New global group aims for more innovative networks
Six companies that own and operate some of the largest networks in the world have formed the Open Networking Foundation (ONF), a nonprofit organisation dedicated to promoting a new approach to networking called Software-Defined Networking (SDN).
The founding companies are Deutsche Telekom, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Verizon, and Yahoo! Joining them are 17 member firms, including major equipment vendors, networking and virtualisation software suppliers, and chip technology providers.
In the past two decades, enormous innovation has taken place on top of the internet architecture. Email, e-commerce, search, social networks, cloud computing and the web as we know it are all good examples. While networking technologies have also evolved in this time, the ONF is focused on the belief that more rapid innovation is needed. SDN fulfills this need by enabling innovation in all kinds of networks — including data centres, wide area telecommunication networks, wireless networks, enterprises and in homes — through relatively simple software changes. SDN gives owners and operators of networks better control over their networks, allowing them to optimise network behaviour to best serve their and their customers’ needs. For instance, in data centres, SDN can be used to reduce energy usage by allowing some routers to be powered down during off-peak periods.
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