Enterprise data centers have seen a remarkable change in policy with the advent of virtualization and cloud technology. Managing large amounts of data is increasingly easier thanks to remote cloud-based storage, because virtual networks are much easier to manage and operate than physical network equipment is.
One unusual side effect of this trend is that because so many more business networks are cloud-based instead of legacy physical servers, virtualization teams know more of what is going on with the network and how to control it best. For this reason, experts predict that it will be virtualization teams that have the greatest influence in future company data networks, as opposed to the IT departments or even dedicated network teams.
A recent survey conducted by ESG-Global asked respondents which groups – other than the network team – had the most influence on the decisions made about company networks. The results found that only 23 percent of respondents thought that the network team had complete control of network decisions, while nearly half as many said that their virtualization team had a greater influence. The clear victor in today's workplace environment was the IT architecture and planning teams, which 46 percent of those surveyed thought had the most influence on the network.
IT teams may be the dominant force today, but as more computing is done virtually over cloud networks, virtualization teams will take their place. Ultimately, this will mean that virtualization teams will need to be prepared to handle a larger role. For example, administrators of networks will need to be proactively involved with their virtualization teams to ensure cooperation and communication for critical operations. Since virtualization teams will be doing most of the heavy-lifting, vendors that sell to the network team will probably market their products toward the virtualization teams instead, making them the go-to group for new product information.
New technologies lead to new roles and responsibilities, and it appears that cloud-based computing will bring more recognition to virtualization teams. Already, even processes like phone communication are seeing an increasing reliance on cloud networks thanks to VoIP technology for increased quality and efficiency. VoIP is only one of many steps that companies are taking toward an increased usage of virtual networks, so it only makes sense that virtualization teams will see greater importance in the future.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson