In the interview with Mirco El-Nomany, Managing Director of M&L Systems GmbH.

Future-oriented and, above all, future-proof IT and digitalization projects are based on secure networks. Without the appropriate speed, adaptability and, above all, security, employees cannot perform their work unrestricted and cost-optimized in the long term. The foundation for optimal application performance today is Managed Networks or smart networks with SD-WAN.
We will find out today what advantages it has to configure corresponding corporate networks securely from the start or to replace them with new network technologies in the medium to long term in our conversation with Mirco El-Nomany, Managing Director of M&L Systems GmbH, which has been focusing on the high availability of networks in organizations of all kinds for years.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Mr. El-Nomany, the topic of the "new or modern world of work" is on everyone's lips. Home office is just as much in demand as the use of different workstations within an organization. In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges in terms of a secure network infrastructure?

Mirco El-Nomany: In the course of the digitalization accelerated by Covid-19 and the acceptance of home office, the old boundaries in the network are disappearing. In the old world, we mainly worked within the company network. Today, users connect to apps from the cloud and work predominantly outside this network. This new type of connectivity calls for further development of existing security practices and also of fail-safe mechanisms. The biggest challenges therefore lie in securing apps from the cloud that users access outside their own network, ensuring availability at optimal quality, orchestration and implementing zero trust concepts. A key technology for meeting these requirements is intelligent software-defined WANs. They combine routing functions, WAN optimization, network segmentation and security functions such as Secure Access Service Edge, or SASE for short, on one platform.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: What significance do the agile corporate networks you mentioned have in terms of implementing long-term digitalization projects?

Mirco El-Nomany: It is important to transform the current momentum into long-term enthusiasm. Many companies are merely observers in current digitalization projects or lack the necessary concepts. Therefore, it is all the more important to invest in transformation. An agile corporate network forms the backbone for future alignment and adapts to external conditions and innovation topics. Who would have thought a few years ago that many German companies, cities, and municipalities would use services from the cloud and now have to ensure that these cloud services, such as Office 365 or Microsoft Teams, are always accessible and performant? An agile corporate network can use SD-WAN technology to quickly respond to changes and integrate site networking, cloud computing, mobile working, web-based applications, and the Internet of Things (IoT). The goal, therefore, is to create the possibility of providing these new requirements in today's network for tomorrow as simply and securely as possible.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: How does SD-WAN affect application performance in companies or organizations?

Mirco El-Nomany: SD-WAN provides transparency about the applications used and their performance in terms of accessibility, latency, or packet loss. The latter, in particular, can lead to unpleasant interruptions in VoIP telephony or video meetings, thereby significantly burdening business processes. The transparency gained enables application-based routing. This means controlling and prioritizing the data flow of important applications to provide users with an excellent user experience—without interruption.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: For years, we have seen a steady increase in attacks on the networks of cities and municipalities. How do you ensure the secure use of applications through your technology?

Mirco El-Nomany: First, cities and municipalities must become aware of the importance of such measures against internet attacks. The digital infrastructure must be regularly reviewed and kept up to date. A helpful way to avoid being overwhelmed by today's complexity is Managed Network & Security Services. These services allow customers, depending on their IT requirements, to monitor and control the entire LAN, WLAN, WAN, and network topology.
This ensures that the most important network parameters are constantly monitored in an NOC (Network Operations Center) and that attacks can be detected and repelled early. The model "Never change a running system" has long since become obsolete. To protect themselves from attacks, cities and municipalities must further develop their security architecture and allow for changes.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Costs are an important aspect for cities and municipalities under heavy strain, but also for companies. Can you give us an example of how costs have developed with the introduction and establishment of a modern network infrastructure?

Mirco El-Nomany: When it comes to SD-WAN, people often point to cost savings in internet connectivity when replacing expensive MPLS or DSL lines. But you need to look at the big picture here. The goal isn’t to eliminate certain types of lines simply because another is cheaper, but rather to have the freedom to choose the right connectivity. For example, one site might require an MPLS line with fixed SLAs from the provider due to its needs, while a second site could use a bundled connection of DSL and LTE. With SD-WAN, efficiency increases by optimally utilizing available bandwidth, bundling multiple types of lines, and intelligently routing traffic to the most suitable connected service or line. The cost savings can be highly diverse. Internal IT benefits from a higher degree of automation, and centralized orchestration allows network configurations across all sites to be managed from a single platform.
Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) also plays a key role here. It enables all configurations and policies to be programmed once and automatically deployed to all branches, saving time and reducing error rates. This is why modern network technologies like SD-WAN empower companies to advance their digitalization initiatives while meeting ever-changing business requirements in IT security, availability, cost, and applications.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: That definitely makes it exciting and shows that investing in a secure IT infrastructure pays off in the long run. Thank you very much.