Network automation is finally getting its time to shine in our industry—and it’s about time! Automation consistently ranks as a key initiative and investment area for most industry leaders. From small enterprises to large service providers and cloud providers, the journey toward autonomous networks is in full swing.

Why is network automation so crucial? Because networks are increasingly complex and face never-ending demands relating to competitiveness, efficiency, robustness and quality. Automation plays a role in every aspect of the network lifecycle, from planning and deployment to operations, optimization and closed-loop processes.

Why we need a network automation community

While the benefits of automation are clear, operators still have a ways to go to realize them. Most are at level 2 or 3 of the autonomous networks maturity model defined by TM Forum. Skills gaps, time and budget constraints, management buy-in, legacy networks and organizational silos are some of the main barriers to further network automation. 

I strongly believe that we need close collaboration between network engineers, operators, partners and vendors for the drive to fully autonomous networks. Many tools are available today, ranging from open-source solutions to vendor-provided offerings. The key is to select the right tools and solutions for specific needs and ensure teams are adequately upskilled. Organizations like the Network Automation Forum (NAF) are stepping up to make a difference by addressing these challenges and fostering a community for advancing network automation.

A mission to advance network automation

NAF is an organization that aims to help further the adoption of network automation by helping end users, consultants, partners and network equipment vendors to collaborate and exchange ideas and success stories. The organization is making gentle waves in the networking community by continually putting the spotlight on network automation, the skills it requires and the benefits it brings.

NAF is bringing together a great community of network engineers at the AutoCon events. I have been lucky to participate in all the editions. The most recent one happened in Denver in November last year and was attended by more than 500 people. A summary is available here.

Driving the next steps for network automation

Late last year, I was invited to join the NAF advisory board. I’m passionate about network automation, and I genuinely believe in the dedicated effort that the NAF team has put in to promote, facilitate and nurture the adoption of network automation.

One of the most compelling aspects of NAF is its organic, agile and open nature. It’s approachable and free from rigid mandates and strikes a good balance between vendor and end-user perspectives. Unlike large sales-driven conferences, NAF fosters genuine connections and learning opportunities.  

Being part of the advisory board is a great opportunity for me to advise on NAF’s direction and activities. The events so far have tackled various automation journeys, automating network planning, source of truth, some GenAI use cases and some operations automation. As NAF grows, I would like to see it tackle more advanced automation topics, including network optimization, IP/optical coordination, more AI use cases, security and closed-loop automation. 

How Nokia supports network automation

What surprised me at the AutoCon events is that, despite the fact that Nokia has a long history in networking and network automation, many of the attendees from enterprises did not know Nokia as a supplier in this space. It’s true that while Nokia is an undisputable leading supplier for communications service providers, we still have a modest market share in the enterprise segment. But we have so much to bring!

Initiatives that resonated very well with the AutoCon audience included open-source projects such as ContainerLab and Kubenet, which are driven by Nokia and aim to promote network automation and make it easier to use.

So, I also see my role in NAF and the AutoCon events as an evangelist. I strongly believe we have great products and solutions that can help network operators solve their challenges with automation. In IP, which is the domain NAF is looking after, we offer the Network Services Platform, which helps more than 1,100 operators worldwide automate their transport networks, and our recently launched Event-Driven Automation (EDA) platform for data center networks. Our key value proposition is to make those networks more reliable and easier to consume.

See you in Prague

As we look ahead to AutoCon 3 in Prague this May, there’s a sense of excitement about what’s to come. What new topics will emerge? How will the community continue to evolve? One thing is for sure, it’s a space where ideas are exchanged, connections are made and the future of network automation is shaped. 

In a recent report about predictions for 2025 in Europe, IDC reiterated that simplification and programmability will be at the heart of telco network transformation initiatives. A recent survey puts network automation improvements as the top networking priority for the next two years, right before reducing energy consumption. This makes me very optimistic for the next event in Prague, and I hope to see you there.