15 Sep SDN, Big Data: Real World Perspectives

Posted by Rosemary Cochran

Software Defined Networking (SDN) is transforming the telecom industry toward more open, more flexible, more scalable – and more data-driven – network services and solutions. The importance of Big Data as an essential component of this transformation was explored in a JSA Virtual Roundtable that I recently moderated, SDN, Big Data – Focus on Practical Usage, Real World Implementation. Three top industry executives shared their insight and experiences on this hot topic – here are a few of the highlights:

• Bill O’Brien, Director of Adaptive Platforms, CenturyLink
  As the co-architect of CenturyLink’s Programmable Service Backbone, O’Brien described how predictive analytics and integrated metadata are the ‘oxygen’ for SDN-based service architectures. “With the robust set of APIs that are typically inherent with any SDN/NFV platform and the automation that goes into play, we began to ask ourselves how can we automate the decisions typically made by humans, and then use those and build intelligent feedback loops back into the platform,” he said.

• Andrew Kusminsky, COO and Chief Strategy Officer, Perseus
  Perseus implemented an SDN network to improve operations efficiency and provide a platform that supports the rapidly changing application and connectivity requirements of its global customers, explained Kusminsky. He detailed a use case example of the “uberization of connectivity” where a financial services customer was able to quickly activate new capacity using their service portal in response to unexpected network events.

• Zeev Draer, Vice President of Strategic Marketing, MRV Communications
  Big data will force “tectonic shifts” in the industry and force new business models, said Draer, offering his perspective as a supplier of packet and optical solutions. He described that ultimately what business customers want from their network service providers are more flexible, lower cost offerings with virtualization throughout their WANs. Enabled by SDN, emerging services will be powered by real-time analytics such as bandwidth utilization and SLA performance, as well as highly granular information about application characteristics and the user experience.

Watch the JSA Virtual Roundtable video replay to hear the details, and much more on SDN, Big Data implementations, opportunities and challenges.
SDN, Big Data – Focus on Practical Usage, Real World Implementations