Research firm IHS Markit named Cisco/Tail-f, Nokia, and Ciena (including Cyan) as the top picks for software-defined networking (SDN) orchestration systems. IHS researchers conducted in-depth interviews with global service providers that have deployed SDN and network functions virtualization (NFV) or plan to do so. Juniper and Huawei were also not far down the list.

The survey found that the top three vendors were leaders in unaided brand awareness and that Cisco/Tail-f and Nokia were also leading in SDN hardware and software.

Product reliability, service and support, technology innovation, price-to-performance ratio, and management software, were the top criteria service providers use to select an SDN vendor, according to the survey.

More than 75 percent of operator respondents will use telecom equipment manufacturers as well as other suppliers for SDN hardware and software for their networks, says Michael Howard, senior research director and advisor at IHS Markit, in a press release. The operators say they will use a variety of suppliers to avoid being locked in by a vendor.

More than 40 percent of survey respondents say they will buy from SDN vendors, open source distribution vendors, SDN application software specialists, data center virtualization/orchestration software vendors, and virtualized network functions (VNF) software specialists.

The results of this survey are based on SDN and NFV deployment timing, supplier types, perceived top vendors, and operator ratings of SDN and NFV manufacturers.