Hughes’ Tony Bardo: Managed Services Key to Network Transition, Modernization

Tony Bardo, assistant vice president for government solutions at Hughes Network Systems, has said that agencies should consider modernizing their networks instead of deploying legacy systems that are unable to keep up with bandwidth-heavy applications.

Bardo wrote in an FCW guest piece published Wednesday that in order to prepare for the General Services Administration’s 2023 deadline for the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions network modernization effort, agencies should start moving away from “like-for-like” transition strategies that utilize outdated systems and cause delays and cost overruns due to maintenance issues.

He also advised agencies to leverage edge-level network security and deploy managed services for a software-defined wide-area network, which is designed to handle communication pathways such as 4G and satellite.

“When implemented as part of a managed service, this network architecture provides multiple network paths for more resiliency at similar or lower cost than single-threaded dedicated lines, while also using advanced automation features to optimize and prioritize network traffic across a widely dispersed workforce.”

Bardo’s other suggestions include developing acquisition statements that consider location and performance requirements, identifying future and existing application demands, incorporating cybersecurity measures and prioritizing network transformation ahead of EIS transition.