Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2019. Read them in this 11th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
Contributed by Abby Strong, VP of Product Marketing, Extreme Networks
The rise of smarter networks
In the past few years, we've seen enterprises seek to
accomplish digital transformation goals through software and applications. But,
in a world that is changing so quickly, many are beginning to realize they need
an agile infrastructure that can scale and adapt to support transformation
initiatives if they are to be successful.
That is why we see a renewed focus on networking and
infrastructure as a major trend heading into 2019. Here are our predictions on
how that will play out over the coming year.
The rise of
intelligent hardware
Software may have eaten the world, but in 2019 there will be
major interest in deploying next-generation, intelligent hardware.
Specifically, we'll see deployments of new multi-rate switches and hardware
supporting 802.11ax wireless capabilities, which will serve as the foundation
for an IoT-driven world. All of this is occurring alongside the much-hyped
transition to 5G, which is creating a push for infrastructure refreshes.
Smarter hardware,
smarter networks
Alongside the rise of intelligent hardware, we'll see gains
in intelligent networking. The networks of 2019 will leverage automation,
artificial intelligence and machine learning to better understand users,
devices, applications and more. By processing and understanding more data on
how users and devices behave on networks, it will be easier to enhance network
operations through automation, improving performance, user experience
availability and security.
More secure IoT
networking
Industry pundits have been hyping IoT for years, it's a
perennial trend. By now, we can all recite the benefits, the use cases, and the
possible innovations. But despite the fanfare, we still haven't seen
widespread, meaningful adoption of IoT. Why? It in part comes down to fear - IoT
(unavoidably) comes with both risks and opportunities. Smart enterprises will improve
defenses this year by segmenting networks, deploying analytics tools with packet
capture and robust filtering, and strengthening security policies.
The continued
dominance of Wi-Fi
As all the CES headlines heralded this year, 5G is here. Multiple
mobile carriers now have 5G networks up and running, promising faster download
speeds, reduced latency, and greater bandwidth. But 5G will not replace Wi-Fi
anytime in the near future (if ever) for a variety of reasons. Wi-Fi continues
to have a better price per performance, there's a lack of 5G devices on the
market, and the cost of upgrading cellular networks is simply too high for many
enterprises. Not to mention, Wi-Fi spectrum is actually growing as the FCC recently expanded the 6GHz band, which will
essentially double capacity. Meaning, not only is Wi-Fi nearly ubiquitous, it's
only getting better.
Regardless of industry - retail, healthcare, education,
hospitality - every organization will tell you its main priorities are customer
experience and embracing digital. Yet what every organization doesn't know is that it's the network
that holds the key to providing an experience that's reliable, fast, and
personalized. In 2019, it will be the enterprises that prioritize
infrastructure that rise to the top.
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About the Author
Abby is VP of Product
Marketing at Extreme, where she heads up the team that defines the market
strategy and messaging across the portfolio. With 20 years in the Networking
industry, Abby brings a passion for connecting people, ideas, and devices
together to create compelling technology stories. Previously, she led product
management and marketing for Aerohive Networks, where she focused on cloud
architecture, security, and networking solutions. Abby also helped to build and
support network security and routing products at companies such as Concentric,
XO Communications, and Juniper Networks before joining Extreme in 2018.