Cheers to the New Year: Reflecting on Dell Networking in 2015

At Dell Networking, our mission is to go the distance to provide our customers with choice and flexibility. Last January marked the one year anniversary of Dell becoming the first Tier One vendor to disaggregate network switching software and hardware with our open networking initiative.  As demand grows around the world for open networking solutions, and other vendors follow in our footsteps, Dell continues to gain recognition for being a pioneer in open networking.

While customer support and feedback are our primary source of pride and motivation, recognition from the community matters as well. Early this year, Search Networking recognized Dell with its monthly Network Innovation Award for our partnership with Cumulus. IT Brand Pulse also highlighted Dell’s Open Networking switches with its 2015 Innovation Leaders awardWe were positioned as a visionary in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Center Networking. Moor Insights and Strategy published paper titled ‘Fifty Shades of Open Networking’, emphasizing how Dell has the broadest portfolio of truly open products bringing choice for SDN implementation. And finally, we received U.K. Networking Vendor of the Year at the CRN Awards in November.

In addition to the above accolades, this year we expanded our portfolio to fulfill our commitment to open networking and offer businesses of all sizes future-ready solutions.

In April, we announced new solutions designed specifically to fit the needs of small-medium businesses. With the introduction of the Dell Networking X-series and expanded N-series, Dell can offer SMBs a competitive edge by enabling them to grow their networks at a flexible and affordable rate.

Later the same month we brought the Dell Networking Z9100-ON, S4048-ON and S3048-ON switches to market, designed to enable enterprise customers to move toward software-defined networks and prepare for the future-ready data center. With this announcement, we reaffirmed our commitment to break down proprietary infrastructures and embrace open standards.

Finally, in September, We introduced new networking solutions geared to help customers navigate complex campus networks and rising bandwidth demands within the data center, via the Dell Networking C9000 modular switch series, with C1048P rapid access nodes, and the Dell Networking S6100-ON Multi-rate Fabric Switch. Analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, John Fruehe, noted, “These products insert new capabilities into a relatively complacent networking market where Dell is using software-defined networking and open networking to challenge the prevailing networking norms.”

Looking ahead to 2016, we are eager to carry this momentum with us. As we approach the second anniversary of Dell’s open networking initiative, we look forward to continue shaping the landscape of the networking industry on behalf of our customers and partners. As always, we want to hear from you. Please follow Dell Networking on Twitter, and let us know how we can serve you better in 2016.

About the Author: Tom Burns