Clear trend: Network management goes cloud

What is the status quo of network management at companies? What challenges do they face? What are the advantages of network management from the cloud? These and other questions are answered by the techconsult survey “Modern Network Management” commissioned by LANCOM Systems. IT experts from 200 companies with 150 to 2,500 employees were surveyed.

Three-quarters of companies already use the cloud

One in five companies (21 percent) already uses a pure cloud solution to manage their network infrastructure. More than half (52 percent) use a hybrid system of cloud and on-premises solutions, and only around a quarter (27 percent) continue to use a completely on-premises model.

Challenges: Network security first

More than half of those surveyed (52 percent) see the key challenge in network security. 46 percent also rate the investments in modern network security solutions at their own company as low or insufficient. Another aspect that worries companies is the IT skills shortage. For more than half (51 percent), the lack of skilled IT staff in network management is a major hurdle. The third most important challenge cited by IT managers is the occurrence of network failures while troubleshooting. During these activities, the network is often not fully operational and exposed to security vulnerabilities. Around a third of those surveyed (32 percent) stated that they struggled with long downtimes. Almost as many named a lack of network automation (31 percent) and insufficient transparency in networks (27 percent) as obstacles.

85 percent plan move to the cloud

How do companies intend to meet the complex challenges? A clear majority (85 percent) of those who currently continue to rely on hybrid and on-premises solutions are planning to move to cloud-native network management within the next four years. Just 10 percent want to stick with an on-premises solution. Reasons include a lack of trust, compliance concerns, and fear of third-party access.

The cloud scores in terms of security, costs, and flexibility

On the other hand, half of those surveyed (50 percent) see the greatest advantage of cloud solutions precisely in the data security and integrity that they provide. When combined with security dashboards, intrusion detection and prevention, and firewalls as secure web gateways, these form a holistic solution for network and data security. If companies also opt for a European provider, they avoid unnecessary risks with regard to data protection, compliance, and third-party access.

38 percent of those surveyed also expect a reduction in maintenance, servicing, and support costs, since these tasks are largely automated by network management from the cloud. The reduced expenditure of time and effort goes hand in hand with potential financial savings. Almost half of the companies (48 percent) hope for significant cost reductions.

Furthermore, the cloud scores with flexibility and scalability. Device configurations can be modified quickly and individually, and new sites can be connected to the company network with just a few clicks. More than every third company (37 percent) sees this as a significant advantage of cloud-native network management solutions.

For Ralf Koenzen, founder and managing director of LANCOM Systems, the future lies in the cloud: “Networks have changed significantly in recent years: Increasing numbers of devices, new data-intensive applications that need to be used from anywhere. This all increases the demands on the infrastructure. Reliable protection, transparency, and automation are key to keeping this complexity manageable. Cloud-based network management can make a significant contribution here.”

About the survey:

The survey “Modern Network Management” was conducted by techconsult in August 2022 on behalf of LANCOM Systems. The data is based on responses by 200 IT experts from 200 companies with 150 to 2,500 employees.

NOTE:

The survey with all the results is available here.
An infographic can be found here.