Global virtualized IP testing solutions market to soar

MOUNTAIN VIEW, USA: The tremendous cost savings offered by the virtualizing infrastructure is helping this trend gather momentum.

As enterprises worldwide shift towards virtualization, the need to test different elements of virtualized environments is rising, driving demand for virtualized Internet protocol (IP) testing solutions. Furthermore, the lower investment required for virtualized testing when compared with proprietary hardware testers, further aids market growth.

Consequently, market revenue is expected to rocket up from $4.4 million in 2012 to $246.1 million in 2020, according to Frost & Sullivan's Analysis of the Global Virtualized IP Testing Market. Vendors of virtualized tests can capitalize on opportunities and cut into the well-established customer base for proprietary hardware test solutions by providing an optimal pricing model that will allow for the scaling of test solutions.

"Because of rapid technology growth, solutions that are proprietary and hardware-based are becoming obsolete, while demand for easy-to-use, cost-effective virtualized IP test solutions is growing," said Frost & Sullivan Measurement and Instrumentation Program manager, Sujan Sami. "In fact, the virtualized IP testing market is expected to develop significantly faster than that of the overall IP testing market."

However, virtualization is a new concept and several customers do not fully understand the importance of virtualized IP testing. As a result, they do not always have dedicated personnel to handle testing, instead delegate this task to engineers that are also responsible for evaluation, design and support in the production arena.

Low awareness has also fostered the misconception that only proprietary hardware test solutions can be used to test up to 40 gigabits per second (Gbps) and 100 Gbps. Test vendors need to educate customers on the versatility of virtualized IP test equipment to encourage uptake.

"Offering pay-as-you-go pricing models, that allow customers to buy the hardware and attain a small number of licenses to start off with, will add to adoption rates," suggested Sami. "End users can upgrade the number of central processing unit (CPU) cores by simply increasing the number of additional test licenses, and save significantly on capital expenditure."

Additionally, identifying and meeting changing end-user requirements will be crucial for virtualized IP test solution providers to widen their consumer base.