The (Software Defined) Transformation of Service Providers

It's now a shared view that "software defined" is the basis for the next generation of data transport fabrics. The only questions now outstanding are 1) How long will it take for the majority of enterprises to deploy their new fabrics, 2) What are the three of four solutions that will be the established leaders and 3) Who will deliver the services to the enterprises.

My comments here relate to #3 - Who will deliver the services? If you saw today's announcement by BT you may think twice before assuming the future will be dominated by the vendors themselves (https://www.btplc.com/news/index.htm#/pressreleases/bt-launches-new-global-managed-service-with-cisco-sd-wan-2533299). I find this announcement absolutely fascinating in many ways.

First, have you EVER seen the Service Providers move with such speed or force? Clearly they are facing a grave threat to their profitable dedicated WAN services which is the catalyst for their response. But SPs have faced these type of threats in the past (VoiP, Broadband, etc) but their response has always been a bit lethargic in my opinion. Not here. Not now. This feels different. This feels like we're witnessing a new breed of Service Providers who are more nimble and more bold. Just check out BTs offering...it's very compelling.

That's my second point. These new SP SD-WAN offerings are exceptionally strong. It's not the old fashion cobbling together of mediocre technologies with a veneer of multi-tenancy. These are LEADING offerings delivered with comprehensive service offering that shifts the risk from the enterprise to the Service Provider, removes the complexity and accelerates the path to adoption. BT is delivering Cisco SD-WAN as a service in a true multi-tenant fashion complemented by industry-leading, visual based management platforms bringing great value to their customers.

I'm a neutral player in this market transition as LiveAction works with the vendors, channel partners, service providers and enterprise customers. I'm just fascinated to see how quickly the Service Providers are responding to this unique market transition. I've been in the enterprise technology space for over 30 years even spending time along the way with AT&T, Cisco, Avaya, NaviSite, Datto and now LiveAction, and I've seen ever side of Service Provider offerings over the years. This time it feels different. This time I think we're seeing the emergence of a new breed of SPs who are finally tapping into their core strengths. This time the SPs may have the advantage. I think we're witnessing the (software defined) transformation of Service Providers.

Brooks Borcherding