I always think it’s interesting when multiple news items combine (or conflict) in a way that exposes issues and market conditions. We have that this week with the Cisco/Microsoft cloud partnership, new-model servers from HP, a management change at Verizon, and Juniper’s router announcements. All of these create a picture of a seismic shift in … Continue reading More Signposts Along the Path to an IT-Centric Network Future
According to a couple recent surveys, TV viewing is dropping in the 18-34 year old age group. Some are already predicting that this will mean the end of broadcast TV, cable, and pretty much the media World as We Know It. Certainly there are major changes coming, but the future is more complicated than the … Continue reading Will TV Viewing Habits Change Metro Architecture?
You’ve probably noticed by now my enthusiasm for the metro space. I think that enthusiasm is vindicated by the recent Street speculation on Verizon’s next-gen metro program, which the Street analysts say will go primarily to Ciena with a nod toward Cisco. The thing is, there are other fundamental numbers in play that have been … Continue reading The NGN Bridge: Drivers, Trends, and Carpentry
“The times they are a’changing”, as the song goes. The pace and direction of the changes could be influenced by vendors agile and determined enough to get out there and take some bold steps. We’ve looked at the IT giants who have the most to gain from a transition to a software-server vision of networking. … Continue reading Can the Optical Guys Get Out of the NGN Basement?
The FCC is now considering a new position on Net Neutrality, and also a new way of classifying multi-channel video programming distributors (MVPDs) that would allow streaming providers who offered “linear” (continuous distribution, similar to channelized RF) programming as opposed to on demand to be MVPDs. That would enable them to negotiate for licensing deals … Continue reading Public Internet Policy and the NGN
The media is all agog over the decision by the President to endorse a path to neutrality that would include reclassifying ISP services as Title II, meaning making the ISPs common carriers in terms of the Telecom Act. I’ve read that it means the ISPs would become public utilities, or that they’d then have to … Continue reading Neutrality: Don’t Take a Stand, Just Stand
There’s been a lot of talk about “layers” in SDN and even in NFV, and I’ve blogged in the past that most of it is at the minimum inconsistent with real OSI model principles. Some is just nonsense. Interestingly, given that we seem to want to invent layer behaviors ad hoc, we’re ignoring a real … Continue reading Should the IP/Ethernet Control Plane be a “Layer”?
Public policy is often set in the courts, and we have both a current and an impending example of court action on our networking industry. As is always the case, the issues may be decided in law but not necessarily in the eyes of those with interest in the matters. The Supreme Court dealt what … Continue reading Why Not Try SETTING Internet Policy Explicitly?
We always hear about the progress of new technologies, largely because “news” means “novelty” and there’s therefore little interest in how people are doing the same tired stuff they did yesterday. Unfortunately this tends to set up what I’ve called (yes, irreverently with respect to our friends in the Fourth Estate) a “Bulls**t bidding war” … Continue reading Can We Speed Up SDN/NFV Adoption?
One of the inevitable results of commoditization is consolidation, and Wall Street (Oppenheimer in particular) has started predicting who among the “providers” in telecom might be acquired by somebody else. It’s worth looking at their list of eaters and “eatees” to see what we can learn about industry direction. Top of everyone’s list is T-Mobile, … Continue reading Playing Offense or Defense: Technology versus Consoldiation