Shabbir Ahmad, Regional Sales Director – Networking, Dell, EMEA Emerging Markets discusses trends for 2014.
Networks in the Middle East had a big year in 2013. More photos were shared, mobile phones were connected, data was moved, and clouds were deployed than ever before, all made possible by networks. This unprecedented growth in connected devices, information and services put a lot of pressure on corporate networks, but demonstrated the strategic importance that the network plays in IT and in our daily lives.
2014 is poised to be an even bigger year for networks in the Middle East, perhaps “the year of the network”, when effective networks will make or break businesses and change the way we live our lives. These are the trends that Dell sees shaping the networking industry next year – our Networking 4 for ’14:
1. SDN – Its defining moment
In 2014, customers will want vendors to bring order to the chaos and show the industry how SDN should be implemented. In a fragmenting market with numerous open source and open standards efforts, and competing with vendor strategies, customers will vote with their wallets. Smart vendors will follow. Customers will force networking vendors to agree on a more co-operative, open approach that will make SDN practical and real.
2. 40 is the new 10
The economics have changed and they are not changing back. The value in networking is no longer in the boxes – it is in the software. Year after year, fixed-form switches prove to be more power and space efficient than chassis platforms. In 2014, fixed form factor switches will continue to out-innovate the legacy chassis, providing server-like customisation, upgrades and economics.
40GbE will go main stream as right-sizing of data centres continues. Customers can get more throughput today for half the cost that they paid just a few years ago. 40GbE holds the key to improved capacity and can provide a smooth upgrade path as the need for speedy network connections increases.
3. Hardware silos crumble for good
Innovation has broken the 20 year old boundaries between server, storage and networking. Next-generation converged systems – both smaller and bigger and more targeted, to mainstream and mid-market – will continue to push the old silos aside. 2014 is the year of the entire data centre, not the year of server, storage or networking.
4. Lose the wire – campus networks get turned inside-out
Wired switches in networking closets are in trouble. Businesses, schools, hospitals and individuals can’t survive on wired access alone. In 2014, we will see a dramatic increase in next-generation WLAN innovation. It is all about wireless now.
