HP sees itself as a natural SDN play-pit participant, being a broad-based technology provider with no one particular axe to grind. So while Cisco, for instance, may carp because its router business model is in danger of being undermined, HP can happily embrace SDN and position itself as an ecosystem fosterer: what it might just lose on a few of its swings (like its switches) it will make on the roundabouts (with its servers and software).

So the company has unveiled what it calls the industry's first enterprise-class software-defined networking (SDN) open ecosystem. In fact it's an SDN Developer Kit (SDK) and an accompanying SDN App Store. In other words it hopes to do for SDN apps something similar to what Apple and Google did for smartphone and tablet apps - create a 'low-barrier-to-entry' development environment and equip it with a low-cost download store.

"SDN promises to automate network operations, however closed, proprietary SDN technologies inhibit innovation, prevent interoperability and limit creation of a marketplace. An open SDN ecosystem and application development platform can unlock innovation as well as enable collaboration," said the press release info.

The SDK should enable developers to create and test the network apps that many believe will be crucial in SDN - defining new services and offering new levels of control over services to network users.

The App Store lets customers browse, search, purchase and directly download SDN applications onto their Virtual Application Networks SDN controller, creating a new business model for how network services are purchased and implemented, says HP.

"With SDN the networking industry has an opportunity to disruptively innovate and is now primed for a monumental leap forward," said Bethany Mayer, senior vice president and general manager, Networking, HP. "HP has created the industry's most comprehensive SDN product portfolio as well as an open SDN ecosystem, which offers an environment for enterprises and partners to rapidly tune the network to their business and application needs."To get a full picture of HP's approach to SDN view Bethany Mayer talking with Martyn Warwick about SDN/NFV below.