Escalating business concerns are demanding more of corporate networks, leading to a whole new set of requirements for the industry, Duxbury Networking told resellers in Rosebank yesterday.
"Traditionally, network provision focused on connectivity, capacity and cost, but the focus has shifted and widened to satisfying new demands for continuity, contextual identity, central control, regulatory compliance and consolidation," said Andy Robb, technology specialist for Duxbury Networking.
Technology and development manager Louis Helmbold explained all these factors had to be taken into consideration when preparing corporate networks for the future. He said this was particularly important because network refresh cycles were extending to around eight years, according to research by Gartner and the International Data Corporation.
"As networks are updated and expanded, infrastructure must be designed in such a way that it can deliver on all the new requirements and is in line with longer term corporate goals," said Helmbold.
Consolidation was highlighted as one of the most important requirements in light of the trend towards single, secure, multi-service networks.
"The trend is to move away from several separate networks to a single network for data, voice and security," said Robb.
Helmbold said while it was important to prepare now to move towards the kind of network that can support the workplace of the future that demands access from anywhere from a variety of devices, around 80% of ideal corporate network scenarios could be met by existing technology.
"Until the remaining 20% is achieved, network architects must begin planning networks in terms of the ultimate vision of a single, secure, multi-service network that can be accessed from everywhere in any way," said Helmbold.
However, he warned the biggest challenge to achieving this goal would be the lack of discipline around network administration.
"If the vision of a single, converged network is ever to be realised in a practical way, change control is an extremely important component," he emphasised.
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