The swift pace of technological advancements is heralding an era characterized by unparalleled transformation, where artificial intelligence (AI) and sophisticated networking solutions are altering every aspect of the business environment. As organizations rethink their digital frameworks to bolster operational resilience, enhance security, and meet changing business requirements, it has become essential to utilize AI-driven capabilities and adopt intelligent networking solutions.
From improving security approaches to AI-based network strategy, here are key trends that will reshape corporate networks by 2025:
1. Importance of SD-WAN and SASE will rise:The SD-WAN sector is continuously advancing, with 2025 set to see further expansion. Companies are looking for innovative ways to boost network agility while managing operational expenses. These demands can be met through SD-WAN, which provides flexible, secure, and scalable connectivity. It also harnesses LTE/5G and broadband technologies to significantly lessen reliance on traditional Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) technology.
Simultaneously, SASE is swiftly becoming a crucial element of contemporary networks, amalgamating networking and security into a cohesive, cloud-native structure. SASE simplifies network administration and delivers uniform security protocols for applications, users, and devices, regardless of their location. This fusion of IT infrastructure with robust security fortifies user experience, particularly in hybrid work settings.
2. Enhanced security and compliance through microsegmentation:Increasingly severe threats to networks and data centers are emerging. Microsegmentation enables the division of a network into smaller, isolated segments, making it notably tougher for attackers to navigate within the IT landscape. This heightens security by implementing detailed access controls and ensuring stringent traffic management between segments. Organizations can establish granular security measures with microsegmentation, ensuring that only authorized data can traverse between segments. 3. Networks as a security measure:
Traditionally, the approach was to manage specific elements of the infrastructure independently, such as networking and security. Nowadays, merging these domains for unified management allows more efficient information utilization across different infrastructure components. This leads to consistent and coherent management of the environment. By overseeing various devices—regardless of the vendor—and integrating both network and security elements, organizations can achieve a comprehensive understanding of their infrastructure’s status and react accordingly based on that insight. 4. Increasing integration of AI in networking:
With the explosive rise of devices linked to corporate networks and the escalating flow of data across them, managing these environments has become more challenging. The surge in attacks on diverse infrastructures further underscores the impracticality of human-led monitoring. The copious data and numerous pertinent incidents are overwhelming, demanding the continual expansion of IT departments.
Moreover, the function of IT is significantly evolving. It is now pivotal in production, strategy, and the agility with which services are brought to market, making it essential to business operations. To manage the vast volume of data and events and enable personnel to focus on strategic initiatives, AI is becoming a staple. It will play a vital role in analyzing massive datasets, identifying issues promptly, and allowing organizations to react with remarkable speed. Additionally, it will liberate the IT team to focus on strategic objectives.
5. Networking plays a critical role in AI:Although there is extensive discourse on the significant resources that AI necessitates—such as abundant high-quality data and substantial energy and computing capacity—the significance of networking often receives insufficient attention. With the anticipated surge in network traffic due to AI tasks, transmitting the voluminous data required to develop and run AI models efficiently is now critical. Devices capable of handling bandwidths of 100, 400, and, most recently, 800 Gb are poised to become commonplace.
As we look ahead, the realm of networking brims with untapped possibilities, ready for exploration and utilization. Organizations aiming to flourish in this AI-driven age must embrace these emerging trends and technologies, which will define their capacity to scale, innovate, and sustain competitive advantage.
The author is Prakash Krishnamoorthy, Director of HPE Aruba Networking, IndiaDisclaimer: The opinions expressed are exclusively those of the author, and ETCIO does not necessarily endorse them. ETCIO holds no responsibility for any damage incurred by any individual or organization, directly or indirectly.
