How agile networking helps CIOs rest easy

Not only are IT environments and networks growing in size, but they are also becoming more complex. As businesses progressively add an increasing amount of components to the IT ecosystem, including IoT devices, data management, and cloud and edge computing, enterprise networks are under immense pressure. Other existing issues such as outdated legacy systems only exacerbate every CIO’s headache.

Although every business has different needs, they all face common networking challenges, particularly when it comes to speed, security and performance. A more agile networking model can help CIOs addresses these challenges, while giving them greater control and visibility over their network connections.

Keeping network disruption at bay

When it comes to network performance, bandwidth usage is a critical factor for any CIO.

But estimating that usage has become even harder in recent years, with the sheer number of devices accessing the corporate network being higher than ever before. Employees use a variety of personal devices and expect to be able to access some or all their business systems without any frictions. Not only can these devices pose new security threats for businesses, but they also consume more bandwidth.

The shift to hybrid/remote working means that employees will be connecting from dispersed locations, usually at similar times of the day. With remote work, digital collaboration, and real-time communication apps being now a core part of our jobs, any drop in bandwidth, jitter, packet loss or latency below a tolerance threshold will lead to service disruption. As a result, workers won’t be able to communicate with each other or with external stakeholders.

Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) platforms can help CIOs in the battle against network congestion and bottlenecks by giving them the ability to adjust bandwidth to meet the individual needs of their business. This ensures they have high service availability and bandwidth during periods of peak demand. And conversely, enables them to plan for periods of lower network usage and not end up paying for bandwidth they are not utilising.

Managing multiple networks

Another strain on business networks is the shift to cloud-first approach. In fact, it was predicted by Gartner that the vast majority (95%) of new digital workloads will be deployed on cloud-native platforms by 2025. It’s a massive shift especially considered that in 2021 it was only 30%.

As enterprises migrate more of their workloads to the cloud, network complexity is on the rise.

Initially, it was believed that most businesses would choose a cloud-only approach, but as technology has advanced, hybrid and multi-cloud strategies have grown more widespread.

Not all applications are suitable for the public cloud. On-premise data centres are still active, and each public cloud has its own strengths and weaknesses, forcing businesses to mix-and-match to suit their needs.

Vendor lock-in has also been on CIOs minds for some time now. In fact, organisations are now juggling between multi-vendor infrastructures and multi-cloud architectures on a daily basis. This presents businesses with great opportunities, but also creates complex environments full of proprietary systems, varied interfaces, and specialist requirements.

Bringing in the best-of-breed technology from today’s vendors means figuring out how to integrate and support multiple solutions.

Every IT professional knows that no two networks are the same. With that in mind, it’s difficult to predict the effects of any significant modification. Using a diverse set of third-party SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS providers, for example, might result in several points of failure. Better visibility and control over network connections can help address some of these issues and make onboarding new third-party providers easier.

Furthermore, by using a private and direct connection to access major public cloud platforms, without the use of the public internet, businesses can circumvent some of the security challenges out there.

The key to resilience

Network failures or downtimes are not an uncommon occurrence. However, if a company’s network isn’t equipped with redundancy capabilities, the repercussions can be serious. Businesses frequently invest in redundant network links to guarantee that a single point of failure does not result in a total network outage. These links give more protection if the network has a point of failure by providing an alternate path for traffic.

Although keeping redundant links in place can be expensive, businesses can’t afford any periods of network downtime. It is difficult to estimate the impact of a cable break. Some network operators could have links up and running again in a matter of hours, but a failure on a subsea cable route could take weeks to repair.

There’s a method for organisations to adopt a new, more resilient approach to their network. If implemented correctly, an agile networking model will allow them to adjust network components in near real-time, providing them with a plan B, and occasionally even a plan C, during periods of network disruption.

The very nature of NaaS makes it a flexible solution for many of the challenges facing CIOs today. As bandwidth usage becomes harder to predict, an on-demand, pay-as-you-use model can help alleviate some of the strains on networks.

For instance, if there are unexpected seeing spikes in activity, IT leaders can dynamically scale the network bandwidth in order to accommodate. This also allows to establish dedicated private connections to the cloud provider and can also help meet demands on corporate network caused by remote workforce.

Being able to rely on a scalable platform enables businesses to gain back-up network option during periods of network disruption, and CIOs to sleep soundly.

Neil Templeton

VP of Marketing at Console Connect by PCCW Global

How E-commerce Marketers Can Win Black Friday

Sue Azari • 11th November 2024

As new global eCommerce players expand their influence across both European and US markets, traditional brands are navigating a rapidly shifting landscape. These fast-growing Asian platforms have gained traction by offering ultra-low prices, rapid product turnarounds, heavy investment in paid user acquisition, and leveraging viral social media trends to create demand almost in real-time. This...

Why microgrids are big news

Craig Tropea • 31st October 2024

As the world continues its march towards a greener future, businesses, communities, and individuals alike are all increasingly turning towards renewable energy sources to power their operations. What is most interesting, though, is how many of them are taking the pro-active position of researching, selecting, and implementing their preferred solutions without the assistance of traditional...

Is automation the silver bullet for customer retention?

Carter Busse • 22nd October 2024

CX innovation has accelerated rapidly since 2020, as business and consumer expectations evolved dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, finding the best way to engage and respond to customers has become a top business priority and a key business challenge. Not only do customers expect the highest standard, but companies are prioritising superb CX to...

Automated Testing Tools and Their Impact on Software Quality

Natalia Yanchii • 09th October 2024

Test automation refers to using specialized software tools and frameworks to automate the execution of test cases, thereby reducing the time and effort required for manual testing. This approach ensures that automation tests run quickly and consistently, allowing development teams to identify and resolve defects more effectively. Test automation provides greater accuracy by eliminating human...

Custom Software Development

Natalia Yanchii • 04th October 2024

There is a wide performance gap between industry-leading companies and other market players. What helps these top businesses outperform their competitors? McKinsey & Company researchers are confident that these are digital technologies and custom software solutions. Nearly 70% of the top performers develop their proprietary products to differentiate themselves from competitors and drive growth. As...

The Impact of Test Automation on Software Quality

Natalia Yanchii • 04th October 2024

Software systems have become highly complex now, with multiple interconnected components, diverse user interfaces, and business logic. To ensure quality, QA engineers thoroughly test these systems through either automated or manual testing. At Testlum, we met many software development teams who were pressured to deliver new features and updates at a faster pace. The manual...