Networking is set to be one of the biggest growth industries for open source software development this year, and a key part of that is Network Functions Virtualization ( #NFV ). Set to transform the way networks are designed, NFV—an initiative to move to the cloud network services that have traditionally been carried out by proprietary, dedicated hardware—has seen explosive growth over the past few years, and that trajectory has only just begun. In fact, analyst firm Infonetics forecasts a fivefold increase in the NFV/ #SDN ( #SoftwareDefinedNetworking ) market by 2019 with more than $11 billion in revenue. That’s huge.
The past year alone saw a tremendous NFV spike with more telecoms testing Proof-of-Concept (PoC) demonstrations to verify real-world applicability; more emerging use cases; and more interest and momentum outside the telecom space. NFV and SDN are on the precipice of reaching critical mass, set to change how networks are architected. Such a transformation is similar to the way in which server virtualization has changed how the internet is built. NFV is bringing the scale and elasticity of cloud architecture to networking.
The Linux Foundation-hosted Open Platform for NFV ( #OPNFV ) Collaborative Project, which was created just over a year ago to help address the growing demand for NFV functionality, is at the forefront of this transformation. Tasked with creating a carrier-grade, integrated, open source platform to accelerate new NFV products and services, OPNFV boasts 56 member companies (including top mobile, wireline and cable operators, chip vendors, and startups), a forthcoming second release and a successful inaugural Summit held this past November. The project’s swelling community demonstrates the hunger for agile solutions that meet evolving network demands.
NFV is poised to move into deployment in 2016. Armed with increased functionality, testing and interoperability—propelled by OPNFV—the market is primed for some bold and innovative milestones over the next year. Here are my top five predictions for NFV this year.
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