How 'direct-to-cloud' is changing networking

Direct-to-cloud enables access from anywhere, while guarding against threats and enforcing user policies.

As the internet continues to change virtually every facet of business life, old models and strategies are being challenged in almost every sector. Retail, services and the media have all experienced massive shifts in recent years and, by all indications, the pace will only increase.

This wave of internet-related change has been strengthened by other technological developments. The rise of cloud-based platforms and services, together with the evolution of mobility, has put further pressure on established business processes. Organisations need to find ways to evolve or risk losing out to competitors who do.

Network evolution

One area of technology that is ripe for change is network architecture. Traditionally, organisations have tended to store critical business data in a central place and then allowed remote offices and users to access it via a ‘hub-and-spoke’ architected network.

Historically, many remote offices have tended to be connected to an organisation’s central office via dedicated connections such as frame relay circuits. Under this architecture, the remote offices had no means of reaching networks outside the central office, which provided the organisation with complete control over the monitoring, security and management of communications.

However, today, with growing numbers of organisations hosting data and business applications on cloud platforms, such an architecture no longer makes sense. Pressure is also building as more users access data using mobile devices from almost any location.

Indeed, the idea of channelling all network traffic to a central point only to then send it out to the cloud and to remote offices and mobile users is extremely inefficient. As in other forms of communication, the shortest distance between two points is always a straight line.

The direct-to-cloud network

With the shift to cloud adoption by business showing no sign of slowing, a new network architecture is required that can effectively support remote and mobile users while also taking advantage of the growing range of cloud platforms.

The answer is a direct-to-cloud network (DCN). This network architecture allows remote and mobile users to access cloud-based applications and data by going directly to the internet. There is no longer a requirement for all traffic to be routed back to a central location, saving time and money and improving overall network efficiencies.

While DCNs deliver flexibility, they can also provide security, visibility and control for network administrators. They can allow the enforcement of corporate policy and provide administrators with real-time visibility of user traffic.

DCNs act as global check posts in the cloud. They inspect all end-user traffic, including SSL encrypted traffic, bidirectionally and regardless of location or device.

This approach enables remote users and offices to access the data and applications they require from anywhere, and from any device, while ensuring security against current and emerging threats and enforcing user policies.

The DCN advantage

Deployment of a DCN architecture can deliver significant and wide-reaching benefits. They include:

• Advanced security: By operating between the users and the internet, a DCN can scan all traffic, match it against millions of signatures and heuristics in real time, and create a risk index to determine whether to let it through or send it for further analysis.
• Enable the mobile workforce: With the increasing computing power of mobile devices, and the ‘bring your own device’ movement, corporate IT has been tasked with supporting a plethora of user-owned devices and platforms. Mobile devices can enhance productivity but they also represent a new threat vector, especially with the ubiquitous usage of mobile apps.
• Delivery of cost savings: A DCN removes the need to pay for costly infrastructure and traffic charges to route traffic back to a central point and then back out to the internet. This can result in significant financial savings.
• Reduced disruption: By sending traffic directly to the cloud, a DCN reduces the potential for service disruptions. Historically, the business impact of such disruptions has been the most costly aspect of maintaining hub-and-spoke networks.
• Real-time visibility and control: A DCN can provide complete control over the setting of user policies at a granular user level and their application to all devices on the network.
• Superior end-user experience: A DCN can free users from the need to use cumbersome VPNs to connect with the resources they require. Authentication can be seamless, and performance fast and reliable.

A well-provisioned DCN can also free up resources within a corporate IT team through the consolidation of management and the elimination of costly hardware. This can result in more time being available for strategic planning and activities that add value to the business.

Just as hub-and-spoke networks added significant value to businesses when they were first deployed, a DCN will ensure they are well placed to take advantage of the technologies and opportunities of the future.