24 March 2021
Jeremy Wastie, head of public sector sales, MLL Telecom
In public and private enterprise organisation the network is central to realising corporate digital transformation aspirations. No wonder therefore it’s a big ticket item for CIOs and Heads of Networks. But how certain can they be of extracting the maximum value from their network infrastructure and services, today and in the future? 
Traditionally, Network services and all things related to it have been centralised. These are typically supplied and managed by a principal managed services contractor over a somewhat inflexible long-term contract with performance measured against pre-defined KPIs and SLAS. These have governed the delivery and performance of core network services such as internet access and data centre services.
Aside from the debate about which network technology is now the best, for how much longer can CIOs feel comfortable that their organisations’ network procurement models are remaining fit for purpose? After all, despite the pandemic, flexible mobile working was already well accepted in the public sector before 2020, and increasingly so in certain quarters of the private sector.
Is a corporate network still really necessary?
Certainly, the events of the past year have proven many thousands of people can work from home armed with a decent broadband connection - either permanently or most of the time. As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. With more and more bandwidth readily available from broadband services providers to soak up demand as workers remote access into corporate computing resources and conference over Teams and Zoom, there are now many out there wondering if maintaining a central corporate network will still be necessary.
From a procurement perspective the disruption of Covid has meant that out of pure expedience, existing network contracts have just been getting extended without the rigorous re-tendering processes and longer-term strategic planning involved in usual circumstances. This situation cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely but, in the meantime, now is perhaps a good time for Network Heads to review their existing network along with their supplier to see how they might be able to enhance it in the short-term, prior to the next official renewal date or launching a new ITT.
Choices, choices
In the push for greater flexibility and scalability, it’s likely there will be a growing requirement for future-proofing the network. This will mean making it capable of supporting a greater mix of architectures. Therefore, fundamental decisions will need to be taken on whether the network should be an Internet, MPLS or SDWAN architecture. MPLS has been the traditional choice but is now over 20 years old. As a ‘technique’ it’s excellent at delivering IP VPNs but expensive. However, the arrival of the SD-WAN virtual architecture means enterprises now have more scope for optimizing MPLS while also leveraging less expensive broadband and wireless/LTE connections for securely and cost-effectively connecting users to applications. This can help drive ‘internet first’ agendas. There’s also the race towards high-bandwidth Ethernet services (EaaS) for 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps or even 1000 Mbps across a common bidirectional broadband infrastructure.
A key consideration is cost-effectively scaling solutions across the entire organisation on a permanent rather than temporary basis. With this comes a greater reliance on flexible WAN, WiFi, Internet and Cloud ‘as-a-service solutions’. Their full potential and resilience is intrinsically linked to an optimised network infrastructure including the availability of Full Fibre connectivity. But knowing which carrier/service provider serving a particular region or vicinity can be confusing and requires considerable time to evaluate.
And with a hugely extended attack surface through extensive remote working, the cybersecurity threat becomes significantly larger. The fact that in the public sector PSN security standards compliance is no longer mandatory increases this risk. For both private and public sector organisations centrally hosted firewalls and content filtering will therefore need to play a growing role along with adherence to NCSC guidelines.
More supplier accountability
With all the above challenges and choices facing CIOs and Head of Networks, the network supplier as well as the network itself must adapt. Apart from continuing to provide support on network design, consultancy and monitoring, this means the supplier providing broader advice surrounding the implementation of potential new technologies and services. The wider remit might also include, for instance, taking the lead on which carriers are the optimum choices in the customer region, and having the ability to pre-test new services in their own labs.
Therefore, it’s important to decide if the incumbent supplier is sufficiently responsive, accountable and resourceful to help deliver the level of network agility, scalability and security now required in light of the ‘new normal’. At the same time, evaluating whether they have the capability to support the digital services required in the years to come - in line with ongoing corporate digital transformation goals.
The sooner these discussions start, the quicker organisations can ensure they are receiving maximum value from their network infrastructure for delivering the services they need today, and longer term. This is a two-way street. There must also be a shift towards more empowerment of in-house network management personnel to work alongside the network services partner.
