IP networking tops 2003 predictions - Trends - Industry Overview

Communications News, Nov, 2002

"IP is no longer revolutionary, but rather evolutionary," says John Govert, general manager of Acterna Data Network Services in Germantown, MD, who calls 2003 the "year of the IP-centric enterprise." IP has become the core communications backbone technology in large companies, and increasingly in smaller ones, as well, he says. Fortunately for the enterprise, the improvements and quality of IP networks are advancing and maturing at a quick and steady pace.

Govert predicts the following trends:

Industrial-strength VPNs. Virtual private networks (VPNs) will be deployed by nearly all global enterprises. Enterprises are ready for VPNs to support all of the critical information-sharing and processing applications carried by legacy networks. Adoption of multiprotocol label switching--MPLS--which provides for packet prioritization, allows IP carriers to provide scalable voice and video over their networks with greater confidence. Resulting higher levels of quality of service and assured service levels represent the coming of age for VPNs.

Scrutiny on security. Service providers, and software and hardware companies will offer improved resources for network security issues, such as intrusion detection, authentication, authorization and digital certification. Real-time monitoring of networks and all locations connected to the network, with beefed up firewall deployment, will help guard companies and government organizations from attempts to disrupt operations.

End-to-end VoIP. An emergence of end-to-end VoIP from the enterprise to the carrier network will continue. IP-based telephony platforms--where the PBX is IP-enabled--are already in place in some organizations. The combination of enhanced feature functionality, performance levels, potential for cost savings and new products will drive this trend.

Centralized, remote operations. Enterprises need to control costs associated with their WAN management, and to centralize network management as much as possible--key to ensuring network reliability via cost-effective methods. With the new generation of affordable, deployable network monitoring and analysis devices, network managers will be able to perform more thorough troubleshooting from the network operations center.

Move to managed services. More enterprises will take advantage of managed-service offerings from major carriers. Managed VPNs are emerging as a fast-growing solution in the enterprise market. Software and hardware from test and management and switching manufacturers have given service providers far greater visibility into the traffic flows of their data networks and the peering arrangements they have with other network providers. This greater level of management information allows service providers to take on the job of managing enterprise networks with higher performance levels and reporting capabilities. Enterprises will have more choices than ever regarding guaranteed service levels.

"Next year will also see faster networks and the rollout of 40-gigabit technology at the carrier level, improvements in DSL technology, and significant new wireless infrastructure and product developments," Govert says. "IP-centric networking, however, remains the most important development to watch in the coming year."