Network automation platforms are products that automate and orchestrate multiple vendors’ network functionality. These platforms support a broad range of capabilities including provisioning, deprovisioning, orchestration, troubleshooting, operations, workflow, configuration management, event-driven automation, validation and reporting. These platforms are well-suited to add value on top of existing point network automation tools by orchestrating end-to-end network workflows across existing automation tools. Network automation platforms interact directly with network devices, other automation and orchestration tools, network management systems/controllers, and/or network services. These platforms increase agility and efficiency of network infrastructure while lowering costs; reducing the amount of manual human errors; and improving compliance with required rules, regulations and laws.
Network detection and response (NDR) products detect abnormal system behaviors by applying behavioral analytics to network traffic data. They continuously analyze raw network packets or traffic metadata within internal networks (east-west) and between internal and external networks (north-south). NDR products include automated responses, such as host containment or traffic blocking, directly or through integration with other cybersecurity tools. NDR can be delivered as a combination of hardware and software appliances for sensors, some with IaaS support. Management and orchestration consoles can be software or SaaS.
Gartner defines public cloud IT transformation services (PCITS) as services designed to deliver transformational outcomes via the utilization of cloud-native professional and managed services. It includes migration, modernization, optimization and the building of new, transformational solutions on public hyperscale cloud infrastructure and platform services. Organizations seeking to use public clouds such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and similar platforms engage with providers in this market to realize the greatest transformational benefits. PCITS transforms client applications, workloads and data to the public cloud to achieve their clients’ business outcomes. It promotes use of cloud-native tools, AI/generative AI (GenAI)/data and analytics (D&A) and manages IT operations in the public cloud. It employs globally consistent cloud management, optimization and modernization to continuously manage reliability, scalability, interoperability and more.