Software defined everything: The way of the future
The need to simplify network management systems will accelerate the growth of the global software defined anything (SDx) market until 2020, according to the latest research study by Technavio.
In fact, according to the report, the SDx market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 32% until 2020.
"With growing data storage needs, network management in organisations has become a complex system. Many firms are therefore adopting software defined network (SDN) solutions to instill agility, improve simplicity, and reduce the total cost of ownership.
"With the help of SDN solutions, companies can reap the benefits of reduced network provisioning time, a simplified network environment, reduced maintenance costs, and enhanced network management efficiency," says Amit Sharma, Technavio lead analyst.
"The growing need for advanced technologies such as big data and IoT requires innovative IT solutions that can manage large datasets and optimise connectivity to manage data center workloads.
"SDx provides a lean business model to minimise costs by automating process control and replacing traditional hardware with software. This growing need for network simplification in organisations will drive the global SDx market over the next four years," says Amit.
SDDC: largest segment of the global SDx market
The global software-defined data center (SDDC) market was valued at close to US$1.3 billion in 2015. The market for SDDC looks promising and many enterprises are expected to adopt the concept on a large scale.
SDDC provides infrastructure to manage, control, and automate data centers. The fundamental principle of SSDC is to automate data centers through software and allocate resources to data centers through a centralised software-defined system. In these data centers, servers and storage resources are configured by a centralised system.
To tap this lucrative market, vendors also offer virtualisation services, which enables customisation of data centers to configure storage and networking resources according to user requirements, even when the server location is shifted.
SDN: second largest segment of the global SDx market
Network programming is the fundamental principle that software defined networks (SDNs) follow. SDN architecture is based on advanced networking structure that separates data planes and controls.
In this system, the control plane moves to an application known as a controller. The demand for SDN is driven by public as well as private sectors. It is attributed to the growing demand for big data, bring your own device (BYOD), and cloud computing technologies.
Over the next four years, the market potential for SDN in the education sector is predicted to rise, on account of its cost-effectivity and efficient information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, which encourages the adoption of digital classrooms and online learning systems.
Global SDx market by SDS
Companies are implementing storage in the form of software defined storage (SDS) systems for minimising issues, such as vendor lock-in, especially for hardware procurements from their storage suppliers.
SDS is also playing a key role in reducing complexities involved in maintaining and operating storage operations. Storage virtualisation achieved through SDS is provides the flexibility to add or remove storage capacity according to the business requirements of customers, making SDS more attractive for enterprises.
Over the forecast period, the market is likely to witness an increase in the demand for backup and data recovery solutions that offer safeguards from technical failures and server crash situations. SDS can help minimise backup problems, as the data recovery process is automatically initiated through its implementation.
