Get ready for it: EMA Network Management Megatrends 2020 is hot off the press

EMA’s Network Management Megatrends 2020 is out now. Since 2008, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) has conducted biennial research into enterprise network management strategies. In the 2020 edition, the report covers enterprises embracing NetSecOps, Internet of Things (IoT) which is impacting the majority of networks today, and streaming network telemetry. Authored by VP of Research, Shamus McGillicuddy, the research is based on a survey of 350 IT professionals in North America and Europe. The findings of the report were shared by Shamus on a recent webinar.

Not surprisingly, many of the key findings have evolved from one report to another to reflect the current state of the network today. Yet, the top challenges that network operations teams face remain wholly the same: these include gaps in operating budget and capital expenditures, shortages of skilled personnel, poor implementation of infrastructure projects, and ineffective network management outsourcing.

Here are some of the key findings we found interesting:

1. 33% of all IT service problems are detected and reported by end-users before the network operations team is even aware of them

The fact that this number remains high is worrisome, particularly since end-user experience is mission-critical for any enterprise organization, whether financial or healthcare, retail or hospitality. It is an end-user experience that makes or breaks an enterprise.

2. 61% of enterprises say the cloud networking support offered by their network management tools has room for improvement

The report also reveals that software-defined networking (SDN) is driving change in the data center. 66% of enterprises have implemented or plan to implement data center SDN technology, and 25% have completed a production deployment. SDN appears to be driving new data collection techniques and protocols, new visualizations, and dashboard views for SDN abstractions in network management tools. Yet, 61% of enterprises say the cloud networking support offered by their network management tools has room for improvement.

3. 64% of enterprises still use 4 to 10 tools to monitor and troubleshoot their networks

The survey found that while enterprises are making some progress in reducing fragmented network management toolsets, 64% of enterprises still use 4 to 10 tools to monitor and troubleshoot their public cloud and on-premises networks. 4 to 10 tools! The fact that enterprises use so many tools for visibility and monitoring must “plague them”. It is unsustainable.

In response to this, however, Accedian’s Skylight delivers high-performance network and user experience monitoring. It is a virtualized performance assurance platform, delivering end-to-end application, service, and network performance visibility— all in a single platform in a single unified view.

Finally, EMA’s research thoroughly examines how significant technology and business trends, so-called “megatrends,” impact network management strategies, tracking challenges over time, while also highlighting how enterprises can react to the changes and challenges. 

To find out more, watch the webinar here.