How to prepare for network modernization projects

Why are modern networks essential?

Data-intensive cloud computing, hybrid work, and artificial intelligence (AI) have placed immense pressure on today’s network infrastructure. Forward-looking enterprises must modernize their networks to ensure sufficient scalability, security, and performance.

Network modernization can seem like a monumental endeavor, but there’s a clear path for IT practitioners and managers to move forward: By creating a plan that maximizes business agility and advances the enterprise’s broader strategic objectives, your team can easily demonstrate the business case to senior IT and security decision makers.

Network modernization is more than just swapping out legacy technology for modern equivalents. To be successful, it requires assessing your current IT environment and determining how to evolve your IT infrastructure to satisfy today’s demands and anticipate tomorrow’s urgent requirements.

The endgame is an agile, future-proof network that supports evolving business objectives. The network must be scalable, embrace the principles of zero-trust security, and directly integrate cloud services into its architecture. Only when these three cornerstones are present can enterprises achieve the goal of using one network to connect and secure workers, workplaces, apps, data, and clouds.

Why are legacy networks problematic?

Legacy networks have several shortcomings, such as inadequate security, scalability, flexibility, and increased susceptibility to outages. Their architectures are too brittle, costly, and complex to manage. Plus, they lack the agility to support modern digital business requirements, including:

Network protection for data centers: Modern networks embrace scalable, cloud-native security without adding hardware or latency. Defenses don’t become bottlenecks when bad actors scale up their attacks — especially with distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

Simple branch connectivity: Modern networks simplify branch connectivity using a secure access service edge (SASE) model, which provides centrally managed cloud-delivered networking and security across a global network. Like remote workers who connect to wireless Internet at their local coffee shop, offices and users connect to a nearby data center to access the services and applications they need.

Modern networks can also simplify branch connectivity by facilitating migration from MPLS or SD-WAN with a connectivity cloud. MPLS and SD-WAN appliances are expensive, difficult to scale, and tough to secure. A cloud-native approach eliminates backhauling traffic and the need to manage firewalls at every site.

Connecting and securing your clouds: A connectivity cloud also simplifies multicloud and hybrid networking. With a connectivity cloud, teams can build and scale without roadblocks, instead of connecting and securing applications across multiple public clouds.

These aren’t just technical requirements. Because competitors are probably modernizing their own networks already, they’re strategic requirements. When network modernization projects are aligned with broader business objectives and tied to critical business outcomes, they help enterprises maintain and enhance service delivery, improve the customer experience, and optimize operational efficiency.

How can you get started with network modernization?

Organizations that want to modernize their networks can typically choose one of two different paths: a holistic, cloud-native, platform-based approach or an incremental, project-based approach.

The cloud-native approach

A cloud-native, platform-based approach to network modernization is strategic and scalable, integrates security functionality with network connectivity, and supports both current and future use cases. It’s ideal for modernizing multiple locations or hybrid workforces, supporting cloud adoption, and implementing zero-trust security.

Here are a few initial steps to get started:

1. Assess your network’s current state

Assess your current infrastructure through both a technical and business lens. Identify strengths, weaknesses, and skills gaps.

2. Establish clear objectives

Define clear, specific, and measurable objectives. Align them with your enterprise’s broader business goals. Objectives might include faster speeds and better bandwidth, enhanced workforce security and productivity, improved customer experiences, or better multicloud support. If bolstering cybersecurity is important, identify critical vulnerabilities.

3. Define future-state architecture

It’s important to know what you want your modernized network architecture to look like. SASE, for example, is a common architectural destination for many organizations. Whatever network architecture you envision, you should be explicit about what platform capabilities your organization needs — such as a cloud-native security stack, identity-aware access, policy-based routing, and a unified management plane.

4. Choose your platform and vendor

Evaluate potential network solutions and providers based on your organization’s needs and objectives. Keep in mind three considerations:

• Architectural decisions: Architectural decision points include compute, networking, storage, and capabilities. The goal is consistency across locations.
• Operational needs: Look for ways to lower total cost of ownership by consolidating vendors. Also evaluate customer support, operational transparency, and cloud agnosticism.
• Strategic goals: Choose vendors that will help you remain competitive by fueling future business growth and achieving optimal agility — for example, by offering automation and AI capabilities.

5. Design a transformation roadmap

The most effective network modernization projects start with pilots and are subsequently implemented in phases. Determine where you want to pilot your new, modernized network — with a single branch office, for example — and then plan to migrate specific apps and users at specific times, prioritizing high-impact workloads, locations, and user groups.

6. Invest in upskilling

Network modernization is skills-intensive. You’ll likely need to invest in both upskilling and recruitment. Consider comprehensive, phased training for network engineering teams, focusing on cloud-native skills, security, and modern networking concepts. Tailored programs should address skill gaps, shift organizational mindsets, and foster adaptability to ensure that teams are equipped for the complexities and benefits of modern network transformation and cloud migration.

7. Maintain sustained performance

Establish measurable KPIs that are tied to your goals, and monitor network performance continuously to make sure you’re achieving your targets. If your new, modernized network is underperforming, make adjustments proactively to get things back on track.

The project-based approach

A project-based approach to network modernization is tactical and targeted, with a focus on solving immediate needs and problems. It’s ideal for addressing urgent issues on an expedited timeline, implementing small-scale improvements when budget constraints prevent full-scale transformation, or testing new technologies before a larger-scale rollout.

Here a few initial steps:

1. Identify urgent needs

Determine immediate pain points in your current network. A modern network architecture can help you address:

• Inbound traffic: Because parts of the network face the public Internet, robust inbound defenses are essential for fending off threats like DDoS attacks while still ensuring legitimate access.
• Outbound traffic: To secure outbound traffic to Internet and cloud applications, organizations use on-premises apps, DNS resolvers, and cloud-based proxies, adapting protections for both on-network users and remote workers.
• WAN networking: With the shift toward direct Internet access to support cloud and IoT growth, security integration has become more complicated while edge appliances remain essential for internal traffic.
• Public cloud networking: Network and security management becomes more complex and resource-intensive as organizations expand across multiple clouds. Plan end-to-end modernization for all traffic directions to avoid fragmented architectures and maximize network modernization benefits.

2. Define project scope

Project-based network modernization requires clear goals and a limited, well-defined project scope. Worthwhile objectives might include:

• Network automation: Automating network management with AI and software-defined networking enables you to streamline operations, reduce errors, centralize oversight, and implement proactive security to make your network more efficient and resilient.
• Cloud adoption: Adopting cloud-native networking and security — for example, network as a service (NaaS), wide-area NaaS (WANaaS), and SD-WAN — modernizes networks, enables flexibility, supports remote collaboration, and reduces costs. Hybrid and cloud-based solutions deliver scalability and are essential for digital transformation.
• Robust security: To guard against data breaches, consider deploying a next-generation firewall (NGFW), embracing zero-trust security, implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), conducting security audits, training staff, or preparing an incident response plan.

3. Create and execute a plan

Similar to a cloud-native approach, select appropriate technologies and vendors, then create an implementation plan. Address skills gaps and talent needs, and continually evaluate network performance against key metrics.

4. Proceed with caution

While the project-based approach initially adds incremental functionality and security, it also can increase network complexity and fragility. Even a phased approach to network modernization comes with potential pitfalls, such as:

• Legacy bottlenecks: An incremental project-based approach often focuses on specific technical upgrades rather than opportunities for end-to-end enhancement. When only parts of the network are modernized, you might leave some legacy bottlenecks in place.
• Complex integrations: Integrating existing multivendor systems, proprietary protocols, and old architectures with new solutions can be error-prone and highly complex. Partial modernization often requires risky, more costly custom integrations.
• Escalating costs: Costs can escalate if initial requirements aren’t clearly defined, especially if unexpected issues arise with compatibility and integration.
• Outages: A piecemeal approach to network modernization underestimates business processes reliant on legacy infrastructure, which can lead to significant outages or disruptions.
• Reduced visibility: An incremental approach can also lead to architectural drift, thereby reducing visibility into how new and old systems interact.

A SASE platform enables organizations to take a more holistic, transformative approach to network modernization by unifying networking and security in a cloud-native architecture.

Do you need executive buy-in for network modernization?

IT practitioners and mid-level managers should lay the groundwork for network modernization by preparing, aligning, and influencing — all of which are critical steps for establishing a strong, well-thought-out business case for network modernization. Even so, senior decision makers must eventually be brought onboard.

The following tips will help you gain executive buy-in:

1. Emphasize strategic benefits

A key goal of network modernization is to align modern technologies with business outcomes. It’s essential to have a clear communications plan articulating the business benefits of network modernization, including the scalability and agility that comes with a cloud-first approach.

According to recent research, enterprises that have integrated AI and automation into network operations have observed significant benefits, including increased team productivity (93%) as well as reduced downtime and / or accelerated problem resolution (91%).

Network modernization can drive those and other C-level priorities that help enterprises remain competitive in their industry. For example, network modernization enables CISOs to enforce security across expanding attack surfaces. It helps CIOs accelerate digital innovation by consolidating vendors. And it allows CTOs and CFOs to lower the total cost of ownership while reducing technical debt.

Network modernization that leverages SASE is especially powerful. Key benefits include:

• Simplified connectivity: SASE reduces reliance on physical network appliances by leveraging programmable edge networks for both connectivity and security, which streamlines network management.
• Scalable security: Centralized policy enforcement and threat mitigation across hybrid environments reduce management burden and cyber risk using security services like zero trust network access (ZTNA) and firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS), offloading security workloads from corporate systems to cloud platforms.
• Better network and application performance: SASE enables low-latency, high-reliability connectivity for cloud services and remote users, which is particularly beneficial for real-time applications and high-transaction workloads.
• Lower operational costs: Network modernization using SASE reduces hardware costs and operational expenses with unified management and automation.
• Increased agility: SASE supports future proofing because it’s easy to activate new services and features rapidly without additional hardware or software in response to workload changes or emerging business needs.

2. Propose a pilot

Whether you choose a cloud-native or project-based approach to network modernization, a pilot with clear objectives and parameters can help kick things off and demonstrate the benefits of network modernization. A successful pilot enables you to cement your business case, showing how network modernization can solve specific problems that matter to executives.

Pilot projects also allow you to test strategies and technologies for efficacy. Results and lessons learned can help guide your broader network modernization implementation.

Still, avoid pilot projects for high-risk or nonessential areas. Instead, focus on validating approaches, tackling complex projects, and aligning efforts with organizational goals.

Even for pilot projects, use a comprehensive network modernization platform — an integrated, software-driven solution — that can be easily scaled across the organization at the appropriate time. Doing so maximizes the pilot’s utility and ensures that the new network can satisfy both current and future requirements wherever and whenever it’s deployed.

3. Acknowledge potential challenges

Manage expectations and be prepared to address potential challenges. Common challenges include:

• Complexity: Network modernization can create complexity, and complexity can lead to high upfront costs. Begin your project with a detailed roadmap and phased implementation. Analyze the ROI of any network modernization endeavor to justify investments and prioritize critical upgrades first.
• Incompatibility: The use of multiple tools and technologies can create compatibility and integration issues. Your initial thorough assessment will prepare you for these issues. From there, choose standards-based, interoperable technologies and leverage APIs and middleware to bridge legacy systems with modern components.
• Skills gaps: Invest in training for internal staff and be ready to complement your team with experienced external consultants if necessary. Consider hiring temporary specialists or partnering with vendors that offer deployment support.
• Business disruption: Reduce the likelihood of disruptions and minimize downtime by adopting a phased or hybrid migration approach, including parallel run strategies. You can also ensure business continuity through pilot testing and rollback plans.

FAQs

Why is network modernization important?

Modernizing your network is crucial for supporting cloud computing, hybrid work, AI, and other emerging requirements. Transforming your legacy network infrastructure into flexible, secure, and efficient systems can help you stay competitive and resilient. That transformation requires more than simply upgrading hardware or software; it requires a holistic approach.

What are the benefits of a modern network infrastructure?

Benefits include improved employee productivity, better customer experiences, reduced complexity, and the ability to support remote work and new technologies. Modern network infrastructures can deliver those benefits because they are scalable, secure, and adaptable to changing business demands. They integrate advanced security measures such as zero trust, support seamless cloud service integration, and enhance application performance.

How do I begin the process of network modernization?

Start by assessing your current network environment by identifying strengths, weaknesses, and skill gaps from both technical and business perspectives. Define clear, measurable objectives such as improved speed, enhanced security, and better support for remote work. Invest in training, plan phased migrations away from legacy technologies, and prioritize automation and security from the outset.

What challenges should I expect during network modernization?

Common challenges include upfront costs, complexity, software and hardware compatibility issues, and skills gaps within your organization. Additionally, disruption to business operations may occur during migration. To overcome these, use a phased or hybrid approach, conduct pilot projects, invest in training, and partner with experts for deployment and support.

How can I secure buy-in from senior leaders?

Start preparing, aligning, and influencing before securing buy-in from senior leaders. When it’s time to loop in leaders, prepare a strong business case that links network modernization to strategic objectives, such as improved competitiveness, security, compliance, and user experience. Start with pilot projects that demonstrate clear, measurable benefits. Communicate the value of scalability, agility, and risk mitigation, and back up your plan with examples, ROI analysis, and a roadmap for phased implementation.

How can Cloudflare help with network modernization?

Cloudflare can help you build a flexible, cloud-native, and security-first networking platform that addresses the evolving needs of enterprise environments, including AI, cloud-native apps, and legacy integrations. Cloudflare's connectivity cloud enables you to reduce complexity, improve resilience, cut operational costs, and achieve agile digital transformation. By providing a single, globally distributed platform, it streamlines network management, reduces hardware footprints, and consolidates security and connectivity services.

Using Cloudflare’s connectivity cloud and its global data center network also allows you to realize the benefits of a composable and programmable architecture. You can configure and deploy services from a unified management interface in support of new use cases, without the expense of building new infrastructure. Learn more about modernizing network infrastructure with Cloudflare.