Is Software-Defined Networking Ready For The Enterprise? Part 3 Of 3

Software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) hold the promise to reposition the network and supporting team from being a business barrier and services liability to an enabler of new business paradigms. However, today's SDN solutions, as outlined in parts 1 and 2 of this series, offer limited value to the majority of infrastructure and operations (I&O) professionals and their enterprises at this point in time. But that doesn't mean that I&O leaders and their teams shouldn't start planning for the inevitable SDN and NFV transition. This report sets the high-level guidance that I&O leaders and their networking teams need to embrace when planning for SDN. Start by using the five tenets of virtual network infrastructure (VNI) to frame your network technology strategy and then apply lessons learned from agile manufacturers to guide your transition.