As businesses recover from the macro-economic fallout of late, enterprises are now switching their attention from survival, to that of growth. As a result, many organisations are looking to grow internationally, enter new regions and capitalise in new markets.
However, when it comes to technology, multi-national corporations face a network optimisation conundrum. Enterprises have traditionally leveraged dedicated networks to connect their global locations and whilst this delivers the reliability and security required to protect corporate data, it is not necessarily the most cost efficient approach to handle the increasing volume of non-business critical traffic generated by their employees.
It is the equivalent of spending 100% of security resources in protecting 100% data, despite 80% being non-sensitive, as opposed to 80% of resources being allocated to protecting the 20% of sensitive corporate data. The alternative is leveraging the internet, which many organisations use not only to conduct parts of their business but also to help their employees achieve a work-life balance. Whilst this can be a cheaper and more flexible option, it is creating a network security conundrum for organisations who are seeking global expansion,
Although ubiquitous, there are parts of the world and event driven situations where the internet is unreliable and potentially unsecure which can lead to comprised data security. As a result, many enterprises are seeking a solution which balances the flexibility of the internet with the network security required to protect corporate data.
One solution is that of the hybrid network approach which Orange Business Services sees as the likely future for networks within the enterprise world. It gives enterprises the “best of both worlds” by delivering a secure and reliable network where employees can reach end users in different locations, whilst enabling access to the internet and without compromising their company’s data security. This article will debunk some of the myths around the hybrid model and discuss some of the benefits as well as considerations in the migration towards a hybrid network.
