Infrastructure complexity is growing, fueled by increased demand for connectivity, security and digital transformation. By modernising and simplifying networks, it’s possible to reduce maintenance and operational costs and deliver the innovations increasingly expected of IT. But where to start?
Matthew Partridge, director of Strategic Solutions at Colt, offers three recommendations for technology leaders exploring modernisation. “These are basic initial requirements,” he says. “Without answers to these questions, it’s very difficult to make progress.”
How much do you know about your traffic?
“Without understanding where data on the network is coming from, where it’s going to and why, you can’t start a conversation about how to right-size that network, or transform it,” says Partridge. “A lot of customers want to transform their networks. But they get discouraged because they don’t understand as much as half of the traffic on their network.”
Frequently, the result is a decision to avoid changing very much at all. “When you don’t know what the traffic is,” says Partridge, “you can’t omit it, leave it out of a rule set or leave it out of a config.”
How good is your network hygiene?
It’s no secret that IT professionals don’t always find time to clean up adequately, even after doing their best work.
Firewall rule bloat is a good example. It’s not unusual for network ops teams to add new rules without auditing – and deleting – old ones. Experts recommend auditing firewall rules at least on an annual basis. Partridge has encountered enterprises where this hasn’t happened for a decade or more.
Bloat results in unnecessary traffic filtering, which impacts network performance. Over time, it can also contribute to security vulnerabilities. “A lack of maintenance of the config and a lack of architectural principles is also a major source of complexity for our clients,” Partridge says.
Do you understand the impact of regulation?
From October 2024, the EU’s NIS2 (Network and Information Security 2) Directive expanded the list of vertical sectors subject to mandatory cybersecurity requirements – and strengthened those rules. In addition, enforcement of the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) started in January 2025: DORA aims to strengthen the resilience of the financial services sector.
Both have exerted a toll on network transformation projects. “There’s often some reticence to make [network] transformation decisions without understanding the full impact of the regulations,” says Partridge. “Noone wants to end up in a cul-de-sac because of investment decisions that make compliance difficult or more costly.”
“It’s taken a while for people to realise that their other services will only behave as well as the network allows them to behave,” says Partridge.
This has been accompanied by clients becoming increasingly focused on risk vs. cost rather than simple financial costs. “Fewer organisations come to us with an RFP that simply asks for specifications and prices,” he says. “More are coming to us to discuss cost, risk and how they should build a strategy for modernisation. That’s a good thing. But to have that conversation, it helps to reach the starting line in terms of understanding your traffic, maintaining network hygiene and knowing the regulatory constraints.”
Colt Technology Services is a leading provider of digital infrastructure and IT services, dedicated to helping businesses navigate and compete in the digital world. To discover the solutions helping IT leaders ease the pressure of transformation and move forward with confidence, visit colt.net/solutions