Few contemporary topics have led to greater debate among networking professionals than cloud-based networking and, by extension, cloud-based network monitoring and management solutions. From its niche beginnings with distributed organizations, cloud-based network management has been adopted by organizations ranging from SMB to large, carpeted enterprises. However, traditional on-premise (aka on-prem) solutions persist, helping give customers unprecedented choice when shopping for a solution.

Understanding emerging networking trends is increasingly important for IT professionals and companies of all sizes to stay competitive. The global network infrastructure market is expected to reach $197.8 billion by the end of 2024 and increase to $256 billion by 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.67%. This is a projected $58.2 billion increase in just four years. Staying current with developments in the industry, as well as anticipating where these trends may lead, is vital.

IT leaders are often caught in a tug-of-war between advancing technology and managing costs. In 2024, the state of the economy is only highlighting this divide. For business and IT leaders alike, this begs the common question: how can we reduce IT costs? Demands for IT continue to spike—especially as the cybersecurity landscape shifts and the appetite for remote work increases.

The cornerstone of every successful relationship—business or otherwise—is a clear, mutual set of expectations. In IT, this plays out in the form of service level agreements (SLAs). But really, SLAs are only the first step in the journey to a happy customer relationship. The real key to maintaining happy customers over the long term is SLA management. Knowing how important SLAs are raises several questions: How do you create one, what should it contain, and how do you manage them?

As an MSP, your role is to ensure your client’s network operates without a hitch. Checking the health of their network and sharing your findings in a network assessment report helps you identify potential vulnerabilities so you can fix them sooner rather than later. Creating these reports is a critical part of an MSP’s role, but it’s also a tedious one. That’s why we’ve created a network assessment report template.

Is your network management solution still up to the task? With remote work, cloud adoption, IoT, and more pushing networks to evolve rapidly, reliance on an outdated system risks performance issues, security gaps, insufficient visibility, and increased downtime. But when is it time to upgrade or replace your existing platform?

SaaS discovery is really easy if you’re an end user. You can probably find a product that meets your needs with a Google search and a credit card. However, SaaS discovery from an IT management and governance perspective is a whole different beast. In the past, there haven’t been a lot of easy ways to detect application usage in the browser or restrict user activity without creating hyper-restrictive internet usage policies. Enter SaaS discovery platforms.

From supply chain cyber attacks to ransomware, there is plenty of risk facing modern digital businesses. Cyber insurance can help mitigate that risk, but the complexity of cybersecurity insurance requirements can often create a catch-22 for businesses.

As businesses become more digitized, IT leaders must consider the ability of the network to transform business operations in every functional area. Many organizations are already doing this today, demonstrating best practices in how the network can be an innovation partner in marketing, service delivery, customer service, and logistics, among many other areas. However, those who rest on their laurels today may find themselves playing catchup in the not-so-distant future.

Dealing with a high MTTR in your network? Auvik Network Management is a comprehensive network monitoring and troubleshooting solution. With over 50 pre-configured alerts, it keeps you informed about critical network events. Users have the flexibility to customize these alerts and control notification frequency so that they have all the essential context to be able to fix issues.