Q & A
EDITOR ’ S
WHAT CHALLENGES DO CHANNEL PARTNERS FACE WHEN RE- ARCHITECTING TRADITIONAL NETWORKS TO BE SOFTWARE-DEFINED ?
Given the ever-evolving IT industry in MEA , there are two avenues in which the channel operates . The ISPs who simply focus on selling links and putting SDN on top of that , and managed services providers ( MSPs ), who sell SDN as a solution .
The ISP model of selling links only , is a legacy way of thinking and significantly hinders the opportunity for channel growth , and rapidly eroding margins .
Fortunately , there has been an increase of MSPs in the channel who are more in favour of agility and selling SDN as a solution . These are the companies that will be successful and help drive the future of the channel towards a more software-centric way of unlocking business value for customers .
We see an important role for channel partners , and MSPs to educate businesses
Software-defined networking ( SDN ) is an architecture that aims to make networks agile and flexible . The goal of SDN is to improve network control by enabling enterprises and service providers to respond quickly to changing business requirements . Industry pundits share insights on how channel partners can help their end user customers to move away from traditional network architectures .
WESLEY VAN RAYNE , PRINCIPAL ENGINEER , REDVINE
about what a software-defined network is , and to showcase the practical benefits of transitioning traditional networks to software-defined ones .
Of course , there are challenges when migrating from a hardware-first way of thinking to a software-defined one . These can include licensing and planning concerns as well as not having a full understanding of the existing organisational network environment .
Very few businesses have visibility of their traditional , hardware-driven network ( adding ) from an application services perspective . But once this holistic view is gained , then the foundation can be put in place for a modern , software-defined environment that is geared toward experienced based networking
That being the case , there are a growing number of vendors , who deliver SDN technologies . We work closely with VeloCloud , 128T ( Juniper ); Versa and some others and believe they are leading solutions across the continent ( and globally ).
That aside , there pitfalls that channel partners face when implementing SDN . If it is an ISP channel partner , then it is critical for them to overcome their legacy understanding of what it is to sell a solution . It is not about simply selling two links and a router and walking away . SDN in this instance , entails providing something that is best of breed to a customer , beyond connectivity , to include significant value adds in unlocking the potential of the network by tailoring it to the specific business needs of that customer .
It all comes down to the solutions that are available . SDN empowers the channel to
tick many boxes from security and scalability to SD-WAN and SASE . This technology provides everything from a single partner , making it easier for a customer to manage from a business point of view .
In turn , customers can cherry pick from partners who are able to provide the most comprehensive solution . Therefore , the onus falls on the channel partner to identify the best vendors that will unlock this value proposition .
Traditionally , resellers used to be boxdroppers or were completely focused on the underlying technology . But today , they must either focus on becoming an MSP that delivers solutions to companies in this new environment , or they must align themselves to one . Because SDN is so customisable , it can benefit any vertical .
Going forward , SDN will continue to be such a broad term with a myriad of use cases whether it comes from SD-WAN , SASE , or other areas . The key is for a company to align itself with a partner who understands the relevant trends in their sector as well as who has the experience of deploying solutions that cater for their specific use cases .
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS 51