Overview

DriveNets is a software-defined networking (SDN) infrastructure company headquartered in Israel, focused on CDN acceleration and network cloudification for operators. Its core innovation fully softwareizes traditional router and switch functions onto standard white-box hardware, reshaping CDN and telecom deployment.

DriveNets' CDN solutions build on SDN and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) with a cloud-native architecture, letting service providers build complete CDN delivery networks on commodity x86 servers, cutting hardware lock-in and capex. The 2026 CDN industry analysis lists SDN-CDN convergence as a key trend, with DriveNets as a core driver.

Key Strengths

  • Software-defined architecture: Fully softwareized routing, switching, and CDN on white-box hardware; node deployment and scaling free from single-vendor supply cycles.
  • Significant TCO reduction: White-box hardware cuts capex 50%-70% versus proprietary gear, with unified software management reducing multi-vendor complexity.
  • Flexible deployment: The same hardware cluster flexibly allocates routing, CDN cache, and edge compute workloads.
  • Cloud-native philosophy: Containerized, microservices-based with Kubernetes orchestration, aligning with modern DevOps.
  • Deep network-CDN integration: Routers and CDN caches run on the same software stack, cutting hops and latency; see edge computing and CDN convergence.

Product Ecosystem

DriveNets Network Cloud (Core)

Software-based routing and network virtualization with distributed routing, virtualized CDN edges, and multi-tenant isolation.

DriveNets CDN Solutions

A service-provider CDN building platform: white-box CDN nodes, SDN smart traffic scheduling (like DCDN), and distributed caching.

Orchestration & Automation

Zero-touch provisioning (ZTP), policy as code (YAML/JSON), and real-time observability (gNMI, Telemetry, NetFlow).

Limitations

  • Not a traditional CDN vendor: Positioned as network infrastructure; for "attach a CDN to my site," see the CDN comparison and choose Cloudflare or Bunny CDN.
  • Limited brand awareness: Little recognition among end users and SMBs; clients are mainly large operators and ISPs.
  • Higher integration complexity: Requires SDN/NFV expertise; mature CDNs are more efficient for fast onboarding.
  • Ecosystem and compatibility: White-box SDN third-party compatibility and tooling are still maturing versus Cisco/Juniper ecosystems.
  • Product maturity: Fewer large-scale production deployments and industry certifications than traditional vendors.

Use Cases

  • Operator CDN network buildout (★★★★): Build owned CDN networks on white-box hardware, reducing vendor dependence.
  • Network infrastructure cloudification (★★★★): Migrate routing, switching, and CDN to a unified software platform for network transformation.
  • Edge computing and CDN convergence (★★★★): Routing + cache + edge compute on one white-box node for latency-sensitive scenarios.
  • Multi-CDN hybrid architecture (★★★): As a private network layer complementing public CDNs; see the multi-CDN load balancing setup.
  • Direct end-user CDN needs (★): Individuals and SMBs should choose Cloudflare, Bunny CDN, or Aliyun CDN.

Pricing

DriveNets uses software licensing, varying by deployment scale, modules, and support tier:

Item Notes
Software License By node/bandwidth/module, sales-driven
White-Box Hardware Compatible ODM servers, separate cost
Support Basic included; premium SLA extra
Deployment Services Optional professional deployment and tuning

Cost note: White-box architecture typically offers clear 3-5 year TCO advantages over Cisco/Juniper; model costs with the CDN cost control guide.

FAQ

  • Is DriveNets right for my website? No for direct end-user acceleration; it's an operator/service-provider infrastructure platform; see the CDN provider selection guide.
  • What is the advantage over traditional network gear? Softwareization and white-boxing escape single-vendor lifecycles; network functions iterate flexibly without hardware swaps; see edge computing and CDN convergence.
  • What deployment modes are supported? Physical white-box, virtualized (VMware, KVM), and hybrid; software runs on certified ODM servers or as VNFs; see the CDN onboarding guide.
  • What kind of team is needed? SDN/NFV expertise with policy-as-code and CI/CD pipelines; see the CDN onboarding guide.
  • How is security ensured? Focus on security boundaries in the new architecture with defense-in-depth; see the CDN security features comparison.