IT in Manufacturing


Towards autonomous networks

April 2023 IT in Manufacturing

Just five years ago, the fully autonomous network was a tantalising possibility. Now, the world is moving closer to an era when the autonomous network not only exists, but also becomes a game changer for businesses.

Autonomous networks take an advanced step further than merely automating components: they use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to self-configure, self-manage and self-heal, ideally becoming better all the time.

Aside from offering compelling efficiencies and improved performance, there is the potential for autonomous networks to take over the heavy lifting when it comes to connecting increasingly complex hybrid multi-cloud environments. A truly intelligent autonomous network would adapt dynamically according to user needs and available resources, for example, understanding factors such as the importance of particular applications, and optimising network performance for that specific application. It might automatically adapt in line with performance requirements, governance and risk priorities and cloud budget.

Network evolution underway

The network is the foundation of digital services, channel and application in use by businesses today. In line with the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model adopted in the 1980s, there are seven layers that computer systems use to communicate over a network, and the network layer and transport layers serve as the foundation of the stack. Without that, nothing else works.

Legacy network architectures simply cannot deliver the performance and agility modern businesses need, which is why we now see a mass migration away from legacy to next-gen, from traditional MPLS services to software-defined networking (SDN) state.

One of the key advantages of this is zero-touch provisioning (ZTP), which means provisioning of circuits can be done in a matter of hours instead of months. SDN also allows organisations to achieve a single pane glass view and start making use of the AI and machine learning capabilities embedded in the technology to take corrective action within the network itself as any anomalies are identified.

What these developments are leading towards is an autonomous state of networks.

AN becomes a reality

ETSI, a European standards organisation, noted in a white paper on autonomous networks that “the demands placed on networks are increasingly driven by end users. Whichever type of user is considered, they all require a combination of fast and context-aware network and service configuration, flexible new service generation, dynamic and efficient resource allocation and, ultimately, accountability”.

Autonomous networks will deliver this. However, fully autonomous networks are still a work in progress.

Huawei’s white paper, Striding Towards the Intelligent World, explains: “Achieving full network autonomy calls for tremendous breakthroughs in key technologies (such as hyper-converged awareness, large-scale real-time simulation and associated cognitive decision-making), as well as close collaboration among industry players in terms of technical architecture, interface standard, evaluation system and business model.”

This month, a global Autonomous Network Summit in Bangkok heard that after three years of development, the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector had reached a consensus on the vision, architecture, level standards and core concepts of autonomous networks.

TM Forum is an alliance of over 850 global companies working together to break down technology cultural barriers. They recently released their fourth Autonomous Networks (AN) white paper, which noted ahead of the summit that autonomous networks would enable operators to unlock over $700 billion of new revenues from industrial 5G and B2B2x opportunities that require automation to manage the billions of devices connected to the internet, and to deliver on the ultra-low latency and high reliability many 5G use cases require. TM Forum also said autonomous networks would enable CSPs to deliver a ‘Zero X’ (zero wait, zero-touch, zero trouble) experience for users and leave complexity with the providers.

For businesses, fully autonomous networks are expected to bring a paradigm shift. Forbes has described autonomous networking as being critical to overcoming cloud complexity. Many businesses believe autonomous networking will also have the power to assure uninterrupted business, improve productivity and efficiency, and accelerate digital transformation and innovation.

Finding the right IT service provider with a team of experts can help organisations redefine their network infrastructure, from remote end-user, through software-defined LAN and WAN, to a software-defined data centre, and can prepare a roadmap to a future autonomous network state.




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

South Africa’s AI revolution is here – but are we secure?
IT in Manufacturing
South African businesses are sprinting to embrace generative AI, lured by its potential to drive efficiency, productivity and innovation. But here’s the stark reality: without a rock-solid cybersecurity foundation, AI will become a Trojan horse, opening the floodgates to sophisticated cyber threats.

Read more...
Shaping data resilience strategies with AI and hybrid cloud solutions
IT in Manufacturing
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, organisations are under growing pressure to secure their operations against increasingly sophisticated cyberthreats, including those that leverage AI to enhance the success rate of attacks. In this landscape, it has become essential to ‘fight fire with fire’ – harnessing AI as a means to counter these threats.

Read more...
Cloud or on-prem? Decoding the choices for South African enterprises
IT in Manufacturing
The debate between on-premise and cloud computing architectures remains a prominent topic among businesses, particularly in South Africa.

Read more...
Advancements in wire rope testing
IT in Manufacturing
Being able to get instant, real-time and portable detection of wire rope flaws can make a significant difference for operational teams. There have been a number of significant technological advancements and tools entering the market that help wire rope operators detect and resolve problems faster.

Read more...
Quantum computing power: four steps to protecting your business
IT in Manufacturing
Are you ready for Q-day? Post-quantum cryptography isn’t just an IT issue, it’s a business continuity concern. Quantum computing is fast becoming a reality.

Read more...
Schneider Electric relaunches legacy access control systems
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Schneider Electric South Africa has relaunched its comprehensive access control platform to help customers upgrade from ageing and obsolete systems.

Read more...
Digitalisation in mining - the advantage you need now
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Digitalisation offers immense and proven benefits such as streamlining operations, reducing error and accelerating workflows. Mining operators today leverage digital technologies to improve efficiency, sustainability and very importantly, safety.

Read more...
The shape of water – automating hydropower operations
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Hydropower is undoubtedly one of the building blocks of today’s renewable energy industry and its operations need to be efficient, reliable and sustainable. Automation must therefore form part of today’s modern hydropower operations to improve resource management and enhance reliability.

Read more...
What lies beneath – the hidden cost of AI
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
The world is quickly realising that with the rapid advancement in AI there are also caveats. In short, apart from environmental implications, it also has major significant financial ramifications.

Read more...
Trends shaping the future of cloud in South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
The cloud has emerged as a fundamental and transformative component of modern business infrastructure. It has fundamentally changed how organisations operate and innovate. In South Africa, this trend is particularly pronounced, with most businesses adopting multi-cloud strategies to enhance their agility and competitiveness.

Read more...