Making the shift from legacy enterprise networks: how to get it right

You have sweated every component of your network technology assets, and your IT equipment is nearing the end of its support life. What now?

While many organizations accelerated their network digitalization plans over the last three years, only some could effectively and completely migrate from legacy systems to software-defined networks. With IT departments under increasing pressure to support business operations that require high-bandwidth and low-latency connectivity within and across disparate locations, now is the time to upgrade and address any shortcomings of legacy architectures in a manageable way.

What short-term strategy works best when approaching network transformation?

1. Align with business strategy and prioritize accordingly

Starting on the road to network migration means assessing your current network’s performance, cost and delivery against business challenges and demands. Making decisions guided and prioritized by where the business is today and where it wants to be in 5 to 10 years will ensure you are future-proofing infrastructure and systems.

Clients often work with senior leadership and even the C-level to establish long-term IT and technology roadmaps and then break them down into short-term, network-upgrade-style projects. 

Learning along the way is part of the process and allows for an even spread of financial and physical resources and time taken to completion. We work with multinationals who, for example, start upgrading their head-office private network facilities to test and understand the solutions at a deeper level before eventually rolling out infrastructure to regional hubs over time. 

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2. Update to protect your business

Outside of aligning IT transformation with business strategy, there’s a growing list of external forces that threaten network operations.

Evolving security challenges are one area that’s pushing organizations to update networks and systems. Securing data and addressing compliance is a high priority and significant challenge when moving legacy systems to software and cloud environments.

Older-style infrastructure offers limited protection against sophisticated threats. Whether your workforce is primarily hybrid or remote, network security must be multilayer, stretching across vulnerabilities to protect devices, data and users. Encryption, multifactor authentication and layered security are critical to safeguarding your network from intrusion. 

3. Introduce more interoperability and integration where they’re needed most

As customer and employee experience becomes even more front and center, identifying how upgraded technology can repair and improve business processes is increasingly important.

The unintegrated LANs and WANs of the past cannot support today’s digital experiences. Cloud-based environments are better equipped to handle more disparate, widely connected organizations and users, and the network is a critical success factor. Additionally, older-style wireless access points buckle under the strain of rising traffic volumes, increased data levels and innovation brought about by IoT and AI.

Upgraded networks feature the interoperability and integration capabilities needed for seamless experiences. When assessing upgrades, look at what applications and systems are used the most and build in the necessary digital integration.

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4. Improve visibility and make intervention less arduous

The quality and cost of network management is a consideration for any organization that is upgrading. The management and operation of networks have historically been labor-intensive and arduous

Modern networks rely on maintenance, problem resolution and management through the careful curation of built-in automation and predictive analytics. Highly automated support and operations platforms, combined with highly skilled people and the careful application of AI and deep analytics, are having a measurable impact on service quality and network availability. 

Because it enables everything from cloud strategies to hybrid workplaces, the modern network continues to be the fabric and foundation for organizations to upgrade and transform their businesses.

To ensure it delivers the security, performance and results you expect – and need – where your business is, get expert advice from people who’ve been there, done that, adapted and transformed.