Network Management Megatrends 2026: AI, automation, and the future of NetOps

Key findings

NetOps teams are under significant pressure, with less than a third reporting successful network operations strategies. A major contributor to this issue is tool sprawl. Most teams rely on between four and 10 monitoring and troubleshooting tools, but only 32% are satisfied with them, and nearly three-quarters are considering replacing them.

AI has rapidly become the top strategic driver for NetOps, with nearly all organizations expecting to run AI workloads within the next two years. However, only 35% believe their current observability tools are ready to support operations for these workloads. Compounding the challenge are talent shortages: Over half of enterprises struggle to hire and retain skilled network engineers, particularly in areas like security, AI networking, and automation. Meanwhile, hybrid and multicloud environments add complexity, with limited visibility and skills gaps preventing many teams from effectively managing modern infrastructure.

Despite these challenges, AI is emerging as a critical enabler of NetOps transformation. More than half of organizations now view AI-driven capabilities as essential, particularly for automation and proactive operations. Teams that have adopted AI tend to be more mature, predictive, and efficient, reinforcing the need for modernization across tools, processes, and skill sets.

What the data shows

Automation is a priority, but barriers remain (Figure 34 + 37)

Most organizations consider automating Day 2 operations a high priority—but progress is often slowed by skills gaps and fragmented tooling. This reflects a central challenge in modern NetOps: scaling operations without scaling headcount. While automation is widely seen as essential, teams must address gaps in expertise, tooling integration, and data quality to fully realize its value.

Tool sprawl is driving a platform shift (Figure 18 + 23)

Enterprises rely on multiple tools to monitor and troubleshoot networks, and most plan to make changes to their toolsets soon. This signals a broader shift toward platform consolidation and integration. Rather than adding more tools, organizations are simplifying their environments to improve visibility, reduce operational overhead, and enable more consistent management across hybrid and multicloud infrastructure.

Foundational network data is becoming critical (Figure 30)

DNS logs and topology data are gaining importance—especially among more successful NetOps teams. As environments become more distributed, foundational data sources like DNS and topology provide essential context for understanding network behavior. These insights help teams correlate events across domains, accelerate troubleshooting, and strengthen security visibility.

What this means for network and security leaders

EMA’s research points to a clear direction for modern network operations: simplify, automate, and unify.

• Automation is essential for scaling operations and addressing persistent skills gaps
• Fragmented tools must be consolidated and integrated to improve visibility
• Trusted, high-quality data is foundational to effective automation and decision-making

• Cross-domain collaboration is critical as NetOps, SecOps, and CloudOps converge
• Faster resolution is becoming the priority—mean time to resolution (MTTR) matters more than detection alone

Organizations that align with these priorities will be better positioned to improve resilience, reduce downtime, and support increasingly complex digital environments.