Futuriom CSP Network Automation Report

Networking and cloud IT professionals are looking for new ways to automate their networks. The Futuriom CSP Network Automation Survey found out exactly what they are looking for.

The new challenges include scaling networks to meet an ever-increasing demand for cloud-based applications, as well as automating networks to enable improved service velocity, fault remediation, and network security.

The Futuriom Networking Automation survey gathered data on the opinions of 218 network operators, including service providers and webscale cloud operators.

Key highlights include the following:

• Survey data indicates network operators have a high interest in using closed-loop network monitoring, network monitoring, and intent-based networking to automate their operations.
• The top goals of network automation are faster service delivery and increased revenue (79%), improved network security (75%), and improved ability to support dynamic/on-demand services. Secondary goals are reducing both operational costs (41.5%) and capital spending (37.7%).
• Respondents view automated fault resolution as a critical driver of reduced operating costs. Of those surveyed, 63.1% suggested automated intelligence and analytics are the best options for automating fault resolution. The two next preferred choices: automating network design, build, and deployment (55%) and the purchase of open white-box switches and open-source operating systems (42.3%).
• Networking telemetry, monitoring, and analytics are essential for network automation, according to 90% of those of those surveyed. Specifically, 61% rated those components “very important” and 30% rated them as “important” (30%) to network automation.
• Networking Functions Virtualization (NFV) is the top domain targeted by operators to address networking automation (29%). The next most popular domains are edge cloud (24.6%) and metro network (21.5%).
• An overwhelming majority (70%) of all network operators surveyed (service provider, cloud, webscale SAAS) plan to implement closed-loop automation within the next 24 months. Forty percent (40%) plan to implement it within the next 12 months.