There is no doubt that a focus on software defining the network – enabling automation, analytics, and orchestration via open APIs and other technologies – is changing the way network elements are viewed and compared across the industry.
In the past, we lined up products and compared the basics: speeds, feeds, and cost. The network elements in question had better perform at line rate (speeds). have a port density (feeds), and be affordable (price per port).
Many experts claim the shift from hardware to software is changing that focus. And they are right, at least on the surface. We’re no longer so worried about speeds, feeds and costs in terms of network ports but we are, as we shift toward a software-defined world, concerned with service speeds, feeds, and costs.