Our digital world is changing. The ability to access the Internet and the corporate network is no longer confined to physical offices, geographical locations, or time zones. In today’s globalized workplace, employees can access resources from anywhere in the world and information must be available at any time, and on any device, as shown in Figure 1. These requirements drive the need to build next-generation networks that are secure, reliable, and highly available.
These next generation networks must not only support current expectations and equipment, but must also be able to integrate legacy platforms. Figure 2 shows some common legacy devices that must often be incorporated into network design. Figure 3 illustrates some of the newer platforms (converged networks) that help to provide access to the network anytime, anywhere, and on any device.