NETWORKING

AND YOUR
COMPETITIVE
D
G
E

1 CISCO white paper

 CONTENTS

Introduction Customer The edge Innovation agility Conclusion

experience and as sensor and cost
business insights and enforcer

2 CISCO white paper

 INTRODUCTION

T
he future is digital, and the race is on. Businesses
across the world are approaching a crucial juncture
where those who have the ability to adapt their
operations to a rapidly evolving landscape will have the edge
over their competitors.

The number of devices communicating across the network

has been growing exponentially, but that number is about to
explode as the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to become
a reality. As a result, it has never been more important to
ensure that the edge of a business’ network is robust, secure
and can be upgraded with the speed needed to capitalise on
changing business environments.

Why securing the network edge

is so critical
Enterprise networks consist of routers, switches and wireless
access points, which are all intelligent devices.

But when these devices are connected to the network edge,

it is often to non-intelligent devices like phones, tablets,
laptops, printers and IoT sensors, threatening network
security. Without a secure network edge, blocking external
threats and vulnerabilities becomes very difficult.

3 CISCO white paper

 ADVANTAGES OF A
STATE-OF-THE ART NETWORK
EDGE FOUNDATION

Risky business
In today’s fiercely competitive marketplace, those who cut
corners when investing in their network edge will leave their
organisation open to possible data breaches and security
threats. They’ll also find themselves flying blind when it
comes to understanding the needs and wants of their
customer, not to mention struggling to keep up with their
ever increasing online customer service expectations.

1
And with most cyber attacks aimed at the network edge, Leveraging the
those who fail to invest in secure systems will potentially network edge to
make their business a target for cyber criminals.
improve customer
Then there’s the ever-spiralling IT costs. Organisations experiences and
around the world are realising millions of dollars in annual deliver business

2
benefits – in both revenue and cost savings – as a result insights.
of making their networks more digital ready.

As this white paper will discuss, it’s crucial that you don’t
leave the job half-done when it comes to your business’
network edge. Securing your network edge is absolutely
critical for your business success and Cisco’s DNA will
help you create a digital network.
providing
Those who fail to invest in secure critical
systems will potentially make their security at
business a target for cyber criminals. the network
edge.

3
offering greater
opportunity to innovate
quickly and better
manage future costs.
4 CISCO white paper
 CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND BUSINESS
N
S
I
G
H
T
S

5 CISCO white paper

 OUTPACE COMPETITORS, RETAIN CUSTOMERS

7%
Every second Businesses with a
of page-load time state-of-the-art

T
he business world has rarely been more competitive, reduces your network edge not
with transformative disrupters upending entire
conversion rate by only retain

84
industries and start-ups carving market share away

%
from legacy behemoths.

40
The key to staying afloat is leveraging digital technology to

%
understand one’s customers and businesses better than
one’s competitors, and using those insights to deliver a more Up
enjoyable, more efficient customer experience. And there is no to
better way to tap into these insights than at the network edge,
which is the only platform in any organisation that touches every
of customers, they
aspect of a digital business. can effortlessly
Done right, the network edge offers a wealth of knowledge
of people abandon harvest data and
about what’s happening within your own organisation. Cisco a website altogether if a subsequent business
Digital Network Architecture (DNA) gives you granular insight page takes more than three insights, further
into your users, the devices they use, and the applications
they access. seconds to load, proving boosting business
there is little room for outcomes in the
Outpace competitors, error in the digital era. process.
retain customers
If you’re not already lining up your ducks for a move to digital,
then chances are your competitors are, as 57% of organisations
will have pulled the trigger within the next two years. And
not without good reason, as ZK Research studies show that
digital organisations are 64% more profitable than their more
cumbersome counterparts.

By leveraging your network you can bring your company to the

fore. Adopting a piecemeal approach to managing your network
can result in a poor performing network, which can frustrate
customers when engaging digitally with your organisation,
resulting in them seeking a more seamless transaction from
one of your competitors. Because in the digital world, speed,
efficiency and ease-of-use are critical.

6 CISCO white paper

 Done right, the network edge
offers a wealth of information
about what’s happening within
your own organisation.
Location analytics found in Cisco’s Connected Mobile
Experience solution (CMX) delivers granular Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Low Energy (BLE) driven location analytics to provide a realistic
view of how people interact with their environment.

For example, business-to-consumer (B2C) organisations such

as retail, hospitality, and education are able to pinpoint the
locations of their customers to within one metre using Wi-Fi
+ BLE. With this information they can make better business
decisions, such as where to place certain products, increasing
their revenue opportunities in the process.
Gain business insights
Data analytics plays a huge role in helping keep you one step But how do enterprises leverage BLE in a scalable, reliable and
ahead of the pack, and the network edge is the best place to cost-effective way? Cisco’s new Virtual BLE Beacon offers a
capture these insights, as all data traffic passes through the scalable solution that delivers high accuracy with tremendous
network edge. operational simplicity. You can place a beacon as easily as
dropping a pin on a map. It eliminates costly on-site surveys and
Through real-time information you can gain an insight into the hassle of batteries.
where your traffic is coming from, what devices are being
used, and what security threats are putting your business Fruitful partnership
at risk. In a nutshell, that’s your who, what and where, covered. Cisco has recently announced a partnership with mobile device
industry leader, Apple, to deliver a better mobile experience.
Done right, the network edge offers a wealth of information This strategic partnership for both companies leverages the
about what’s happening within your own organisation. Cisco intelligence in the network to provide the best Wi-Fi experience
Digital Network Architecture (DNA) provides you granular through optimal roaming.
insight into your users, the devices they use, and the
applications they access. In other words, it’s a quick and easy way to improve employee
productivity. Enterprises can expect up to eight times faster
It also provides location-based data to better understand how roaming and 66% more reliable Wi-Fi calling, 50% reduction in
users interact with the environment and your solutions, which network management overhead due to fewer SSIDs, and end
in turn allows you to make better business decisions. users can save their iOS device battery life by 30%.

7 CISCO white paper

 BOOST PRODUCTIVITY, IMPROVE EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE
No more flying blind – the future is here.

Companies are increasingly In fact, a recent PWC Global Doctors and other hospital Another way hyperlocation Hyperlocation can track how
adopting Cisco’s unique CEO report detailed that staff carry a wireless device can help a large organisation many people are in each room
‘hyperlocation’ solution, which 88% of surveyed CEOs think connected to the network is by slashing their power of a building and – so long
allows management and IT to that operational efficiency is edge, which is then tracked bills. as the air conditioning units
track all devices connected showing ‘very high’ or ‘high’ through a new solution called are connected to the network
to their network edge to within value returns on hyperlocation. The more people in a room, as part of IoT – automatically
one metre. digital investment. the harder an air-conditioning run them as efficiently as
If the hospital employee hasn’t unit has to work. But who possible.
In a nutshell, hyperlocation But it’s not all about profits. spent a sufficient amount turns it down once people
helps you pinpoint where your An Australian hospital, for of time in front of a hand leave the room? The same goes with lighting.
staff or customers are, allowing example, has recently been sanitisation unit between If the network senses there’s
you to run your business more trialling the technology to seeing patients, they will no one in a room it can
efficiently as a result. help fight superbugs and receive a reminder message automatically turn off or dim
other bacteria. to wash their hands. This the lights in that area.
And make no mistake – has enormous health benefits
operational efficiencies have the for both staff and patients
business world buzzing. by reducing the spread of
infection as well as cost
savings.

8 CISCO white paper

 THE EDGE AS
SENSOR AND
N
F
O
R
C
E
R

9 CISCO white paper

 N Addressing your vulnerabilities
etwork security is usually thought of as a matter for the
network core, but it’s an often forgotten fact that many In a world that is becoming exponentially connected there are
cyber attacks are aimed at the network edge through more users, more devices and more locations to track and
mobile devices, making it the first line of defence for your manage. Manually tracking these devices and users one-by-one
business. is no longer plausible, meaning automation is absolutely critical
in managing tomorrow’s networks.
Even more concerning: 99% of vulnerabilities exploited will
be known by security and IT professionals for at least a year, Organisations are addressing these challenges head-on by
showing just how hard it can be for IT teams to plug a defensive moving from fragmented, manual and hardware-centric IT
hole without the right systems in place. operations that are becoming increasingly vulnerable to hackers,
to more adaptive, automated and software-centric networks that
As it takes just a single data breach to jeopardise your are significantly more secure and agile.
organisation, it is critical to have a trusted security solution to
identify and control what accesses your network. In this way, Cisco’s network edge products act as both a sensor
and enforcer – defending against threats as well as operating as
A secure network edge is one that boasts real-time threat policy enforcer.
defence, such as device containment and limitation of access
rights, allowing you to instantly detect and shut down As an organisation moves increasingly to a wireless business,
anomalous behaviour. where their staff and customers access services through mobile
gadgets, these devices become a part of the network edge
Cyber crime is a booming where highly sensitive data flows back and forth.

business, with data breaches This data includes customer purchases and account details,
goods and services transactions, medical records, banking, or
estimated to cost companies

21
staff login details – all of which highlight that the network edge
needs to be more secure than ever.
US trillion globally by 2019
$
10 CISCO white paper
 WHAT A SECURITY INCIDENT
COULD MEAN FOR YOUR BUSINESS:

4
The average data Half of
breach costs organisations
companies experience at

20
least a
US$

%
It usually takes between

100 200
million decline in brand value

Attackers can compromise an

to
organisation in just minutes days to detect a security breach

11 CISCO white paper

 Cyber threats
Cyber crime is a booming business, with data breaches
Being able to deliver reliable
estimated to cost the Australian economy more than
$1 billion a year.
service gives your customers a
Additionally, the impending explosion of IoT devices will
more positive user experience.
throw up new and challenging security concerns.

IoT is expected to create 50 billion endpoints by 2020, according

to ZK Research, a dramatic increase on the 10 billion endpoints Other key benefits
mobile computing currently creates. The benefits of a robust network edge security system aren’t
limited to mitigating breaches.
Tracking, monitoring and controlling these IoT devices will be
no mean feat. In fact, Gartner predicts that a third of successful An emphasis on real-time threat defence results in
attacks experienced by enterprises will be on their shadow IT by rapid resolution of breaches and reduction in unplanned
2020, highlighting the importance of an agile network edge. downtime, which improves employee productivity and
reduces lost revenue.
Cisco’s edge
Cisco is heavily invested in developing products and solutions to And perhaps most importantly, as we will discuss in the
help move organisations into the digital age by building unique next section, having a secure network edge will give your
functionality from the ground up, or improving the functionality of organisation the confidence to roll out new and innovative
existing products. digital services across the business with minimum risk.

CISCO NETWORK EDGE SECURITY INNOVATIONS INCLUDE:

Network as a Sensor. Network as Zero-minute defcon
As all Cisco edge an Enforcer. policy enforcement.
devices include Flexible This is software-defined This means you can have
NetFlow you can have segmentation embedded preset policies, ready at the
end-to-end flow visibility in the edge devices that push of a button, to respond
to discover anomalous allows for instantaneous and to catastrophic events such
behaviours. With commodity consistent enforcement of as a day-zero malware or a
technologies you are blinded security policy in order to hacking event.
to behaviours that show you control access and contain
what users do on the network threats. It works by integrating
and Internet. the Identity Services
Engine, StealthWatch (see
breakout), and Cisco Security
Technology Associate
technologies.

12 CISCO white paper

 VITAL SECURITY PRODUCTS TO PROTECT YOUR EDGE

It usually takes most ISE collects the identity of

organisations 150 days to every device and user trying
detect a security breach. Cisco to access your network, while
does it in just 13 hours. Stealthwatch uncovers threats
across the network, even if they
Sophisticated threats can bypass perimeter defences.
hide in network blind spots,
extracting sensitive Together you have an end-
information and causing to-end sensor and enforcer
millions in damage. that can detect and stop
sophisticated security issues
However Cisco security dead in their tracks.
products StealthWatch and
Identity Services Engine (ISE) That means if a breach is
work in tandem to identify unfolding while you’re at home
and respond to these having dinner, StealthWatch
threats faster. and ISE are working together to
identify, contain and nullify it –
StealthWatch and ISE are next- all before you walk back into the
generation security solutions office the next morning.
that work within Cisco’s Digital
Network Architecture (DNA),
transforming your network into
its own security system. The 2016 CODiE
PRODUCTS
Winner for best network security solution, StealthWatch goes beyond conventional threat
TO PROTECT detection by harnessing the data analytical power of NetFlow.
YOUR EDGE Key features: Real-time threat detection. Incident response and forensics. Network
Cisco security segmentation. Network performance and capacity planning. Regulatory compliance.
products
StealthWatch,
Tr u s t S e c
and Identity Identity Services Engine
Services Engine Helps IT professionals conquer enterprise mobility challenges and secure the evolving network.
work in tandem It shares data with integrated partner solutions to identify, mitigate, and remediate threats.
to protect your Key features: Simplifies guest experiences. Centralises and unifies network access policy
business from management. Provides greater visibility and more accurate device identification. Allows a single
outside threats. point of access policy enforcement across the wired and wireless network.

13 CISCO white paper

 I
N
N
O
V
A
T
I
O
AGILITY AND COST

14 CISCO white paper

 For example, a recent study by IDC showed that by
enhancing network edge architecture, network staff were
able to reduce the time to market for new services by an

41
average of

%which in turn, increased the number of new

A
successful digital business today thrives on agility and
applications developed and deployed by

178%
the ability to scale quickly as needed. Most of today’s
networks have been designed to provide fast, reliable
connectivity, but not to meet the new demands that the digital
revolution will inevitably make on the network edge. Networks today must understand what needs to be done and then
do it based on business rules with little on no human intervention.
But Cisco’s Digital Network Architecture (DNA) has been Networks must now be secure, agile and automated.
designed to specifically help organisations move to a digital
business through automation, security and analytics. Automation and virtualisation
With more users, more devices, and more locations to manage,
Enabling innovation and agility the need to automate processes and new services with day-zero
In order for most companies to successfully innovate, and and day-one capabilities is increasingly required.
therefore grow, they must be constantly creating new products
and services. However without a secure digital network Networks are transitioning from a customised device-by-device
infrastructure, innovation is generally limited to an on-site model, where segmentation and access control are added onto a
business unit or individuals working in isolation. network configuration, to a full policy automated solution.

Enter the importance of the network. Cisco DNA, for example, prepares the network to add new
functionality and adapt at the speed of change demanded by
Businesses are now expecting much more from their traditional the customers, the business, or the industry; you can have a
networks and customers are demanding businesses to provide network that’s open, programmable, and fosters both growth and
more and more software applications and services. Networks innovation.
that are complex, slow to deploy and configure are bottlenecks
to business innovation. Removing the human element in mass configuration changes
provides consistency across the infrastructure, which in turn
Having a digital network enables teams to come together results in a better user experience and the infrastructure
regardless of physical location, device form factor (tablet, becoming transparent to the end user.
desktop, laptop or smartphone) or operating system.
For example, Cisco’s Enterprise Network Functions Virtualisation
A properly architected networking infrastructure also allows (Enterprise NFV) enables you to turn on network services in
services present in large sites or offices to be extended to home just minutes, not months. It provides the compute, storage,
offices and small sites without increasing support costs. Having networking infrastructure, management, and assurance
this flexibility allows organisations to rapidly pivot and pursue capabilities to run network services so you can reduce complexity
new opportunities. in the branch and enable new services on demand.

15 CISCO white paper

 False economy of a commodity edge
When measuring cost it’s important not to look purely at the
upfront capital cost, but also at the costs associated with
operation and risk.
Additionally, IDC reports that on average companies reduced
While some network infrastructure may boast a cheaper initial their annual costs for physical network infrastructure (switches,
price tag, down the track it can begin to have significantly more routers, firewalls, load balancers, and WLANs) by 43%. These
expensive financial impacts on an organisation, especially where savings often resulted from using more efficient devices, leading
security is concerned. to consolidation of hardware and management systems.

It is now more critical than ever to ensure that your network Yet much more significant than infrastructure savings was
edge is secured against cyber threats, particularly given the the ability to reduce the time and cost required to administer,
network edge is where customer data is collected. Your network maintain, and manage the network environment. In total,
holds the key to defending your organisation, and as such, companies reduced their average costs associated with
a security breach will blow any initial network infrastructure deployment, support, and management of network systems
savings out of the water. by 30% per year.

The network needs to be positioned as the backbone of every

In a nutshell: saving a few dollars organisation. By investing in a Cisco DNA network you can
reduce costs by deploying devices faster through automation,
at the beginning can cost you a provide a programmable network by enabling developers to
create new applications and offer a great consistent application
lot more in the long run. user experience for employees and customers.

16 CISCO white paper

 CISCO DNA

Evolution is born of DNA. While every business is Core products that underpin Then, for smaller organisations,
Cisco’s Digital Network different, these days, 99% the Cisco DNA story include the there are the efficiencies that
Architecture (DNA) is no of them have one thing in new Catalyst 3850 Switches, Cisco DNA can deliver through
different. common: they need time and our wireless product portfolio, cloud enabled networking.
resources to innovate and controllers and access
Cisco DNA is an open and tackle the world head on. points, and the Cisco 4000 Offering true zero-touch
extensible, software-driven Series Integrated Services provisioning, Cisco can line
architecture that accelerates This is where Cisco DNA comes Routers. your business up with switches
and simplifies your enterprise to the fore. that can be pre-staged and
network operations. Each line of products caters configured entirely from a web
In essence, it brings together towards the specific needs of browser. This will accelerate
The programmable architecture virtualisation, automation, individual businesses, no matter and simplify the work of your
frees your IT staff from time analytics, cloud and your size. network engineer, giving them
consuming, repetitive network programmability to build a time to concentrate on helping
configuration tasks so they secure digital network platform For example, take the Catalyst your business take the next
can focus on evolving your for digital business. 3850 Switches – the next step in its evolutionary journey
business. generation of enterprise- to becoming a true digital
class, stackable, access layer business.
switches – where there’s more
than 30 different models to
choose from.

17 CISCO white paper

CONCLUSION
Customer experience. Business insights. Security. Automation. Agility.
Innovation. Cost reduction. Revenue generation.

The reasons for investing in a modern, secure digital network are as numerous as they are varied.

Between them, however, they all share a common theme: the digital world will not wait for those
who sit on the fence.

Customer experience: Business insights: Security: Automation: Agility and innovation: Cost reduction and
Every second is critical Through data analytics you A single cyber breach With IoT set to create Digital businesses thrive revenue generation:
when customers are have the ability to know can cost your company 50 billion endpoints by on agility. A modern, The value to be gained
online, and having your what your customer wants millions. A secure network 2020, manually tracking secure digital network from a digital network
site run slow – or worse before they step through edge will provide you the devices and users on allows your staff to spend isn’t just significant – it
– go down, can drive your door or visit your with a strong first line of your network edge is no less time on operational could make or break your
thousands of customers website. Maximise profits defence leading to less longer plausible. Investing tasks and frees them business. On average,
to a competitor so it’s and operational efficiencies downtime, improved in an automated IT system up to work together on organisations add
crucial your network by tracking where your employee productivity, and that can monitor, control, innovative new products AUD$16.25 million in new
is always performing customers and employees the confidence to roll out permit and contain devices and services no matter revenue and reduce costs
optimally. By optimising spend most their time in new innovative products and users will be key. their location – be that by AUD$5 million – totalling
applications in the both your physical and and services. from home, their office or AUD$21.25 million.
branch, bandwidth to online store. Leverage your in transit.
remote locations and customer data to create new
IoT devices can be products and solutions to
dramatically increased, attract new customers.
improving customer
experience.

With the digital age well and truly upon us, it’s time to get the jump on your competitors before
they do.

The temptation to sit on the fence and wait until you are ready will seem an attractive option for
some companies. Others who look to cut corners, and budgets, will be forced to play expensive
catch up in the next few years when their ailing systems need upgrading. Those who understand
the value of their network to their business success will act now to move to a digital network.

Act now and be ahead of your competition. Drive digital transformation in your organisation.

18 CISCO white paper

 Learn more about Cisco’s DNA.

w w w.c i s c o.c o m

How digital-ready is your network?

Ta k e t h i s I D C a s s e s s m e n t .

19 CISCO white paper