Cisco today announced its inaugural Global Cloud Index (2010-2015)-- research that forecasts, among other topics, that Global Cloud Computing Traffic will Reach 1.6 Zettabytes by 2015 and Global Cloud Traffic Will Exceed One-Third of All Data Center Traffic by 2015. This analysis was undertaken by the same team that presents the Visual Networking Index (VNI).

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Tags: cloud, cloud index, data center, vni

With the emergence of cloud computing, our customers have looked for real-world data that could help them understand the nature and scope of the cloud phenomenon. But that kind of data has not been readily available.

Not satisfied with this lack of information, a research team at Cisco reviewed 30Tb of data each month, more than 45 million speed tests, analyst forecasts, and inputs from our customers.  The result?

Today, Cisco released its first Cisco Global Cloud Index report — a forecast of IP data center and cloud-based traffic growth and trends worldwide, 2010-2015.

Similar to the Cisco Visual Networking Index in purpose and approach, the Global Cloud Index enables organizations to make strategic networking and management decisions and governments to make informed public policy decisions.

Some highlights from the report reveal: (all data global)

1.    Cloud traffic is growing twice as fast as data center traffic, increasing from 130 exabytes in 2010 to 1.6 zettabytes annually by 2015

• 1.6 zettabytes is approximately equivalent to 22 trillion hours of streaming music
• 76% of this traffic will remain within the data center itself
• By 2015, 57% of all data workloads will be processed in the cloud Read More »

Tags: cloud, cloud network, data center, datacenter, global cloud index, Service Provider, visual networking index, vni

With the onset of cloud, we’re being asked more and more by our customers about the architectural requirements that result from it.  While the customers have an instinct as to what’s needed, there seems to be less actual data to that effect than what they would like.  When confronted with a similar situation over 5 years ago about the network, we developed the Cisco Visual Networking Index which focuses on the amount of traffic carried across the network to the end user to help gauge the extent of infrastructure needed to support the data deluge.  Now with the network becoming inextricably linked to the data center and cloud, we realized we need to look at the other half of the equation as well to get a truly comprehensive architectural view.  To achieve this, we reviewed 30Tb of data each month, more than 45 million speed tests, analyst forecasts, and inputs from our customers.  The result?  The inaugural Cisco Global Cloud Index, released today.

Here are a few takeaways to consider:

• Global data center traffic is estimated to grow four-fold to reaching a total of 4.8 zettabytes annually by 2015.
• The vast majority of the traffic – 76% — surprisingly, doesn’t even hit the network but instead stays within the data center itself, as workloads are constantly being migrated to different virtual servers.
• Of the total data center traffic, about 11%, or 130 exabytes of annual data center traffic in 2010 is considered part of the cloud  – however that amount is going to grow significantly in the next half decade, reaching more than a third of data center traffic, or 1.6 zettabytes annually, by 2015.

Cloud may be the concept-of-the-day for the industry, but with growth like that, it shouldn’t be discounted as a passing fad but rather a lasting trend whose impact will fundamentally affect network architectures going forward. Read More »

Tags: cloud, data center, datacenter, global cloud index, infographic, Service Provider, visual networking index, vni

According to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index, network operators will deliver upwards of a zettabyte (1021 bytes) of data to 15 billion fixed and mobile devices by 2015. That will be the challenge of the Next-Generation Internet.

To meet that challenge, service providers will need networks that meet the following requirements:

• Support for mobile, business and residential services over a converged infrastructure
• Unprecedented scale and density
• High service availability
• Increased service velocity
• Reduced network complexity Read More »

Tags: ASR 901, ASR 903, ASR9000, Cisco, network virtualization, nV, Service Provider, system, visual networking index, vni

My wife was shopping online this past week. While she was watching the rich-media cat walk feature on asos.com, which is now the norm for clothing retailer websites, it occurred to me how things have changed. Moreover, how our expectations have dramatically evolved.

On a regular basis I hear friends, colleagues and business partners complain about the perceived speed of their internet connection – web pages not loading fast enough, unable to reach a particular website, or a poor user experience on Skype. Consumers are demanding more – more broadband speed, better applications and abundant availability.

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Tags: BIG Initiative, East London Tech City, ecommerce, internet, mobile, video, vni