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Surveys reveal IT leaders are focusing on unifying network management into a single platform to address the complexities of hybrid and hyper-distributed environments
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A recent Cisco survey showed 72% of IT leaders plan to adopt a platform architecture in the next two years
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The report also showed 76% of IT leaders are aiming to deploy a SASE framework to enhance network and security convergence
IT leaders are laser focused on unifying network management into a single platform, echoing the broader trend of convergence across networking and security, a pair of surveys found.
Managing IT in today's hybrid and hyper-distributed environments is complex due to distributed users, devices, applications and heightened security vulnerabilities. So, enterprises are seeking simplified and secure network solutions.
A June 2023 survey from IDC highlighted top connectivity challenges such as network security, scalability, agility, new technologies and reliability. A unified network platform can help tackle many of these challenges head on by integrating software, policy, open APIs, advanced telemetry and automation.
"Organizations that take advantage of a platform approach, which can simplify management and enable advanced functionality, will be better positioned to win in the digital business era," said Brandon Butler, IDC’s research manager for Enterprise Networks
According to a more recent Cisco survey of over 2,000 global IT leaders across 10 industries, 21% of organizations currently use multiple management systems for their campus, branch, WAN, data center and multi-cloud domains. In the company's 2024 Global Networking Trends Report, about 40% were leveraging a platform architecture across some networking domains, but not all.
Survey respondents also noted the benefits of adopting a network platform, which include faster innovation, improved network performance and security, and cost savings.
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of respondents expect to leverage a platform architecture across one or more domains over the next two years. Of those, 39% expect to scale the platform architecture across all networking domains.
According to the Cisco report, this approach opens up more data aggregated from telemetry across network domains, which in turn provides enterprise-wide insights through AI analytics.
Cisco said the evolution to a specifically AI-native network platform can equip IT teams with the “continuous intelligence and automated control required to consistently deliver quality digital experiences.”
Convergence is trendy
Network management is not the only area experiencing convergence. Network functions themselves are also merging with security. According to Cisco, 40% of IT leaders cite cybersecurity as the top concern impacting their networking strategy.
In a new blog, EVP of the Cisco Networking team Jonathan Davidson said organizations are looking to combat these burgeoning threats in a few ways.
Integrating network and security processes, technology and tools is the top priority, with half of the respondents planning significant investments in this area over the next two years. Second is moving security tools to the cloud, which is seen as essential for protecting distributed infrastructure and workforce.
The survey showed that respondents recognize the importance of cloud-based management, with 33% of their LAN, WAN and SD-WAN currently cloud-managed. They cited advantages of cloud management like enhanced network security (45%), quicker infrastructure deployments (41%) and faster access to new management features (39%).
These trends align with Gartner's predictions that its Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) framework is on the rise. SASE, a cloud-based framework for the convergence of security and networking, includes SD-WAN and a security profile, dubbed Security Service Edge (SSE), which includes secure web gateway (SWG), zero-trust network access (ZTNA), firewall as a service (FWaaS) and cloud access security broker (CASB).
Cisco’s survey revealed that 76% of organizations plan to deploy a SASE architecture with SD-WAN and SSE integration within the next two years. Meanwhile, Gartner analyst Jonathan Forest this month told Fierce Network that the adoption curve for SASE is still “very early.”
“SASE absolutely has a lot of interest,” Forest said.