Part 2 of a 4 Part Optical Core Blog Series
For the second blog in our series on optical core technology trends and evolution, we turn our focus to the new IT, namely, Network-as-a-Service (NaaS). The new IT is defined by IDC, a leading global analyst firm, as the 3rd Platform built on cloud, mobility, social media, and big data analytics. Enterprises are engineering their IT around these four 3rd Platform technologies offering new opportunities for infrastructure evolution and changes in traffic patterns to meet end-user demands such as immediate and efficient e-commerce, always-on connections, and real-time intelligent analytics. New requirements that stem from new IT solutions are changing enterprise business models.
Enterprises generate traffic demand that is projected to increase by 18% from 2015 through 2020 (Source: Cisco VNI). Effectively, this new traffic is a business booster for the communications service provider (CSP) as it grows more slowly than consumer traffic but delivers a higher value per bit. These increases in traffic volume are moving in parallel with efficiencies gained by outsourcing IT equipment, including savings from centralized air conditioning and power supplies, on-site maintenance, and the advantages of more frequently updated technology by renting rather than owning compute and storage capacity. At the same time, outsourcing IT equipment creates an even greater need to efficiently manage WAN connectivity to ensure smooth business operations. The new approach to WAN requires an online interface that enterprises can use to manage network operations and provision and monitor connectivity services directly.
Centralizing the new IT to data centers eases the DevOps method of introducing and managing IT services. By achieving a higher level of communication and collaboration among different groups in the same organization, products and services are developed and implemented faster with more reliability and efficiency. Using the DevOps approach, enterprises can quickly introduce, implement, and manage IT services. With the combination of centrally located IT equipment, an online interface for simplified and direct control, and a cohesive organizational approach to service delivery and operations, enterprises can speed processes and reap the benefits of improved productivity.
Aligning with these technology trends, CSPs need to provide a simplified network view to the enterprise. Through an online interface and SDN-based applications, enterprise IT can design, provision, monitor, and manage new connections and services. The enterprise should be able to function as if it owns the WAN network, even as it is managing only predefined network segments offered as a NaaS by CSPs.
Likewise, CSPs are adopting similar processes by allowing different internal departments to access a single, common Optical Core as if it were separate, optimized Optical Core networks. This helps CSPs to address different market segments with diverging technical needs and operational speeds with a single, resource-efficient Optical Core network.
Addressing this IT evolution, the Coriant® Optical Core Solution enables fast service delivery and highest availability for data center traffic. Coriant helps customers leverage the advantages of NaaS with software based intelligence, a dedicated services team, and a robust portfolio of platforms to prepare enterprises, data center operators, and CSPs alike for the escalating traffic demands of end-users and the evolving requirements of the new IT. A solution such as our DCI disrupter, the Coriant Groove™ G30 DCI Platform, propels centralized IT infrastructure and services to the next level of space and cost savings and speeds time to revenue. The Groove solution is designed for the high-density, high performance demands of the data center. In addition, the Coriant Transcend™ SDN Solution offers next-generation OSS migration to speed up IT processes, automated end-to-end and multi-layer service provisioning and restoration, and network aware service planning and provisioning. Coriant solutions help enterprises and CSPs achieve a competitive edge in a fast-forward world of unrelenting network demands and dynamic connection requirements.
Topics: CSP, data center, DCI, edge to core, IoT, NaaS, optical core, WAN