Report Summary: Network Management Megatrends 2016

Report Summary: Network Management Megatrends 2016 Executive Summary This ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES® (EMA™) research summary highlights some of the key findings of EMA’s landmark report, “Network Management Megatrends 2016: Managing Networks in the Era of the Internet of Things, Hybrid Cloud, and Advanced Network Analytics.” It examines several major areas of change and evolution affecting network management, or what EMA calls “megatrends.” These megatrends include hybrid cloud networking, the Internet of Things, advanced network analytics, network management outsourcing, and network management tool consolidation. Introduction Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) analysts closely follow the evolutions and revolutions of managed enterprise network environments and how they affect best practices for monitoring, troubleshooting, and designing modern networks. Network availability and performance are, more than ever before, a critical part of the way in which IT supports the enterprise. As new initiatives such as hybrid cloud, the Internet of Things, and advanced network analytics gain traction in the enterprise, the network engineering and operations teams must ensure that network services can adapt. Over the past several years, EMA has conducted a series of research studies called “Network Management Megatrends” reviews. They are designed to examine how both micro and macro technology trends are affecting network management tools, technologies, and practices. This study is our fourth megatrends study. For this latest version, we have carried forward a number of ongoing questions and threads that are designed to track how the network management landscape is changing over time. We’ve also included many new questions and queries intended to help us characterize and quantify the very latest technology trends. In particular, new questions were added in this report to begin assessing whether hybrid clouds, advanced analytics, and/or the Internet of Things were having an impact on network management tools and practices. Key Findings of Network Management Megatrends 2016 • Enterprises continue to use far too many tools to monitor and troubleshoot their networks. This has a direct impact on the effectiveness of network operations. Enterprises need to strategically consolidate network management tools wherever possible. • Most enterprise networking teams are already supporting multiple Internet of Things (IoT) initiatives. To support them, they are implementing new security controls, IoT device management systems, and network expansions and upgrades. • Most enterprise networking teams have either completed a production hybrid cloud deployment or are in the process of doing so. Many of them are implementing network virtualization overlays and new network performance management software to support these clouds. • Roughly half of enterprise network teams are applying advanced analytics to network data. These network analytics projects are helping them with network security monitoring, network optimization, and business process optimization. • The number of enterprises that outsource some aspects of network management is rising, particularly among large enterprises. One function that has become a bigger target for outsourcing is Layer 1 support (help desk calls). The following pages offer some highlights of the Network Megatrends 2016 study. For a more comprehensive look at these megatrends and for more data on enterprises’ evolving requirements for network management tools, please download the full report. PAGE 1 ©2016 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | www.enterprisemanagement.com Report Summary: Network Management Megatrends 2016 Demographics EMA surveyed North American IT professionals at 150 enterprises for this research. Survey respondents hailed from a diverse group of companies. In terms of company size, there was broad distribution. Twenty-eight percent (28%) of respondents worked at small enterprises (250 to 999 global employees), 38% worked at midsized enterprises (1,000 to 4,999 global employees), and 34% worked for large enterprises (more than 5,000 global employees). From a vertical industry perspective, three industries were represented by a statistically significant number of respondents: 17% were from finance/banking/insurance firms, 11% were from software companies, and 11% were from the retail/wholesale/distribution industries. Finally, to qualify for the survey underpinning this research, respondents had to be involved in the selection, implementation, and/or use of network management products and solutions. As seen in Figure 1, the respondents were involved in all stages of a network management solution’s lifecycle within their enterprises. They reported involvement ranging from evaluation, approval/purchase, and deployment/ support of the products to using the products to plan, manage/monitor, and troubleshoot networks. The typical respondent was involved in four aspects of a network management product’s lifecycle within their organization. With only 51% of the research sample involved in network troubleshooting, it was the least common activity reported. Evaluate network management products and solutions 73% Approve/purchase network management products and solutions 66% Deploy/support network management products and solutions 67% Plan networks using network management products and solutions 67% Manage/monitor networks using network management products and solutions 69% Troubleshoot networks using network management products and solutions None of the above 51% 0% Figure 1. How are you involved with network management products and solutions within your organization? PAGE 2 ©2016 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | www.enterprisemanagement.com
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