Enterprise Network Automation: Emerging From the Dark Ages and Reaching Toward NetDevOps

Enterprise Network Automation remains a challenge, with only 18% of orgs achieving complete success. This EMA study explores strategies, drivers, and key requirements like NSoT and network validation, aiming to guide organizations in building successful automation roadmaps.

For most enterprise IT organizations, network automation remains an unsolved problem. Tools aimed at reducing manual management of networks have produced mixed results, leading to only 18% of organizations today stating they have a completely successful network automation strategy.

The EMA study, based on a survey of 354 network automation stakeholders plus in-depth interviews, explores the entire lifecycle of network automation strategies, including both homegrown and commercial solutions. The report offers a valuable overview of network automation drivers and business problems solved.

A snapshot of network automation strategies is provided, including build-versus-buy and general solution requirements, with a spotlight on Network Source of Truth (NSoT) and network validation. Learn from lessons shared by your peers to help build your automation roadmap and ensure your network automation projects succeed.

Example Key Findings

• Cloud migration and hybrid multi-cloud architectures are the primary drivers of network automation
• Network automation investments are primarily aimed at addressing network complexity and improving operational efficiency
• Security policy management, configuration compliance management, and network validation/assurance are the more important features organizations are seeking from their tools
• 58% of organizations are looking for low-code automation solutions, where minimal coding skills are required
• 80% of organizations have a network source of truth – 45% of organizations currently use an IP address management tool to feed a Network Source of Truth