Cyan Announces Blue Planet SDN Software

Cyan today announced Blue Planet software, the first software-defined networking (SDN) system that allows service providers of all types to virtualize their networks. Blue Planet software consists of an open SDN platform as well as Cyan and third-party apps. Developed in response to demand from network operators, Blue Planet builds on the virtualization, service orchestration, and hardware simplification principles that have fundamentally altered the cloud data center environment. By doing so, Blue Planet promises to obliterate legacy cost structures, make more efficient use of network assets, and radically accelerate service delivery.

Blue Planet, which is available now, is currently being deployed by NTT Communications, the international arm of NTT, the world's largest telecommunications company, in several geographic markets. According to Dorian Kim, vice president of IP Engineering at NTT Communications, "We view software as the key to achieving greater cost efficiency within the network and facilitating more rapid and effective service delivery. Cyan software has been vital to our network in realizing that vision."

What is Blue Planet?
Blue Planet is composed of three distinct elements: an open SDN platform, SDN apps, and element adapter apps facilitating control over a wide range of third-party network devices.

Blue Planet Platform
The core of Blue Planet is an open SDN orchestration platform enabling an array of Cyan and third-party apps to interrogate and control underlying network infrastructure. Blue Planet allows apps to interact not only with OpenFlow compliant network devices, but also with legacy devices deployed prior to the development of SDN.

Blue Planet Apps
Blue Planet includes a myriad of applications developed by Cyan as well as service providers and third-party app developers. These apps are available to hundreds of existing Cyan customers around the world through CyStore, Cyan's recently introduced on-line e-commerce marketplace. Cyan already offers a rich set of apps that can be used to plan, manage, and verify networks and services, many of which employ Cyan's unique 3D visualization capability. The Blue Planet Applications Development Environment offers software developers an array of tools including a downloadable software development kit (SDK) documenting application program interfaces (APIs).

Element Adapter Apps
In order to broaden the applicability of Blue Planet, Cyan provides element adaptors to enable control over a broad collection of third-party network elements. In addition to Cyan Z-Series packet-optical transport platforms (P-OTPs), Blue Planet interoperates with select devices from Accedian Networks, Actelis Networks, Adtran, Adva, Alcatel-Lucent, BTI Systems, Calient, Calix, Ciena, Cisco, Juniper, MRV, OneAccess Networks, Optelian, Omnitron Systems, Overture, RAD Data Communications, Telco Systems, Transition Networks, Transmode, and others.

Thanks to these adapter apps, many Cyan Blue Planet customers are able to manage networks that contain no Cyan hardware.

"We are at an important moment in the evolution of the network," stated Cyan president Michael Hatfield. "For years, service providers and other network operators have been searching for ways to break free of expensive and restrictive legacy architectures mandated by incumbent equipment suppliers. SDN has begun to accomplish this in data center environments by virtualizing resources and flattening cost structures. Cyan is taking the next logical step by applying these principles to wide area and metro networks."

Added David Krozier, principal analyst for network infrastructure at Ovum and author of a recent SDN vendor landscape report, "There's no question that service providers have a strong interest in SDN. Traditional network architectures are struggling to keep up as applications and services become much more dynamic. SDN offers the flexibility of a virtualized network infrastructure with control based on high-level policies. Ovum sees Cyan's Blue Planet architecture as a step in this direction."

About Cyan

Cyan is global supplier of software-defined networks (SDNs) for service providers, data center operators, and private networks. Cyan solutions include Blue Planet SDN software, Z-Series multi-layer packet-optical transport platforms, and Cyan PRO comprehensive professional services. With hundreds of deployments around the globe, including some of the largest telecommunication companies in the world, Cyan enables its customers to scale their networks, reduce costs, simplify operations, and accelerate service delivery.