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Cloud networking
As a critical component of modern IT infrastructure, cloud networking technologies enable an organization's networking resources and capabilities to be hosted in the cloud.
Cloud networks connect applications and workloads across complex cloud environments, cloud services, data centers and edge networks. They make it easier for network engineers and operators to build, configure and manage networks aligned to the organization's preferred operating model — whether that's public cloud, private cloud or hybrid cloud.
The two main types of cloud networking are:
Cloud-based networks
When an organization's network resources (network management software, virtual routers, virtual firewalls, bandwidth, etc.) are entirely hosted on a public, hybrid or private cloud platform.
Cloud-enabled networks
When an organization leverages cloud resources to manage, control and operate the traditional physical infrastructure of an in-house or local network.
Cloud networking benefits
By untethering network management and data connectivity from the demands of on-premises infrastructure, cloud networks can play a key role in an organization's ability to confidently manage IT infrastructure, recovery and redundancy requirements while scaling its footprint on a regional and global scale.
Benefits include:
Reliable connectivity
Enable automated high availability across multicloud environments while trusting server load balancing to minimize network downtime.
Pervasive security
Proven options for securing data and ensuring compliance (e.g., firewalls, micro-segmentation, encryption, malware protection, authentication, etc.).
Cost savings
Pairing cloud's pay-per-use billing model with a reduction in the need to buy and maintain on-premises network infrastructure equipment results in a lower total cost of ownership.
Increased productivity
Free IT staff to focus on higher-value networking priorities by enhancing visibility and eliminating the need to push config and maintenance updates to networking hardware and software.
Accelerated deployments
End users no longer need to spend time installing and configuring network tools before they can access new applications and services.
Enhanced scalability
Leverage the scalable nature of cloud-based network infrastructure to do more with the avalanche of data flowing into your business.
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