Asperitas, a cloud services company, has completed a survey on network modernization challenges, goals and opportunities. The big takeaway is that the vast majority – 95 percent – of companies have yet to fully modernize their networks.
Network modernization isn’t a new concept but it has become more popular in recent years, as companies aim to deliver better network performance and security while providing services to more – and more distributed – workers.
Companies seeking greater agility, flexibility and scalability in their networks are turning to cloud software and service providers to reach their goals. To better understand the factors that are driving enterprise network modernization initiatives, Asperitas surveyed over 250 network professionals in companies across industries with at least 1,000 employees.
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The current state of network modernization
Network modernization is apparently top of mind for network professionals. Eighty-six percent of network operators/administrators responding to Asperitas’ survey said their organizations are planning to modernize their network. Most respondents said their companies have begun the process of modernization but the majority (51 percent) are less than halfway done.
When asked what it means to have a modern network, 41 percent of survey respondents said ease of integration with outside services (public cloud, SaaS, etc.), 19 percent said ease of enhancements and scale, and 18 percent said a modern network was a secure network.
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Network modernization goals and challenges
According to 35 percent of the survey respondents, the biggest reason to undertake a modernization initiative is greater availability of the network and its complementary services. Twenty-two percent of respondents said the top reason is the increased ability to change / test safely, and 20% said it was the speed and accuracy of enhancements.
Network professionals are eager to take advantage of the latest technology trends, too. Thirty-seven percent of respondents said the top network trend for 2023 is 5G / mobile edge. Thirty-one percent of respondents said the top trend is cloud WAN, while 21 percent felt it was edge computing enablement and 12 percent said SD WAN.
Meanwhile, 45 percent of respondents said the biggest obstacle to modernization is a lack of budget, and 28 percent said technical skills. When asked which skills were most important to a modernization project, 64 percent said network engineering, 59 percent said networking architecture, 58 percent said project management and 54 percent said security architecture.
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Preparing for a network modernization project
When considering the scope of a network modernization initiative, 78 percent of respondents said an enterprise organization should expect to spend between five and 15 percent of their IT budget on the project. When asked how long a typical modernization project should take, 40 percent said six to 12 months and 38 percent said 13 to 18 months. Seventy-three percent of respondents said their companies had hired an external partner to drive their project.
Despite the benefits of modernization, network administrators/operators responding to Asperitas’ survey said economic conditions would have a bearing on their projects, with 42 percent saying the state of the economy was a “significant” factor and 38 percent saying it would matter “somewhat.” Only four percent said the economy wouldn’t matter at all.
“The survey findings are consistent with feedback from our clients that network modernization is a top priority due to the many business and technical benefits,” said Scott Wheeler, Cloud Practice Lead at Asperitas. “We know that a modern network enables greater opportunities for scale, enhancement, innovation and security. The key for companies is finding a partner who can complement their internal team, chart a course to success based on past experience and take advantage of new technologies while avoiding obstacles and minimizing costs.”
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