More than half (54 per cent) of the channel partners and systems integrators in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) believe that software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualisation (NFV) will be the significant trends within the next two year, according to new research.

The Brocade survey found that 18 per cent of respondents in EMEA are already deploying SDN and NFV technologies, with about 62 per cent either currently evaluating the solutions or planning to do so within the next year.

The research, which surveyed over 230 Brocade distributors and resellers from across the EMEA region, also explored the issues expected to be among their customers’ top priorities next year.

The top three trends are expected to be virtualisation at 72 per cent), bring-your-own-device (BYOD) at 43 per cent), and SDN at 30 percent.

The biggest challenges for customers were revealed to be complexity and bandwidth provisioning, suggesting that the coming year will continue to bring opportunities for partners that can help organisations simplify their IT infrastructures while increasing connectivity.  

The report also examined the top factors influencing partners’ choice of vendor. Technology differentiation was the top factor cited b respondents, followed by the vendor’s vision and strategy, suggesting that the channel remains focused on providers that can deliver innovation in the long-term.

Marcus Jewell, vice president, EMEA, Brocade, said: “It is clear from this research that our channel partners are looking to the future and are focusing on building the technology solutions that their customers will need in the years to come, in particular SDN and NFV.

“With customers prioritising virtualisation and BYOD, it’s only natural that complexity and bandwidth are their top challenges. These findings support what we are seeing within our channel programmes.”

“In 2015, Brocade’s focus will continue to be on helping our partners in EMEA deliver better experiences for their customers through existing networks and helping them manage the transition to the New IP,” said Jewell.

“To deliver on both cloud and on-premise solutions following heavy investment in software by carriers, service providers, and others, we’ll be giving partners the building blocks to support the growing interest in SDN and NFV.” - TradeArabia News Service