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Internet and Cloud Creating Network Blind Spots

Broad proliferation of cloud infrastructure combined with continued support for remote workers is driving increased complexity and visibility challenges for network operations teams, according to new research conducted by Dimensional Research and sponsored by Broadcom.

The survey of more than 500 networking, operations, cloud, and architecture professionals also uncovered a surprising shortage of skilled workers requiring 65% of respondents to rely on third-party resources for network operations.

These findings paint a concerning picture as organizations struggle to meet demand for modern IT networks.

Cloud and Internet Reliance Leads to Greater Network Complexity

With 98% of companies using or planning to use cloud infrastructure and 95% enabling remote workers, the network has become increasingly more complex, as noted by 78% of respondents. Network endpoints are spread far and wide and often exist in workers' homes which makes it challenging to gain the visibility necessary to ensure uptime, performance, and security.

An additional challenge is the lack of information provided by ISPs and cloud providers, leading 80% to state that internet and cloud environments create network blind spots which can often create delays in issue remediation. These findings indicate that most companies don't have proper network operations and observability tools for today's modern IT environment.

Lack of Skilled Teams a Growing Challenge

When asked about the specific challenges they face with network operations management, 41% pointed to a lack of needed skillsets, while not having enough operations personnel was cited by 31%. Digging deeper to understand what is inhibiting teams' ability to grow, nearly half (48%) of respondents said candidates lack the needed skills, and 45% pointed to a general lack of available candidates.

Not surprisingly, 65% of organizations are turning to third parties for network operations support, a stop-gap measure to fill the void, but not a long-term solution. Thus, few teams are gaining the hands-on experience necessary to develop the capabilities they need to manage the network themselves. This means a greater reliance on tools and third-party data

Teams Lack Critical Data and Learn About Issues from Users

Unfortunately, 84% of network professionals indicated they regularly learn about issues from users, which means users are experiencing performance problems before the network team knows. This is a clear reflection of the lack of information network teams have access to. In fact, 95% of respondents say they do not get the information they need from ISPs and cloud providers. According to 76% of respondents, slow or missing data directly impedes resolution times.

"The results of this survey serve to highlight some of the biggest issues network operations teams are facing today," said Mike Melillo, Senior Director, Network Management Solutions, Broadcom. "Ensuring the performance of the network is mission-critical for every business. Yet, the data shows that teams aren't getting the support, staff, or tools they need to make their jobs simpler. Given the importance of the network for modern business, the industry needs to continue to work to collect, correlate and normalize multi-vendor network data that produces intelligent remediation recommendations and focused triage workflows and helps resolve the challenges captured in this research project."

Methodology: Networking, operations, cloud, and architecture professionals at medium to global enterprise companies representing all seniority levels were invited to participate in a survey on their company's network operations practices. The survey was administered electronically, and participants were offered a token compensation for their participation. A total of 505 qualified participants completed the survey. All participants had enterprise security responsibilities. Participants were from 5 continents, providing a global perspective.

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Internet and Cloud Creating Network Blind Spots

Broad proliferation of cloud infrastructure combined with continued support for remote workers is driving increased complexity and visibility challenges for network operations teams, according to new research conducted by Dimensional Research and sponsored by Broadcom.

The survey of more than 500 networking, operations, cloud, and architecture professionals also uncovered a surprising shortage of skilled workers requiring 65% of respondents to rely on third-party resources for network operations.

These findings paint a concerning picture as organizations struggle to meet demand for modern IT networks.

Cloud and Internet Reliance Leads to Greater Network Complexity

With 98% of companies using or planning to use cloud infrastructure and 95% enabling remote workers, the network has become increasingly more complex, as noted by 78% of respondents. Network endpoints are spread far and wide and often exist in workers' homes which makes it challenging to gain the visibility necessary to ensure uptime, performance, and security.

An additional challenge is the lack of information provided by ISPs and cloud providers, leading 80% to state that internet and cloud environments create network blind spots which can often create delays in issue remediation. These findings indicate that most companies don't have proper network operations and observability tools for today's modern IT environment.

Lack of Skilled Teams a Growing Challenge

When asked about the specific challenges they face with network operations management, 41% pointed to a lack of needed skillsets, while not having enough operations personnel was cited by 31%. Digging deeper to understand what is inhibiting teams' ability to grow, nearly half (48%) of respondents said candidates lack the needed skills, and 45% pointed to a general lack of available candidates.

Not surprisingly, 65% of organizations are turning to third parties for network operations support, a stop-gap measure to fill the void, but not a long-term solution. Thus, few teams are gaining the hands-on experience necessary to develop the capabilities they need to manage the network themselves. This means a greater reliance on tools and third-party data

Teams Lack Critical Data and Learn About Issues from Users

Unfortunately, 84% of network professionals indicated they regularly learn about issues from users, which means users are experiencing performance problems before the network team knows. This is a clear reflection of the lack of information network teams have access to. In fact, 95% of respondents say they do not get the information they need from ISPs and cloud providers. According to 76% of respondents, slow or missing data directly impedes resolution times.

"The results of this survey serve to highlight some of the biggest issues network operations teams are facing today," said Mike Melillo, Senior Director, Network Management Solutions, Broadcom. "Ensuring the performance of the network is mission-critical for every business. Yet, the data shows that teams aren't getting the support, staff, or tools they need to make their jobs simpler. Given the importance of the network for modern business, the industry needs to continue to work to collect, correlate and normalize multi-vendor network data that produces intelligent remediation recommendations and focused triage workflows and helps resolve the challenges captured in this research project."

Methodology: Networking, operations, cloud, and architecture professionals at medium to global enterprise companies representing all seniority levels were invited to participate in a survey on their company's network operations practices. The survey was administered electronically, and participants were offered a token compensation for their participation. A total of 505 qualified participants completed the survey. All participants had enterprise security responsibilities. Participants were from 5 continents, providing a global perspective.

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IT spending is expected to jump nearly 10% in 2025, and organizations are now facing pressure to manage costs without slowing down critical functions like observability. To meet the challenge, leaders are turning to smarter, more cost effective business strategies. Enter stage right: OpenTelemetry, the missing piece of the puzzle that is no longer just an option but rather a strategic advantage ...

Amidst the threat of cyberhacks and data breaches, companies install several security measures to keep their business safely afloat. These measures aim to protect businesses, employees, and crucial data. Yet, employees perceive them as burdensome. Frustrated with complex logins, slow access, and constant security checks, workers decide to completely bypass all security set-ups ...

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In MEAN TIME TO INSIGHT Episode 13, Shamus McGillicuddy, VP of Research, Network Infrastructure and Operations, at EMA discusses hybrid multi-cloud networking strategy ... 

In high-traffic environments, the sheer volume and unpredictable nature of network incidents can quickly overwhelm even the most skilled teams, hindering their ability to react swiftly and effectively, potentially impacting service availability and overall business performance. This is where closed-loop remediation comes into the picture: an IT management concept designed to address the escalating complexity of modern networks ...

In 2025, enterprise workflows are undergoing a seismic shift. Propelled by breakthroughs in generative AI (GenAI), large language models (LLMs), and natural language processing (NLP), a new paradigm is emerging — agentic AI. This technology is not just automating tasks; it's reimagining how organizations make decisions, engage customers, and operate at scale ...

In the early days of the cloud revolution, business leaders perceived cloud services as a means of sidelining IT organizations. IT was too slow, too expensive, or incapable of supporting new technologies. With a team of developers, line of business managers could deploy new applications and services in the cloud. IT has been fighting to retake control ever since. Today, IT is back in the driver's seat, according to new research by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) ...

In today's fast-paced and increasingly complex network environments, Network Operations Centers (NOCs) are the backbone of ensuring continuous uptime, smooth service delivery, and rapid issue resolution. However, the challenges faced by NOC teams are only growing. In a recent study, 78% state network complexity has grown significantly over the last few years while 84% regularly learn about network issues from users. It is imperative we adopt a new approach to managing today's network experiences ...

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Today, organizations are generating and processing more data than ever before. From training AI models to running complex analytics, massive datasets have become the backbone of innovation. However, as businesses embrace the cloud for its scalability and flexibility, a new challenge arises: managing the soaring costs of storing and processing this data ...