Pluribus Networks Lets Go of Hardware, Plugs Into Dell

https://www.sdxcentral.com/articles/news/pluribus-networks-l...

Pluribus Networks Lets Go of Hardware, Plugs Into Dell

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Scott Raynovich
(https://www.sdxcentral.com/author
/scottrayno-com/)
June 11, 2015

Pluribus Networks (https://www.sdxcentral.com/listings/pluribus-networks/) today announced it is the latest SDN (https://www.sdxcentral.com/resources/nfv-sdn-training-sd

nuniversity-archives/sdnuniversity-2013-archives/what-is-sdn-sdncentrals-sdn-training-video-series/) player to plug its software into Dell (https://www.sdxcentral.com/listings
/dell-force10-networks/)s hardware channel for white box (https://www.sdxcentral.com/flow/white-box-switching/) switching. But theres way more going on beneath the cov
ers, so its time to delve into the details of some major refinements to Pluribuss entire business strategy.
First, todays news. Pluribus announced (http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150611005355/en/Pluribus-Networks-Announces-Partnership-Distribution-AgreementDell#.VXnfqVVViko) that is has created a new flavor of its Open Netvisor operating system (OS). This version will be based on standard Linux and sold as an option on Dells line
of open 10-/40-Gb/s switches including the S6000-ON and S4048-ON. Pluribus joins other SDN vendors such as Cumulus Networks (https://www.sdxcentral.com/listings/cu
mulus-networks/) and Big Switch Networks (https://www.sdxcentral.com/listings/big-switch-networks/), which also oer their Linux-based OS and tools for building SDN
switching on the Dell platform.

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Cisco Security Has a Job Waiting for John Chambers
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utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=links&utm_content=breaking-news)

The Dell deal is only part of the picture, however, as some other strategy shifts have occurred. Lets catch up with an overview of whats going on at the Palo Alto-based

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15/06/15 1:43 pm

Pluribus Networks Lets Go of Hardware, Plugs Into Dell

https://www.sdxcentral.com/articles/news/pluribus-networks-l...

By creating a standard, Linux-based version of Pluribuss Netvisor, the company acknowledged it needed a standard Linux-based OS for the Dell OEM deal. But
it says it will also continue to oer its original Netvisor OS, a customized operating system that blends pieces of Solaris, BSD, and other Linux flavors. This version
of the OS will be positioned as the Netvisor Premium flavor.
Pluribus will no longer sell its own switching and server hardware, with the exception of its F64 network appliances, which it says are a viable product for special
ized SDN applications such as security analytics. This represents a major shift in strategy, with Pluribus becoming predominantly a software vendor.
The company is amping up its we do everything approach to SDN, saying that not only do they sell a new, standard Linux-based OS, but stressing that the
platform also includes capabilities to create VXLAN tunnels, Layer 2 and Layer 3 fabrics, built-in analytics, and application orchestration.
The company disclosed that it has now raised a total of $97 million in funding during its lifetime, claiming the most well-funded SDN startup title which looks
true according to my calculations. This is slightly more than previously disclosed, because its prior round of $49 million (http://raynoreport.com/15/01/pluribusnetworks-tanks-up-with-50m/), announced in January, was oversubscribed and subsequently closed at $52 million.
Mark Harris has taken over the VP of marketing slot at Pluribus, replacing former Chief Marketing Ocer Dave Ginsburg.
The company now has 95 employees.
All of these represent some sweeping changes for the company, which has been one of the more ambitious and enigmatic of the SDN startups. Some critics have accused
Pluribus having a bit of SDN Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) with its varied stories of a Layer 2/Layer 3 fabric, VXLANs, analytics platform, security features, and multiple server
hardware and switching devices.
The Dell deal and the announcement go some way to clarifying the strategy. Shifting away from selling its own hardware makes sense, especially if you are trying to sell some
thing that is software defined.

Unlocking the Pluribus Puzzle

Pluribus CEO Kumar Srikantan said a phone interview today that Pluribuss story is complex because its necessary to do many more things than a standard white box
(https://www.sdxcentral.com/flow/white-box-switching/) in order to compete with large incumbent networking providers such as Cisco (https://www.sdxcentral.com/channel
/cisco/) and Arista.
You could give away white boxes for free, and you still wont compete with Cisco, says Srikantan. You need architectural value beyond white boxes that can do Chef and
Puppet. Our position is to bring more business value to the infrastructure, faster provisioning and management, analytics, network segmentation and the ability to manage
your security architecture.
Srikantan says this is paying o with new customers. Although the company wont disclose the names, it says its engaged with dozens of new and potential customers in both
enterprises and cloud markets. It has previously disclosed several large customers including Cloudflare, Lucera, Morado Venture Partners, and Tibco Software.
Srikantan says that Pluribus needs further dierentiation in the market to compete with Ciscos ACI (https://www.sdxcentral.com/resources/cisco/what-is-cisco-aci/) architec
ture as well as startup SDN competitors such as Big Switch and Cumulus. This is why it has added built-in analytics and Layer 2 fabric functionality, something it points out that
none of the startup competitors has.
With this step we have eectively equalized and exceeded Cumulus, Srikantan said of the Dell deal. Cumulus struck a reseller deal (https://www.sdxcentral.com/articles
/news/cumulus-networks-brings-dell-white-box-revolution/2014/01/) with Dell in January of last year.
Stripping out the hardware business probably makes the most sense among Pluribus recent changes. Some market observers were confused that Pluribus was selling its own
box at the same time that it was distributing through its OEM partner, SuperMicro (http://raynoreport.com/14/05/pluribus-gets-a-supermicro-deal/). Now that its adding Dell as
another OEM channel, it makes sense for Pluribus to ditch its own switching hardware line.
Srikantan said the company is now moving to be a pure software provider.
If you have to sit there and build hardware and keep up with Cisco and Arista, you are falling into their business model. Why would I want to build hardware when Accton [an
other OEM for white-box switches] shows up with dozens of [dierent] switches?
I must admit, all of this makes watching Pluribus exciting, given the controversy it generates in the market. Ive heard people call them brilliant and Ive heard people call them
crazy.
This is because Pluribus is trying to do a lot. It may need all of that $97 million and maybe more (Srikantan wont say whether it will reach profitability before it requires more
funding, though he says the target is profitability within two years).
Like a competitor in the ESPN X Games, Pluribus is going big, which means the result may be an IPO or SDNs most spectacular crack-up. Its the only SDN vendor thats
bulking up with a full platform that includes all the SDN bells and whistles, including analytics and a Layer 2 underlay.
Its clear the Dell deal and strategy shifts were needed. Now we wait for customer announcements. One thing is clear: Pluribuss deal with Dell means the white-box community
now has more options than ever to build their own SDN switching and networking platforms based on open networking components.
Photo by Mark Roy (https://www.flickr.com/photos/electricnerve/864780652/) on Flickr, cropped. CC2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) license.

About Scott Raynovich

Raynovich is the Chief Analyst and Publisher of The Rayno Report (www.raynoreport.com). Considered an expert on networking and serviceprovider technology, he has been covering these areas as an editor, analyst, and publisher for two decades. He was the Editor in Chief and Edi
torial Director for Light Reading for 10 years, where he started the Heavy Reading Insider research service. Prior to joining Light Reading,
Raynovich was Investment Editor at Red Herring, where he started the New York Bureau and helped build the original Redherring.com Website.
He has won several industry awards, including an Editor & Publisher award for Best Business Blog, and his analysis has been featured by
prominent media outlets including NPR, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, and the San Jose Mercury News.

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