Future Trends in Networking

- Overview

As the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading globally and forcing governments to introduce hard lockdowns, people became more online-dependent - for work, school, communication and entertainment. This caused a massive surge in Internet traffic and raised concerns as to whether our network infrastructure could handle it.

At the very beginning of the pandemic in Europe, five major Spanish telecommunications operators, including Orange and Vodafone, warned that a roughly 40% spike in traffic had flooded IP networks together with a 50% jump in voice calls due to the rapid expansion of coronavirus. They urged users to use the Internet responsibly to avoid collapsing their networks.

Streaming services are indeed on the rise. Growing Internet traffic and concerns about network infrastructure are affecting our everyday lives, but coronavirus also has a profound impact on our businesses. The main challenge the companies are facing now is the need to work remotely. To make a smooth transition from on-site to remote work, an organization needs to have in place clear procedures, competent IT staff and proper networking technology.

VPN (Virtual Private Network) has become a keyword. Unfortunately, not every company had used a VPN before the pandemic so many needed to make an effort to catch up. Even if a company had a properly configured VPN, most of its employees didn’t use it, as they mostly worked onsite in the office. But with the pandemic scattering everyone into home-office mode, bandwidth suddenly became an issue. When the entire company moved online, it was hard to scale it up to cover the surge in traffic. 

- Key Focuses about Future Networking

Future trends in networking include: the widespread adoption of 5G and beyond, increased IoT device connectivity, AI-driven network management, heightened focus on network security, expansion of Software-Defined Networking (SDN), network slicing, enhanced collaboration tools, and a growing emphasis on sustainable networking practices, all contributing to a hyperconnected world with faster speeds and lower latency across various devices and applications. 

Key focuses about future networking trends:

• Advanced connectivity: The proliferation of IoT devices, autonomous vehicles, and smart infrastructure will drive the need for ultra-fast, low-latency networks like 5G and beyond.
• AI-powered network management: Artificial intelligence will be used to automate network operations, optimize performance, and proactively identify potential issues.
• Enhanced security: As networks become more complex, robust security measures will be crucial to combat evolving cyber threats.
• Software-defined networking (SDN): SDN will allow for greater flexibility and dynamic network configuration.
• Network slicing: Creating virtual networks for specific applications, allowing for tailored performance based on user needs.
• Edge computing: Processing data closer to its source, enabling faster response times for edge devices.
• Quantum computing potential: Future advancements in quantum computing could revolutionize network security and encryption capabilities.
• Sustainability focus: Network infrastructure will be designed with energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact in mind.

- Some Future Trends in Enterprise Networking Technologies

One of the important transformations in enterprise networking is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). AI is no longer a buzzword but a fundamental part of network management. Machine learning algorithms are continuously analyzing network data, identify patterns, and proactively prevent issues.

Here are some future trends in networking: 

• Self-healing networks: Networks will be self-optimizing and self-healing, using AIOps, automation, and orchestration as the basis for operations.
• Decentralized technologies: The internet will increasingly be powered by decentralized technologies like blockchain and peer-to-peer networks. This would allow for greater privacy and security and will cut down on censorship.
• Network automation: Network automation is the process of using software and tools to automate repetitive and complex network tasks. Network automation can improve network performance, reliability, security, and efficiency.
• Wi-Fi 6 and 6E: Wi-Fi 6 and 6E continue to dominate as leading network technologies, revolutionizing wireless connectivity in 2024. Wi-Fi 6 is faster Internet, up to 9.6 Gbps.
• Cloud computing: Cloud computing enables a more seamless transition to remote work and more effective management of virtual workspaces.
• Scalability: As organizations keep on embracing and building upon new advances like cloud computing, they'll need network architectures that can evolve with them as their demands shift and develop.

[University of Chicago]

- Next-generation Enterprise Networking Trends

Emerging (next-generation) enterprise networking trends refer to the latest advancements in network technology that businesses are adopting, including key areas like cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI) for network management, 5G connectivity, edge computing, software-defined networking (SDN), increased cybersecurity measures, and a focus on hybrid and multi-cloud environments, all aimed at improving network efficiency, scalability, and security within an organization.

Key areas about emerging enterprise networking trends:

• AI and Automation: Utilizing AI algorithms to analyze network data, predict potential issues, and automate routine network management tasks.
• Cloud Integration: Moving more applications and data to cloud platforms, often adopting a multi-cloud strategy for flexibility.
• SD-WAN: Software-defined wide area networks that enable dynamic traffic routing across different connections for improved reliability.
• 5G and Edge Computing: Leveraging the high speeds of 5G for mobile connectivity and processing data closer to its source at the network edge.
• Cybersecurity Focus: Prioritizing advanced security measures to protect against evolving cyber threats.
• IoT Integration: Connecting a growing number of Internet of Things devices to the network, requiring robust management strategies.
• SaaS and UCaaS: The future of applications and communications. SaaS stands for Software as a Service, while UCaaS stands for Unified Communications as a Service. Both are cloud-based services that are delivered as a subscription.
• Zero trust networking: Zero trust is a network security model that assumes no entity should be trusted by default, regardless of whether it's inside or outside an organization's network.