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Francesca El Attrash-UkaejiofoOctober 25 20213 min read

How Government Networks Can Prepare for a Post-COVID World

It goes without saying that the coronavirus pandemic not only posed significant challenges to Federal IT but also renewed a sense of urgency to embrace telework and cloud applications. Now, with increasingly distributed workforces, more IoT devices, and more operational complexity than ever before, Federal IT teams and network administrators are experiencing even more difficulties delivering consistent and secure network experiences.

Compounding these challenges is the age-old problem of lean IT resources having to deal with manual, time-consuming network processes. This stifles innovation and operational efficiency.

The truth is traditional networks were not designed for today’s rate of data growth, the proliferation of connected devices, and edge computing. That’s why it’s time for Federal agencies to consider new approaches through artificial intelligence (AI), particularly machine learning and cloud.

Enabling Cloud-Managed Networking

Leaders like Aruba are helping organizations support hyper-distributed edge environments with increasingly remote workforces and IoT connected devices- all while providing secure connectivity to align with government needs.

Aruba Central, the industry’s first AI-powered, cloud-native platform that’s designed to automate, unify, and protect the intelligent edge is coming to Federal customers soon. The cloud-native network management and analytics platform has received a formal “In Process” designation with the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). Additionally, Aruba Central is the first AI-powered solution for unified WLAN switching, VPN, and WAN infrastructure to undergo FedRAMP Authorization.

The ability to confidently navigate cloud-managed networking can dramatically improve the network user experience while streamlining IT operations. At the same time, cloud-managed networking alleviates the network maintenance and management workload of IT personnel so they can focus on helping agencies meet their mission objectives.

Advancing the Intelligent Edge

In today’s distributed IT environment, gathering data and intelligence at the edge (or point of consumption) gives government agencies the ability to harness real-time decision-making and respond faster.

By combining connectivity, compute power, and control, the intelligent edge enables compute systems to analyze data, enhance access to applications, and provide new insights into the IT ecosystem. IT administrators can proactively identify the health of a device, the user, how they’re using a device, where they’re going, and what they’re doing with the device. The data is captured in near real-time streams and fed into a centralized customer data lake (Aruba Central). IT managers are then able to use this data lake to access insights they need for rapid decision-making.

For the network administrator, it means no more worrying about the nightmare of the “intermittent problem.” Instead, they can proactively detect problems when and where they happen, without having to wait for end users to issue a complaint.

For the government end user, it means equipping civilian personnel with sensor technologies for missions like monitoring air quality, water usage, or other environmental elements, and reducing waste. Essentially, the intelligent edge closes any gaps in data analytics by putting the compute power closer to the edge- where the sensors and devices are.

Keeping Security at the Forefront

Aruba focuses on building its solutions on government mandates and rules including the TIC 3.0 framework by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) as well as the Department of Defense (DoD) Zero Trust Reference Architecture. In the wake of the pandemic, Aruba is working to build its solution around the latest Executive Orders as well as the TIC 3.0 Interim Telework Guidance so that Federal agencies can appropriately address the telework surge.

Aruba’s pursuit of FedRAMP Authorization for Aruba Central demonstrates commitment to highly capable and secure networking. Once FedRAMP Authorization is complete, Federal IT leaders can look forward to using the solution to simplify the deployment, management, and optimization of their campus, branch, remote, and data center networks. Aruba Central serves as the single-pane-of-glass for Aruba Edge Services Platform (ESP) which empowers IT leaders with AI-informed analytics, IoT device profiling for enhanced security, and unified infrastructure management.

Preparing for a Post-COVID World

With Aruba Central on the pathway to FedRAMP Authorization, Federal agencies can look forward to streamlined workflows with centralized monitoring and control, built-in AIOps, detailed alerts, and proactive troubleshooting. This will empower IT teams to spend less valuable time managing infrastructure and more time on mission-related activities and innovation for their agencies. More importantly, agencies can ensure their network infrastructures are sustainable and positioned for optimal performance as more services move to the cloud in today’s post-COVID world.

Want to learn more? Reach out to Iron Bow Technologies to see how we help agencies harness their networks to navigate this new era! Contact Us

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Francesca El Attrash-Ukaejiofo

Francesca El Attrash-Ukaejiofo is an accomplished professional in marketing and corporate communications, specializing in communications, content development, and strategy, while also overseeing brand and design. With a strong foundation in SEO-led content creation and a passion for storytelling, Francesca brings a wealth of experience across various domains, having written for marketing agencies, government, B2B, and B2G organizations. Francesca excels in strategic thought leadership, crafting compelling short-form and long-form copy, including executive bylines, blogs, white papers, eBooks, ad copy, web, and video content. Her expertise spans diverse topics such as tech policy, marketing, cybersecurity, government, health IT, defense, and foreign policy. Notably, Francesca's ghostwritten work has earned placement in respected publications like the Hill, FedTech, DefenseNews, and NextGov. Holding a Master’s in Public Policy and fluent in four languages, Francesca leverages these skills to excel in storytelling, connecting with audiences, and fostering professional networks for the organizations she serves. Recognized for strengths in empathy and positivity, Francesca brings infectious enthusiasm to teams, contributing to a collaborative and talent-cultivating work environment.

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