Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its new Carrier SDN and NFV Hardware and Software market size and forecast report, which tracks network functions virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) hardware and software used in service provider networks.

The new 46-page report provides detailed analysis of the SDN and NFV markets and their many facets -- from SDN router and switch hardware and software, to the many categories of NFV, particularly the virtualized network functions (VNFs) comprising policy (policy and charging rules function [PCRF] and deep packet inspection [DPI]), the mobile packet core and evolved packet core (EPC), IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), and security. To buy the report, contact Infonetics.

In 2015, Infonetics will publish separate, more in-depth reports for the service provider SDN and NFV markets.

NFV AND SDN MARKET HIGHLIGHTS

• Infonetics expects global carrier SDN and NFV hardware and software to grow from less than $500 million in 2013 to over $11 billion in 2018
• NFV represents the lion's share of the combined SDN and NFV market, from 2014 out to 2018
• The value of NFV is in the virtualized network functions software -- the applications -- rather than the orchestration and control; VNF makes up over 90% of the NFV software segment
• SDN and NFV exemplify the telecom industry's shift from hardware to software: SDN and NFV software are projected to make up of three-quarters of total SDN/NFV revenue in 2018

"For three years, the telecom industry has been abuzz over SDN and NFV, with anticipation and hard work developing the vision, goals, architectures, use cases, proof-of-concept projects, field trials, and even some commercial deployments. We've been gathering data in this early market for nearly two years and are projecting the global service provider SDN and NFV market to reach $11 billion in 2018," says Michael Howard, Infonetics Research's co-founder and principal analyst for carrier networks.

"To better understand spending in this emerging market, we classify SDN and NFV hardware and software in three distinct categories," Howard continues. "First, revenue from brand new SDN and NFV software, which we expect to make up 20% of the total SDN and NFV market in 2018. Second, revenue that comes from products that companies will buy instead of buying something else -- what we refer to as 'displaced' revenue, including NFV infrastructure (NFVI) hardware (servers, storage, switches) purchased instead of network hardware (routers, DPI, firewalls, etc.). This segment will make up about 12% of the market in 2018. And third, revenue that comes from newly identified segments of existing markets: mostly the virtualized network functions (VNFs), and also ports on routers, switches, and optical gear that have become SDN-capable. This last segment makes up the largest slice of the SDN and NFV pie, 68% in 2018."