The data center and cloud networking vendors covered in this market provide hardware and/or software solutions to deliver connectivity primarily within enterprise data centers. This includes data center core/spine switches, access switches (top of rack [ToR], leaf), virtual switching, Ethernet fabrics, network operating systems (NOSs) and network overlays, and the requisite management, automation and orchestration of those components.
Reviews for 'Enterprise Networking and Communications - Others'
Gartner defines the enterprise wired and wireless LAN infrastructure market as wired and wireless networking hardware and the related network software. Related components of the solution include enterprise switches, access points and the requisite tools to secure, manage, test and optimize the network infrastructure that provides connectivity for users, devices and applications that may reside on the network or on other networks. Enterprises in all vertical markets use enterprise wired and wireless networks to connect and transport data for fixed and end-user devices to applications that may be local or remote to the physical end user. In addition to physical connectivity, these solutions provide the following capabilities in diverse markets, including the ability to: 1. Discover, identify, secure, manage and segment Internet of Things (IoT)/operational technology (OT) devices 2. Support, test and maintain network infrastructure components 3. Provide a resilience infrastructure 4. Secure the network infrastructure 5. Provide scalability and flexibility for management and control plane communication processes 6. Provide no-touch/low-touch Day 2 environment
Gartner defines network access control (NAC) as technologies that enable organizations to implement policies for controlling access to corporate infrastructure by both user-oriented devices and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Policies may be based on authentication, endpoint configuration (posture) or users' role/identity. NAC can also implement postconnect policies based on integration with other security products. For example, NAC could enforce a policy to contain the endpoint based on an alert from a SIEM. An organization should evaluate the following capabilities: • Device visibility/profiling • Access control • Security posture check • Guest management • Bidirectional integration with other security products.
Gartner defines SD-WAN as functionality primarily used to connect branch locations to other enterprise and cloud locations. SD-WAN products provide dynamic path selection based on business or application policy, routing, centralized orchestration of policy and management of appliances, virtual private network (VPN), and zero-touch configuration. SD-WAN products are WAN transport/carrier-agnostic and create secure paths across physical WAN connections. SD-WAN products replace traditional branch routers and enable connectivity between enterprise branch locations as well as the cloud. They facilitate WAN connectivity’s evolution from Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)-centric to public internet-centric in support of enterprise traffic shifts from private data centers to public cloud and SaaS.
Gartner defines WAN optimization tools as products that improve the performance of applications running across the WAN as well as reduce WAN service expenses. WAN optimization solutions continue to evolve, and now support four high-level needs: improving the response times for users of business-critical applications over WAN links or mobile connections; assisting in maximizing ROI for WAN bandwidth; optimizing data-center-to-data-center (DC-to-DC) traffic for faster storage replication and synchronization; and assisting in directing traffic across multiple WANS, such as a hybrid WAN or public cloud connectivity.