Networking Consulting Services

The right strategy lightens your load; the wrong one doubles it. A consultant should empower clients to leverage tools and strategies to lighten their load efficiently. They shouldn’t just hand over tools without guidance, leaving clients to misapply them and end up more burdened than before. This is especially true in 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Without the right guidance, companies can easily get lost in the maze of new technologies and processes, ultimately making tasks harder. A good consultant can be incredibly useful. They bring a wealth of experience and an outsider’s perspective, helping you see blind spots and opportunities you might miss. They provide tailored strategies, situational experience, and ongoing support to ensure your digital transformation is not just a plan but a success story. In 2022 companies spent roughly $60 billion in Digital Transformation consulting, which is around 4% of total spend on Digital Transformation. Even though it may be small, this 4% often dictates where and how the rest is spent. Unfortunately, companies are quick to blame consultants when things go wrong, but it's as much their fault as it is yours. You need to know how to hire them effectively just as much as they need to know their craft. If you're looking for a digital transformation consultant, keep these points in mind: • 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬: Know your end goals. A clear vision helps shape the strategies and tools introduced by the consultant. • 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬: Identify your knowledge or skill gaps. This helps find a consultant with the expertise to bridge those gaps. • 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬-𝐎𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞: Your consultant should be both a strategist and an implementer, ensuring your transformation is effectively executed. • 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬: Look for evidence of past transformations to gain insights into their approach, commitment, and adaptability. • 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭: The journey doesn’t end with implementation. Ongoing support ensures you can adapt and evolve with your new digital processes. Don't let your organization end up carrying both the bags and the wheelbarrow. Choose your guide wisely. 😎 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬: •https://lnkd.in/eBV6CFgd •https://lnkd.in/e33Fcvb4 • Visit www.jeffwinterinsights.com for access to all my content and to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends • Ring the 🔔 for notifications!

Confused about the differences between latency, bandwidth, and throughput in telecom and network performance? 🤔 Allow me to break it down for you: Latency: Think of latency as the delay between when a request is sent and when a response is received. It is essentially the time it takes for data to travel from the sender to the receiver. Low latency is crucial for real-time applications like video calls or online gaming. Bandwidth: Bandwidth refers to the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted in a given amount of time. It is typically measured in bits per second (bps) or megabits per second (Mbps). Higher bandwidth allows for faster data transfer, enabling more data to be sent at once. Throughput: Throughput is the actual amount of data that is successfully transmitted over a network in a given period of time. It is influenced by both latency and bandwidth, as well as other factors like network congestion and packet loss. A network with high throughput can handle more data efficiently. In summary, latency is the delay in data transmission, bandwidth is the capacity for data transmission, and throughput is the actual amount of data transferred. Understanding these concepts can help optimize network performance and improve user experience. 📶💻 #networking #telecom #technologyexplained

📌 Azure Networking map: Strategies for building secure, scalable, and resilient Azure network architectures Designing Azure network architectures comes with its own set of challenges: ◆ Ensuring data privacy, protection against cyber threats, and compliance with industry standards are a must. Robust security mechanisms must be integrated into network designs. ◆ Azure networks must be able to accommodate growth and high traffic loads without compromising performance. Properly scaling resources and optimizing data flow are crucial. ◆ Network designs must prioritize resilience and high availability, even in the face of failures. ◆ Azure offers a wide range of networking services and features, which can be complex to configure and integrate effectively. ◆ Hybrid environments demand seamless communication between on-premises networks and Azure resources while maintaining security and performance. We can use these Azure networking resources to overcome these challenges: ◆ Azure DNS for Name Resolution: We utilize both Public DNS Zones and Private DNS Zones. Public DNS Zones translate domain names globally, while Private DNS Zones facilitate internal resource access with custom domain names. Autoregistration simplifies Private DNS Zone management. ◆ Custom Domain Names via VNet Link: By connecting Private DNS Zones to VNets, we enable internal communication using custom domain names. ◆ To organize VNet resources, we adopt the Hub and Spoke architecture. Hub networks centralize connectivity and shared services, while spoke networks connect to hubs, fostering an organized hierarchy. This model simplifies management, standardizes security, and enhances connectivity across network segments. ◆ Optimized Resource Deployment and IP Addressing: Deploying resources to specific Azure regions optimizes performance and availability. Utilizing IPv4 and IPv6 addresses uniquely identifies devices on the network. ◆ Subnet Management and Delegation: Subnets efficiently manage IP space. Delegating subnets to Azure services streamlines network architecture. ◆ Network Virtual Appliances, Azure Firewall, and NSGs for tasks like routing, firewalling, and load balancing. ◆ Hybrid Networking Solutions to facilitate secure communication between on-premises and Azure using solutions like P2S and S2S VPNs. Elevate reliability and security through ExpressRoute's dedicated private connections. ◆ Routing and LB: Custom routes optimize network traffic. Load balancing ensures availability. Azure Traffic Manager and Azure Front Door provide DNS-based load balancing and CDN services. ◆ Private Access and Connectivity: Private Link facilitates secure access to Azure services within virtual networks. Service Endpoints enhance security and performance. ◆ VNet Peering and Azure VWAN: Foster resource sharing and direct communication by interlinking VNets through peering. Centralize connectivity and optimize branch office access with Azure Virtual WAN.

After seeing the outages at Newark Airport and the impact they are having on air travel, I'm reminded of one of the key concepts we've been working on with our Cisco ThousandEyes customers: the critical importance of continuous network Assurance, particularly as it relates to maintaining ongoing peace of mind. After all, it's no longer a question of IF outages will occur...it's a question of WHEN. ⌛ When network intelligence and monitoring (Assurance) are deployed solely as tools to respond to outages, I compare it to buying a fire extinguisher: a necessary safety measure, but only useful after the fire has started. But what if we took it a step further and thought of Assurance as a platform? What if we focused on preventing the fire altogether as the network evolves and grows? The big question for customers managing both owned networks (e.g., MPLS/SD-WAN) and unowned networks (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP, Internet) is this: Are you deploying visibility and Assurance technologies as tools for reactive firefighting, or as a platform for proactive network assessment, monitoring, migration, growth-and yes, crisis resolution as well? Taking a platform approach, as many of our customers do, shifts the focus from reactive firefighting to proactive Assurance- ensuring continuous network reliability, safety, and growth. As an Assurance platform, ThousandEyes empowers organizations to identify tech debt, plan migrations and growth strategies (like MPLS to Internet for transport), maximize investments in Observability and APM technologies, adopt more SaaS and cloud-native applications, and implement best operational practices. By providing advanced issue detection, remediation, and optimization, it ensures every connected experience is seamless, resilient, and future-ready. 🤔 My two cents? Let's move beyond reacting to outages....let's prevent them altogether. #Assurance #NewarkAirport #Networking #tech #DigitalResilience

Network Function Virtualization, Management & Orchestration – 5G Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) in 5G decouples infrastructure from 5G network functions virtually. Infrastructure with physical nodes for compute, networks and storage are virtualized using hypervisor makes virtual machines known as NFV Infrastructure (NFVI). NFVI resources are controlled and managed by Virtualized Infrastructure Manager (VIM). Network functions such as 5G core node functions can be deployed on the underlying virtual machines known as Virtual Network Functions (VNF). Lifecycle management of these functions such as Instantiate VNF (create a VNF), Scale VNF (increase or reduce the capacity of the VNF), Update and/or Upgrade VNF (support VNF software and/or configuration changes), Terminate VNF (release VNF-associated NFVI resources and return it to NFVI resource pool) are managed by VNF Manager (VNFM). NFV Orchestration (NFVO) coordinates the lifecycle of VNFs that jointly realize a Network Service. It is responsible for the Network Service lifecycle management including operations such as: On-board Network Service, i.e., register a Network Service in the catalogue, Instantiate Network Service, Scale Network Service, Update Network Service, Terminate Network Services. VNF instantiation flow below depicts the process of identify and reserve virtualized resources for VNF and instantiate it. Note: Here virtualization involves proprietary software functions and Infrastructure as a service with a granularity of virtual machines. Going forward cloud native solution with the granularity of containers/dockers and introduction of Kubernetes will help to provide more flexibility, scalability, and efficiency with some challenges for telcos and will be discussed in upcoming posts. Reference - ETSI To learn more, visit - https://lnkd.in/eSYuK9V7

#CIO #AI #Data #Digital #AI Is Changing the Structure of #Consulting Firms – Are You Ready? Artificial Intelligence isn’t just another tool. AI is reshaping the consulting business model, forcing firms to rethink everything from talent strategy to client engagement. 💡 Why Consulting Still Matters - Companies will always need external expertise, flexible capacity, and independent thinking. - Complex challenges demand credible validation and fresh, data-driven perspectives. These needs aren’t disappearing—but AI is transforming how we meet them. ⚠️ The Traditional Pyramid Model Is Under Pressure - AI now automates data gathering, analysis, financial modeling, and even slide creation. - Tasks once performed by junior consultants are being completed faster, cheaper, and with greater accuracy. The classic pyramid staffing model of consulting firms is losing relevance. 🏛️ Enter the Consulting Obelisk - Smaller, smarter teams leverage AI instead of scale. - AI facilitators design workflows and generate insights in real time. - Engagement architects focus on strategy and human judgment. Client leaders deepen trusted relationships, enabling high-impact transformation. 🚀 What Matters Now - Speed, clarity, and actionable insight—not overhead—define value. - Human energy shifts to judgment, creativity, innovation, and partnership. The consulting obelisk model is not just efficient—it’s essential for competitive advantage. 🔮 Reimagine or Be Replaced - This is not the moment for incremental tweaks—it’s time for industry-wide digital transformation. - The winners will be consulting leaders who adopt AI early and redesign their service delivery model. The future belongs to those who lead the AI-driven consulting revolution. Read the full article by David Duncan, Tyler Anderson & Jeffrey Saviano here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/dWmCak7X #AI #Consulting #DigitalTransformation #AIConsulting #FutureOfWork #BusinessStrategy #DataDriven #AIInnovation #AIForBusiness #ConsultingTransformation #GenerativeAI #Leadership #AIinConsulting

No digital shift succeeds by technology alone—what truly drives impact is the coordination of diverse skills and perspectives, each bringing a unique lens to anticipate risks, ensure alignment, and sustain progress across the organization. A successful digital transformation team blends technical, managerial, and strategic expertise to handle complexity across business functions. Technologists select solutions aligned with strategic goals, while security specialists mitigate cyber risks early. Business/technology liaisons translate between departments to avoid silos. Project managers ensure timelines and budgets stay on track, and financial stakeholders assess viability and ROI. Marketers tailor communication to build engagement, and implementation leads support rollouts and change adoption. Evangelists generate internal and external momentum, helping to secure buy-in and resources. #DigitalTransformation #TechLeadership #ITStrategy #CyberSecurity #ChangeManagement

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀… 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁! Every system, product, and infrastructure has a lifecycle—from concept to retirement. Yet, too often, organizations treat Configuration Management (CM) as a necessary evil rather than an enabler for managing the configuration information across the lifecycle. The reality? CM isn’t just about tracking assets or achieving regulatory compliance—it’s about controlling their evolution to minimize risk, reduce costs, and ensure long-term operational success. Consider these scenarios: ✅ In 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 & 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, CM ensures baselines are defined and changes are intentional—not chaotic. ✅  In 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, it prevents undocumented changes that lead to system failures. ✅  In 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 & 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, it keeps configurations aligned with evolving requirements, reducing outages and security & compliance risks. ✅  In 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 & 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, it ensures informed decision-making rather than costly surprises. Without structured CM, companies face: ❌ 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 from untracked changes and inconsistent configurations, leading to configuration drift. ❌ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 due to a lack of traceability. ❌ 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 from rework, system failures, and inefficiencies. 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀: 🚀 A healthcare provider experienced critical system failures due to 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘁, leading to inaccessible electronic health records and disrupted patient care. The inconsistencies in database configurations across multiple servers resulted in data synchronization issues and system crashes. 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦: https://bit.ly/4bseiTg 💡 NASA has identified poor Configuration Management as a 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀—especially during integration and testing. When configurations aren’t properly controlled, small discrepancies become failures. 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦: https://bit.ly/43qTv0I 𝗜𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲—𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝘁? The best companies don’t leave lifecycle success to chance—they use 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. How is your organization leveraging CM to drive resilience and efficiency? Let’s discuss! Don't forget to follow me: https://lnkd.in/ezftZPJ7 and subscribe to the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eyyXe3DS Note: the CM is… series posts are not intended to limit the scope of Configuration Management but to create awareness of the breadth of CM. Each of these elements is part of good Configuration Management Practice. #ConfigurationManagement #LifecycleManagement #PLM #ProductLifeCycleManagement #ChangeControl #MDUX #CM

How Lightstorm is transforming India’s network infrastructure For years, India’s terrestrial networks were a challenge, with frequent outages causing global enterprises to avoid routing through the country. Lightstorm, a leading cloud and data centre connectivity solution provider, set out to change this narrative by tackling the problem from the ground up. Traditional telecom models are slow, often requiring months to procure and deploy network services. Lightstorm flipped this with its network-as-a-service (NaaS) model, allowing customers to access an on-demand, ready-to-use network. “The current customer experience for NaaS in India is quite different. While there are competitors offering networking or connectivity solutions to enterprises, these services are still delivered through a traditional sales model,” Prasanna C, head of product, at Lightstorm, noted. They redesigned India’s long-distance network, moving 95% of it to robust, utility-grade infrastructure like gas pipelines and high-power transmission networks. This shift dramatically reduced outages due to common issues like cable cuts. In India, it is currently operational in several cities, such as Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Mundra, Nashik, Nagpur, Hyderabad, and Chennai, and will be expanded to Lucknow, Kolkata and Vijayawada shortly. Lightstorm’s NaaS platform, Polarin, guarantees enterprises the agile and scalable networking interconnection capabilities they need to thrive in hybrid and multi-cloud environments, as well as in Data Center Interconnect (DCI) and Internet Exchange scenarios. Full story link in the comment.