Are you purchasing SDA or DNA Center type of products? Trying to gauge the market. I don't think there is one.

Post sales consultant here. I've been knee deep in ACI for the past few years and here lately have seen quite a push for DNA center and SDA products in the access layer. However I continue to feel like it won't take off for a few different reasons.

1. Licensing. I deal with a lot of K-12 customers who really ride their gear off into the sunsets as they only get budget money for refreshes during bond elections every 5-10 years. So paying for yearly renewals just to keep things running does not seem to align with their current budgeting practices. I previously watched them purchase smartnet contracts on only the most high priority equipment. (core/distro switches, voice gateways, edge routers).

2. The learning curve required for those who typically work in the access layer is too steep for what is typically being paid in this arena.

3. With SDA, are we solving a problem that cannot be solved today with the current sets of gear and tools available? Is this not just locking you into a complicated design that's incompatible with other vendors? It feels mainframe like when everything I purchase needs to be of the same vendor and phone home to the mothership for instructions.