The Future of Ethernet – 2016 Roadmap released by Ethernet Alliance

The Ethernet Alliance has announced their 2016 roadmap of enhancements for Ethernet.

Ethernet enhancements include speeds, connectivity interfaces that span needs from consumer, enterprise, to cloud and managed service providers.

Highlights of Ethernet Roadmap

FlexEthernet (FlexE)
QSFP-DD, microQSFP and OBO interfaces
Speeds from 10Mbps to 400GbE.
4 Pair Power over Ethernet (PoE)
Power over Data Line (PoDL)

Images via EthernetAlliance.org

Who is the Ethernet Alliance

The Ethernet Alliance (@ethernetallianc) is an industry trade and marketing consortium focused on the advancement and success of Ethernet related technologies.

Where to learn more

The Ethernet Alliance has also made available via their web site two presentations part one here and part two here (or click on the following images).

Also visit www.ethernetalliance.org/roadmap

What this all means

Ethernet technologies continue to be enhanced from consumer focused, Internet of Things (IoT) and Internet of Devices (IoD) to enterprise, data centers, IT and non-IT usage as well as cloud and managed service providers. At the lower end where there is broad adoption, the continued evolution of easier to use, lower cost, interoperable technologies and interfaces expands Ethernet adoption footprint while at the higher-end, all of those IoT, IoD, consumer and other devices aggregated (consolidate) into cloud and other services that have the need for speeds from 10GbE, 40GbE, 100GbE and 400GbE.

With the 2016 Roadmap the Ethernet Alliance has provided good direction as to where Ethernet fits today and tomorrow.

Ok, nuff said (for now)

Cheers
Gs

Greg Schulz – Author Cloud and Virtual Data Storage Networking (CRC Press), The Green and Virtual Data Center (CRC Press) and Resilient Storage Networks (Elsevier)
twitter @storageio

greg