Make Speaking on SDN a 2014 Resolution

• 

  Mike Fratto

  The true value of SDN lies in the benefits it can provide across a number of IT environments, but determining that specific value is difficult at best and requires context that only you can provide.

• Make a point of extending the discussion about SDN at conferences and take the time to share your experiences and concerns with your IT colleagues; everyone will reap benefits far beyond the price of admission.

The SDN discussion really needs to move beyond the technology that powers it and towards the value it provides to enterprise IT. Thankfully analysts, press, and technical bloggers are all starting to talk about the value that SDN provides in addition to technology and I think we’ll see much more in 2014.

Why AT&T Sponsored Data Isn’t the End of the Internet as We Know It

Brian Washburn

Summary Bullets:

• AT&T Sponsored Data has a strong corporate applications angle. Annoying mobile ads may be a concern, but it’s not out to destroy the Internet.
• If AT&T Sponsored Data seems a product of wireless data caps set too low, competition and market forces – not regulations – should correct that.

On January 6th, AT&T debuted its Sponsored Data service. The service is a way for businesses to let AT&T’s wireless customers access content of the business’ choice on their mobile devices, across AT&T’s 4G network for free. In this case, “free” means that AT&T Mobility customers don’t count Sponsored Data transfer volumes over AT&T’s 4G network against their monthly bandwidth caps. AT&T Sponsored Data has some initial sample applications and intriguing possibilities. A colleague, Kathryn Weldon, published a business services report about Sponsored Data that is accessible to subscribers of Current Analysis content here: AT&T Helps Business Customers Engender Loyalty via Sponsored Data Service, Jan. 6, 2013).