Among the various advantages of SDN (Software Defined Networking) networks, are the ability to automate rules, greater capacity to adapt to contingencies, and greater flexibility in corporate technological capital infrastructure. 

The Software Defined Networks market has shown significant growth in recent years, as a result of increased industrial demand for a flexible and adaptable infrastructure to Cloud Computing, hybrid environments, Edge, and proliferation of network-connected devices (IoT).

In fact, according to Expert Market Research[1], the global market of SDNs is growing at an accelerated pace. After reaching US$9.2 billion in 2020, it is expected to hit US$35.6 billion by 2026, which represents a 500% growth.

The fact is that, among the main advantages offered by software-defined networks are standardization in network administration, automation of each function within network management and optimization of scalability or ability to adapt to different environments.

For Alejandro Girardotti, Regional Director of Connectivity and Content for Lumen LATAM, SDN implementation “allows design, deployment, and management of the network by separating control and data planes, abstracting the underlying infrastructure for applications and network services, in order to achieve a directly programmable control plane. Therefore, SDN enables distribution of computing capacity to remote sites, moving data center functions to the network edge, and better support for new technologies.”

Thus, as more companies shift to a Software Defined Network configuration, these types of solutions will continue to expand to new industries around the world.

Now, given the economic impact of Covid-19, SDNs have grown primarily due to the reorganization of company operations, and the recovery from the impact of the pandemic, which by establishing restrictive containment measures such as remote work, and promoting new activities such as telemedicine and remote education led companies from various sectors to face important operational challenges.

In any case, it is likely that the widespread use of SDN will first occur at the network edges, and then extend to the infrastructures of the large telecommunications network operators.

In this scenario, Girardotti, Regional Product Director at Lumen, claims that from now on the Software Defined Networks market will become increasingly competitive. “Both the new players that enter the market, as well as the big players in the industry will all look for spaces to innovate and offer differentiated services to achieve competitive advantages, which will enable their continuous growth. In short, the objective will be to achieve a greater market share and a sustainable operation over time”. 

[1] https://www.expertmarketresearch.com/reports/software-defined-networking-market