Beginning Monday, February 8, 2021, The North American Network Operators’ Group (NANOG) will kick-off NANOG 81, where network engineers have the opportunity to connect with each other and take a deep dive into the state of network automation. As Itential prepares to join this year’s virtual event, it is clear that the role of network engineers is still undervalued and as a result, we continue to face unique challenges year over year. Network progress has stalled, and it is up to those that build and maintain the network to push it forward.
For organizations to achieve the digital transformation goals they aim for, the network must play a more central role than it historically has. To do so, we as network engineers must take initiative and demonstrate the value of our role and the importance of the network in everyday business operations. We are the bridge between the underestimated value of network infrastructure and its impact on the business, as well as a vital component that keeps everything running.
Network engineers bring a unique set of attributes to an organization:
- Historical Perspective: The people who operate networks are more often some of the same people who built them from scratch. This deep level of understanding and ownership is an unmitigated strength.
- Easier Beginnings: The learning curve to become a proficient network engineer has become smaller. With the introduction of certifications from vendors and resources provided by the “old-timers,” it is now easier than ever to start learning networking. Motivated individuals can tinker on their own at home as the similar protocols and equipment are nearly ubiquitous. And with the advent of cloud infrastructure, virtual environments can be stood up to practice skills.
- Investment Value: People are also seeing that network engineering is more than just CLI commands in proprietary equipment. Network engineers develop complex software, manage versioning, and investigate complicated and subtle behaviors within these unimaginably intricate networks, ultimately attracting an ever more diverse and able new workforce.
It’s time to accept that networks are only going to get more complex and more interdependent with an organization’s technology stack. In response, network engineers must demonstrate how much value they can bring to an organization. Future operations and management of these networks will have a significant effect on business outcomes. Properly communicated, network engineers can prove their value in such advancements and why they serve such a crucial role in the future of network automation.
I’m very excited to be participating in NANOG 81 where I’ll be representing Itential. Our suite of network automation products sit at the intersection of the network and cloud, enabling network engineers to fulfill their crucial role by:
- Consolidating all scripts (Ansible, Terraform, Python, etc.) from across all network deployments in your organization via an intuitive user interface and visual representation with Itential’s Automation Gateway.
- Managing configurations across physical, virtual, and cloud networks with Itential’s Configuration Manager.
- Integrating with any ITSM, Cloud, or Network system to easily design, build, run, and analyze end-to-end automations with the Itential Automation Platform.
Attending NANOG 81? Be sure to stop by our booth and chat or schedule a demo with one of our automation experts to see firsthand how Itential products can help your organization.
Travis Nicks
Solutions Architect ‐ Itential
Travis is a Solutions Architect at Itential, where he delivers automated solutions to help companies improve their networks. Travis has worked for large service provides over that last twenty five years designing, building, and maintaining carrier backbone and edge networks.
