After the outbreak in the spring of last year, employees began working from home, businesses switched applications to the cloud, and secure remote access became crucial. As we recover (hopefully), enterprise networking companies are irreparably damaged.
To merge networking and edge security into a single, manageable platform, businesses evaluate emerging technologies like SASE. In a world where traditional boundaries no longer exist, enterprise networking companies seek a more effective strategy to avoid cyberattacks. Therefore zero-trust network access has gone to the top of the priority list. With traditional security organizations moving into networking and networking firms strengthening their security efforts, the distinctions between security and networking are blurring.
Companies that reached our list of the top ten most powerful in workplace networking have proven a clear vision for the future of enterprise networking companies and a sound plan for attaining their objectives.
1. Cisco
There is a reason why no one has been able to dislodge Cisco as the premier networking vendor in the business. Cisco will always be able to outsmart you. SASE? Meraki for SD-WAN, AnyConnect for remote access, and Duo for Zero Trust technologies were acquired through strategic acquisitions and incorporated into Cisco’s offering. Consider enterprise networking companies’ services.
Check. Recently, introduced the subscription-based NaaS service Cisco Plus. IoT? Cisco’s end-to-end IoT solutions are helpful, such as its new 5G industrial router series. IDC forecasts the pandemic reduced Cisco’s 2022 switch revenue by 10%, despite the company’s 39% market share. (At the time of writing, Juniper’s market share for switches was 3%.)
2. VMware
In addition to server virtualization, VMware’s product range includes containers, security, cloud migration, cloud management, endpoint management, SD-WAN, hyper-convergence, and advanced networking. On the contrary, VMware has had an eventful few months. Pat Gelsinger, the company’s CEO, resigned in January after ten years in charge and returned to Intel, where he had worked for thirty years (though he doesn’t look that old). In April, Dell unleashed another shock when it spin revealed that VMware. (EMC acquired VMware in 2004; Dell acquired EMC, including VMware, in 2016)
Moreover, VMware’s return to independence may be the most significant power shift. So the firm has had to coexist with EMC and Dell, both of which are fundamentally hardware corporations, while still seeking to remain a software-driven innovation.
3. Arista
Arista recognizes that taking market share from Cisco in the high-speed switching industry and over-reliance on revenue from Facebook and Microsoft is not a sustainable growth plan. The company is growing its product portfolio by focusing on campus switching, network management and security, IoT, and artificial intelligence. Recently, Arista introduced a Zero Trust solution based on network segmentation. And the days of emphasizing speeds and feeds are past; Arista is now a “cognitive cloud networking” firm.
The corporation raised revenue by 27 percent and profit by nearly $200 million in the first quarter. Constellation Research analyst Holger Mueller says Arista Networks illustrates what can happen when you have attractive goods and run your firm prudently during epidemic times. “On the product side, Arista is functioning well,” he says, stressing AI-powered security networking.
4. HPE/Aruba
Aruba, a division of HPE, offers automation and security for wired and wireless LANs, edge infrastructure, and cloud access for branch offices and remote workers.
According to Gartner, Aruba is the market leader in wired/wireless LAN access, with “the functionality of Aruba ClearPass (secure network access control) and AirWave (network administration) continuing to set the standard” and “Aruba continuing to influence competitive industry trends.”
Meanwhile, HPE is pushing its GreenLake on-premises, consumption-based cloud offering, with plans to offer GreenLake leasing for all of its services and products by the end of the year.
5. Extreme Networks
Between 2016 and 2019, Extreme Networks purchased Zebra Technologies for WLAN, Avaya for networking, Brocade for switching, routing, and analytics, Aerohive for Wi-Fi 6 and SD-WAN software, and cloud management services. So it exerted significant effort to merge these products and technologies into a coherent strategy.
According to Gartner, Extreme has “successfully” integrated its acquisitions and is a leader in wired and wireless LAN access infrastructure. Extreme provides an extensive array of cloud-managed and on-premises managed network applications and services alongside its end-to-end wired switching and WLAN equipment, per Gartner.
6. Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks, the developer of the application-aware, next-generation firewall, has successfully broadened its scope over the past three years through acquisitions such as cloud security company RedLock, security orchestration company Demisto, container security company Twistlock, serverless security startup PureSec, IoT startup Zingbox, micro-segmentation company Aporeto, and SD-WAN company CloudGeneration.
It has integrated these purchases into Prisma Cloud. So this comprehensive cloud security platform handles application security throughout the lifecycle of an application. According to Gartner, it has established itself as a market leader in SASE by acquiring CloudGenix.
7. Fortinet
Fortinet has profited from security and networking convergence. So the company dominates SASE, Zero Trust, and cloud management with its next-generation firewalls, anti-virus, SD-WAN, Ethernet switching, and wireless devices.
So in Gartner’s most recent Magic Quadrant for wired and wireless LAN infrastructure, Fortinet’s “security-focused, full-branch/campus network stack comprising wired, wireless, security, and edge networking” propelled it from niche player to visionary. According to Gartner, Fortinet’s network security and automation of IoT administration have also increased.
8. Juniper Networks
Juniper, one of the few original networking companies still in business, is shifting aggressively to growth areas such as SASE, AI, SD-WAN, wireless, and intent-based networking. So It acquired Mist Systems in 2019 to deliver AI-powered products for data centers, clouds, and hybrid environments.
According to Gartner, Juniper’s “complete SD-WAN solution” AI-driven technology makes them a leader in WAN-edge infrastructure.
9. Nvidia
Nvidia, a longtime powerhouse in the gaming sector, intends to pioneer the adoption of artificial intelligence in enterprise data centers. Last year, Nvidia acquired intelligent switch creator Mellanox for $6.9 billion and open-source networking OS provider Cumulus.
Nvidia now provides a comprehensive solution, from high-performance graphics chips to a software platform for developing AI-powered applications for specific industries. Additionally, Nvidia has cooperated with industry leaders such as VMware and RedHat to ensure that its GPUs are platform-independent.
10. Dell Technologies
The company’s behavior is never predictable with Michael Dell at the helm. It purchased VMware’s parent firm, EMC, for $67 billion. Apple is currently spinning off VMware to raise $9.5 billion, which will be used to settle the debt committed when acquiring the firm. According to Michael Dell, the decision benefits both companies because each will gain some independence.
Dell’s plans include modernizing its data centers and building an open ecosystem for hybrid and private cloud, edge, 5G, telecom, and data management. With its APEX initiative, Dell likewise aspires to be a leader in the IT-as-a-service business and hld and lld.
To Sum it Up
There are many outstanding networking service providers access, and this list merely touches the surface. In any case, network administrators and IT professionals may anticipate an exciting year in 2020. So security and networking are intrinsically intertwined, and the next generation of networking technology is imminent. Which vendor are you planning to support this year?
Visit Seven IT Technologies if you are seeking a firm that can supply you with high-quality network design services.
