Accelerating Business Outcomes with Services as Code

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, businesses are constantly seeking ways to enhance agility, reduce operational costs, and improve the reliability of their IT infrastructure. As a business product manager for automation and AI, I am excited to introduce you to Cisco's innovative approach to achieving these goals: Services as Code.

The Evolution of Network Operations

Traditional network operations have long been plagued by several challenges, including manual processes, lack of version control, and insufficient testing and validation. These issues often lead to inconsistencies, errors, and increased risk, making it difficult for businesses to maintain a stable and secure IT environment.

However, the landscape is changing. Companies are increasingly shifting their infrastructure and operations strategies to focus on driving business outcomes through automation. By 2025, it is projected that 70% of organizations will implement structured infrastructure automation, up from just 20% in 2021. This shift is not just a trend; it's a necessity for staying competitive in the digital age.

Introducing Services as Code

思科 Services as Code is designed to address these challenges head-on. This service enables enterprises to define their network infrastructure state and treat all network elements as software that can be versioned and managed at scale. By leveraging automation and DevSecOps methodologies, Services as Code expedites the provisioning, configuration, testing, and deployment processes.

Key Benefits of Services as Code

1. Optimize: Upskill people, processes, and solutions to DevOps industry standards. Improve the reliability and quality of infrastructure changes and gain access to ongoing 24x7 technical support.
2. Simplify: Enable software to be versioned and managed at scale. Support provisioning, deployment, and scaling processes with code-based configuration. Standardize version control with configuration files and create or modify infrastructure programmatically.
3. Test and Validate: Expedite software changes with a library of automation use cases and test scripts. Integrate configuration code into continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to minimize risk across network infrastructure operations.

Real-World Impact

The impact of Services as Code is already being felt across various industries. For instance, Swisscom , a leading telecommunications provider, has significantly optimized productivity by automating repetitive tasks and enabling engineers to focus on innovation. Similarly, a multinational financial services customer reduced operational costs by over 50% and minimized risks associated with manual network changes through automation.

Retail companies have also benefited by accelerating time to market for new e-commerce features, enhancing the overall customer experience.

High-Level Service Architecture

The high-level architecture of Services as Code includes several critical components:

• Infrastructure as Code: Automate the management of network infrastructure, like ACI, SD-WAN, NDFC/VXLAN and more.
• DevOps Toolchain: Integrate with existing DevOps tools to streamline workflows.
• Business Process and Analytics: Ensure that operating models, security, and integration with business processes are aligned for success.

Achieving High-Value Outcomes

Services as Code is more than just a set of tools and technologies. It represents a comprehensive approach to transforming IT operations. By integrating automation into every aspect of network management, businesses can achieve high-value outcomes such as reduced operational costs, improved agility, and enhanced productivity.

Conclusion

As we move further into the digital age, the need for efficient, reliable, and scalable IT operations will only grow. Cisco's Services as Code offers a powerful solution to meet these demands, enabling businesses to accelerate their digital transformation and achieve their desired outcomes faster and with less risk.

If you're ready to take your network operations to the next level, consider exploring the possibilities with Cisco's Services as Code. Together, we can drive innovation, optimize productivity, and transform your IT infrastructure for the future.

For more information, visit our At-a-Glance and contact your Cisco representative today.

Author: Greg Leider, Product Manager for Automation and AI Services at Cisco

Tags: #Automation #AI #DevOps #NetworkManagement #Cisco #ServicesAsCode #DigitalTransformation