Network World’s State of the Network research is conducted annually to gain a deeper understanding of the network environments within today’s organizations.

1. 2018 State of the Network Study
Technology Adoption Trends &
Their Influence on the Network Role

2. 2 Source: “What is edge computing and how it’s changing the network,” Network World Sept. 2017
Computing is moving closer to the edge of the network, giving
organizations the ability to analyze data in near real-time.
Edge Computing is Changing the Network

3. The Network Role is Expanding
3
Q: Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements.
Source: 2018 State of the Network Study, Network World

4. Network Security is the Top Responsibility
4
Q: In which of the following areas do you primarily have responsibility?
Source: 2018 State of the Network Study, Network World
12%
18%
27%
28%
30%
30%
32%
35%
36%
37%
40%
41%
45%
46%
47%
48%
52%
57%
59%
59%
60%
Machine Learning
Programming
Application Development
Systems Engineering
Database
Data Management/Analytics
Cloud Services (PaaS, IaaS)
Compliance
Software (including SaaS)
IT Governance
Architecture
Telecommunications
Disaster Recovery
Data Storage
Data Center
Business Continuity
Computing Hardware
Internet/intranet
Network/Systems Management
IT Operations
Network Security
1000+: 42%
<1000: 62%
1000+: 59%
<1000: 37%
1000+: 39%
<1000: 52%

5. Top Challenges Related to Security & Access to Data
21%
21%
22%
23%
24%
28%
30%
31%
34%
35%
35%
36%
42%
Integrating Cloud Services into a Seamless IT Resource Pool
Integrating Emerging Tools with
Legacy Systems and Applications
Attaining End-to-End Visibility into Application Performance
Attaining End-to-End Visibility
into Infrastructure Performance
Faster Network Service Configuration and Delivery
Finding the Right Balance of On-Premise
and Cloud-Based IT Resources
Finding, Hiring and Retaining the Right IT Talent
Optimizing End-to-End IT Service Delivery
Reducing OPEX Costs
Ensuring Business Continuity
Ensuring Availability (Uptime)
Protecting Against Data Breaches/Leaks
Maintaining network security while
assuring network connectivity
5
Q: What are the top network/data center-related challenges and obstacles that your organization is facing?
Source: 2018 State of the Network Study, Network World
Up from
18% in
2017

6. IT Budgets Continue to Show Growth
6
Q: How will your organization’s total IT budget change over the next 12 months? AND Q: You mentioned that your overall IT
budget will change in the next 12 months compared to the past 12 months. What percentage will this change by?
Source: 2018 State of the Network Study, Network World
Remain the same
Increase
Decrease
43%
50%
7%
$137M
Average
IT budget
39% U.S.
49% Non-U.S.
5% U.S.
9% Non-U.S.
57% U.S.
42% Non-U.S.

7. Security, App Dev & Cloud Services Budgets Expect to Increase
26%
28%
30%
32%
34%
34%
36%
37%
37%
38%
40%
42%
42%
43%
46%
46%
47%
55%
60%
61%
61%
59%
49%
52%
57%
59%
56%
59%
58%
46%
52%
53%
39%
54%
43%
52%
43%
47%
33%
34%
25%
37%
12%
18%
15%
8%
5%
9%
2%
4%
16%
8%
5%
17%
2%
13%
1%
5%
5%
9%
4%
13%
1%
3%
5%
3%
3%
2%
1%
3%
1%
1%
2%
2%
2%
2%
1%
1%
5%
1%
3%
2%
1%
1%
Systems Engineering
Telecommunications
IT Operations
Database
Network/Systems Management
Internet/Intranet
Business Continuity
IT Governance
Data Center
Data Storage
Architecture
Programming (Development)
Disaster Recovery
Computing Hardware (servers, clients, mobile devices)
Compliance
Software (including Software-as-a-Service)
Data Management/Analytics
Machine Learning
Cloud Services (PaaS, IaaS)
Application Development
Network Security
Increase Remain the Same Decrease Not Sure
7
Q: Please indicate whether the percent of your organization’s total IT budget dedicated to the following areas will increase,
decrease or remain the same over the next 12 months.
Source: 2018 State of the Network Study, Network World

8. Ensuring Availability & Uptime is #1 Driver Fueling Network Investments
53%
53%
53%
51%
45%
44%
43%
41%
33%
33%
26%
Ensuring Availability (uptime)
Improving Data Security
Improving Network Speed/Performance
Ensuring Business Continuity
Improving Customer Experience
Reduce Operations Expense
Improving IT Process Efficiency
Improving Business Process Efficiency
Improving Agility/Flexibility for react to Business Changes
Enabling New Initiatives (i.e. IoT, Machine Learning)
Enabling a Digital Business Approach
8
Q: Which of the following are primary drivers of your organization’s networking investments? AND Q: Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements.
1000+:61%
<1000: 48%
Source: 2018 State of the Network Study, Network World
1000+:43%
<1000: 26%
1000+: 35%
<1000: 20%

9. Conclusion
9
The networking team is collaborating even more with IT and other key groups in the
business and becoming more involved in IT initiatives and shaping the overall IT strategy
Security continues to be top-of-mind for network professionals. They’re joining forces
with IT to stay ahead of potential cyberattacks and putting investments behind securing
the network.
IT budgets dedicated to security, cloud services and application development are
still on the rise
The Networking team is investing time and budget into emerging technologies.
Converged and hyper converged systems, IoT and Blockchain are among a few of the
technologies on their radar

10. IDG Communications, Inc.
10
Continue the Conversation
To get results from IDG research when it happens,
or any other news, follow us on Twitter: @IDGWorld
ADDITIONAL WAYS TO STAY ON TOP OF INFORMATION FROM IDG :
Sign up to receive our monthly marketing
newsletter at www.idg.com/newsletter
Visit us on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/3731/
To receive a briefing on the full results from this study, or for more information, please contact your IDG sales
executive or contact us.
For more information on content marketing and lead nurture, explore our resources on this site under
marketing tools, or contact us. We have additional primary research, blogs and white papers to make you
smarter about tech decision makers, and targeted products and programs to help you reach them!