Understanding the Benefits of Software Defined Networking

The modern work environment offers countless new tools and technologies, from cloud computing, to data analytics, to third party applications and services. IT professionals are constantly working to ensure their company’s infrastructure can meet the demands of these new technologies. In a recent story for RCR Wireless, I explore the impact of infrastructure solutions such as software defined networks (SDN) to meet these challenges.

While SDN is not a new concept, many organizations do not fully understand the technology or its potential impact for better business practices. In fact, only 9% of organizations surveyed by Nemertes Research are currently using SDN, while more than 42% are evaluating the technology. SDN technology offers a cost-efficient solution for virtualized network functionality that can keep up with the demands of modern companies. As IT managers explore SDN, there are a few key points they should consider:

The SDN Budget Selling Point

Many people assume that the adoption of SDN will reduce the budget associated with managing their network. While SDN can cut network infrastructure costs, it ends up enabling a reallocation of money to go toward other parts of the infrastructure. By adopting and deploying SDN, organizations may not necessarily be saving money, but rather, they can ensure budgets go farther.

Introducing Versatile Bandwidth

Managing bandwidth is a constant pain point for IT professionals, as they need to ensure networks can sustain an organization’s workflow. SDN gives network managers the flexibility to add more bandwidth as needed or decrease it when less bandwidth is required.

The IT vs. Business Tug of War

There is a common tug of war that takes place between IT and other areas of a business, related to bandwidth demands. Business units outside of IT may not realize how launching a new program across an organization could affect network performance. With the bandwidth flexibilities SDN provides, IT teams can quickly shift network needs to support increased activity.  

Controlling Application Usage

For IT, controlling the applications employees have access to can be a challenging process. Traditionally, it has proven difficult for IT to have an application-level view and the precise control needed to allow different parts of a business access to different applications. However, SDN infrastructure provides visibility at the branch level, which can give IT application control for individual business units or groups.

Has your business benefitted from SDN? You can read my full article on RCR Wireless here: https://bit.ly/2ttYcWl