What Does an Enterprise Network Include?

An enterprise network is the digital backbone of a large organization. It securely connects all the computers, devices, servers, and applications within a company. Hence, allowing employees to share information, access resources, and collaborate efficiently. An enterprise network can span a single building, multiple locations, or even geographically dispersed offices.

While an enterprise network needs to deliver end-to-end services to users, things, and applications. It may contain separate but connected constituent domains. We calculate, provision, and improve each constituent network to meet its own purpose and business objectives. Constituent network types include:

Campus, outlet, and Internet of Things (IoT): These networks deliver fixed and mobile access to users and things. They are present in all areas of an organisation. Both in offices and in operational spaces such as manufacturing and warehouse facilities. Enterprise network designers prioritize clear, secure access, and high-density user support.

Data centres and hybrid clouds: These networks, known as an enterprise network, link to and among applications. Additionally, to workloads, and data within on-premises data centres and private and public cloud services. Thus, they’ve been optimised for low latency, security, and mission-critical reliability.

Wide-area networks (WANs): These networks connect facilities, buildings, or campuses to other branches, to data centres, or to cloud resources. So, they’re improved for user experience and bandwidth efficiency.

How are enterprise networks growing?

Provided that a foundation for the modern digital enterprise: Increasingly, networks are expected to improve security. Moreover, enhance the user experience, and support many devices performing essential business tasks. Well-designed enterprise networks support a variety of users, devices, smart things, and applications to deliver consistent, assured service.

Using network controllers: As the command and control centres of modern enterprise networks, controllers orchestrate all purposes of the network.

They perform tasks such as interpreting business objectives into policies, automating network device operations, performance monitoring, and troubleshooting.

Increasing scope: As the number of network transactions originating or terminating outside of traditional corporate borders increases—owing to trends such as expansion to multiple public clouds, mobility, and working from home—the system needs to extend visibility, control, and security to wherever users, things, and applications are located.

Integrating enterprise-wide: Enterprises are now adopting a holistic, open networking approach that integrates across constituent network domains and with applications and IT systems.

As a result, such integrations allow consistent performance, streamlined processes, improved compliance, and security enforcement throughout the organisation.

Features of an Optimised Enterprise Network:

Always-on connectivity
A well-designed enterprise network delivers the proper connectivity for all users, things, devices, and applications present in an organisation, as appropriate for the role, purpose, and site of each.

Enhanced user experience
A corporate network can help progress the user experience through proactive network optimisation, faster issue resolution, proper prioritisation of essential traffic, and as a result, helping to guarantee security and privacy.

Readiness for digital change
An enterprise network can be designed to support digital initiatives needed to speedily adapt to rapidly evolving needs, including expansion, scaling, development, and the introduction of new services.

Easier network management 
Network management tools such as network controllers give administrators the ability to set access rules and approvals for users and departments, add new users or purposes easily, monitor performance, and take corrective action, all from a central interface.

Boosted security
In addition to security applications and devices, such as firewalls and secure Internet gateways, an enterprise network becomes a primary detector of threats and an enforcer of security and compliance. It does so with device identification, outlining, and verification, network monitoring, verification, access controls, segmentation, and device and account management.

Flexible software subscriptions
Enterprise networks that use subscription-based licencing get continuous access to the latest networking and security innovations. Hence, they are better able to keep pace with their expanding stresses as technologies and requirements change.

Seamless cloud incorporation
As more and more data and applications are advanced, deployed, and delivered across multiple public clouds, an enterprise network delivers seamless connectivity between users and cloud applications. It also improve workloads between on-premises locations and public clouds.

Movements in enterprise networking

Higher speeds
Wi-Fi 6, 5G, and newly opened frequency bands for ultra-fast, short-range communications are enabling access to high-speed wireless connectivity for more users and IoT devices in more settings.

At the same time, 400 Gbps is the new standard for high-speed data centre networks. These innovations are spurring productivity improvements and continued innovation across organisations.

Automated and intelligent networks
Progressively, network management is being automated with software that can recognise connected devices, profile them, and determine whether they can be trusted. Hence, they can detect performance problems or potential threats and respond automatically.

Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and machine reasoning (MR) are now making networks smarter by adapting to the unique needs of each organisation and modifying recommendations through

Intent-based networks
More and more businesses are positioning their enterprise networks around intent-based networking (IBN) principles. Intent-based networks use advanced analytics along with software-defined networking (SDN)-based automation to continuously align network performance to changing business needs.

Additionally, they capture business intent, translate it into policies that can be applied consistently across the network, and continuously monitor and adjust network performance to help attain desired business outcomes.

Zero-trust networks
Widespread mobility and cloud adoption require an enhanced approach to defending users, applications, and data. Hence, a zero-trust security framework helps to prevent unauthorised access, contain breaches, and decrease the risk of an attacker’s lateral movement through the enterprise network.

Selecting an enterprise network:

Know Thyself: Identify your size, industry, budget, and security needs. Are you a nimble startup or a sprawling enterprise? A data-driven healthcare provider or a high-volume retailer? And so, these factors shape your ideal network.

Explore the Options: Consider LANs for smaller locations, WANs for wider reach, and cloud-based solutions for cost-effectiveness. SDN offers flexibility, while on-premises grants control. Hybrid models blend both.

Seek Guidance: Consulting a network specialist can demystify options and guide you towards the solution that empowers your business.

The Perfect Fit: Ultimately, the right enterprise network fosters seamless communication, aligns with your goals, prioritises security, and works within your budget.

It’s not a one-size-fits-all game. Thus, by carefully assessing your needs and exploring the tailored options available at Telephone Technology, we can help you confidently choose the network that propels your business forward.