Virtual networking startup Big Switch Networks is launching its Open Software-Defined Networking (SDN) product suite on Tuesday, its first commercial product since it was founded in 2010. The product allows customers to change via software the networks and data centers that they access, avoiding upgrades to expensive and proprietary hardware, and could threaten the core business of networking equipment makers such as Cisco Systems Inc.Although the nascent SDN market is still small, its growth potential has spurred heavy interest in acquiring startups, especially since VMware bought Nicira in July for around $1 billion."This is a very big change in how we build networks," said Big Switch co-founder Guido Appenzeller, who started the company with former Cisco product manager Kyle Forster in March 2010.The startup is backed by ex-Cisco executive Mike Volpi through Index Ventures as well as Goldman Sachs, Khosla Ventures and Redpoint Ventures.
Cisco Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells Internet protocol (IP)-based networking and other products related to the communications and information technology (IT) industry and provide services associated with these products and their use. Shares of CSCO remained unchanged at $16.86. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $14.96 and as high as $21.30. On average, 39294800 shares of CSCO exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 15740.
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