Digital transformation has become so central to business, that it can be hard to separate from other types of objectives. Using technology to improve customer experiences, streamline productivity, and reduce costs is all part of the goal of digital transformation, and of the broader enterprise.
As organizations embrace this mindset, it’s important to note the comprehensive nature of digital transformation. With every adoption of a cloud solution, each implementation of a new digital tool, there’s an impact to the infrastructure. Enterprises need to be aware of how network infrastructure both shapes and is impacted by digital transformation.
In recent years, enterprises have favored alternatives to the costly-but-reliable multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) approach. With software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN), costs can be reduced by augmenting or replacing MPLS lines with a pathway-agnostic approach, utilizing a variety of delivery methods including broadband internet.
Research issued by Cato Networks from a survey entitled, “Networking in 2020: Understanding Digital Transformation’s Impact on IT Confidence in Enterprise Networks,” included responses from more than 1,300 professionals in IT careers.
The survey asked about a variety of network characteristics and how they relate to digital transformation, including security, agility, performance, and operations. The analysis broke down answers based on whether the enterprise used MPLS, SD-WAN or secure access service edge (SASE), which combines SD-WAN with other networking capabilities and security into a single, cloud-native solution.
A few key findings:
- Budgets are growing in 2020 both in areas tagged for security and for networking.
- Mobility is central to IT strategy, with IT professionals focusing on secure connections and adequate policy application.
- More than 60% of respondents said their most critical applications reside in the cloud.
Network Confidence Shaken
The survey also uncovered some findings as they pertain to IT professionals’ confidence in their network in light of digital transformation goals. Here are a few areas cited for concerns:
Agility: While it’s expected that enterprises utilizing MPLS networking would note some difficulties with adding new cloud solutions or new branch locations, it was a surprise that those using SD-WAN also noted some difficulty in rapidly deploying new infrastructure for cloud solutions.
Security: Most SD-WAN solutions do not have security baked in as an integrated part of the solution; many require security features to be bolted on after implementation. Unsurprisingly, SASE fared better in this category because security is a native part of the solution.
Performance: Both MPLS and SD-WAN networks demonstrated difficulty with solution performance following digital transformation.
Management: While enterprises using MPLS reported some last-mile connection redundancy, SD-WAN and SASE seem to be able to automatically overcome any last-mile issues.
The survey results may indicate a few areas of concern for different networking approaches, but it also highlights the need for an implementation plan for network infrastructure that takes into account not only where the enterprise is today, but also what their networking needs are in the future.
Contact us at Cloud Source to evaluate the possibilities of a network infrastructure upgrade and how the right solution can equip your digital transformation process.