Dell and Big Switch Partner On Open SDN Reseller Solution

Dell and Big Switch Networks have joined forces to bring software-defined networking (SDN) to the masses. That’s what the companies are saying in the wake of a partnership announcement that will make Dell a reseller of the Big Switch Big Tap and Switch Light Operating System platforms on top of Dell’s Open Networking switches.

As noted on our sister site The VAR Guy, the deal will combine Big Switch’s SDN-focused network-monitoring solution with Dell hardware. Specifically, initial offerings will leverage the Dell Networking S4810 and S6000 network switches, according to the two companies.

The partnership expands Dell’s Open Networking initiative, which aims to provide innovative networking solutions by combining next-generation networking hardware with standards-based, open source software.

Dell and Big Switch are pitching the partnership as a move that will make SDN more accessible for organizations that have yet to invest heavily in next-generation networking technology because the cost, so far, has outweighed the benefits. “The early adopters of SDN were largely the hyperscale players. But with the advent of initiatives such as Open Networking from Dell, the path for all enterprises to enjoy the benefits of SDN is getting easier,” said Douglas Murray, CEO of Big Switch Networks, in a statement. “The joint solutions coming from the Dell and Big Switch partnership will bring hyperscale data center design and choice to a broader audience.”

The partnership is also good news for the open source networking community, since it represents endorsement of open networking standards by major channel vendors. Big Switch is a founding member of the Linux Foundation‘s OpenDaylight project, an initiative designed to promote open source SDN solutions. So far, reaction to OpenDaylight has been a bit tepid, and the software has not yet reached the massive-adoption stage. The Big Switch-Dell partnership may not do much to spur OpenDaylight adoption directly, but it is a step in the right direction for promoters of open source-based solutions within the evolving SDN world.