Top 10 network stories of 2018

After a slow start, thanks, as always, to analyst and supplier hype, 2018 was the year when software-defined networking (SDN) or, more accurately, software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) technology began to achieve something close to lift-off in the enterprise.

Over the past 12 months, more and more CIOs and network managers began to seriously evaluate and deploy SDN technology, which promises to be transformative to how networks are built, run, monitored and managed.

Elsewhere, our annual look back at some of the best network content on Computer Weekly this year uncovers some familiar themes. The internet of things (IoT) continued its push into the enterprise, and we explored how it is being used in the context of other parts of the IT stack.

And it almost goes without saying that the worlds of networking and security go hand-in-hand.

There was innovation in more established parts of the network as well, with new Wi-Fi network standards starting to roll out.

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 networking stories of 2018:

1. Cloud culture calls for flexible networks

Cloud-based workloads demand more flexibility, so how can businesses rethink their WAN strategies to accommodate this?

2. Net gain? Why networks matter when it comes to hyper-convergence

The rise of hyper-convergence is radically changing how enterprises manage their IT estates, but its effecton the network has yet to be fully realised.

3. Network security in the digital transformation era

Network security has always been a core focus for CISOs and IT security managers, but in an era of digital transformation, we examine if network security strategies are keeping up with new and emerging cyber threats.

4. Need for speed: designing a modern campus LAN

Just like datacentres before them,campus LANs are increasingly being defined by virtualisation and software-based controls. Next to this shift, the hardware also continues to improve as network owners look to keep pace with user demand.