Top Challenges Facing Network Management Professionals

With ever-increasing demand, an explosive proliferation of new devices, and advanced security threats, today’s network management professionals (NMPs) always have a full plate. With that said, a number of specific concerns do stand out above all the rest.

Let’s take a look at the top challenges facing network management professionals.

Migrating Applications to the Cloud

The advantages of hosting applications in the cloud are as well documented as they are far-reaching. Jennifer Curry, senior vice president of Global Cloud Services at INAP. says; “Cloud and IaaS are becoming easier to consume with container-based solutions and more applications that are born in the cloud or are cloud-ready.”

Despite the convenience this poses for users, it introduces a whole new level of complexity for NMPs. Application performance issues, poorly executed migrations and unanticipated security issues are among the most significant concerns. Moreover, each new cloud environment introduces unique monitoring and optimization challenges.

The key is to have the needed expertise in-house, or carefully choose a partner to help you derive the maximum value from your cloud-based strategies.

Coping With Skills Shortages

Few industries are advanced as information technology. Delivering network management operations capable of keeping pace with the progression of such a rapidly evolving field is crucial.

As a result, nearly every organization out there is in need of talented IT professionals — which puts companies in competition with one another in terms of staffing. This is a great position in which to be for workers, but organizations are at a decided disadvantage when it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent.

Keeping up With Security Demands

Always a big one – expanded IT infrastructure complexity has made network security more challenging than ever. This, plus the increased level of remote work driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, is placing more pressure than ever on security protocols. NMPs are dealing with more connections, users, and a wider array of devices than ever before.

What’s more, cyber attacks have progressed beyond system and nuisance incursions, even as they’ve become simultaneously more sophisticated and less difficult to enact.

While there is a plethora of security tools available, choosing the right mix and ensuring they’re all compatible in order to provide the most comprehensive solution possible can be a trying experience.

Managing a Broader Array of Configurations

As the Internet of Things increasingly becomes a factor, keeping firewall rules up to date, dealing with conflicting devices and instituting new policies to deal with it all are strong challenges. Moreover, hurried implementation can trigger errors andinconsistent performance.

This, in turn, can hamper the performance of a network — particularly when you add in the fact that traffic in all directions is steadily on the increase. High-speed communication demanded by contemporary applications place even more stress on the system.

Exacerbating all of the above is the fact that users expect consistent performance and reliability to be a given. Smart NMPs are designing in protocols capable of enduring load spikes, while providing path alternatives to ensure around the clock network availability.

Budget Concerns

Along with the need to compete for top talent, budget concerns have the potential to hamper network management operations. The added demands associated with VoIP, videoconferencing and IoT require more advances in quality, which means larger expenditures — even while budgets remain somewhat stagnant.

While this isn’t a concern for all organizations, it is relevant enough to rate a spot on this list. The good news is these top challenges facing network management professionals are driving innovation, which is good for everyone involved.

Advanced automation and AI-powered component monitoring provided by companies like Open Systems are just two of a number of solutions that have been introduced to mitigate these issues.