Most of the discussion of Network Functions Virtualization focuses on technology issues such as the relative role of virtual machines (VMs) vs. containers. I certainly understand that resolving these technology issues is critical to the success of NFV. However, I think that there is an issue that is even more important to the success of NFV that seldom gets mentioned. That issue is how will organizations and employees have to change in order for companies to experience all of the promised benefits of NFV?

While many organizations see network functions virtualization (NFV) solutions as a technology for making their infrastructure more dynamic and efficient, most fail to realize that it can also be leveraged to make cyber security programs more effective.  Instead of having to deploy multiple, dedicated security appliances that uniformly inspect all network traffic in the same way, NFV can be leveraged by companies to take a more holistic and adaptive approach to configuring security policy.  

Communications service providers (CSPs) are currently facing a two-fold challenge. First, cloud-based over the top (OTT) solutions are taking advantage of the well-established CSP networks, quickly stealing revenue from formerly successful streams. Second, CSP networks haven’t adapted well enough to keep up with OTT agility and innovation as the telecom industry searches for more modern revenue streams. As a CSP, it’s time for you to make a change.

This is the sixth post in the series – Strategies for Maximizing Network Efficiency

As networks grow and become more complex, an increasing amount of network designers are turning their attention to power consumption.  Along with spiraling costs, service providers are also facing a space issue as they try to jam more and more servers, racks and cooling equipment into a single location. 

This is the third post in the “Strategies for Maximizing Network Efficiency” series It wasn’t too long ago that service providers competed fiercely and invested heavily to be the first to lay fiber on a grand scale.  The benefits were clear – its highcapacity for carrying data, guaranteed consistency of signal transmission over long distances and immunity to electromagnetic interference made it an ideal transport solution.  However, just because these resources are long buried doesn’t mean they should remain static.

Mission critical industries are the ones responsible for everything in our daily life we take for granted. When we turn on the tap, we expect clean water to come out of it; when we switch on the light, we expect it to work; and when we board the train, we expect it to be on time and travel seamlessly to our destination. And usually we never stop to think about what powers these essential functions. 

Communications service providers (CSPs) have long been losing revenue as over the top (OTT) solutions gain favor in the business world. However, the issue isn’t so much about technology—it’s about revenue streams. If you want to keep OTTs from chipping away at your revenue, you need new services and new revenue streams.

When disconnecting hardware from software, the first thing a network engineer thinks about is routers and switches—because these are the basic building blocks of the network itself. However, there is another, more interesting, place to start when considering disaggregation in network engineering. If you traced the path of any packet from one edge of the network to another, you would find that it passes through a series of appliances that perform operations beyond just forwarding packets, as shown in the illustration below.

The cloud has revolutionized the world in many ways and enhanced how today’s businesses are run. It’s helped companies across a myriad of industries streamline operations, increase efficiency and establish a better overall technological infrastructure. While the cloud is generally heralded for its aforementioned benefits, cloud technology has also created excellent opportunities for both communications service providers and cloud service providers (CSPs). Infrastructure-as-a-service is booming now, but there are still some major obstacles preventing businesses and enterprises from going all in.