Dell SDN Solution Overview For years the networking industry has operated in a closed, mainframe-like state where the only option available to consumers has been a ‘big-iron’ approach, working with a single vendor that controls all aspects of network operation from the hardware to the operating system to applications and features. As a result innovation in the networking industry has become stifled; operations remain fragile, complex and expensive. Today the Software Defined (SDN) and Open Networking Movements are presenting new, innovative approaches that offer profound business benefits and solve key enterprise challenges. This solution brief provides an overview of SDN and Open Networking, providing guidance to prepare an optimal technology strategy with the business, technical and operational benefits of these powerful emerging paradigms. Dell Networking’s SDN Solutions help you: • Provides a common, easily scalable foundation optimized for all key emerging SDN technologies • Deliver the performance and capabilities needed for next-generation applications and east-west traffic • Streamline and automate operations with complete lifecycle management • An open choice of network operating system*, providing the greatest breadth, flexibility and investment protection in a network solution today At a glance IT pain points • New applications demand greater performance, lower latency, east-west traffic, dynamic provisioning, etc… • Inefficient, manually-intensive operations, slow