Cloud-managed networks: why should you care? [Blog]

Head of Connectivity Mark Hall explores the powerful reasons why companies in all sectors are waking up to the benefits of cloud-based management

Cloud-managed networks: why should you care?

One answer goes like this: because even if you don’t care yet, the chances are you’ll soon have to.

Given the way network technology is developing, companies in all sectors are waking up to the benefits of cloud-based management… and of switching sooner rather than later. Small wonder that cloud-managed networking grew by $2.6bn (the equivalent of £1.8bn) in 2019, a 29% increase from 2018, and is set to triple by 2024¹ (for perspective: traditional managed networking grew just 3% in 2019).

So if you don’t care, your competitors most likely will. But here’s another answer…

Why is it so powerful?

Managing your networks the traditional way is cumbersome, resource-intensive and costly. And as the number of connected devices (think phones, tablets, laptops, and IoT devices) grows by the second, these challenges will exponentially increase. Tracking, understanding and optimising your network will just get harder and more expensive.

But there’s more: with traditional network management, it’s nigh-on impossible to leverage the true power of the data that flows in your network, thus depriving you of a readily available competitive advantage.

Cloud-managed networks change all that, turning burdensome complexity into its fitter, better-dressed cousin: simple sophistication. With ExtremeCloud^™ IQ, an end-to-end cloud management solution created by our partners Extreme Networks and delivered by Daisy Corporate Services, this happens with mind-blowing flexibility and the highest certified levels of security and data compliance.

The result? We’ve yet to find a business – in any sector – that couldn’t transform its efficiency and costs by making the switch.

We’ve seen organisations of all sizes in retail, education, health, defence, and an array of other sectors implement cloud-managed networks and benefit on multiple fronts.

So how does the magic happen?

1. A smarter, more powerful and responsive business

With ExtremeCloud^™ IQ, the huge volume of data flowing through modern networks turns from an amorphous, unmanageable mass into something you can use. Why? Because only cloud-managed networks can aggregate and analyse secure, encrypted metadata from your network and those of thousands of other clients, using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to enhance business insight and take away the pain of the day-to-day operation.

• Give your administrators a 360° view of all devices, clients, apps and network health indicators.
• Detect anomalies and implement targeted fixes to instantly improve performance.
• Give your IT team their time back, turning their attention from firefighting to innovation, which improves performance even further.
• Make sure your network tools are fully up-to-date, all the time, with instant, architecture-wide upgrades.

ExtremeCloud^™ IQ is also the only cloud-managed network solution to offer full data duration – yes, that’s all of your network data from the beginning of your deployment right up to the present moment – offering the boundless potential for granular analysis that improves customer experience and business performance.

But that’s just a taster. Learn more about how to leverage your investment after switching to cloud-managed networks.

2. Complete deployment flexibility

No matter how you want to deploy and leverage cloud-managed networking, we have it covered. Whatever your size and sector, we can provide the best possible journey to the cloud, from design and configuration through to simple, transparent licensing.

How do we do this? For a start, ExtremeCloud^™ IQ is the only solution to work flexibly and seamlessly with all public cloud providers (Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform).

But it also offers the same benefits to organisations who prefer a private cloud architecture, or those who operate “cloud-edge” solutions through on-premise or private datacentres.

The result? The maximum choice to run your networks the way you want and need to… but with greater insight, control and efficiency.

Want more details on what this means for your organisation? Read more about ExtremeCloud™ IQ’s ultra-flexible deployment options, with examples from multiple business sectors and scenarios.

3. We know what you’re thinking…

“All this sounds great… but can it be that secure?”

Every business asks this, and if they don’t, we make sure they know the answer anyway.

Without watertight security and data compliance, endorsed by the highest levels of certification, our customers couldn’t take advantage of the benefits outlined above.

That’s why ExtremeCloud™ IQ is the only cloud networking solution with its own ISO27001 certification. ISO27001 is gained through a painstaking process of yearly audits covering everything from the technology itself to Extreme’s operations, human resources, supply chain management and even engineer access to datacentres. Also, notably, ExtremeCloud™ IQ stores none of its clients’ data (which is held in encrypted form by the primary cloud provider), relying instead on metadata for its remarkable insight and trouble-shooting power.

ExtremeCloud™ IQ also holds ISO27701, ISO27017 and Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) STAR Level 1, as well as accredited compliance with GDPR, HIPAA and PCI standards. Extreme has also expanded its UK-based Regional Data Centre footprint, allowing more organisations to keep their data local and ensure compliance with data privacy.

We hope all this goes some way to explaining why cloud-managed networking is such a growing area within networking and why Extreme Networks is the fastest-growing cloud networking provider.

¹ Omdia Cloud-Managed Networking Report 2020