Top Network Trends in 2010 (by Stephen Brown)

Author Profile - Network Instruments provides in-depth network intelligence and continuous network availability through innovative analysis solutions. Enterprise network professionals depend on Network Instruments’ Observer product line for unparalleled network visibility to efficiently solve network problems and manage deployments. By combining a powerful management console with high-performance analysis appliances, Observer simplifies problem resolution and optimizes network and application performance. The company continues to lead the industry in ROI with its advanced Distributed Network Analysis (NI-DNA™) architecture, which successfully integrates comprehensive analysis functionality across heterogeneous networks through a single monitoring interface. Network Instruments is headquartered in Minneapolis with sales offices worldwide and distributors in over 50 countries.

Stephen Brown is the Product Marketing Manager for network analysis vendor Network Instruments with nearly a decade of experience in network management and security. Areas of interest include data loss prevention, network compliance, and VoIP management. Stephen is a member of InfraGard and graduated with a degree in Marketing from the University of Iowa.

A few weeks after the holidays seemed like a good time to look forward to a new year in network management. Gazing into my crystal ball, here are the trends that we see on the rise or meeting their demise in 2010. Rather the discussing obvious trends of increased server virtualization and cloud-based technologies, I tried to go out on a bit of a limb. It'd be great to hear what you think of my predictions – right on the mark or have I been drinking too much eggnog.

 

On the Rise

Virtualization Shifts to the Desktop

In a year where network teams are looking to save time and money managing users, extending virtualization out to the user desktop just makes sense. The increased use of mobile devices for both business and personal use also drives network teams to consider virtual desktops as an easy way to secure and manage access to company data and applications.

 

Video over IP Comes of Age

A perfect storm is developing to push the adoption of video conferencing into the corporate mainstream. Larger teleconferencing video vendors including Cisco and Polycom are offering video conferencing packages at all price points. The rough economy is forcing companies to rethink the way employees collaborate and identify alternatives to air travel. Additionally, increases in network bandwidth capacity and comfort with VoIP now have network teams looking to video.

 

Truly Unified Platforms

Over the past few years Unified Communications has evolved from a concept into a true communications management platform. Rather than a disparate group of programs, companies including Microsoft and Cisco, are offering single platforms incorporating everything from VoIP to video conferencing and instant messaging. Adoption of these platforms will increase as businesses continue to find cost-effective forms of collaboration.

 

WAN Acceleration

Over the past two years WAN accelerators have grown at an amazing pace. In 2010, the adoption of WAN accelerators will continue to grow. The devices have an immediate ROI for many companies and are easy to implement. With increased server consolidation and more users working remotely, the need for acceleration will also increase.

 

Rebirth of Monitoring and Analysis

Rather than rip and replace, companies are looking to optimize what they have. IT organizations are increasingly realizing that monitoring is instrumental for maximizing existing infrastructure and network performance. Network teams are also looking to consolidate multiple monitoring tools into a single platform.

 

Netbooks Break Into Enterprise

Small, light and intelligent, netbooks provide a flexible and portable form factor perfectly-sized for mobile business or remote troubleshooting. Coupled with an attractive price point and an increasingly mobile workforce using more web-based applications, netbooks could be poised to be a realistic choice for business.

 

Operating Systems: A Third Way?

During the reign of Vista many organizations have grown weary of Windows. While they might be tempted by Mac, costs are always an issue. This might leave an opening for a third OS player. Several strong Linux variants have made moves on the server side, but lack marketing champions to migrate to the desktop. All of this coupled with rumors of the Google Chrome OS will make for an interesting new year and a strong chance of an emerging market-viable third OS.

 

On the Demise

Death of Traditional WAN

This trend has been a long time coming, but traditional WAN technologies are clearly on their way out. While organizations may have a DS3 line providing WAN service, it's more likely the provider offers an Ethernet link throttled back to the equivalent of DS3 speed. As companies migrate to MPLS and Ethernet, it's becoming a rare day when one can actually see a T1 or D3.

 

IT Vocab Past Its Prime

While we don't have any control in the use of IT jargon used by the rest of the world, here are some choice words that have been overused or too broadly defined to the point of being useless:

 

Web 2.0 – This term should have faded a couple years ago with its older brother the Information Superhighway, but sadly it's still here today.

Cloud Computing – The umbrella, catch-all phrase for internet-based computing means so many things that the term has been rendered meaningless.

<Insert Product Here>-Killer – iPhone-Killer, Windows 7-Killer. Naming a product a “killer” is the sure fire way to bury it. Zune, Segway, Windows Vista were suffocated by the weight of their hype and failed to deliver on marketing promises.

Continue reading other LoveMyTool posts on Network Instruments »