Software-defined networking has hit the IT mainstream, and is expected to soar at a combined annual growth rate of 47 percent from 2016 to 2022, when it's expected to reach $132.9 billion a year in global revenue, Allied Market Research predicted in April.

The key factors in that rise, Allied said in a report, include: the increase in cloud services, a growing need for mobility services, and more complex network traffic patterns.

Here are links to three recent blog posts from solution providers on software-defined networking:

CONNECTION: The evolution from hype to competitive advantage

Tim Allen says that despite the hyped promise of other technologies, software-defined networking is delivering bona fide benefits, starting with better agility and lower costs.

COMPUTER DESIGN & INTEGRATION: Those with SD-WAN woes must zero in on the cure

Regan Kingsbury writes that focusing on the cure is a better approach than focusing on the symptoms behind an underperforming WAN.

QUEST TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT: The path to a software-defined, self-optimizing network architecture

CEO Tim Burke lays out 17 questions a business should ask itself to determine if an SDN is the right approach.