Now, more than ever, enterprises are recognizing the value of cloud networking and the benefit of connecting people safely as we work through the COVID-19 crisis.
In the past, networking was a relatively straightforward matter of linking users in one (usually fixed) location to data and applications located in another. Today, however, the task is to build and maintain dynamic, reliable connections between users in all our various locations and data/apps that can be housed in multiple sites across town, across the country, or around the world.
To effectively do this, enterprises must look to the cloud. This means converting legacy data structure into a distributed cloud that provides significant improvements in scale, flexibility, and cost. However, this transition is not without its challenges.
The cloud represents more than a simple technology upgrade, but whole shifts in the way organizations connect people to data and applications. And nowhere is this change more profound than in networking.
For a networking professional, of course, this is easier said than done. Not only does this potentially encompass multiple cloud providers, each with their own networking anomalies, but it can also incorporate all manner of pathways. And, none of these are under the direct control of the person responsible for maintaining high availability and data accessibility.
Given our emerging state, network teams must create the kinds of architectures needed to maintain the level of connectivity that the working-world needs more than ever right now. Calls for improvements will swiftly come from users directly, all of whom need reliable connectivity to work and are accustomed to getting this level of service from their consumer applications.
Networking is no longer the gatekeeper to what is possible. Networking can no longer say, “This is the bandwidth that is available, so everything has to fit within that envelope.” Instead, the user will demand, “This is the bandwidth I require, so make it happen.”
This adjustment can be difficult for networking teams that have become entrenched in the established order. Change is difficult. However, organizations can turn to experienced consultants like CBTS to help guide them through this challenging transition.
Rather than simply continuing the old paradigm of installing leading vendor X’s platform as a matter of course, a top-notch consultant can bring best-of-breed solutions to address specific goals.
Today’s OEM market is becoming overly crowded with niche vendors and open solutions, which makes it difficult for internal networking teams to gauge the proper solution. At CBTS, we maintain partnerships with key vendors while also designing an array of customized solutions, so we are not just pushing one specific product or technology.
At the same time, we remain up-to-date on all of the key technology developments, design criteria, standards, and other elements so that our solutions not only serve the needs of today but can seamlessly transition to the requirements of tomorrow. Combined with our ability to establish long-standing relationships with clients and drill down to their specific needs, we provide the kind of customized solutions that will differentiate applications and services as the digital economy transitions into the world of 5G and the Internet of Things.
This level of customization is not possible under the fixed network architectures of today. SD-WAN is proving to be of immense benefit to our customers because it unshackles the enterprise from the traditional telco conglomerates and allows transport to be consumed as a commodity. SD-WAN provides unprecedented flexibility when tailoring networks to specific sites and workloads and puts the enterprise in charge of charting its own network footprint rather than tailoring their needs to the provider’s constraints.
For every network engineer going forward, the primary goal will no longer be to build the best network or deliver the fastest throughput but to enable the best customer experience. As the world becomes more digitized, organizations that maintain high satisfaction ratings and high customer loyalty will find themselves at a distinct competitive advantage against those who are still struggling to support legacy, vendor-centric architectures.
With an experienced partner like CBTS on your side, you can navigate this transition.
The future of networking is wide open. Learn more about CBTS Networking Solutions.