When it comes to data centers, the market shift toward SDDC (software defined data centers) continues to accelerate. But that doesn't mean networking companies are going away.
Indeed, the data center networking market "continues to evolve, with increasing choices for open and disaggregated network solutions, while other vendors aim for more closed, proprietary systems," Gartner asserts in its latest Magic Quadrant for Data Center Networking report, issued in May 2016.
Enterprise data center networking revenues grew 5.1 percent in 2015, as customers shifted from 1Gbps to 10Gbps server connections and even 40Gbps connections (where revenues climbed 93% during 2015), Gartner found.
Many businesses are now exploring software-defined networking, with seven potential benefits and considerations in mind, Gartner added. The benefits and/or considerations included:
- Faster and automated provisioning of workloads;
- Improved security;
- Improved management;
- Reduced expenditures on networking hardware/software;
- Reduced operational expenditures to operate networks;
- Reduced vendor lock-in; and
- Concern over making long-term investments that do not include SDN capabilities.
Actual Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Center Networking 2016
Gartner tracked 13 networking companies for its Magic Quadrant on Data Center Networking. Here there are, organized from leaders to challenges, visionaries and niche players. We've also included a few strengths and cautions for each company, as outlined by Gartner. Note: Click any logo to see associated strengths and cautions...
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