Aviatrix Blog 
Cloud computing has dramatically transformed business operations worldwide. As companies increasingly adopt multicloud strategies, it has become evident that the network is the linchpin in these complex multicloud and hybrid environments. In a detailed discussion on the Altitude podcast, Doug Merritt, CEO of Aviatrix, delves into the pivotal role of networking, the momentum to revitalize its image, adopting a platform approach to networking, and the ongoing advancements in Aviatrix’s offerings and partnerships.
The Crucial Role of Networking in Cloud Environments
Doug emphasizes that networking is fundamental in connecting and enabling applications across today’s complex multicloud environments. The network is the foundation upon which modern businesses build their digital strategies, enabling seamless communication, data exchange, and collaboration across geographically dispersed teams and resources. As the network is so important to the business, Doug emphasizes, “The network has got to be up, it’s got to be performant, it’s got to be controllable, it’s got to be visible, it’s got to be cost efficient, it has to be ubiquitous,” and adds “it should be natively secure.”
Doug’s explanation of the crucial role of networking leads to a conversation around the need to make networking cool again. Doug discusses the early days of cloud computing, where the focus was predominantly on empowering developers and rapid deployment. This approach temporarily overshadowed the strategic importance of networking. However, as businesses have evolved to leverage multicloud and hybrid environments, the networking professionals have been the unsung heroes, working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure connectivity, performance, and reliability across these intricate landscapes. Doug champions a renewed appreciation for these experts, advancing networking’s appeal and drawing new talent to this essential field.
Embracing a Modernized Approach to Networking
Doug also discusses network modernization, sharing the benefits of transitioning from a traditional, hardware-centric approach to a software-defined, integrated networking platform approach. By treating the network as a unified software platform, it becomes much easier to embed capabilities like security, load balancing, and traffic optimization directly into the networking layer. This integrated approach strengthens security as it is natively built into the platform rather than bolted on, allowing policies and controls to be consistently applied across the entire network fabric. This approach also improves agility as network services can be provisioned, updated, and managed entirely through software and APIs, allowing changes to be made in minutes rather than weeks. This evolution of networking, from hardware-dependent to a flexible, software-driven framework, mirrors the broader technological shift towards more agile, scalable computing solutions.
Going back to the original focus on empowering the developer and the need for networking to manage the growing complexity, the increasing use of KB8’s and serverless frameworks puts more burden on the network to offer more flexibility to the application developer/owner. This need for greater flexibility and scalability for application developers has led to a high-risk problem of IP exhaustion. The Aviatrix platform provides end-to-end encryption, granular access controls, and comprehensive visibility into network traffic, ensuring that sensitive data remains secure, both in transit and at rest. This level of security is essential for organizations looking to protect their Kubernetes deployments from emerging threats while meeting compliance requirements. Moreover, Aviatrix’s advanced networking features such as route isolation and granular SNAT and DNAT capabilities give IT teams the tools they need to overcome the challenges of IP exhaustion across diverse application environments.
Advancing Aviatrix’s Product and Partnerships
Doug concludes the conversation by sharing insights into Aviatrix’s strategic enhancements and deeper collaborations with industry leaders like Megaport, Equinix, New Relic, NetApp, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). He highlights Aviatrix’s commitment to improvements in ease of use, deployment, and manageability for customers, further simplifying the complexities of multicloud networking. Additionally, he shares how Aviatrix is supporting integrations with GenAI and machine learning (ML) to make networking more autonomous, self-healing, and flexible. By incorporating AI/ML capabilities, Aviatrix aims to enhance the intelligence and adaptability of its networking solutions, enabling customers to stay ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving technological landscape.
To dive deeper into Doug’s insights on network modernization and how Aviatrix is steering the future of cloud networking, listen to the full episode of the Altitude podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the video version on YouTube.