“What is a subnet mask?” is among the most common questions for aspiring network engineers. Network veterans have all been through it at one stage or another and we all have our tips and tricks for figuring them out. But, that initial understanding is typically a grind involving some combination of cheat sheets, IP to binary converters, books, articles, and online resources.

The average 100-person company has 126 SaaS applications and 40% of the apps in an MSP client’s environment are likely shadow IT (Gartner). That creates an interesting challenge for MSPs and their clients. SaaS platforms are a key enabler for modern businesses, and frankly, we’re better off as a result. SaaS solutions enable businesses to focus less on infrastructure and more on outcomes. However, they also create new security, governance, and cost management challenges.

Your business could be spending tens of thousands on SaaS applications—but are you really using them to your full advantage? Research says probably not. Today, the average business uses 130 SaaS apps for day-to-day operations, a number that has steadily climbed over the past decade. Of those, 65% fall under the veil of shadow IT, meaning the IT team is unaware they were ever adopted.

In the ever-evolving landscape of the digital era, the backbone of our interconnected world is woven together by an intricate web of networks. Behind the scenes, ensuring the seamless operation of these networks are the unsung heroes known as network technicians. These skilled professionals wield their network toolkits to maintain, troubleshoot, and optimize the complex systems that keep our data flowing and communications thriving.

Imagine your organization’s network suddenly goes down, halting operations and causing revenue loss by the minute. While this scenario is unsettling, it goes to show why network troubleshooting skills are essential for today’s IT professionals. The smooth operation of network infrastructure not only supports your organization’s day-to-day operations, but also safeguards against disruptions and downtime.

Effective network monitoring and management are essential for maintaining optimal performance and ensuring business continuity in today’s complex IT environments. One of the key tools for achieving this is the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), which can be used with SNMP polling or SNMP traps.

From reducing risk to optimizing efficiency, your organization has many compelling reasons to enforce policies and procedures. But what happens when a policy hinders productivity more than it helps, causing employees to skirt the rules? For IT departments, this ever-present dilemma is called shadow IT. As cybersecurity risks rise in 2024, it’s more relevant than ever. Before we get into our list of shadow IT statistics, let’s review the basics.

Few contemporary topics have led to greater debate among networking professionals than cloud-based networking and, by extension, cloud-based network monitoring and management solutions. From its niche beginnings with distributed organizations, cloud-based network management has been adopted by organizations ranging from SMB to large, carpeted enterprises. However, traditional on-premise (aka on-prem) solutions persist, helping give customers unprecedented choice when shopping for a solution.

Understanding emerging networking trends is increasingly important for IT professionals and companies of all sizes to stay competitive. The global network infrastructure market is expected to reach $197.8 billion by the end of 2024 and increase to $256 billion by 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.67%. This is a projected $58.2 billion increase in just four years. Staying current with developments in the industry, as well as anticipating where these trends may lead, is vital.

IT leaders are often caught in a tug-of-war between advancing technology and managing costs. In 2024, the state of the economy is only highlighting this divide. For business and IT leaders alike, this begs the common question: how can we reduce IT costs? Demands for IT continue to spike—especially as the cybersecurity landscape shifts and the appetite for remote work increases.