Six major trends in the development of enterprise campus networks

Enterprise campus networks are changing, just like data centers and wide area networks.

Here are six campus networking trends driving change in enterprise campus design and operations.

1. Network Automation

Network automation will continue to improve as vendors implement APIs. Interoperability issues will persist as each network equipment vendor implements its own set of APIs. Effective automation requires consistency in design and implementation, so network teams can expect to see tools and systems that provide useful abstractions to hide differences. Network engineers trained to use command-line interfaces will need to learn new skills and adapt to using a DevOps approach to network operations.

2.IT security, work anytime, anywhere, using any device

All organizations, regardless of size and business sector, are vulnerable to attacks from cybercriminals, making network security critical. When the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the transition to work from anywhere, many campus networks saw a significant reduction in usage. As users migrated across campus networks and off-site locations, traditional security infrastructure at the enterprise edge was no longer a viable design. Network teams should investigate a secure access service edge to provide connectivity and security for a mobile workforce that is more frequently using personal devices to work from anywhere. Enterprise plans should include at least basic security steps, including multi-factor authentication and system backups.

3. Wireless

Wireless is going through a radical transformation. Both Wi-Fi 6 and cellular 5G have big promises to deliver, especially those with the promise of higher speeds and lower latency. Using the new 6GHz spectrum band will help both technologies. Both Wi-Fi 6 and 5G will rely on smaller cell sizes and greater bandwidth to meet the promise of gigabit speeds. Millimeter wave bands will further reduce cell sizes due to their shorter propagation distance. This means that enterprise wireless plans should include more dense deployment of access points as network hardware is refreshed.

4. IoT and edge computing

The transition to IoT and edge computing is gaining momentum. Cameras, sensors, locks, and controls require additional security protections to avoid becoming internal attack vectors. Processing IoT data at the edge of the network before entering the cloud or data center is key to reducing infrastructure costs without compromising revenue.

5. More cloud, fewer local data centers

Cloud computing has changed the flow of data within campus networks. Applications are moving from corporate data centers to any as-a-service offering that requires an internet connection. Enterprises with strict security requirements are not immune from moving to the cloud. Network teams should ensure that any provider's operations and security policies match their organization's requirements, especially access policies, use of zero-trust network access, and how the provider will help their organization recover quickly from a cybersecurity attack.

6. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

Machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence, is being applied to a wide variety of problems, especially IT security and management. As network teams learn to apply it more broadly, this trend will expand. This expansion will include automatically identifying and fixing typical problems that previously required employees to spend time investigating and resolving.