ESG poll of networking professionals reveals the need for more training Last week, ESG held its “Ahead of the Curve” event for IT professionals here in the Boston area. During the event, I hosted a breakout session focused on server virtualization and its ramifications on networking organizations and technologies. I asked a roomful of networking professionals to respond to the following question: “With regard to server virtualization, which of the following would you characterize as your organization’s biggest organizational/process challenges?” I then presented them with some responses to choose from. Here are the results:40%: Developing server virtualization skills within the networking group30%: Establishing networking best practices for server virtualization10%: Integrating new server virtualization networking requirements with those of other functional IT groups20%: Changing the organization so that the networking team’s goals and objectives are more aligned with other IT groupsThese results were consistent with ESG Research results as well as my anecdotal observations when talking to many other networking pros outside of this event. My takeaways:1. The industry is not servicing its customers. While vendors are pushing new switching architectures, users are clamoring for help and training. In other words, technology is not the problem here.2. Things are only going to get more confusing in the future with the introduction of more advanced virtual switches, new switching technologies, and advanced storage over Ethernet innovation. 3. Networking teams are often brought into server virtualization projects when they become too big and complex for the server team. That said, the server guys have already configured a bunch of virtual switches and VLANs that won’t easily integrate into the existing network infrastructure. This puts the networking team in fire fighting rather than planning mode. Networking vendors should learn a lesson from this data. Now is the time to work with customers, assess their needs, provide them with training, and help guide them to the next level. Yes, this may mean easing up on product sales in the short-term, but smart vendors will build stronger bonds with customers today and reap the rewards with new network infrastructure sales in the future. Related content analysis 5 things security pros want from XDR platforms New research shows that while extended detection and response (XDR) remains a nebulous topic, security pros know what they want from an XDR platform. By Jon Oltsik Jul 07, 2022 3 mins Intrusion Detection Software Incident Response opinion Bye-bye best-of-breed? ESG research finds that organizations are increasingly integrating security technologies and purchasing multi-product security platforms, changing the industry in the process. By Jon Oltsik Jun 14, 2022 4 mins Security Software opinion SOC modernization: 8 key considerations Organizations need SOC transformation for security efficacy and operational efficiency. Technology vendors should come to this year’s RSA Conference with clear messages and plans, not industry hyperbole. By Jon Oltsik Apr 27, 2022 6 mins RSA Conference Security Operations Center opinion 5 ways to improve security hygiene and posture management Security professionals suggest continuous controls validation, process automation, and integrating security and IT technologies. By Jon Oltsik Apr 05, 2022 4 mins Security Practices Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe