5 Networking Trends To Watch In 2008

New technologies and practices are sure to impact the network and the VARs that offer networking gear in 2008. Advancements in unified communications, network security, green networking and the addition of an Ethernet switch from a vendor that has yet to offer one, will have the channel reeling with potential.

According to Yankee Group senior vice president Zeus Kerravala, a former reseller himself, 2008 will be a big year.

"Next year will be an interesting year for the channel, especially the networking channel," he said.

Peter Doggart, senior director of LAN and WAN infrastructure for Marlborough, Mass.-based 3Com Corp., agreed.

"In 2008, people will just want a nice, secure and power efficient network and they just want it to run," Doggart said.

Here are some key trends to expect in the coming year:

1. Unified Communications

Where VoIP was hot in 2007, using VoIP to tie other communications tools into the network and its applications will be top of mind next year as unified communications continues to take hold.

With major vendors like San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco Systems and Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft pushing their unified communications solutions hard into next year, there are major opportunities for VARs to offer clients new tools to enhance business process.

"It's the logical next step for many people," said Jeff Hiebert, CEO of San Juan Capistrano, Calif.-based solution provider ROI Networks. "We're going to be focusing a lot of effort around creating offerings in that space."

Kerravala, however, said vendor hype needs to be put aside in order for unified communications to truly start gaining traction in the New Year. He said a robust UC deployment will be a nice thing to have for those who have deployed and it will be of strong interest to those who haven't.

"You'll have a lot of interest in it, but low deployment numbers," he said. Kerravala said the small numbers of deployments will mainly be due to the lack of a clear definition of UC and the fact that there are just too many ways to implement it.

Challenges will arise because most network initiatives will be driven by unified communications, an area many networking VARs have only dabbled in lightly in the last year or so.

"You've got to understand a broader variety of things than you did in the past," Kerravala said, adding there will be different buyers of different influence. Partners will be charged with talking to different people within organizations, not just the networking guys they sold routers and switches to in the past, meaning they'll have to become familiar with a broader ecosystem.

"You can't sell VoIP without talking about UC and you can't sell UC without considering the Exchange and desktop environments," he said. "For VARs, when they see something interesting in UC they'll pitch it to their customers. But the vendors and the VARs need to come up with better ROI stories and use examples of what UC has accomplished. You hear Avaya talk about business-enabled communications, but show me a company that's really done it."

Overall, Kerravala said 2008 "is the year we start figuring out what unified communications can and can't do for us."

2. Network Security

Kerravala contends that many security initiatives for 2008 will focus mostly on regulatory compliance and adherence, and some will focus on biometrics. Hiebert, however, said network access control (NAC) is topping many of his clients' wish lists for 2008, noting that ROI Networks is currently in the midst of its very first large NAC sale.

Hiebert said NAC competition will continue to heat up between major players like Cisco and Microsoft, and the Trusted Computing Groups Trusted Network Connect solution will also gather steam.

Doggart said 2008 will also be a big year for embedded security, such as putting intrusion prevention and deep packet inspection capabilities in line and adding the ability to monitor "every bit and byte at wire speed."

Sean Johnson, business development manager for Hayes Computer Systems, a Tallahassee, Fla.-based solution provider, said one goal for security in 2008 is to find better and easier ways to configure security solutions and thwart and contain potential outbreaks with IPS/IDS tools.

"2008 has to be the year to get these in," he said. "You have to see what's going on in your network. In 2008, I'm helping my customers ensure they have the proper security to get a hold of their network and know what's going on."

NEXT: Going Green, Mobility And A Juniper Switch