2015 Technology Predictions: SDN, NFV, APIs Add to Acronym Soup

Cloud computing is so 2013, but its effects are still very far-reaching. Take the underlying infrastructure, for example: Networks are essentially being dismantled and put back together in a componentized fashion, with the data plane separate from the control plane, thanks to software-defined networking (SDN). The result is a much more efficient, more agile and completely programmable network that can handle the demands of the cloud and other next-generation technologies.

Schmear on top a healthy serving of network functions virtualization (NFV), in which network node functions are no longer tied to proprietary hardware or appliances, and you’ve got what I believe is the hottest technology of 2015.

Sure, it’s not entirely new, but make no mistake: SDN/NFV will be the biggest game-changer in technology in the coming year. As more companies adopt this thing called the cloud, and other disruptive technologies come down the pike, SDN and NFV will become the de facto networking architecture, as they reach their tentacles well beyond the data center and touch just about every new technology (including my other four top technologies for 2015).

So now that we’ve established my No. 1 hot technology for 2015, what do I consider to be the other four technologies to watch? Read on and see:

No. 2: APIs: Once upon a time, if you wanted new functionality in existing technology, you had to wade through and modify or even create new lines and lines of code to make it happen. APIs changed that. Want to add personalized playlists from Spotify to run on your webpage while your customers are browsing your site? There’s an API for that. Want to incorporate Salesforce functionality into Microsoft Outlook? There’s an API for that. APIs are changing the way applications are created and interact with each other, allowing for simpler, more streamlined customization of customer technologies (and increasing opportunities for solution providers).

No. 3: Containerization of apps: Virtualization for sure changed networking by streamlining much of the infrastructure, but issues ranging from VM sprawl to backup and recovery and even capacity planning have made virtualization more complex than most would tolerate. The answer? Containerization, which enables a greater number of apps to run on a server and are faster to provision than VMs. IT dev has glommed onto containerization and has been using it extensively, and I believe 2015 is the year containerization makes it to the channel, for better or for worse.

No. 4: In-memory computing: SAP started the in-memory computing movement with HANA, but the technology in which data is stored in a server’s RAM rather than on the disk drive is making waves in the big data analytics and high-performance computing realms. It can provide super-fast response time for searches, and optimum website performance, to name a few advantages. In 2015, in-memory computing will be much more prevalent (hint: think Microsoft and Apple).

No. 5: Internet of things: I feel as though this already has jumped the shark, but there is no denying IoT will impact a great number of things in 2015. In fact, I’m willing to bet you’ve got at least the beginnings of a connected device environment in your home (Nest, anyone?). IoT thus far has been mostly a consumer gig, but 2015 will see more corporate and business-to-business applications make headlines. Fasten your seatbelts for this one—if your customers haven’t asked about IoT this year, you can bet they will next year.

Yes, there are other technologies that no doubt will prove their worth in the next year. But these, I believe, are the ones that will make the most headlines and have the greatest impact on customer engagements. Both will keep all of us very, very busy.