5 Misconceptions About Network Automation Platforms (and why they should be re-thought)

Song Pang
NetBrain Technologies

As enterprise networks get more complex, encompassing on-prem, cloud and hybrid systems and applications, network automation is no longer optional. It's critical for uptime, security and scale. Yet persistent misconceptions about increasingly capable network automation platforms among the very NetOps professionals who would benefit the most from using them are holding back adoption. Here are 5 of the most common of those misconceptions, and why NetOps teams might want to re-think them.

Misconception 1: DIY scripting gives me more control than a platform

Network engineers love their own scripts and tools. According to recent research by the analyst firm EMA, 64% of enterprises still rely on homegrown scripts or open source tools. Many NetOps professionals believe that their time-worn DIY approach provides greater flexibility and customization than any platform can offer.

But the downside of relying on scripts is that it also creates silos, introduces gatekeeper effects and increases fragility. It's also a lot of work. According to EMA, more than 60% of teams spend more than 6 hours per week maintaining and debugging scripts and tools. The hodgepodge of scripts and tools creates complexity, often lacks documentation and can introduce security risks.

The reality is that modern network automation platforms don't take away control, they operationalize it by centralizing, securing, and making automation reusable across teams. Platforms are now designed to onboard existing scripts, extend them, and make them shareable. That provides control at scale.

Misconception 2: Automation is a risk to my job

Automation platforms, especially in the AI era, can sometimes be perceived as a threat to the livelihood of network professionals.

But rather than reduce their value, network operations platforms free NetOps teams from low-level toil and firefighting (think config pushes and compliance scans). That leaves them with more time to focus on higher priority tasks and projects like network design, security posture, and cross-team initiatives. And with their low code/no code capabilities, network automation platforms can broaden access beyond scripting gatekeepers and create a career path for other professionals.

In an environment where many NetOps teams are being asked to do more with less, automation expands NetOps influence, future-proofs careers, and reduces burnout.

Misconception 3: An automation platform won't save me time because it's not reliable

In addition to their concerns about control, many NetOps teams rely on scripts and open source tools because they simply don't trust network automation platforms. They believe them to be fragile, error-prone, and more hassle than help.

But, as noted above, teams can spend anywhere from 6-10 hours per week debugging scripts, according to EMA. So, those unsupported scripts and code-heavy tools are not themselves inherently reliable.

Network automation platforms, by contrast, provide testing, dashboards, CI/CD principles, and role-based access. reducing error risk and improving consistency. For common tasks like automating config changes, onboarding, compliance scans, and firmware updates, network automation platforms are faster and more accurate than a human-driven scripting process.

Misconception 4: Network automation platforms are too costly and the ROI isn't clear

The cost of a network automation platform can seem high when judged against free homemade scripts or open source tools. But NetOps teams often struggle to quantify the hidden costs of DIY solutions. Whether it's time lost to debugging, finding and fixing security risks, the opportunity cost of having highly skilled professionals performing routine tasks, or, in the worst case scenario, network downtime, the DIY approach is anything but free.

Network automation platforms deliver real and quantifiable ROI. Platforms provide 24x7 automation that no human can match. They offer dashboards that can accurately track time saved and enhance cross-team visibility. And, most importantly, they ultimately justify their cost by reducing downtime.

The ROI of network automation platforms over DIY solutions becomes much clearer when measured in operational risk reduction, uptime, and freeing talent for strategic projects.

Misconception 5: It's just another hard-to-learn tool I'll have to manage

Tool sprawl is a real issue for NetOps teams. So it's understandable that they'd be reluctant to learn and manage yet another application.

But when you dig deeper, it turns out that what most (64% according to EMA) network professionals value are tools that are easy to use, with low code/no code capabilities that flatten the learning curve for both deeply experienced and less experienced engineers. And that's what modern network automation platforms offer. Layer on features like auto-discovery, pre-built network assessments, drag-and-drop workflows, and script onboarding and the time to value from a network automation platform for NetOps teams is fairly short. Modern platforms also integrate with IT service management (ITSM), IPAM and Git rather than replacing them, so NetOps teams can continue to use the workflows they've built.

In short, network automation platforms don't make things harder and more complex for NetOps teams. They simplify environments by consolidating fragmented DIY efforts into one system that both coders and non-coders can use.

It's time to re-think DIY

Network operations teams can be understandably reluctant to switch from the scripts and tools they've built on their own to a network automation platform. After all, ensuring the reliability and integrity of their organization's network is a business critical responsibility. Yet it only takes a bit of digging before the inefficiencies and risks of the DIY approach become apparent, especially at enterprise scale. Network automation platforms have become much more capable in recent years, providing a degree of flexibility and control that might surprise NetOps teams. NetOps leaders who might be hesitant to take the plunge can start with a hybrid approach, onboarding existing scripts into platforms before scaling with low-code/no code workflows. The benefits — in terms of reduced toil, improved reliability, better visibility and better utilization of talent and resources — are well worth the effort. 

Song Pang is CTO at NetBrain Technologies

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5 Misconceptions About Network Automation Platforms (and why they should be re-thought)

Song Pang
NetBrain Technologies

As enterprise networks get more complex, encompassing on-prem, cloud and hybrid systems and applications, network automation is no longer optional. It's critical for uptime, security and scale. Yet persistent misconceptions about increasingly capable network automation platforms among the very NetOps professionals who would benefit the most from using them are holding back adoption. Here are 5 of the most common of those misconceptions, and why NetOps teams might want to re-think them.

Misconception 1: DIY scripting gives me more control than a platform

Network engineers love their own scripts and tools. According to recent research by the analyst firm EMA, 64% of enterprises still rely on homegrown scripts or open source tools. Many NetOps professionals believe that their time-worn DIY approach provides greater flexibility and customization than any platform can offer.

But the downside of relying on scripts is that it also creates silos, introduces gatekeeper effects and increases fragility. It's also a lot of work. According to EMA, more than 60% of teams spend more than 6 hours per week maintaining and debugging scripts and tools. The hodgepodge of scripts and tools creates complexity, often lacks documentation and can introduce security risks.

The reality is that modern network automation platforms don't take away control, they operationalize it by centralizing, securing, and making automation reusable across teams. Platforms are now designed to onboard existing scripts, extend them, and make them shareable. That provides control at scale.

Misconception 2: Automation is a risk to my job

Automation platforms, especially in the AI era, can sometimes be perceived as a threat to the livelihood of network professionals.

But rather than reduce their value, network operations platforms free NetOps teams from low-level toil and firefighting (think config pushes and compliance scans). That leaves them with more time to focus on higher priority tasks and projects like network design, security posture, and cross-team initiatives. And with their low code/no code capabilities, network automation platforms can broaden access beyond scripting gatekeepers and create a career path for other professionals.

In an environment where many NetOps teams are being asked to do more with less, automation expands NetOps influence, future-proofs careers, and reduces burnout.

Misconception 3: An automation platform won't save me time because it's not reliable

In addition to their concerns about control, many NetOps teams rely on scripts and open source tools because they simply don't trust network automation platforms. They believe them to be fragile, error-prone, and more hassle than help.

But, as noted above, teams can spend anywhere from 6-10 hours per week debugging scripts, according to EMA. So, those unsupported scripts and code-heavy tools are not themselves inherently reliable.

Network automation platforms, by contrast, provide testing, dashboards, CI/CD principles, and role-based access. reducing error risk and improving consistency. For common tasks like automating config changes, onboarding, compliance scans, and firmware updates, network automation platforms are faster and more accurate than a human-driven scripting process.

Misconception 4: Network automation platforms are too costly and the ROI isn't clear

The cost of a network automation platform can seem high when judged against free homemade scripts or open source tools. But NetOps teams often struggle to quantify the hidden costs of DIY solutions. Whether it's time lost to debugging, finding and fixing security risks, the opportunity cost of having highly skilled professionals performing routine tasks, or, in the worst case scenario, network downtime, the DIY approach is anything but free.

Network automation platforms deliver real and quantifiable ROI. Platforms provide 24x7 automation that no human can match. They offer dashboards that can accurately track time saved and enhance cross-team visibility. And, most importantly, they ultimately justify their cost by reducing downtime.

The ROI of network automation platforms over DIY solutions becomes much clearer when measured in operational risk reduction, uptime, and freeing talent for strategic projects.

Misconception 5: It's just another hard-to-learn tool I'll have to manage

Tool sprawl is a real issue for NetOps teams. So it's understandable that they'd be reluctant to learn and manage yet another application.

But when you dig deeper, it turns out that what most (64% according to EMA) network professionals value are tools that are easy to use, with low code/no code capabilities that flatten the learning curve for both deeply experienced and less experienced engineers. And that's what modern network automation platforms offer. Layer on features like auto-discovery, pre-built network assessments, drag-and-drop workflows, and script onboarding and the time to value from a network automation platform for NetOps teams is fairly short. Modern platforms also integrate with IT service management (ITSM), IPAM and Git rather than replacing them, so NetOps teams can continue to use the workflows they've built.

In short, network automation platforms don't make things harder and more complex for NetOps teams. They simplify environments by consolidating fragmented DIY efforts into one system that both coders and non-coders can use.

It's time to re-think DIY

Network operations teams can be understandably reluctant to switch from the scripts and tools they've built on their own to a network automation platform. After all, ensuring the reliability and integrity of their organization's network is a business critical responsibility. Yet it only takes a bit of digging before the inefficiencies and risks of the DIY approach become apparent, especially at enterprise scale. Network automation platforms have become much more capable in recent years, providing a degree of flexibility and control that might surprise NetOps teams. NetOps leaders who might be hesitant to take the plunge can start with a hybrid approach, onboarding existing scripts into platforms before scaling with low-code/no code workflows. The benefits — in terms of reduced toil, improved reliability, better visibility and better utilization of talent and resources — are well worth the effort. 

Song Pang is CTO at NetBrain Technologies

Related Links

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For decades, enterprise networks were designed around a simple assumption: work happened inside the office. Applications lived in centralized data centers, employees connected through internal infrastructure, and security focused on protecting the perimeter that surrounded everything ... But the way organizations operate today bears little resemblance to that environment. Cloud platforms host critical applications, employees connect from homes and airports as often as they do from offices, and partners collaborate through shared systems that exist far beyond corporate walls. In short, the corporate network no longer resembles the environment it was designed to protect ...

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As an analyst who researches how IT organizations design, build, and operate their networks, I find that network data is a constant source of pain. Network teams struggle with data quality, fragmentation, authority, access, and trust. And these issues undermine everything they try to do. Here are the numbers: Only 45% of network teams are completely confident in the accuracy of their network source of truth, which documents the intent of their network ...

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Enterprises operate different combinations of workloads across cloud, hybrid and multicloud environments. For business-critical workloads, teams need to consider monitoring and observability early so they can detect health issues, investigate failures, and understand operational impact. Organizations place workloads on cloud platforms based on a combination of technical requirements, economics, existing dependencies, organizational standards, and business priorities. Their monitoring priorities therefore depend on what they operate and where those systems run. Those priorities will not look the same for every organization ...

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