Top Ten Network Technology Predictions in 2024-51CTO.COM

n 2023, the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) will have a significant impact on all IT departments, including networking. There is no doubt that 2024 will see more artificial intelligence being applied to the web, but it’s not the only big trend.

Enterprises will become increasingly application-focused

As the migration to the edge accelerates, applications will continue to become more distributed. It is expected that the location of applications will become less important. Application resiliency, performance and operating costs will become even more important. As a result, network teams will increasingly become an integral part of application design and deployment.

Automation and consolidation to increase speed and security in multi-cloud environments

The report states that 88% of organizations are moving to a single security platform rather than multiple point solutions. This trend signals a shift toward multi-cloud networking platforms that can manage networking and security across various clouds, services, applications and APIs. Such platforms not only improve performance but also simplify management, thereby reducing the risk of human error and increasing reliability.

Dual-vendor SASE will become a reality

While security and networking teams have begun to bridge the gap, most teams will remain significantly separated. As enterprises scramble to coordinate their needs, dual-vendor SASE will not only emerge, but dominate the space. This approach is not only about security but also demonstrates the strategic acumen of an enterprise in a rapidly evolving technology market.

Network teams will look to cloud-based management solutions

As bandwidth costs soar and the need for enhanced network availability and performance escalates, enterprises will prioritize solutions that provide the greatest value for their investments. By 2024, cloud-based management solutions will become essential, not just an option.

Managed services will remain a key path to market for SD-WAN

Managed service providers (MSPs) will move beyond mere contributor roles to become key to SD-WAN growth in 2024.

As their roles continue to evolve, she expects MSPs to continue to be a guiding beacon for enterprises, expertly guiding them through the complexities of scaling bandwidth, improving performance and optimizing costs.

800G network will become the “hero technology” to cope with massive data demands

800G networks will become a "hero technology" as industries around the world are forced to manage bandwidth demands and rising latency caused by data-intensive applications. Applications for 800G will span core, peering, data center interconnect (DCI), data center edge, edge aggregation and artificial data center network use cases, helping operators achieve sustainable growth while balancing capacity enhancement, ecological sustainability and cost manage.

The battle between cloud engineering and network engineering will escalate

Cloud engineers continue to move into the traditional network engineer's turf. Although the old network tools are still around, we can never seem to get rid of the traditional tools. Cloud computing skills will be increasingly used to run public clouds, but also to run private infrastructure. facility.

Sustainability will no longer be an outlier

Power and sustainability issues will also continue to be front and center. Infrastructure providers will continue to design and build more efficient equipment as new AI model training requirements lead to data center racks consuming more power. Experimental cooling methods that minimize power consumption, such as liquid immersion, will emerge during the experimental phase.

Accelerating Wi-Fi-centric strategic trends

By deploying a dense network of access points (APs), organizations can control and manage the network remotely, eliminating the need for on-site configuration. The adoption of the 6GHz frequency band, coupled with the superior performance and reliability of Wi-Fi6E and Wi-Fi7, is accelerating the Wi-Fi-centric strategic trend in various industry sectors.

Ubiquitous AI will make networks smarter

It is expected that by 2024, the network industry will become more intelligent and intuitive than ever. She predicts that AI-based network tools will help predict, prevent and fix issues that impact user experience, service availability and service quality. Machine learning will transcend current network optimization and make network business simpler, easier, faster, and therefore better.

Large-scale language models will be combined with other types of machine learning and network big data to create new co-innovation opportunities for suppliers, customers and partners, creating solutions that transform the network into a strategic asset.