NCLATEST
Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!
Leverage SEO-optimized Flipbooks, powerful backlinks, and multimedia content to professionally showcase your products and significantly increase your reach.
NETWORKcomputing
I N F O R M A T I O N A N D C O M M U N I C A T I O N S – N E T W O R K E D www.networkcomputing.co.uk
7th HEAVEN?
Making the case for upgrading
to Wi-Fi 7 in 2025
BACKUP AND
RECOVERY STRATEGIES
Why businesses must be
better prepared
NO ‘YOU’ IN USB
Avoiding a sticky security
situation with USB storage
A GAP IN THE CLOUD
Overcoming the skills
gap in cloud computing
MAY/JUNE 2025 VOL 34 NO 02
Driving the Future of
Public Sector Technology
Discover the latest technology and strategies to enhance citizen
experience and deliver seamless, user-centric public services.
Complimentary Passes Available for the Public Sector
REGISTER TODAY
Strategic Partners:
Discover more at www.digital-government.co.uk
COMMENT
COMMENT
BRINGING HOME THE TROPHIES IN 2025
May has rapidly become the month of trophy wins in London - first Crystal
Palace, then Spurs and Arsenal WFC, and now of course the 2025 Network
Computing Awards! The 19th annual Network Computing Awards took place
at an evening Awards ceremony at Hilton London Tower Bridge on 22 May just as this
issue of the magazine was going to print (timing is everything!), so we only have time
and space to include news of some our winners here ahead of a full round-up in the
next issue.
They include Zyxel Networks, winners of our Network Management Product of the
Year award for Nebula, and EfficientIP, who won the Observability Product of the Year
category for their DDI Observability Center, while Endace took home the trophy for
the One to Watch Product for the 100GbE EndaceProbe 9400 G5. The 2025 Bench
Tested Product of the Year award was won by NetAlly for their LinkRunner AT4000
which, as David Mitchell said in his review, "raises the bar for cable testing and network
analysis, as it delivers a remarkably powerful set of diagnostics and troubleshooting
features in a ruggedised handheld device."
REVIEWS:
Dave Mitchell
DEPUTY EDITOR: Mark Lyward
(netcomputing@btc.co.uk)
PRODUCTION: Abby Penn
(abby.penn@btc.co.uk)
DESIGN: Ian Collis
(ian.collis@btc.co.uk
SALES:
David Bonner
(david.bonner@btc.co.uk)
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Christina Willis
(christina.willis@btc.co.uk)
PUBLISHER: John Jageurs
(john.jageurs@btc.co.uk)
Published by Barrow & Thompkins
Connexion Ltd (BTC)
Suite 2, 157 Station Road East,
Oxted,
RH8 0QE
Tel: +44 (0)1689 616 000
Fax: +44 (0)1689 82 66 22
SUBSCRIPTIONS:
UK: £35/year, £60/two years, £80/three
years;
Europe: £48/year, £85/two years £127/three
years;
ROW:
£62/year, £115/two years, £168/three years
© 2025 Barrow & Thompkins Connexion Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of the magazine
may be reproduced without prior consent,
in writing, from the publisher.
101 Data Solutions were crowned Distributor of the Year while the Customer
Service Award went to Prism DCS, and BlueCat Networks won the Testing/Monitoring
Product of the Year for the LiveAction LiveNX. Our Network Project of the Year -
Connectivty winners were Broad Horizons Education Trust and Acmatic Networks,
while Evolvement Networks and CyberSmart won the Network Project of the Year -
Security category, while Oliver Reynolds of Prism DCS won our Inspiration Award.
Congratulations once again to all of our winners and runners-up on the night, and a
big 'thank you' to our sponsors, guests on the night, and everyone who took the time
to vote online. You'll find a full list of our winners on the Awards website.
GET FUTURE COPIES FREE
BY REGISTERING ONLINE AT
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK/REGISTER
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK @NCMagAndAwards
MAY/JUNE 2025 NETWORKcomputing 03
MAY/JUNE 2025 VOL 34 NO 02
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
NETWORKcomputing
I N F O R M A T I O N A N D C O M M U N I C A T I O N S – N E T W O R K E D www.networkcomputing.co.uk
7th HEAVEN?
Making the case for upgrading
to Wi-Fi 7 in 2025
BACKUP AND
RECOVERY STRATEGIES
Why businesses must be
better prepared
M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 5
NO ‘YOU’ IN USB
Avoiding a sticky security
situation with USB storage
A GAP IN THE CLOUD
Overcoming the skills
gap in cloud computing
BACKUP AND RECOVERY.....12
Are organisations doing enough to backup
and protect their data? Frank DeBenedetto
at Kaseya talks us through the findings of
Kaseya's State of Backup and Recovery
Report 2025
A GAP IN THE CLOUD............20
Sam Woodcock at 11:11 Systems outlines
the advantages of partnering to overcome
the technology skills gap in cloud computing
7TH HEAVEN?.........................10
Upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 in 2025 could prove
to be attractive for a lot of organisations,
according to Hugh Simpson at Zyxel
Networks
AVOIDING OUTAGES WITH
ADVANCED MONITORING...16
Greg Collins at Progress on why enterprises
need advanced internet connection monitoring
for each of their remote sites
NO ‘YOU’ IN USB.................24
Jon Fielding at Apricorn explains why
businesses can't afford to let USB storage
devices create a sticky security situation
COMMENT.....................................3
Bringing home the trophies in 2025
INDUSTRY NEWS.............................6
The latest networking news
ARTICLES
PIVOTING DATA CENTRE DESIGN
AROUND STORAGE........................14
By Wendell Wenjen at Supermicro
WELCOMING AI..............................18
By Tal Barmeir at BlinqIO
BRIDGING THE AI SKILLS GAP.........19
By Yohan Lobo at M-Files
BEYOND DEEPSEEK.........................22
By Julius Cerniauskas at Oxylabs
DATA LOSS PREVENTION................26
By Iwona Zalewska at Kingston Technology
DATA ENGINEERING IN THE AI ERA...27
By Mari Nilsson Bjorkman at SAS
THE DATA-DRIVEN PATH TO
AUTONOMOUS NETWORKS..........28
By Phil Kippen at Snowflake
GOING BEYOND THE BUILD
FOR AI.............................................30
By John Abbott at Vertiv
IDENTIFYING NIS2 CHALLENGES....32
By Anders Askasen at Omada
UNIFYING AUTOMATED SECURITY...34
By Mike Fry Logicalis UK&I
REVIEW
EXAGRID S3 STORAGE FOR VEAAM....8
LIVEACTION LIVENX 25.1.....................15
04 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
INDUSTRY NEWS
NEWS NEWSNEWS
NEWS
NEWS NEWS NEWS
NEWS NEWS NEWS
Colt enhances its On Demand NaaS platform
Colt has announced an expansion to its On Demand
Network as a Service (NaaS) platform with the addition of
three new features. Available now, the three new features are
On Demand Diversity, Dedicated Cloud Ports and new Multi-
Vendor 'Offnet'. On Demand Diversity allows businesses to select
different network routes for their Ethernet, Cloud and Internet
services using a self-serve ordering system in the Colt NaaS
platform. The ability to request access-level diversity 'on demand'
improves network performance; bolsters resilience and disaster
recovery; and supports deeper levels of compliance.
The Dedicated Cloud Ports offer greater scalability for
businesses' cloud solutions, complementing the hosted cloud
capability already live in the platform. They provide direct,
private connections to the cloud and high capacity, reliability
and security. The new Multi-Vendor Offnet feature enhances
flexibility and efficiency for Colt's customers, by enabling them
to choose from hundreds of carrier partners when they connect
a new 'offnet' location which is not directly part of Colt's own
network infrastructure.
New leadership and SME focus for NETGEAR
NETGEAR is evolving its mission to serve small to medium
enterprises by sharpening its focus on delivering nextgeneration
networking solutions that provide simplicity, reliability
and cost-effectiveness. "In this next era of NETGEAR we're
stripping away complexity, removing friction, and reimagining
what business networking can be so that our customers don't just
keep up with change, they lead it," according to NETGEAR CEO
CJ Prober. Helming this evolution is NETGEAR for Business
President and GM Pramod Badjate, who has been driving the
strategic repositioning to make NETGEAR the go-to partner for
SMEs facing increasing digital demands since joining the
company seven months ago.
During this period NETGEAR has experienced rapid growth in
this segment, with over 15% revenue expansion last quarter and
double-digit growth forecasted for 2025. Over the next three
years, the company plans to accelerate its investment in R&D to
enhance its current business offerings. The first key milestone is the
acquisition of VAAG Systems, a creator of cutting-edge
embedded and cloud software solutions based in Chennai India.
This investment allows NETGEAR to accelerate the in-sourcing of
a software development capability and this team will form the
foundation of NETGEAR's new Chennai-based Software
Development Center. This new team brings a wealth of industry
expertise with experience and will focus on leveraging AI to
simplify networking for SMEs.
Hans Nipshagen and Arno van Gennip
Two new appointments to nLighten's leadership team
European edge data centre market specialists nLighten has
expanded its leadership team with the appointment of two senior
executives: Hans Nipshagen as Vice President Channel Sales, AI
and Platform Sales, and Arno van Gennip as Vice President
Operations Enablement. These strategic additions are part of
nLighten's ongoing growth across Europe and reinforce nLighten's
commitment to delivering high-performance, sustainable digital
infrastructure close to its customers.
"Welcoming Hans and Arno to the leadership team is a significant
milestone for nLighten, as we scale across Europe," said Harro
Beusker, CEO and Co-Founder of nLighten. "Hans brings
invaluable expertise in building thriving partner ecosystems across
complex markets, while Arno's operational leadership and
sustainability focus will be crucial as we grow responsibly. Both are
strategic hires that will strengthen our capabilities and help position
nLighten as a leading edge data centre platform in Europe."
As nLighten continues to expand its footprint with sustainable, lowlatency
data centres across core business hubs in Europe, the
appointments of Hans Nipshagen and Arno van Gennip reflect the
company's commitment to combining deep local expertise with
strong pan-European leadership.
06 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
INDUSTRY NEWS
Geopolitics top cyber agenda at Infosecurity Europe
Rory Stewart OBE and Paul Chichester, Director of Operations at
the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), will headline
day two of this year's Infosecurity Europe, with keynote sessions
focused on the growing connection between geopolitics and
cybersecurity. Infosecurity Europe, which runs from 3-5 June 2025
at ExCeL London, will explore how power shifts, alliances, and
economic pressures are intensifying and increasing the complexity of
digital defence strategies for organisations worldwide. Rory Stewart's
keynote, Shifting Sands: Geopolitics, Threat and the Future, will take
place on Wednesday, 4th Jun at 10:05 and will explore how the
geopolitical world order is evolving at an unprecedented pace. With
global instability at its highest in decades and as nations adapt to
new alliances and economic pressures, digital warfare tactics are
becoming increasingly sophisticated.
Building on this theme, Paul Chichester, will follow on the Keynote
Stage at 12:20 for The Cyber Cold War? Geopolitics Driving Cyber
Threat, offering insights from the frontline of UK national defence.
Chichester will share intelligence on the tactics evolving across
regions, the emergence of new international actors, and the
strategic targeting of UK infrastructure. The NCSC has seen
"nationally significant" cyber incidents double from September 2024
to May 2025 compared with the same period in the previous year.
Additionally, the NCSC received almost 2000 reports of cyberattacks
in 2024, of which 89 were considered nationally significant,
including 12 critical incidents.
Vertiv deliver AI-ready solutions for Polar data centre
Vertiv has been chosen by Polar as the primary supplier for its first
modular AI-ready data centre in Norway. Powered entirely by
hydroelectric energy, the Polar facility minimises its carbon footprint
whilst accommodating high-density, liquid-cooled environments of
up to 120kW per rack. The Vertiv solution is designed with N+1
redundancy across electrical and thermal systems, delivering the
resilience and reliability to support AI and accelerated computing
operations. Polar's mission is to create an industry-leading,
environmentally responsible infrastructure platform for their
customers to develop the future of AI.
Viktor Petik, senior vp, infrastructure solutions at Vertiv,
commented: "This collaboration showcases the strength of Vertiv's
modular approach, providing Polar with a high-density, AI-ready
infrastructure that combines rapid deployment with outstanding
energy efficiency. By leveraging factory-assembled infrastructure, we
overcome traditional on-site challenges and deliver a solution
tailored to Polar's evolving requirements."
EfficiencyIT Awarded Prestigious Royal Warrant
EfficiencyIT, a UK-founded specialist in data centres, IT, and critical
communications environments, has been awarded a Royal
Warrant of Appointment into the place and quality of Supplier of IT
Infrastructure and Services by His Majesty King Charles III -
recognising the company's exceptional service and commitment to
delivering sustainable IT infrastructure solutions to the Royal
Household. As a supplier of IT Infrastructure, maintenance and
modernisation services, EfficiencyIT joins a prestigious group of
companies recognised by His Majesty, King Charles III for their
excellence in service and craftsmanship, and their continued
dedication to infrastructure security, resiliency and sustainability.
Nick Ewing, MD of EfficiencyIT, said: "We are incredibly proud to be
recognised with a Royal Warrant of Appointment by His Majesty, The
King. This award is a testament to our team's dedication to providing
highly secure, resilient, sustainable IT solutions that support missioncritical
operations."
Unfied networking and surveillance solutions for the UK
TP-Link is partnering with Mast Digital (UK) to deliver fully
integrated, easy-to-manage networking and security solutions to
businesses across the UK. Mast Digital (UK) has built a trusted
portfolio spanning CCTV & security systems, intruder alarms, access
control, intercoms, professional AV equipment, and aerial and
satellite solutions - now strengthened by the addition of TP-Link's
networking and security products, bringing greater performance,
integration, and value to its customers.
Mast Digital (UK) will now offer TP-Link's complete professional
portfolio, including VIGI surveillance - featuring the comprehensive
Insight Series of Bullet, Dome, Fisheye, and Turret cameras, along
with NVRs - and Omada networking solutions. All are underpinned
by Omada Central, TP-Link's powerful cloud-based platform that
enables remote, multi-site network and surveillance management,
significantly reducing operational complexity and cost.
NEWS NEWSNEWS
NEWS
NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS
NEWS
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK @NCMagAndAwards
MAY/JUNE 2025 NETWORKcomputing 07
PRODUCT REVIEW
ExaGrid S3 Storage
for Veeam
PRODUCT REVIEW
PRODUCT
REVIEWPRODUCT RE
ExaGrid is a top choice for enterprise data
backup storage and disaster recovery as
its Tiered Backup Storage family of EX
appliances offer a unique set of data
protection capabilities. Furthermore,
integration with all the leading backup
applications allows enterprises to retain their
existing backup infrastructure.
This makes ExaGrid incredibly appealing for
organisations using Veeam's Data Platform, as
ExaGrid supports an integrated Veeam Data
Mover for ingest performance and security,
Veeam Fast Clone for synthetic full backups
and Scale-Out Backup Repository (SOBR) for
scalability. Even better, ExaGrid now supports
Veeam writing to ExaGrid Tiered Backup
Storage as an S3 object store target, and it
brings Veeam's backup for Microsoft 365
(MS365) solution into play as you back up
M365 data directly to ExaGrid's immutable
on-premises storage.
Deploying ExaGrid in a Veeam data
protection strategy is a breeze as
administrators simply direct their backup jobs
to the ExaGrid shared storage repository. Any
of ExaGrid's EX models can be mixed together
in a single scale-out system comprising up to
32 appliances and adding new ones increases
compute power and network bandwidth in line
with capacity.
ExaGrid's unique Landing Zone disk cache
receives data from the backup application
directly to the Landing Zone in an
undeduplicated form, thus ensuring high
performance backups as well as Veeam's
advanced features such as Sure Backup, Data
Lab, Instant VM recovery, copy and replicate.
Benefits of the Landing Zone are in
abundance as they allow ExaGrid to claim an
unprecedented ingest rate of up to 516TB/hr
for a 6PB full backup. Data is also written to a
Repository Tier on the appliances during
backup operations where it is further
deduplicated taking Veeam's 2:1 to a 14:1
data reduction, greatly reducing the storage
required and saving on storage costs. The
Landing Zone accelerates restore operations
by up to 20 times over deduplication
appliances, as the data does not require
rehydration.
Creating a Veeam S3 Compatible Object
Storage Repository using ExaGrid is simple as
you choose this option from the Veeam
Backup & Recovery Infrastructure page.
Following the Veeam wizard, you enter the
secure URL to the ExaGrid appliance, provide
its access and secret keys, select a bucket,
create an ExaGrid shared folder, enable
immutability and you're done.
The process for creating a Veeam MS365
repository is just as easy although slightly
different as this object storage cannot be part
of an ExaGrid SOBR. From the Veeam MS365
Backup console, you run through the same
process to define S3 compatible storage on
the ExaGrid appliance and your assigned
ExaGrid customer representative will advise on
the optimum number of shares, S3 object
stores, repositories and backup jobs required.
Enterprises worried about ransomware
attacks can rest easy with ExaGrid on their side
as it uses S3 object locking to lock all data for
the period specified in your Veeam backup
jobs. S3 data is locked in the Landing Zone
and Repository Tier and ExaGrid's Retention
Time-Lock for Ransomware Recovery (RTL)
feature effectively double-locks the repository.
RTL is a smart feature as it places an air gap
between ExaGrid's network-facing tier and
non-network-facing tier and includes delayed
deletes, so data is not immediately deleted
during an attack. ExaGrid's RTL works with
Veeam's S3 immutability to provide additional
ransomware recovery.
This ExaGrid and Veeam partnership is the
perfect solution for enterprises looking to
streamline all data protection processes,
reduce their backup windows, have full
scalability, and provide essential ransomware
recovery. Furthermore, the seamless integration
with Veeam's Data Platform allows enterprises
to use Veeam's Backup & Replication and
Backup for Microsoft 365 solutions and secure
them both to a single ExaGrid deployment. NC
Product: ExaGrid S3 Storage for Veeam
Supplier: ExaGrid
Web site: www.exagrid.com
Tel: +44 (0) 1189 497 051
08 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
EVENT ORGANISERS:
Do you have something coming up that may
interest readers of Network Computing?
Contact dave.bonner@btc.co.uk
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
2025
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
16-17
SEPT
24-25
SEPT
1-2
OCT
DCD COMPUTE
Business Design Centre, London
www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/dcdconnect-compute/london/2025/
DIGIGOV EXPO 2025
ExCel, London
www.digital-government.co.uk
DTX LONDON
ExCel, London
www.dtxevents.io/london
OPINION: WI-FI 7
7th HEAVEN?
HUGH SIMPSON, EMEA MARKETING DEVELOPMENT MANAGER,
ZYXEL NETWORKS, EXPLAINS WHY UPGRADING TO WI-FI 7 THIS
YEAR COULD PROVE TO BE ATTRACTIVE FOR A LOT OF
ORGANISATIONS
One of the challenges with
technology is that there is never
a perfect time to upgrade. If
what you have today does the job for you
- and is still works reliably - there is no
reason to change. There may be
occasions when a change is forced upon
you however - many businesses and users
will need to upgrade their laptops before
the end of support for Windows 10 in
November 2025, for example.
But in most situations, it will be up to
you to decide when to make the leap to
the latest iteration of a new technology.
Today, most organisations and homes will
have Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) or Wi-Fi 5
(802.11ac) routers and access points
installed. These devices will be working
perfectly well and providing decent
connectivity speeds - at least for most
users, most of the time.
TRIED AND TRUSTED
This is despite faster technologies such as
Wi-Fi 6 / 6E (801.11ax) and Wi-Fi 7
(802.11be) being widely available. Wi-Fi
6 / 6E has been around since 2021 and
is now a thoroughly tried, tested, and
trusted technology. This is the wireless
standard that most people have been
moving onto for the last two years. It
offers higher speeds and better coverage
for moderately busy environments and it's
10 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
OPINION: WI-FI 7
certainly affordable. All but the very
cheapest new laptops and smartphones
will support Wi-Fi 6.
Wi-Fi 7 arrived in 2024, delivering
even more bandwidth and assured highspeed
throughput, even for high-density
areas such as conference centres. Plenty
of Wi-Fi 7 devices are already available,
Indeed, Zyxel Networks has been one of
the pacesetters with this technology and
we now have seven Wi-Fi 7 access
points on the market, to suit every kind
of need and budget.
While the arrival of Wi-Fi 6 and 6E
and many more client devices that can
make use of this standard may have
gone largely unnoticed by all those
businesses still using older wireless
technologies, it's hard to imagine that
they've been able to avoid hearing at
least something about Wi-Fi 7. We've
certainly been doing our best to make
sure that partners and their customer
know all about its potential benefits.
THE RIGHT TIME
It's the right time to be making positive
noises around wireless upgrades. Yes,
they may still be doing a job for many
businesses, but it is 14 years since the
Wi-Fi 4 standard was published and Wi-
Fi 5 has been around for 11 years.
Many of the client devices connecting to
these older access points and routers
will have Wi-Fi 6 capability, so users
won't be getting the kind of Wi-Fi
performance they should be getting.
Both businesses and users are starting
to sense that an upgrade to their
wireless networking is now long
overdue. Many of them have been
holding back since the COVID
pandemic and had to prioritise
technology spending in other areas.
They are now looking once again at
their wider infrastructure to make sure
that staff can make the best use of
cloud services, video conferencing and
collaboration, and the richer content
that is being generated by AI; to meet
the heightened demands placed on the
network by the increased volume of
data being generated and the need to
keep cybersecurity protection apps
running constantly in the background.
LATENT DEMAND
This latent demand for wireless
networking updates was gathering pace
throughout 2024 and at Zyxel Networks
we saw sales of Wi-Fi 6 / 6E products
escalating rapidly. As I mentioned
earlier, this is now a trusted technology
and for many businesses and domestic
users it will deliver robust performance
and improved support in busy office
environments or cafes, for example,
where users are coming and going all
the time and in which densities may vary
from a handful to scores of connections
throughout the day.
We've continued to see strong sales of
Wi-Fi 6 / 6E devices in the early part of
this year and we expect this standard to
be the best-seller in 2025. At the same
time, we are also seeing Wi-Fi 7 sales
climbing and we think many businesses
will now start to see this as the best
investment option when they upgrade
their Wi-Fi.
THREE REASONS
There are three main reasons why you
might choose Wi-Fi 7 over Wi-Fi 6 / 6E.
First, where you do really need the extra
throughput. As I mentioned earlier,
bandwidth demands continue to grow
and as that happens, you need to
provide more capacity right across the
network. We're seeing strong and
growing demand for multi-gig and
higher speed aggregation switches and
many organisations now want to run
10G out to client endpoints on the wired
infrastructure. If you want to match that
with Wi-Fi, you really do need Wi-Fi 7.
Second, more client devices that
support Wi-Fi 7 are now coming to
market. The significant change here is in
the laptop specifications and with most
new devices now supporting Wi-Fi 7, it
makes sense to support connections at
the highest possible speed and
throughput.
Third, it makes financial and business
sense to invest in the very latest
technology as this will give you better
future-proofing and return on investment.
Yes, you could try to hang on until the
next iteration of the standard arrives - but
Wi-Fi 8 is not expected until 2028, and
even then, it will need time to be fully
tested and ratified, and for products to
come to market.
GOOD RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Wi-Fi 7 meanwhile is growing in stature,
and is becoming more widely
supported, available and used. And
while there is still a gap between the
cost of Wi-Fi 6 / 6E and Wi-Fi 7, the
latter is also getting more affordable.
Zyxel Networks' Wi-Fi 7 access points
are available at prices that compare
favourably with those asked by other
vendors for Wi-Fi 6 / 6E devices.
For all these reasons it may well make
sense for many organisations to go
straight to Wi-Fi 7 in 2025, rather than
transition via Wi-Fi 6 / 6E. The
technology that they invest in now will
almost certainly be in use for the next five
years, and as most updates can be
applied through our Nebula cloud
management platform, there is no
question they will get a good return on
their investment in Wi-Fi 7 technology. NC
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK @NCMagAndAwards
MAY/JUNE 2025 NETWORKcomputing 11
OPINION: BACKUP AND RECOVERY
BACKUP AND RECOVERY: WHY BUSINESSES MUST BE BETTER PREPARED
ARE ORGANISATIONS DOING ENOUGH TO BACKUP AND PROTECT THEIR DATA? FRANK
DEBENEDETTO, GTM GENERAL MANAGER, BACKUP SUITE, KASEYA TALKS US THROUGH THE
FINDINGS OF KASEYA'S STATE OF BACKUP AND RECOVERY REPORT 2025
Most organisations are well aware of the
need for a robust backup and
recovery strategy to protect their data
against data loss. But, as a recent Kaseya
survey of more than 3,000 IT professionals
worldwide found, around a third are worried
about how well their organisation is prepared
for cyber threats and other incidents.
According to the State of Backup and Recovery
Report 2025: Navigating the Future of Data
Protection, only 40% of respondents currently
feel confident in their backup systems - and
many are experiencing challenges when it
comes to implementing strong data protection
strategies, from security concerns to timeconsuming
backup processes.
DISSATISFACTION WITH BACKUP
TOOLS
Across surveyed organisations, over half of
workloads and applications are currently run in
the public cloud, and this percentage is
expected to grow further. Most businesses
therefore use a multi-cloud strategy in a bid to
enhance their backup resilience and flexibility.
However, managing those diverse IT
environments can be complex.
Many businesses reported challenges in
optimising their backup processes and are
struggling with time-consuming management
tasks. For example, over half of respondents
said their IT teams already spend more than two
hours per day or more than 10 hours per week
monitoring, managing and troubleshooting
backups. This issue is only exacerbated when
using multiple backup tools.
Moreover, while organisations currently rely
on an average of more than three backup
solutions, this does not give them the
confidence that they are well protected. A third
of respondents said their company's backup
and recovery situation was causing them
nightmares, with another 30% worrying
that their organisation doesn't have an
adequate backup and recovery
solution in place.
In fact, over half of respondents
plan to switch to a different primary
backup solution in the coming year,
highlighting gaps in performance,
reliability and ease of use.
CONCERNS ABOUT SECURITY ISSUES
Strong security measures are critical for
protecting backups and addressing potential
vulnerabilities, especially with the rapid growth
in sensitive data that is being handled and
stored by businesses. While most organisations
(75%) have policies and controls in place to
secure workloads across public cloud,
endpoints, SaaS apps and servers, the report
found that a quarter still lack essential
safeguards. As businesses move towards
increasingly hybrid environments, this gap can
result in significant security risks.
Additional vulnerabilities arise when
organisations don't implement strong access
controls. Securing sensitive account credentials
is a key aspect of backup system integrity, but
according to the report, the methods used by
businesses to achieve this vary widely. Only
around one-third use dedicated password
managers, while others rely on document
storage solutions (22%), IT documentation
software (19%) - or even pen and paper (12%).
Worryingly, 5% admitted they do not manage
credentials at all.
INFREQUENT TESTING RESULTS IN A
LACK OF PREPAREDNESS
Budget constraints and a lack of resources force
businesses to compromise on the robustness of
their backup strategies as well as the frequency
of testing. Only 15% of respondents carry out
daily backup tests. Around a quarter test their
backups weekly and another 24% test once a
month, running a significant risk of not being
able to recover in the event of a disaster.
In addition, only around 1 in 10 businesses
perform daily disaster recovery tests, with many
12 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
OPINION: BACKUP AND RECOVERY
organisations only managing much longer
testing cycles - 21% quarterly and 13%
annually. Even more concerning is that 12%
of businesses test their recovery capabilities on
an ad-hoc basis or not at all, which could
make them highly susceptible to businesscrippling
outages.
This sporadic testing means many
organisations are ill-prepared for downtime
events and unable to restore operations fast.
While 60% of respondents were confident
that they would be able to recover in under a
day, only 35% could do so in reality when hit
by an on-premises outage in the past year.
Recovery times for data stored in SaaS
applications and the cloud are also slow.
Only around 40% of respondents believe they
can recover lost SaaS data in a matter of
hours, with others needing days or weeks to
restore it (35%). And an alarming 40% of
respondents stated they would need days or
weeks to recover public cloud data.
PLANNING AND TESTING ARE KEY
As data protection becomes ever more
business-critical and more complex,
organisations will have to adopt more
reliable strategies and systems to safeguard
data across on-premises, cloud and SaaS
platforms. Importantly, any data protection
strategy must include a concrete plan for
scalability, ensuring it can evolve to
accommodate future technologies, new
workloads and growing storage needs.
To start with, organisations should pinpoint
their most critical data and applications;
ensuring that these are protected and
recoverable is a priority. To minimise
downtime and data loss during incidents,
Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and
Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) must be
clearly defined and aligned with business
continuity plans.
Next, businesses should implement
consistent backup policies across all their onpremises,
cloud and SaaS environments -
including regular updates to reflect ongoing
changes in technology, regulations, business
requirements and business priorities.
Multilayered security measures with strict
access controls, reinforced by staff training,
are essential to help protect the backup
systems themselves. In addition, the backup
infrastructure must include a high level of
ransomware protection, which can be
achieved by using immutable and air-gapped
storage to ensure data integrity in the event of
an attack. Regularly auditing backup systems
with periodic security assessments can identify
and address potential vulnerabilities.
Organisations will only know that their
backups are working if they test them
repeatedly and regularly. Therefore,
maintaining a regular testing schedule is the
only way to guarantee data integrity - and the
ability to quickly recover should disaster strike.
Finally, achieving strong data protection is a
long-term commitment that requires
continuous investment. Smart tools including
behavioural analytics and machine learning
can help improve efficiency and reliability by
predicting failures, optimising backup
schedules and automating recovery
processes. Businesses that keep innovating
and leveraging advanced technologies will
find it easier to keep up with their fastchanging
backup needs. NC
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK @NCMagAndAwards
MAY/JUNE 2025 NETWORKcomputing 13
OPINION: DATA CENTRES
PIVOTING DATA CENTRE DESIGN AROUND STORAGE
WENDELL WENJEN, DIRECTOR OF STORAGE MARKET
DEVELOPMENT, SUPERMICRO, EXPLAINS HOW STORAGE IS OFTEN
OVERLOOKED WHEN DESIGNING DATA CENTRES, AND WHY THAT
URGENTLY NEEDS TO CHANGE
AI prevalence is a key topic when
exploring data centre workloads. It's
clear that the technology has
permeated the strategies behind how
business set goals and operate, but there are
core storage limitations that prevent success.
The industries affected by this include high
performance computing (HPC),
hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI), media
and entertainment production, and
hyperscalers. However, the strategies to
mitigate such limitations can vary. This article
will explore these solutions and guide
businesses on the best methods to integrate
robust storage architecture into their data
centre design.
SOFTWARE-DEFINED STORAGE VS
PROPRIETARY SOLUTIONS
Having a software-defined storage approach
has significant benefits over more traditional
and proprietary storage applications. A
proprietary approach, while popular for many
years, has limitations in high cost, vendor
lock-in and limited solution availability. This is
specifically due to the need to use specific
software in tandem with the custom hardware
in play. Software-oriented solutions navigate
this limitation with storage-optimised servers
hosting purpose-built management software
allowing for specialised solutions for a variety
of workloads.
These solutions combine scale-out parallel
file systems, object storage systems and
scale-up networks with the right
combination of workload optimised solid
state and hard disk drives for bespoke, and
more successful delivery. Additionally, by
integrating more of the new networking and
system technologies such as RoCE (RDMA
over Converged Ethernet), GPUDirect
Storage (GDS), CXL (Compute eXpress Link)
and PCIe Gen 5 data centres can tap into
additional performance benefits and new
functional capabilities.
FINDING THE RIGHT FIT
Businesses can only find the right storage mix
through experimentation. As a result, robust
solution engineering, testing and qualification
matters. Whilst software-defined methods
theoretically can use any combination of
system hardware, storage media, software
and networking, the reality is much different.
In practice the specific combination must be
tested and quantified to ensure operation in
the field is reliable and consistent. This is
something that the overarching solution
architect and integrator needs to consider
when allocating resources.
Additionally, the system architect needs to
make sure they have their finger on the
industry's pulse. Staying on top of rapid
innovations across system architecture, CPU
design, SSD and HDD design and capacity,
networking and storage software is vital when
selecting the right combination of hardware
and software. This is often done jointly with
the technology partners, including the
software provider, to achieve optimal
performance and cost metrics.
HAVING AN AI MINDSET
Given the pervasiveness of AI across data
centres, every storage solution needs to
factor in AI into operations even in instances
where it is not the primary workload. For
example, while parallel file systems such as
WEKA and DDN have been designed for
HPC and AI training workloads, enterprisefocused
HCI solutions from Nutanix support
AI inference workloads with ChatGPT-in-a-
Box functionality. Object storage software
from DDN, Cloudian, Quantum and
OSNexus is used either as a capacity tier for
a parallel file system or directly used for AI
training workloads.
WHAT THE FUTURE HAS IN STORE
Data centre storage will always be a key
discussion point for how data centres can
overcome their limitations and bridge the
gap into more demanding workloads. The
implementation of customer specific
enterprise AI models and applications is a
critical milestone for general AI adoption
and aggregation, with the common factor
being their enterprise data backbone. To
ease this, we expect businesses will look to
the adoption of data lakes and lakehouses
for aggregating data parsing
through it.
Finally, as the sources of enterprise data
continue to expand, and the need to update
AI models in real-time via event-driven
frameworks increases, more automated data
orchestration through sophisticated
management software will be critical. NC
14 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
PRODUCT REVIEW
LiveAction
LiveNX 25.1
PRODUCT REVIEW
PRODUCT
REVIEWPRODUCT RE
The exponential growth and complexity of
enterprise networks are presenting network
administrators with new challenges. To
effectively manage and monitor network
performance they need a solution that provides
total visibility, and yet many products are merely
a disparate collection of point solutions with little
correlation across them, making it difficult to
accurately pinpoint the root cause of problems.
Recently acquired by network optimisation
experts BlueCat Networks, LiveAction's LiveNX
stands out as this network monitoring, analytics
and visualisation platform presents a single
pane of glass for end-to-end visibility across onpremises,
hybrid, SD-WAN and cloud
environments. Nothing is beyond its scope as it
collects data from multiple sources including
SNMP, wireless, applications plus devices and
supports multi-vendor networks such as Cisco,
Palo Alto, Fortinet, AWS, Azure and many more.
LiveNX can be virtualised on VMware, KVM
or Hyper-V hosts, in the cloud on AWS, Azure
or Google Cloud and delivered as a hardware
appliance. Its distributed architecture makes it
highly flexible as collector nodes can be
located in remote locations to offload data
processing and reduce WAN traffic.
The well-designed Operations Dashboard
offers discovery services for easy device
onboarding which can be scheduled to run
regularly. On completion, discovered devices
can be placed in groups to visually and
logically organise them, allowing relevant
critical information to be easily accessed.
Smart dashboards present high-level network
health views and widgets make it easy for
NetOps and SecOps teams to customise it to
their requirements. You can see the status of all
monitored sites along with device availability
and utilisation, check on the top WAN
applications by bandwidth usage and apply
filters to refine the information.
Using advanced flow analytics, LiveNX
provides hop-by-hop visualisations that
dynamically show traffic paths with QoS
(quality of service) monitoring and intelligent
overlays. This allows support staff to isolate
and remediate issues such as bottlenecks or
misrouted traffic in minutes, thus ensuring
minor problems don't become major outages.
The WAN dashboard presents overviews of
sites, applications and service providers
including breakdowns of capacity, the top
alerts plus application group bandwidth and its
utilisation monitoring provides predictions of
future usage. LiveNX is a great choice for
enterprises migrating from MPLS circuits to SD-
WANs as its Geo Topology map shows how
traffic is being steered across the network and
moving from one service provider to another -
ideal for presenting support teams with a
global heads-up wallboard display.
Application-aware performance monitoring
down to Layer 7 provides deep visibility into
business-critical apps such as Microsoft 365,
Zoom and SalesForce. Alert smokescreens for
all network issues are also avoided as multitier
alerting and an intelligent correlation
engine ensure support staff focus on the
events that matter. LiveNX uses AI-powered
anomaly detection to baseline normal
behaviour patterns, detect anomalies in realtime
and provide timely alerts based on
predictive performance insights. Even better,
the LiveAssist conversational UX service will
answer your questions to help interpret and act
on critical network issues.
LiveAction's LiveWire appliances provide high
fidelity packet capture plus deep packet
inspection (DPI) and their seamless integration
with LiveNX allows it to deliver precise root
cause analysis. There's more as the LiveNX
Insight module uses machine learning to
identify network anomalies that have the
potential to cause problems.
LiveAction's LiveNX takes all the pain points
out of managing complex enterprise networks
as it seamlessly integrates its myriad network
and application performance monitoring
functions into a single, unified platform. Its
smart interface presents a global end-to-end
view of your entire network making it easy to
identify and troubleshoot problems while its
simple architecture allows it to scale easily with
demand now and well into the future. NC
Product: LiveNX 25.1
Supplier: LiveAction
Web site: www.liveaction.com
Sales: +44 (0)800 098 8040
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK MAY/JUNE 2025 15
NETWORKcomputing
@NCMagAndAwards
OPINION: INTERNET MONITORING
AVOIDING OUTAGES WITH ADVANCED MONITORING
GREG COLLINS, PRODUCT
MARKETING MANAGER AT
PROGRESS, EXPLAINS WHY
ENTERPRISES NEED ADVANCED
INTERNET CONNECTION
MONITORING FOR EACH OF
THEIR REMOTE SITES
It's an all-too-familiar scenario for network
administrators - stopping work on a
Friday with everything running smoothly,
only to return Monday to a nightmare of
system-wide outages with alerts flashing and
a flood of user messages. Servers being
down, even momentarily, can cause
disruption, costly IT support time, downtime
and loss of business.
Internet outages give network
administrators headaches for network
administrators and there are significant
challenges to identifying these issues as they
happen. Organisations need a 24/7 service
that monitors their internet connection from
anywhere, alerting them via email or SMS
because speed of response is critical.
IT professionals need real-time visibility
into network traffic to detect and analyse
ongoing issues, minimise downtime and
facilitate efficient responses to
performance bottlenecks. This is where
Internet Connection Monitoring comes
in, notifying administrators of outages or
instability within their IT infrastructure
and facilitating them to take swift
corrective action.
Continuous monitoring of the entire
network estate has benefits beyond
reducing downtime. It can maintain
productivity without significant
disruptions and enhance operational
resilience by avoiding delayed
notifications during outages.
16 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
OPINION: INTERNET MONITORING
THE CHALLENGES FACING
NETWORK MANAGERS
A significant challenge network
administrators face when countering
internet outages is their existing alerts and
notifications, which cause confusion and
delays. Firstly, on-premises notification
systems don't work independently of the
primary internet or email services, leading
to delayed notifications and longer outage
times. An administrator would expect an
immediate notification when a problem
occurs. Yet, in the scenario of a primary
internet or email server outage, this
notification may come later or not at all.
This can extend the outage time, as the
service team is oblivious to the issue.
Dial-up and GSM modems aren't viable
for most customers due to their complexity
and the additional infrastructure requires a
literal dial-up or GSM modem. The main
problem is that the dial-up modems of
most service providers have depreciated
the technology used for this, known as the
TAP protocol for sending text messages
using dial-up.
CURRENT IT INFRASTRUCTURE
MONITORING MARKET
EXPECTATIONS
As tech estates grow and become more
complex and network threats escalate in
prevalence and impact, network
administrators and their organisations are
raising their expectations. They now expect
IT infrastructure monitoring platforms to
deliver a centralised management system
for remote sites so they can identify any
issues centrally from a single interface.
The ability to generate contextualised
insights and analytics from their data is
also essential. Trends and patterns can be
used to focus on specific vulnerabilities
that might cause problems. An easy-to-use
interface is essential to make the
technology equally accessible to tech and
non-tech stakeholders.
With the budgetary challenges facing
tech teams, they can't afford to overlook a
flexible license model without adding
more bandwidth, as monthly ISP
bandwidth charges are costly. With the
ability to drill-down to identify the sources
and destinations of their internet traffic,
the applications consuming bandwidth
and the users of those applications,
network managers can maintain their
business-critical applications and have the
necessary bandwidth.
THE IMPORTANCE OF NETWORK
TRAFFIC ANALYSIS
Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) is part of an
IT Infrastructure Monitoring solution, which
elevates network admins' understanding of
their networks to a superior level across
on-premises, cloud or hybrid estates. NTA
has three key features that keep networks
safe and running smoothly:
1. Monitor Network Traffic
It is essential to have a solution that
collects network traffic and bandwidth
usage data from any flow-enabled device
on the network. It should support Cisco's
NetFlow and NetFlow-Lite as well as NSEL
protocols, J-Flow, sFlow and IPFIX. An
enterprise-level network traffic monitoring
solution, like Progress WhatsUp Gold's
Network Traffic Analysis Plus (NTA+),
should help network pros reduce
troubleshooting time and determine the
root cause of network and application
performance issues.
2. Receive Alerts
Specialist solutions, such as the Progress
WhatsUp Gold product, provide
threshold-based alerting to help address
bandwidth problems before they impact
users, applications and the business. With
a direct line in from each remote site to
the cloud, for instance AWS Azure and
Google networks along with hybrid cloud
environments, network managers will
receive an instant email or SMS
notification of any internet outage or
instability. It also alerts administrators
when senders or receivers' interface traffic
exceeds utilisation thresholds, failed
connections and the number of
conversation partner thresholds.
3. Report
With built-in dashboards to view the
network flow data gathered by the
collector, organisations can easily identify
any network delays, outages,
configuration issues or performance
degradation. Network managers can
better understand traffic patterns and
identify any bandwidth hogs by filtering
each dashboard report by date, time or
traffic type.
ADOPTING NEXT-LEVEL NETWORK
TRAFFIC VISIBILITY
In a modern digital business environment,
NetOps professionals need to be able to
understand the health, uptime status and
utilisation of IT assets like servers or
network components. With complete
transparency across the entire network
path, they have visibility into problems
beyond their local network.
The rise of cloud adoption also means
that analysing bandwidth consumption
across hybrid cloud networks is essential.
With the most advanced continuous
network monitoring tools, organisations
will be able to track real-time user
experience and proactively manage
application performance.
With the ability to leverage historical
data potentially going back years,
network administrators can determine
network traffic trends that will forecast
future expansion and maintain smooth
company operations. NC
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK @NCMagAndAwards
MAY/JUNE 2025 NETWORKcomputing 17
OPINION: AI
WELCOMING AI
TAL BARMEIR, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, BLINQIO, ON HOW UK WORKPLACES ARE ADAPTING TO
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping
industries globally, particularly in the
UK. In my discussions with professionals
there has been a noticeable shift towards AI,
influenced by its potential to streamline
operations and enhance innovative growth.
Here, I'll share some insights into why UK
employers and employees are becoming
increasingly receptive to AI, highlighting
unique perspectives from recent webinars with
test engineers.
AI IS EASING JOB SECURITY
CONCERNS
I think one of the most pressing concerns
among UK test engineers is the fear of job loss
due to AI integration. This is a valid concern
that echoes a broader apprehension about AI
across various sectors. However, I've noticed a
turning point where more professionals are
recognising AI's role as a support rather than a
substitute. By maintaining a 'human in the
loop,' companies can ensure a smoother
transition where AI enhances job roles and
efficiency without displacing the workforce.
AI'S DUAL IMPACT IN THE WORKPLACE
The implementation of AI in the UK workplace
presents both opportunities and challenges. AI
tools have proven effective in reducing often
arduous tasks and enhancing decision-making
through data-driven insights. Yet, the
integration process can be daunting,
necessitating new skills and adaptability
among employees. Effective communication
about these changes is essential, helping to set
clear expectations and mitigate concerns
about AI's role in daily activities.
GENERATIVE AI AND CREATIVE
EXPANSION
In my opinion, generative AI stands out for its
potential to revolutionise job roles and
enable creativity, particularly in fields like
software testing. Where repetitive tasks can
be automated, there's a significant
opportunity for employees to engage in more
creative and strategic endeavours. Recent
studies, including PwC's 2024 report,
highlights seventy three percent of users
believe these tools will unlock creative
potential at work, underscoring a positive shift
in perception towards generative AI.
THE SHIFT TOWARDS AI-FIRST
DEVELOPMENT
Observing the trends in software
development within the UK, there's a clear
movement towards an AI-first approach. This
strategy isn't just about incorporating AI but
fundamentally rethinking how software is
created and maintained. AI's ability to adapt
and learn from ongoing processes is
improving software reliability and
functionality, marking a significant
advancement in development practices.
NAVIGATING CHANGE AND
ENSURING INCLUSION
The integration of AI into UK workplaces
requires thoughtful change management
strategies, something employers are warming
up to. From the numerous webinars I've
hosted, it's clear that transitioning to AIsupported
roles involves not only technical
training but also reassurance and support. I
think that emphasising the importance of
humans in supervising and working alongside
AI can help alleviate these fears and
encourage a more welcoming approach to
technological changes.
REALISING AI'S ABILITY TO PERFORM
COMPLEX TESTING
The strategic advantages of AI in settings like
testing are becoming more evident. AI's ability
to perform complex tests with little human
intervention has not only cut down on time to
market but has also significantly enhanced the
quality of outcomes. As companies in the UK
leverage AI for testing, they're seeing real value
in faster, more accurate results, which in turn
supports broader business objectives.
As AI continues to permeate various aspects
of work life in the UK, the focus should remain
on education, clear communication, and the
continued involvement of human expertise to
guide AI integration. By addressing AI as a tool
for enhancement rather than replacement, UK
workplaces can navigate the future with
optimism and ensure that AI serves to augment
the workforce, leading to greater productivity
and innovation. NC
18 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
OPINION: AI SKILLS
BRIDGING THE AI SKILLS GAP
TARGETED DEVELOPMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO ENCOURAGE AI UPTAKE FROM NON-TECHNICAL
EMPLOYEES, ACCORDING TO M-FILES
Despite billions invested in AI solutions
worldwide, a major roadblock
remains: employees don't understand
how to use these tools effectively. Without
proper guidance, businesses risk stalled
adoption, wasted investment, and an inability
to realise AI's full potential. This hesitation is
hindering AI adoption and limiting its benefits
within organisations.
Recent research indicates that only 6% of
workers feel very comfortable utilising AI in
their roles. This stark statistic highlights a
significant skills gap that businesses must
address. A McKinsey Global Survey found that
while 85% of businesses have AI initiatives in
place, only 25% of employees feel they
understand how to apply them to their roles.
This gap stems from a lack of training,
uncertainty about AI's role, and concerns over
job security. Without a confident and
competent workforce, even the most
advanced AI strategies will struggle to deliver
meaningful impact.
According to Yohan Lobo, Senior Industry
Solutions Manager a M-Files, the key to
successful AI integration lies in a focused and
purposeful approach: "Instead of deploying AI
widely without clear objectives, organisations
must ensure that AI solutions serve a specific
purpose and align with employee needs." Key
considerations for encouraging AI adoption
businesses should consider are:
1. Clarifying AI's purpose
Clearly articulating why AI is being integrated
into a particular business area is essential.
Employees should understand the specific
challenges AI is addressing and the expected
outcomes, ensuring transparency and
alignment with business objectives.
2. Ensuring data quality and reliability
Trust in AI solutions is fundamental. If
employees doubt the accuracy or reliability of
AI-generated outputs, they are unlikely to
engage with the technology. Businesses must
ensure their AI models are built on highquality,
relevant data and produce consistently
reliable results.
3. Driving AI adoption with employee buy-in
and champions
Successful AI adoption hinges on employee
enthusiasm rather than enforcement.
Organisations can foster this by showcasing
real-world benefits and success stories while
appointing AI champions-trusted team
members who advocate for the technology,
provide hands-on support, and address
concerns. These champions act as a bridge
between employees and leadership, ensuring a
confident, informed, and seamless transition to
AI-powered workflows.
4. Simplifying AI tools
Employees should not need technical expertise
to leverage AI effectively. The most successful AI
solutions are user-friendly, intuitive and fit
seamlessly into daily work without specialist
knowledge to deliver accurate results.
Prioritising ease of use will accelerate adoption
and drive efficiency.
5. Maintaining clear AI policies
A structured AI governance framework is
crucial to ensuring employees understand the
organisation's stance on AI adoption. Clear
guidelines should outline ethical
considerations, data privacy policies, and the
intended scope of AI use.
"AI integration becomes a much easier
process when employees actively want this
technology instead of having it forced upon
them," says Yohan. "The key is to show
employees how AI enhances - not replaces -
their work. When they see real value, adoption
follows. Companies must ensure that AI tools
are intuitive, reliable, and demonstrably
beneficial to employees' daily tasks. Without
this, adoption will remain a challenge.
"Without a workforce that trusts and
understands AI, even the most sophisticated
tools will remain underutilised. Businesses need
to take a structured approach, ensuring AI
solutions are introduced with clear goals,
proper training, and employee support
mechanisms in place."
Yohan concluded: "Ultimately, AI is only as
effective as the workforce that uses it. Even the
most advanced solutions will fall short if
employees are not fully convinced of their value.
Businesses should conduct an AI-readiness
assessment to identify skill gaps and ensure their
workforce is equipped for success. By focusing
on education, clarity, and usability,
organisations can foster widespread AI
adoption and unlock its
full potential." NC
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK @NCMagAndAwards
MAY/JUNE 2025 NETWORKcomputing 19
OPINION: THE SKILLS GAP
A GAP IN THE CLOUD
SAM WOODCOCK, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CLOUD STRATEGY AND ENABLEMENT AT 11:11
SYSTEMS, OUTLINES THE ADVANTAGES OF PARTNERING TO OVERCOME THE TECHNOLOGY
SKILLS GAP IN CLOUD COMPUTING
For organisations that are always trying
to leverage the latest technology to gain
an edge over their competitors, utilising
public cloud computing is at the top of the
list for most decision makers. The scalability
and cost-effectiveness, along with businesses
not needing to invest in traditional
infrastructure and having it managed by a
third party, offers a myriad benefits for
companies in all industries.
However, migrating an entire organisation's
data and workflows to a public cloud is a
daunting and complicated task, and it is
difficult to even know where to begin. This is
also heavily impacted by the technology skills
gap, an issue which the industry is facing as a
whole and has been a much-discussed
problem over the past few years. Essentially,
the number of skilled workers does not meet
the level required in the industry, leading to
stifled business growth. Areas that require
specialised and niche knowledge, like
cybersecurity and cloud migration, are
particularly affected.
Obviously, the technology skills gap is not an
issue that any one organisation can solve, but
for companies that want to migrate their data
to a public cloud and lack the expertise to do
so, partnering with a specialist will help close
the skills gap.
DATA SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE
One of the most pressing concerns for
businesses when considering cloud migration
is ensuring the security of mission critical
data. Unsecured networks can lead to data
breaches, whether through a malicious
attack from a threat actor, or a genuine
mistake by an employee. A data breach can
have untold consequences on a business.
From loss of revenue incurred from the cost
to fix the issue and associated downtime, to
a loss of customer and partner trust.
Therefore, it is no surprise that decisionmakers
might be apprehensive about taking
their data from an internal server and
migrating it to a public cloud.
Additionally, many businesses must adhere to
strict industry standards surrounding the
safeguarding of their data, particularly in
heavily regulated sectors such as healthcare
and finance. Businesses must understand these
regulations, including DORA, NIS 2, and
GDPR, and how they apply when considering
cloud migration. This can become even more
complicated for global businesses, as different
territories often have their own unique
standards and requirements.
To address these risks, working with a cloud
service provider to understand how to
configure the chosen public cloud will ensure
the correct cybersecurity protocols are in place
20 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
OPINION: THE SKILLS GAP
to protect organisational data. Service
providers can lend the specific expertise
needed to achieve this, especially as most
organisations are unlikely to have this
knowledge as part of their in-house IT team.
An external cloud provider will also be
familiar with any relevant industry
regulations, ensuring that the cloud platform
is compliant.
LEGACY SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
Another key issue that can cause decisionmakers
to be hesitant about migrating key
workflows to the cloud is integrating legacy
systems into the new network. A lot of vital
applications used by businesses pre-date
cloud technology, and as such are not
designed to operate in a cloud environment.
These systems, which in many cases are
key to the function of the business, may
require substantial modification to ensure
compatibility with the new environment.
Furthermore, migrating these applications
could lead to downtime if not done correctly.
Working with a cloud partner is key to
ensuring any legacy applications are
correctly configured for a new cloud
environment. The cloud service provider is
able to fully audit existing IT infrastructure
and identify which systems can be migrated
easily and which will need to be modified,
as well as know how they will need to be
reconfigured. A cloud partner can also
provide a plan of the best way to enact the
migration to minimise downtime and make
sure the new cloud environment is tailored
to the organisation's needs.
COST MANAGEMENT
Cost-effectiveness is one of the key benefits
of cloud computing, and one of the main
reasons the C-suite is interested in utilising it.
The fact that companies only pay for the
storage they use, and do not have to invest
in infrastructure, can represent a significant
decrease in costs in the long term.
In the short term, however, and especially
when it comes to migration, businesses can
incur unexpected expenses. This can be due
to several factors, including inadequate
planning, unforeseen disruptions, or the
need for additional resources.
Another key issue is understanding public
cloud pricing structures, as these can be
extremely complex and vary from provider to
provider. Migrating to the cloud without
knowing what the business needs to pay for
can lead to overspending on redundant or
underutilised services.
This is another area where making use of a
cloud partner can lead to a much smoother
migration process. A cloud partner will have
a deep understanding of the pricing
structures of each public cloud and
following a thorough cost analysis of the
migration plan, will be able to ensure the
business is only paying for the services that
are needed. The partner will be able to
identify pre-migration usage, project future
needs, and choose the appropriate service
model for the organisation.
OPTIMISING AND MONITORING
PERFORMANCE
While the actual migration itself is the
most complicated part of the process, it is
vital that businesses take the correct postmigration
steps, chiefly monitoring and
optimising performance. Following the
migration, organisations might see issues
related to latency, bandwidth, or resource
allocation. No matter how
comprehensive the migration plan is,
there are always unforeseen issues that
can only be discovered once the system is
up and running.
Without a cloud partner, it might be difficult
for organisations that lack the in-house
expertise to recognise and optimise these
challenges. Partnering with a specialist who
can track the health of cloud-based systems
and identify performance bottlenecks will
ensure the best outcome following a
successful cloud migration.
Cloud migration presents exciting
opportunities for businesses and can form
the backbone of a modernisation or
digitisation strategy. It is therefore imperative
that organisations have the correct expertise
at their disposal to make sure the process is
as smooth as possible, and that the benefits
of the cloud are fully realised.
With the cyber skills gap contributing to a
lack of in-house knowledge and experience,
having a relationship with a cloud partner
that can fill those gaps is the best way to
have a worthwhile and headache-free
cloud migration. NC
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK @NCMagAndAwards
MAY/JUNE 2025 NETWORKcomputing 21
OPINION: AI
BEYOND DEEPSEEK
JULIUS CERNIAUSKAS, CEO AT OXYLABS POSES THREE CRITICAL
QUESTIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF AI
The year 2025 started with a shockwave
for the AI community. Launched by a
relatively obscure Chinese startup,
DeepSeek not only challenged the rules of the
AI game by sending Nvidia's stock
plummeting 17% in one day and becoming
the most-downloaded app on the App Store
and Play Store, but also showed the persisting
security problems by accidentally exposing its
database and leaking sensitive data including
chat histories, API keys and backend
operational details.
Success and failures aside, DeepSeek made
the world realise how quickly and deeply a
single AI model release can impact global
events, and this raises three questions. First,
how legitimate (and sustainable) are the
massive AI investments in the West? Second,
what risks and opportunities does opensource
development pose? Finally, is it
possible to balance growth and innovation
with data privacy and security amidst a global
AI race?
WESTERN AI - THE EMPEROR WITH
NO CLOTHES?
The claim that DeepSeek's model training cost
a mere $6 million is questionable at best and
blatantly false at worst: SemiAnalysis
speculates about $1.3 billion in server capital
expenditure, meaning that modest training
costs were backed by way larger infrastructure
expenditures. Even so, there is reason to
believe that DeepSeek AI still costs a fraction
of Western models' development costs.
We will no doubt discover more details in
the coming months, as evidence emerges
that the startup used datasets the big US
players spent a fortune on, a situation that
OpenAI is very unhappy about. Ironically,
OpenAI has been accused numerous times of
dubious data collection and copyright usage
practices themselves. Perhaps the greatest
paradox is that by putting a chokehold on
technological exports to China, the US
prompted Chinese engineers to innovate
better and do more with less.
What matters more than the exact
development costs, however, is the broader
economic impact that cheaper LLMs will have
on the AI industry. As venture capitalists and
tech giants reassess their investment strategies,
DeepSeek's scrappy approach suggests that
the path to AI leadership might require fewer
resources. This is already impacting how AI
services are priced and delivered to end users
and developers.
With API calls cheaper by an order of
magnitude - DeepSeek reportedly charges just
1.4 cents per million tokens compared to
Meta's $2.80 for the same output - the
Chinese player is changing the nature of the
game, lowering the barrier to entry for
different market players not only in the West,
but in the developing world as well. If
DeepSeek becomes the platform of choice
for budding AI developers, will it result in
even larger losses for incumbents?
DeepSeek is neither the only nor the last
"discounted" AI model to emerge from
China. Other Chinese LLMs also have the
advantage of being narrower in their use,
which means that they need less
computational resources to operate. This
helps them keep their pricing competitive -
Doubao 1.5-pro by ByteDance and Qwen
plus by Alibaba both cost $0.30 per 1
million tokens.
OPEN-SOURCE DILEMMA
DeepSeek's success sheds light on another
important aspect of the AI game - open vs.
closed-source systems. The Chinese startup
partially based its breakthrough model on
Meta's open-source Llama architecture, and
in a bold move, released its own models in
open-weights form. While Meta's Chief AI
Scientist Yann LeCun celebrated this as
proof that "open-source models are
surpassing proprietary ones," the new state
of affairs raises serious strategic concerns.
With a tariff war seemingly imminent, will an
AI war be waged in parallel, and where
does it put all security concerns?
22 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
OPINION: AI
The situation at hand has forced Western
AI leaders to reassess their positions on
open-source technology. In the aftermath of
DeepSeek's debut, OpenAI's CEO Sam
Altman admitted that his company might be
"on the wrong side of history" regarding its
open-source strategy, hinting at potential
changes in the near future. This move would
mean a return to open-source development,
which was abandoned after GPT-3 due to
safety concerns. Echoing this sentiment,
Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that
advancing "an American open source
standard is crucial" to maintain the country's
global advantage.
However, market competition is only
one side of the coin. Existing licensing
schemes weren't built for software
capable of leveraging vast swathes of
data from multiple sources, as Meta's VP
for AI research Joëlle Pineau pointed out.
This brings open-source AI into more or
less direct confrontation with data
protection efforts. Further, increased
technological complexity also brings
about liability issues - if an AI system
based on open-source models produces
harmful outputs, determining
responsibility becomes nearly impossible
when multiple contributors are involved.
SAFETY AND SECURITY DILEMMA
For most Western observers, DeepSeek's
rapid success raises critical questions about
data privacy and security. These concerns
mirror earlier debates about TikTok but with
potentially greater implications. All data
processed through DeepSeek's models is
stored on Chinese servers, raising serious
concerns about the different ways this data
can be put to use. Similarly, there exists the
issue of censorship and bias.
Users and journalists have already noticed
that DeepSeek's model refuses to respond to
queries about sensitive topics within China,
such as the Tiananmen Square massacre
and Uyghur detention camps. It is worth
noting that the thinking process of
DeepSeek's model (which you can openly
observe) is very advanced and probably not
that biased; however, the chatbot sitting
above the model is politically biased and
does all the censoring. While self-censorship
in AI models is nothing new, DeepSeek
shows a yet unseen marriage of technology
and political ideology.
Western AI firms, on the contrary, are
tightly bound by various ethical and legal
concerns, ranging from public outrages to
emerging AI regulation. The EU has just
kicked off the AI Act to protect fundamental
human rights and ensure ethical AI
development, but its implementation
presents significant challenges, made acute
by AI training data requirements.
By nature, LLMs need vast amounts of
data to ensure adequate contextual
comprehension and prevent bias or
hallucinations. For data providers, the new
regulation translates into new
responsibilities, as they now must
implement robust verification procedures to
ensure their infrastructure is not supporting
prohibited AI systems or collecting
copyright-protected information.
Moreover, although strict in certain areas,
the EU regulation is oddly loose in others.
For example, it provides important
exemptions for open-source AI systems,
even though the industry hasn't yet reached
a consensus on what "open-source AI" is.
This ambiguity creates opportunities for
exploitation, with companies using
loopholes to win legal exemptions.
Some experts, including Anthropic CEO
Dario Amodei, warn of broader strategic
implications this regulatory imbalance might
bring. With China directing more
technological focus, AI included, towards its
military-industrial complex, DeepSeek's
breakthrough could help China "take a
commanding lead on the global stage, not
just for AI but for everything". Especially
considering China's well-known cynical
attitudes toward data privacy and broader
societal implications.
THE ROAD FORWARD
DeepSeek and the many more models
that will inevitably follow it, signal an
urgent need for global coordination in AI
governance. The tech's dual-use
potential, coupled with its rapid and
uncontrolled proliferation, make it clear
that no single nation's regulatory
approach will be sufficient.
Today, talks of AI (and AGI in particular)
being an "existential risk" are not as
prominent as they were in 2023, when the
big tech giants called for "a regulatory
body overseeing AI to make sure that it
does not present a danger to the public".
However, while reduced alarmism should
be embraced as a positive development,
guardrails in the form of regulation are
needed more than ever before.
As with nuclear energy, what's needed is
an all-encompassing international
framework that addresses AI development,
deployment, and safety standards. This
framework must balance innovation with
security, establish clear guidelines for data
protection across borders, and most
importantly, create mechanisms for
monitoring and enforcement.
The EU's AI Act can be seen as a strong
enough starting point, but broader global
consensus is needed for issues, such as
data rights, the use of AI in military
conflicts, and open-source AI development
with possible proliferation of AI technology
in rogue states. Otherwise, we might be
facing a situation similar to that of a
teenager being able to build a DIY nuclear
reactor in their parents' garage. NC
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK @NCMagAndAwards
MAY/JUNE 2025 NETWORKcomputing 23
SECURITY UPDATE
WHY THERE SHOULD BE NO 'YOU' IN USB
JON FIELDING, MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR EMEA AT APRICORN
EXPLAINS WHY BUSINESSES CAN'T AFFORD TO LET USB STORAGE
DEVICES CREATE A STICKY SECURITY SITUATION
USB drives continues to pose a
considerable threat to data and
network security, with risks incuding
infecting systems with malware such as
ransomware, keylogging or spyware that are
used to capture access information. In
September 2024 we saw Mustang Panda,
a Chinese nation state actor, spread the
PUBLOAD malware variant using a selfpropagating
worm dubbed HIUPAN
via USB drives, for example, in a bid
to achieve persistent data
exfiltration. Interestingly, the attack
had previously been carried out
using spear phishing, suggesting
the USB was regarded as a
more effective way to achieve
these goals.
In fact, the humble
memory stick is often
used to infiltrate even
the most inaccessible
airgapped networks.
In October, the
Golden Jackal
hacking group
used USB drives
carrying
malware to
transfer data
from
airgapped
computers to those connected to the internet
in government organisations including an
EU building and an embassy in Belarus.
USBs often make the ideal vehicle to
sidestep such security measures enabling
attackers to target segregated systems
housing highly sensitive data.
The ease with which USB drives can be used
to exfiltrate data is not just limited to these
sophisticated attacks however, with employees
often using them to take data. A recent report
claimed that over half of IT security
professionals have seen company data stolen
via USB over the past two years, providing
some insight into the scale of the issue.
LONE USBS
Despite these risks, relatively few organisations
seek to restrict the types of USB devices that
their staff can use. Only half of USB devices
are supplied by employers and just a quarter
limit the type of USB to certain approved
manufacturers, which means the vast majority
are allowing any device chosen by the
individual to be brought onto the network.
Consequently, the business is unable to
enforce a minimum level of security.
Privately owned USB sticks may not have
encryption or are password protected, for
instance, with research suggesting a quarter
are unencrypted and almost a fifth do not
have a password or the ability to lock the
device. These base level protections can prove
invaluable in protecting data as they prevent it
from being viewed in the event the device
becomes lost or stolen.
Again, the scale of losses is concerning.
More than half of users claim to have lost a
24 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
SECURITY UPDATE
USB drive over the past two years of which
80% contained data from work. But users
will not always report a stolen device due to
inertia or fear of repercussions, so having
encryption in place can help to safeguard
data that the company may not even know
it has lost.
Yet, despite all the potential risks that a
rogue USB drive can pose, they remain a
critical tool in the workplace. They're widely
used to store or transfer data, with over a
third of users (34%) using these devices daily
and almost as many again (31%) using
them on a weekly basis. And over the course
of the past few decades they've become a
staple in the way we work due to their
convenience. But they do need to be taken
more seriously, starting with procurement.
GOVERNING USAGE
Businesses should be exerting more control,
either by specifying a manufacturer or
providing devices that incorporate security
measures. Governance should also be put
in place in the form of an acceptable use
policy. This should detail what constitutes a
sufficiently complex password, for example,
as well as what happens to these drives if
they become damaged or reach end of life.
When it becomes time for the device to be
wiped it's important to distinguish between
the user deleting data and proper data
sanitisation. Many users don't realise that
deleting files will not remove them
completely and that the data can be
recovered using free tools. In fact, only 16%
of users were aware of this risk whereas
almost double that number (30%) thought
deleted data was gone for good. If the
business owns the drive it becomes that
much easier to carry out proper data
sanitisation, which sees the data
permanently erased.
There are also steps the business can take
to monitor when USB devices are being
plugged in and even to prevent
unsanctioned ones from working on the
network. USB blocking sees a solution
housed on the endpoint determine who can
use them and the types of data that can be
downloaded on to them, with alerts
generated by any unauthorised USB activity.
In effect, ports are locked to all USBs by
default, making such solutions useful for
enforcing data loss prevention policies.
SELECTING USB STORAGE
So what should a business look for when
choosing a USB drive? Irrespective of
whether the company is buying devices
directly from the manufacturer or via a
reseller such as their MSSP, they should seek
to ensure it meets their security requirements
and also any compliance mandates. This
usually comes down to the industry
standards and accreditations the device
complies with.
In terms of encryption, the USB storage
device should support AES 256-bit
encryption and be FIPS 140-2 accredited.
Devices that use the Federal Information
Processing Standard (FIPS) have been tested
and validated by the US and Canadian
authorities with respect to cryptography,
which means the cryptographic algorithms
and key generation are government grade
and can be used in regulated industries. The
drive should also be TAA (Trade Agreements
Act) compliant, meaning it has been
manufactured or substantially engineered in
the US or a TAA-designated country as this
ensures it uses approved chipsets.
It's also vital to consider the firmware. If this
isn't sufficiently robust, it can be tampered
with and reprogrammed, turning the drive
into a malicious device. An attack known as
BadUSB utilises this approach and makes
the USB drive emulate the functions of a
keyboard, performing keystrokes that open a
PowerShell window to download malware.
Businesses should therefore look for USB
sticks that have their firmware locked down
to prevent this from happening.
In conclusion, USB storage devices
continue to be an important part of how
employees work and will remain a staple
means of transporting and storing data.
They offer unparalleled convenience,
flexibility and portability, which is why they
remain so popular. By providing employees
with a list of approved devices - or even
better, supplying these direct - and ensuring
there are built in safeguards such as
encryption and passwords, the business can
mitigate the risks associated with these
storage devices while retaining the benefits
they provide. NC
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK @NCMagAndAwards
MAY/JUNE 2025 NETWORKcomputing 25
SECURITY UPDATE
EFFECTIVE DATA LOSS PREVENTION
IWONA ZALEWSKA, REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR UK & IRELAND, DRAM BUSINESS MANAGER, EMEA
REGION, KINGSTON TECHNOLOGY ON WHY PREVENTION WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER THAN CURE IN
THE BATTLE TO KEEP DATA SECURE
Data loss due to security breaches is
what keeps CSO's awake at night -
and there is every indication that the
risk is growing. A report published in April from
Vodafone Business found that small and
medium-sized enterprises in the UK are
incurring annual losses amounting to £3.4
billion due to inadequate cybersecurity
measures. It's not only the security of sensitive
data that is in danger, but brand reputation
and the one-two punch of regulatory fines and
negative commercial impact.
It's a no-brainer, therefore, to place breach
prevention at the top of the cybersecurity
agenda, with strategies that combine processes
and tools that stop unauthorised access to
data before it can be used by bad actors.
To implement an effective Data Loss
Prevention (DLP) approach several security
tools can be used, the most vital of which is
strong encryption, however diligent attention to
detail at the implementation stage is the key to
ensuring DLP is successful in the long term.
BEST PRACTICES FOR IMPLEMENTING
DATA LOSS PREVENTION
1) Assessment
Start with an assessment of the company's
data. Some will be particularly critical and
should be prioritised for protection. Data can
be classified by context, such as by the source
app, the data store, or even by who created it,
making it easier to track.
2) C-suite buy-in
CSO's and the network team will implement
DLP, but the CFO and CEO must sign off the
budget for the programme. This means
presenting a strong case of the benefits for
individual business units, the efficient use of
assets and resources, the ability to address
pain points and minimise risk.
3) Objectives
Objectives might extend beyond simply
prevention to ensuring regulatory compliance,
protecting an IP or achieving improved data
visibility. Identifying priorities makes
deployment of DLP more efficient and in the
long term, more effective.
4) Approach
A company can take a project approach,
starting by focusing on data of a specific type.
Discovering and automating the classification
of the most sensitive or critical data is a good
place to start. Whatever classification of data
is chosen first, it must be applied across all
departments to ensure consistency.
5) Training
Training can reduce the risk of accidental data
loss by employees. Advanced DLP solutions
provide user prompting which notifies
employees that use of certain data will
contravene company or regulatory policy or
alerts them if their activity is deemed risky. This
might be forwarding business emails outside
the network perimeter or uploading critical
files to unauthorised cloud services.
6) Monitoring
Getting an understanding of how the
organisation's data is being used is
important. Monitoring data in motion helps
to identify risky behaviour, particularly with
sensitive files. Hybrid working means data is
at risk during transit or when it is used on
unprotected endpoints, but DLP will account
for this risk increase.
7) Setting KPIs
Metrics will gauge the success of a DLP
programme and should be agreed in
advance. Assessing KPIs will allow
improvements to be made and determine the
value that DLP is bringing to the organisation.
8) Tools
Preventing data loss means investing in the
right tools, and one of the best ways to do this
is through hardware-encrypted hard drives.
These are designed to suit organisations of all
sizes and are invaluable in shoring up
defences and bolstering DLP programmes.
As attack surfaces expand and work habits
change, data loss prevention will become
even more necessary. Companies will need
to commit to and retune their strategies
ensuring that personal information protection
and compliance, IP protection and data
visibility - the three tenets of a data loss
prevention programme - are in place. If DLP
demonstrates it has successfully combatted a
data loss risk or resolved a cyber incident, it
will be valuable proof that its deployment
was worthwhile. NC
26 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
OPINION: DATA ENGINEERING
DATA ENGINEERING IN THE AI ERA
MARI NILSSON BJÖRKMAN, GLOBAL TELECOM INDUSTRY LEAD AT SAS, ON
THE IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING WE HAVE TRUSTED DATA FOR RELIABLE AI
In the age of AI, data engineering has
become a foundational pillar for ensuring
the reliability, transparency, and
trustworthiness of AI-driven solutions in the
telecommunications industry. As telecom
organisations race to leverage AI for enhancing
network performance, optimising service
delivery, and enabling innovations such as IoT
and smart cities, the quality and governance of
the data feeding these AI models has never
been more crucial.
Without robust data engineering practices, AI
systems risk being built on flawed, incomplete,
or biased data, leading to a lack of
transparency and data lineage, as well as
unreliable outcomes that could impact both
operational efficiency and customer trust.
Research has shown that poor data quality costs
organisations over £10 million on average
annually, which makes it imperative for telcos to
prioritise data engineering excellence.
OPTIMISING NETWORK EFFICIENCY
With the rapid rollout of 5G, telco companies
are handling unprecedented volumes of data,
generated from millions of devices, sensors, and
network interactions. AI models can leverage
this vast dataset to drive predictive maintenance
by identifying potential network failures before
they occur, reducing downtime, energy
consumption and repair costs. They can also
automate network optimisations by dynamically
adjusting bandwidth allocation, load balancing,
and traffic routing to ensure seamless
connectivity. Additionally, AI-powered analytics
enhance customer experience by proactively
detecting service issues, personalising user
interactions, and streamlining support processes.
However, poor data quality, caused by
inconsistencies, duplication, or incomplete
records, can lead to inaccurate predictions,
operational inefficiencies, and costly mistakes,
ultimately undermining the benefits of AI-driven
automation.
STRENGTHENING AI RELIABILITY
One of the most pressing issues in AI-driven
telecom operations is data governance. Given
the sensitivity of network data and customer
information, CSPs must implement stringent
data governance frameworks to ensure
compliance with regulatory requirements and
industry standards. This involves establishing
clear data lineage, ensuring data integrity, and
implementing access controls to prevent
unauthorised usage.
Advanced metadata management systems can
help telcos track and document the movement
and transformation of data across AI pipelines,
enhancing traceability and accountability. By
embedding strong data governance practices,
organisations can instil confidence in AI-driven
decisions while mitigating the risks of bias,
misinformation, and security breaches.
Automation is another key driver of AI reliability
in fixed and mobile networks. Traditional data
processing methods are no longer sufficient to
handle the scale and complexity of modern
telecom datasets. Instead, AI-powered
automation is transforming data engineering
workflows, enabling real-time data integration,
anomaly detection, and predictive analytics.
Machine learning (ML) algorithms can be
employed to clean and preprocess data
automatically, identifying inconsistencies,
outliers, and missing values before they corrupt
AI models. Additionally, data pipeline
automation ensures that AI systems receive fresh
and accurate data continuously, improving
responsiveness and adaptability to dynamic
network conditions.
SYNTHETIC DATA
AND COLLABORATION
Synthetic data is emerging as a powerful solution
to the privacy and availability challenges faced
by telecom AI models. By generating artificial yet
statistically representative data, organisations can
train AI models without exposing sensitive
customer information or critical network data.
This approach not only enhances privacy
compliance but also mitigates the risks
associated with biased or incomplete datasets. It
can be used to simulate network scenarios, test
AI-driven optimisations, and develop new use
cases in a controlled environment, ultimately
improving the robustness of AI solutions.
Beyond technology, fostering cross-functional
collaboration is essential for ensuring AI
reliability in the networks. Data engineers, data
scientists, and analysts must work together to
align data strategy with AI objectives, ensuring
that datasets are curated, processed, and
validated in a way that maximises AI accuracy
and effectiveness. Bridging the gap between
data engineering and AI development involves
cultivating a culture of knowledge sharing,
establishing shared data repositories, and
leveraging collaborative platforms that enable
seamless communication and iteration. As AI
continues to redefine the telecommunications
landscape, the role of data engineering will only
grow in significance.
Ensuring the reliability of AI-driven decisions
requires a multi-faceted approach that
encompasses robust data governance,
automation, synthetic data utilisation, and crossfunctional
collaboration. By embracing
advanced data engineering practices, telecom
organisations can not only optimise their AI
initiatives but also build a trusted foundation for
sustainable business growth. NC
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK @NCMagAndAwards
MAY/JUNE 2025 NETWORKcomputing 27
OPINION: AUTONOMOUS NETWORKS
THE DATA-DRIVEN PATH TO AUTONOMOUS NETWORKS
HOW FAR AWAY ARE WE
FROM TRULY REALISING
FULLY FLEDGED
AUTONOMOUS NETWORKS?
PHIL KIPPEN, HEAD OF
TELECOMS AT SNOWFLAKE,
OFFERS A GUIDE
Autonomous networks (ANs) have the
potential to be a transformative
technology for the telecom industry
by improving customer experiences and
helping address the high costs associated
with telecom operations, such as network
planning, network engineering, network
support and call centre operations.
From both the CapEx and OpEx
perspectives, ANs can improve the
operator cost model. They can help
operators maximise hardware and software
utilisation and eliminate stranded assets
(network resources that are paid for but
underutilised or overused), while also
having the potential to save operator
costs. This is primarily by shifting manual
service provisioning and management to
automated decisions made in real-time,
which optimise network hardware and
software and customer/subscriber services.
Additionally, the impact of autonomous
networks on customer experience cannot
be overstated. Subscribers who want realtime
service optimisation, such as getting
the best video quality while streaming a
show on the move, or connecting remotely
with family, can rely on ANs to provide the
highest quality of service dynamically and
faithfully at any time, and at any place -
without manual operator intervention.
Service quality is monitored and
adjustments are made to ensure the
best customer experience possible.
28 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
OPINION: AUTONOMOUS NETWORKS
ANs monitor the network and services to
ensure alignment with customer
expectations, network operator
capabilities and business intent.
At its most basic level, ANs require AI,
intent and automation. AI analyses the
data and makes decisions, based on
operator (and customer) intent.
Automation is used to carry out the result
of those decisions, including additions,
changes and deletions to network
services, infrastructure and policy. This
underlying foundation depends on large
volumes of data, such as telemetry
domain infrastructure data, service
assurance data, business data and most
importantly - intent data.
Intent data represents the desired
outcomes and business objectives that
guide network decisions. It encompasses
everything from performance targets like
network availability and latency
requirements to customer experience
goals like call quality metrics and
application responsiveness. It is by far
the most difficult data to manage, given
that it is dynamic and changes frequently
based on user and operator priorities.
Of course, with any technology that
leverages AI, expert human supervision
must be in place with properly trained AI
models to prevent hallucinations and
bias. If present, any of these risks have
the potential to massively impact critical
infrastructure and affect thousands of
customers. The potential benefits of
lower operational costs, better asset
utilisation and faster time to market all
stand for nothing if the product isn't
secure, reliable, performant or the
experience fails to meet customer
expectations.
These security and reliability concerns
are particularly important given the
current state of technology. We're still a
few years from meeting the aggregate
requirements of what the TM Forum is
calling "Level 5: Fully Autonomous
Networks". Current state-of-the-art
technology is passing "Level 3" today,
with new innovations addressing some of
the "Level 4" requirements.
There's still some work to do to fully
satisfy Level 4, specifically around AI
capabilities and maturity. This work is
going on in tandem with the ongoing
R&D associated with technologies that
will enable 'intent' awareness. The 3GPP
industry standards forum, which defines
wireless architectures, is also in the
process of defining a blueprint and
evolution plan for fully autonomous
networks.
However, the rise of 6G as the first
generation of mobile network
architecture to start incorporating datadriven
and AI capabilities into its
architecture will help drive autonomous
network adoption. There will be some
complexity and slower than expected
adoption in the early stages, but as
requirements become consistent and we
begin to see cross-industry collaboration,
there will be a wider rollout of ANs.
At the heart of a successful autonomous
network rollout is the need for telecom
operators to effectively harness the power
of all data, and effective and trusted AI
models. Modern data platforms that offer
robust AI capabilities can bring together
both structured and unstructured data
across the entire business ecosystem in a
centralised and governed platform. This
will give telecom operators a full view of
their data to make accurate and
autonomous decisions in near-real time,
thus accelerating innovation and
delivering on the promise of truly
autonomous networks. NC
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK @NCMagAndAwards
MAY/JUNE 2025 NETWORKcomputing 29
OPINION: AI AND THE DATA CENTRE
GOING BEYOND THE BUILD FOR AI
JON ABBOTT, TECHNOLOGIES DIRECTOR - GLOBAL STRATEGIC
CLIENTS AT VERTIV HOW AI IS FORCING A REDESIGN OF DATA
CENTRE INFRASTRUCTURE
The shift to artificial intelligence is not
a simple scale-up exercise. AI
workloads are forcing a redefinition
of what data centre infrastructure looks
like, how it behaves and where investment
is needed - not just for today's compute
requirements, but for the more volatile,
distributed and power-hungry workloads
of the next decade.
As businesses push forward
with model training,
inference at the edge and
AI-as-a-service
offerings, the existing
architecture
underpinning those
services is being
pushed to
capacity.
Facilities built
around
virtualised
enterprise IT are
hitting limitations
in power, thermal
capacity,
resilience and
layout. Even newer
builds are being
revisited sooner than
planned, as demand
grows faster than
anticipated.
This moment marks a key
inflection point for data centre
infrastructure. Data centre operators,
systems integrators and solution providers
alike are being asked to think differently -
not about how to scale, but how to adapt.
INFRASTRUCTURE MUST NOW
RESPOND TO BEHAVIOUR, NOT
JUST CAPACITY
The scale of AI deployments is well
documented. Training a large language
model can consume megawatts of compute
over weeks or months. What's more
disruptive is how AI changes the load profile.
Power usage is no longer steady. Instead, it
fluctuates rapidly based on training cycles,
model updates or edge inference demand.
That has immediate consequences for both
power and cooling systems. Electrical
infrastructure must handle unpredictable
surges. Thermal systems must respond to
hotspots that shift minute by minute, often in
tightly packed GPU clusters. Standard rack
densities of 10-15kW are being eclipsed by
40-60kW zones, with some AI nodes
pushing well beyond 100kW.
It's not just about size. The infrastructure
must now be responsive - able to adjust
dynamically, reallocate resources and
maintain stability under unpredictable
operating conditions.
LIQUID COOLING IS NO LONGER A
SPECIALIST SYSTEM
Many data centres are now exploring or
deploying liquid cooling. Direct-to-chip
approaches are becoming mainstream in AIready
halls, while immersion cooling is
gaining traction in high-density, smallfootprint
deployments.
The appeal is better thermal control, higher
energy efficiency and the ability to extract
heat in a form more suitable for reuse. But
implementing these systems requires
30 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
OPINION: AI AND THE DATA CENTRE
significant change. Pipework, pumping
systems, monitoring controls and failure
modes are all different from traditional airbased
systems. Maintenance teams need
new skills and commissioning teams need
new protocols. Safety and redundancy
considerations are heightened.
What was once seen as an advanced
option for HPC clusters is quickly
becoming standard practice for AI
environments. The operational
assumptions behind cooling systems are
changing - and design teams need to build
in flexibility for what comes next.
AI IS DRIVING A NEW
COMMISSIONING MINDSET
Facilities being adapted for AI - or built to
accommodate it - are being commissioned
differently. Until now, much of the focus
was on validating uptime, redundancy and
airflow. Today, commissioning plans must
account for variable load behaviour,
software-defined power management and
hybrid cooling systems.
Simulation tools are being deployed
earlier. Digital twin models are helping to
understand how systems behave under
extreme or unbalanced loads.
Commissioning teams are being brought
in sooner, with more integrated
collaboration between mechanical,
electrical and software teams.
This shift also affects how operators plan
capacity. Modular designs are preferred,
allowing for incremental growth and faster
response to customer demands. But
modularity is only effective when
commissioning can keep pace - and that's
where standardised processes and realtime
system visibility become essential.
GRID ACCESS AND ENERGY
PLANNING ARE CREATING FRICTION
Grid capacity is now one of the most
significant barriers to infrastructure
deployment. AI workloads are
contributing to a steep rise in energy
demand and not every region can
accommodate that growth quickly.
For data centre operators, this means
rethinking energy strategy. Colocation with
renewable energy generation, microgrid
integration and battery storage are all on
the table - not just for sustainability
reasons, but for operational viability.
These strategies intersect with cooling in
subtle ways. Liquid systems require
consistent power to maintain flow and
temperature. Hybrid cooling arrangements
may require sequencing controls to
optimise energy use. And where grid
reliability is variable, thermal risk
management becomes more complex.
Energy design, cooling performance and
infrastructure reliability are now
inseparable. AI has linked them in ways
that require closer coordination at every
stage.
THE EDGE IS EVOLVING FASTER
THAN EXPECTED
While most infrastructure discussion still
focuses on central data centres, the edge
is being quietly redefined. Retail,
manufacturing, transport and healthcare
are all deploying AI models closer to the
source - whether to enable real-time
decision-making, reduce latency or
improve privacy.
Edge computing environments introduce
harder constraints. Space, power, access
and maintenance are limited. That makes
resilience and monitoring even more
important. Data centre operators are now
deploying AI-ready micro data centres
that are preconfigured, remotely
managed and often equipped with
integrated liquid cooling.
Designing for the edge now means
designing for AI. That includes smart
cooling, compact power distribution, and
automated recovery. This isn't the fringe of
infrastructure - it's the future of distributed
intelligence.
INFRASTRUCTURE VISIBILITY IS
BECOMING A NON-NEGOTIABLE
The final piece of the puzzle is
monitoring. As systems become more
dynamic and workloads less
predictable, infrastructure needs to
offer more than just uptime. It must
explain itself in real time.
That means integrated monitoring of
power, cooling, performance and
utilisation across a single pane of glass.
AI-aware infrastructure management
platforms are already being adopted in
larger sites. They're enabling predictive
maintenance, thermal balancing, and
dynamic workload optimisation.
This isn't just about operational
efficiency. With regulatory frameworks
tightening, and ESG reporting becoming
the norm, operators need to show how
their infrastructure performs - not just
when it's new, but over time.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
AI is not a short-term demand spike. It's a
shift in how digital services are built,
delivered and scaled. The infrastructure
that supports it must evolve to match -
more responsive, more modular, more
visible and more closely integrated across
energy, cooling and compute.
Systems need to be designed to cope
with AI's volatility without locking
operators into fixed paths. And as
deployment expands across core and
edge environments, the ability to adapt
infrastructure in real time will become a
key differentiator. NC
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK @NCMagAndAwards
MAY/JUNE 2025 NETWORKcomputing 31
OPINION: NIS2
IDENTIFYING NIS2 CHALLENGES
ANDERS ASKASEN, PRODUCT MARKETING DIRECTOR, OMADA, ON MAKING THE CONNECTION
BETWEEN NIS2 COMPLIANCE AND IDENTITY MANAGEMENT
The Network and Information Security
Directive 2 (NIS2) is an enhanced
cybersecurity directive enacted by the
European Union. Member states were to
transpose it into national legislation by Oct.
17, 2024, but for the organisations within
those states, this can seem like no easy task.
Organisations are already grappling with the
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
and a host of other existing regulations; any
new requirement can be daunting.
How can modern businesses comply with this
and other emerging regulations while
retaining their sanity? Organisations must
understand how a strong identity governance
strategy can address the challenges of
meeting this regulation.
HOW NIS2 IMPACTS YOUR
ORGANISATION
Industries including transportation, energy,
digital infrastructure and healthcare fall within
NIS2's purview. It takes a stronger stance than
its predecessor, recommending the adoption of
strong access controls and security measures,
as well as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
This framework standardises reporting
requirements and increases accountability.
Standardisation simplifies the simultaneous
management of multiple obligations.
NIS2 mandates a phased, more stringent
reporting approach. Within 24 hours,
companies must make an initial notification
(early warning) indicating potential malicious
causes or cross-border impact. Within 72
hours, they must provide an updated incident
notification with an initial assessment of severity
and impact, including indicators of
compromise. Within one month, companies
must present a final report with a detailed
description of the incident, its severity,
consequences and mitigation measures taken.
Identity governance and administration
(IGA) solutions enable companies to monitor
and manage access in real-time. This
guarantees that only authorised users can
access critical IT systems at a given time. This
method makes cross-sector compliance
easier and ensures uniformity of incident
tracking, reporting and resolution.
The goal of NIS2 is to strengthen the
resilience and cybersecurity of critical
infrastructure. By properly managing access
rights and digital identities, IGA plays an
essential part in implementing these
requirements. IGA is crucial for ensuring
that the NIS2 framework is embedded
within companies. It gives them
greater access control for their
critical systems and data, which
enables security standards compliance and
lowers cyber incident risk.
THE COMPLIANCE CHALLENGES
INTRODUCED BY NIS2
NIS2 is just one piece of the regulation puzzle
organisations face today. Maintaining
compliance is challenging; besides NIS2,
organisations face an ever-evolving landscape
of regulatory demands, which often differ
across jurisdictions.
Companies must attend to a constantly
growing list of technical and operational
hurdles as they work to comply with
regulations. There are four main trends that
highlight the changing nature of compliance:
Multiplied regulations - The EU's GDPR
inspired similar laws all around the world,
which has added to companies' regulatory
burden.
Shifting to the cloud - It becomes increasingly
complex for companies to maintain
visibility and control over data as they
move to cloud-based systems.
Limited resources - IT departments are
often understaffed and underfunded, and
now they must manage operational efficiency,
security and compliance.
Work from anywhere - Remote and hybrid
work options add new risks as workers use
a variety of devices and locations to
access sensitive corporate data.
HOW IGA HELPS
Though NIS2 is mainly focused on
cybersecurity, it carries implications for IGA as
well. There are three reasons its new
requirements may lead companies to
implement modern IGA solutions. One reason
is enhanced security. To meet the NIS2 security
32 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
OPINION: NIS2
requirements for digital service providers and
operators of essential services, organisations
need to improve their IGA processes. This
includes strengthening identity lifecycle
management so users have the access rights
they need for onboarding, changing roles or
departments, and offboarding.
A second reason is better incident response
and reporting. NIS2 requires that security
incidents be reported. Today's IGA can help
companies understand who had access and
what they did during an incident. A nextgeneration
IGA tool empowers an admin
who's detected a breach to execute an
emergency lockout. That admin can also
learn from the intelligence gleaned in the
subsequent investigation and use that intel to
address future threats.
A third reason is more effective compliance
and auditing. NIS2 has auditing and
compliance reporting requirements. A nextgen
IGA tool continuously monitors data
integrity and can evaluate how accurate
implemented processes are - on demand.
This capability helps auditors know that
policies and rules are being enforced.
Modern IGA empowers companies to show
that they have the proper governance control
in place and lowered non-compliance risk.
As compliance requirements become more
complex, they need a framework that
enables automation, tracks user activity and
centralises access controls. IGA has all of
these features so that companies can
manage compliance at scale. They can
achieve three significant goals by
implementing a modern IGA platform:
Records that are audit-ready - holistic
audit records guarantee that all access
decisions are fully documented. This
simplifies NIS2 compliance.
More robust access control - implementing
role-based access control (RBAC)
creates "least privilege" for users.
Scalable automation - AI-assisted access
approvals, automated certifications and
self-service workflows lower administrative
workload and make compliance
more efficient.
These features empower IGA to deliver a
united methodology for risk mitigation,
compliance and access governance. This
enables companies to remain compliant and
lower operational complexity at the same time.
MAKING NIS2 COMPLIANCE DOABLE
NIS2, like most new regulations, adds
complexity to the compliance function.
Compliance and security professionals need
to reduce complexity while ensuring a safe
and compliant experience for their users.
But new requirements, the work from
anywhere phenomenon, cloud migration
and limited human and fiscal resources
make this harder than it would first appear.
However, a robust identity governance
approach helps with both security and
compliance while lowering the associated
complexity. Modern IGA is an essential
security and compliance partner. NC
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK @NCMagAndAwards
MAY/JUNE 2025 NETWORKcomputing 33
SECURITY UPDATE
UNIFYING AUTOMATED SECURITY
MIKE FRY, INFRASTRUCTURE DATA & SECURITY SOLUTIONS DIRECTOR AT LOGICALIS UK&I, ON HOW
MXDR CAN HELP SECURITY TEAMS OVERCOME I.T. MIDDLE MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES
Today's cyber threats are faster, smarter,
and harder to detect. This means IT
security teams must have visibility across
all corners of the IT estate - from staff devices,
external locations containing company data,
communication apps and the network
foundation of a business.
Insufficient security resources remain a major
challenge. While you may have tools for
certain areas, such as endpoint protection, you
might still have blindspots to unknown security
flaws elsewhere. Even when running multiple
tools at once, limited integration and visibility
of each other can cause alert overload and
create critical gaps in protection.
This is where managed extended detection
and response (MXDR) comes into play. A
unified approach to automated security,
deployed across your entire IT estate, is the key
to complete protection and peace of mind.
THE BENEFITS OF XDR AND WHY
THEY MATTER
Before we consider MXDR, let's clearly define
what extended detection and response (XDR)
entails and how it can support you in
overseeing security protocols. At its core, XDR
is a holistically unified technology that
provides real-time threat detection and
response across communication, endpoints,
networks, and the cloud. It helps identify and
mitigate threats before they cause significant
damage. As a result, XDR protects against
emerging threats and helps stay one step
ahead of threat actors, eliminating blind spots
that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Here's what you can expect:
Faster threat detection results from a
greater understanding of particular
vulnerabilities and risk areas.
Prioritised threats by impact, allowing for
greater focus on the most pressing
dangers to the business, and lowered
strain in the process.
Accelerated investigations through
awareness of the full scope and entry
vectors of attacks.
Accelerated response, aided by AI and
machine learning, along with remediation
recommendations.
OVERCOMING SKILLS GAPS WITH
MXDR
XDR alone is powerful. But when it's managed
by a trusted partner, it becomes a gamechanger.
To complicate matters further, the
constant evolution of cyber-attacks means that
security teams need to also constantly evolve
and sharpen up their defence capabilities - this
means your staff could be constantly playing
catch-up. Using AI and machine learning tools
working in tandem can help close skills gaps
and keep evolving threats at bay.
The 'managed' aspect of MXDR refers to an
extended detection and response team
brought in as a service. MXDR adds a 24/7
Security Operations Centre (SOC) to the mix,
giving you access to experienced analysts,
real-time monitoring, and rapid incident
response, without the need to build or manage
it all in-house. Crucially, this eases the strain
on your internal team, helps address skills
shortages and allows you to focus on strategic
priorities such as improving access controls,
reviewing policies, or enabling training, without
living in fear that something's being missed.
Having these new data capabilities is also
likely to boost buy-in from the C-suite,
especially those who may be hesitant about
investing in new security tools, but are aware of
the risk to the firm's reputation.
THE LOGICAL STEP FORWARD
Partnering with a managed security provider
takes the burden off you and your IT security
team. It gives you clear visibility, faster
resolution and fewer sleepless nights. No more
juggling tools. No more missed alerts. You no
longer need to be pulled away from your
regular responsibilities to play the role of fulltime
security analyst - a role you likely didn't
sign up for.
MXDR helps tip the balance of power away
from threat actors and in your favour. Working
with a digital managed service provider gives
you the guidance and support to take the right
steps and strengthen your security posture.
That means no more blind spots and no more
playing catch-up. NC
34 NETWORKcomputing MAY/JUNE 2025 @NCMagAndAwards
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
THE RESULTS FROM THE AWARDS
OF 2025 CAN SEEN HERE:
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTINGAWARDS.CO.UK
The team at Network Computing congratulate all the winners and runners up and
thank the sponsors, the Awards night attendees and everyone who made
nominations or cast votes.
ATTENTION VENDORS:
The BENCH TESTED PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
category is for all solutions that have been
independently reviewed for Network Computing.
We congratulate NetAlly, the 2025 winners of
this Award.
To ensure that your solutions are contenders for this Award in 2026 you will need to
book them in for review. Contact: dave.bonner@btc.co.uk
THE AWARDS ARE SPONSORED BY: