyed. Agile CSPs must think outside the sandbox in order to effectively address the billions of potential and achieve network ubiquity. This requires adopting a wireless mesh, or heterogeneous network framework. It involves the application of network virtualization technologies, SDN and NFV. Lastly, it requires and open mind with regard to partnerships and coopetition.