In Pictures: Top 25 network and IT industry stories of 2012

SDN everywhere

While software-defined networking, OpenFlow and SDN remain far from being household words, enterprise IT pros have been hard-pressed to avoid these terms in 2012. The OpenFlow-focused Open Networking Summit sold out in April, fueled by interest in technology promising a more flexible and programmable network architecture. Start-ups such as Big Switch Networks, Plexxi, PLUMgrid, Cisco spin-in Insieme and Nicira all grabbed headlines, as they scored gobs of venture funding, got bought out or rolled out products. Meanwhile, established vendors such Brocade, Cisco, Juniper, HP and Alcatel-Lucent aired their SDN plans, such as Cisco ONE.