--- title: Upskilling Network Architects for the Automated Network description: Greg welcomes Michael Martin to the pod. They cover network automation, getting network architects up to speed in this area, and attracting new talent. image: https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/2022/Blog%20Assets/software-developer-g74fd78b4c_1280.jpg --- [![TG\_LOGO](https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/TeleGeography%20Hub%20Theme%20Nov%202025/images/TG_LOGO.svg)](https://www2.telegeography.com/) - [About](https://www2.telegeography.com/about-us) - [Research](https://www2.telegeography.com/our-research) - [Products](https://www2.telegeography.com/products) - [Solutions](https://www2.telegeography.com/solutions) - [Resources](https://resources.telegeography.com) [Log In](https://www.telegeography.com/login/login?service=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegeography.com%2Faccount%2Fhome%2Findex) [Contact](https://www2.telegeography.com/contact-us) ###### Data and Analysis Tools - [Cloud and WAN Research Service](https://www2.telegeography.com/cloud-and-wan-infrastructure) - [Data Center Research Service](https://www2.telegeography.com/data-center-research-service) - [GlobalComms Database](https://www2.telegeography.com/globalcomms-database-service) - [International Voice Report](https://www2.telegeography.com/telegeography-report-and-database) - [IP Networks Research Service](https://www2.telegeography.com/ip-networks-research-service) - [ISP Navigator](https://www2.telegeography.com/isp-navigatorisp-navigator) - [Transport Networks Research Service](https://www2.telegeography.com/transport-networks) - [Network Pricing Database](https://www2.telegeography.com/telegeography-pricing-database) - [WAN Cost Benchmark](https://www2.telegeography.com/wan-cost-benchmark) - [Product Passes](https://www2.telegeography.com/product-passes) ###### Consulting - [All Consulting Services](https://www2.telegeography.com/consulting) - [Submarine Cable Consulting](https://www2.telegeography.com/submarine-cable-consulting) ###### Maps - [All Map Services](https://www2.telegeography.com/map-services) - [Sponsor a Map](https://www2.telegeography.com/sponsor-a-map) - [License Map Data](https://www2.telegeography.com/license-geocoded-map-data) - [Cite a Map](https://www2.telegeography.com/cite-telegeography-map) - [Buy a Map](https://shop.telegeography.com/collections/telecom-maps/) ###### Industry - [Education](https://www2.telegeography.com/telegeography-for-education) - [Enterprise](https://www2.telegeography.com/enterprise) - [Tech](https://www2.telegeography.com/tech) - [Telecom](https://www2.telegeography.com/telecom) ###### Case Studies - [AI + Retail Telecom Data](https://www2.telegeography.com/where-to-get-global-telecom-data) - [EXA Infrastructure](https://www2.telegeography.com/exa-infrastructure-case-study) - [Orange Wholesale](https://www2.telegeography.com/orange-wholesale-case-study) - [The European Commission](https://www2.telegeography.com/the-european-commissions-data-backed-approach-to-international-policy) [Back to Resources](https://resources.telegeography.com) # Upskilling Network Architects for the Automated Network ##### By [Jayne Miller,](https://resources.telegeography.com/author/jayne-miller) Feb 08, 2022 [WAN](https://resources.telegeography.com/tag/wan) [Podcast](https://resources.telegeography.com/tag/podcast) Network automation pops up often on our podcast. But—you know what's under-discussed? The HR aspect of upskilling IT workers and/or acquiring the right talent to make this transformation and manage it going forward. To get into it, Greg welcomes Michael Martin, Senior Expert of Networking and Network Security at McKinsey & Co. The pair covers the basics of network automation, getting engineers/network architects up to speed in this area, and attracting the right new talent for these network transformations. Subscribe to access all of our episodes: [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wan-manager-podcast/id1518397175) | [Amazon](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/706a488e-d4e8-45a9-99a4-c6e51c4a86ea/the-wan-manager-podcast) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/74XN1NIPcb34Gv1atFMGht?si=vG3SfwaVSGawNge05Opvnw) | [Stitcher](https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-wan-manager-podcast) |[TuneIn](https://tunein.com/podcasts/Technology-Podcasts/The-WAN-Manager-Podcast-p1334040/) | [Podbean](https://telegeography.podbean.com/) | [RSS](https://feed.podbean.com/telegeography/feed.xml) #### Key Takeaways ### **Distinguishing Network Automation from Network Orchestration is Key** The sources emphasize the importance of understanding the difference between network automation and network orchestration. Network automation is primarily a task-oriented function, focused on eliminating errors, making better products, delivering faster, and enabling capabilities. It often involves automating repetitive functions and can be thought of as the configuration of a device. Network orchestration, on the other hand, is described as an event-driven shift. It involves taking a collection of tasks to build processes like an assembly line or pipeline, resulting in a product or desired outcome. Orchestration deals with the provisioning of an environment or an event, which might involve racking hardware, deploying virtualized network appliances, or managing a software-defined networking environment on top of hardware. ### **Achieving Network Automation and Orchestration Requires Investments and a Shift in Thinking** Simply learning new tools or writing scripts is not enough. The journey toward network automation and orchestration necessitates substantial investment. This includes establishing and managing "sources of truth" or large inventory systems to track data components and resources like VLANs, IP addresses, and inventory across devices, servers, cloud instances, and more. Further, it requires defining problems systematically, structuring automation and orchestration tasks within defined frameworks, and designing business processes and workflows. Network engineers need to shift their mindset from being focused solely on individual tasks to embracing a more structural, systematic approach that considers component pieces and context, similar to how systems or software people think about building environments. This transformation is not just a technical problem but also a process problem. ### **The Transformation to Automated Networks is a Continuous Journey, Not a Destination** The process of upskilling and transforming networks for automation and orchestration is not a one-time project with a definitive end point. The environment is constantly shifting due to new demands from the business side, the emergence of Shadow IT, and changes in technology and the marketplace. Even companies that pioneered early network automation tools are now finding external solutions that are better, faster, and cheaper, requiring further transformation. The job itself is arguably transforming forever. This continuous evolution, however, is beneficial as it drives economies of scale, cost reduction, agility, and the ability to deliver greater value. Embracing this ongoing transformation, rather than resisting it, is key for network professionals. Effectively communicating the business value and required investments to non-technical leadership is also critical for navigating this continuous journey. ## Explore Related Content ![Networking for Network Engineers](https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/Thumbnail%20Video%20and%20Blog%20(9).png) ###### Blog Apr 27, 2026 #### [Networking for Network Engineers](https://resources.telegeography.com/networking-for-network-engineers) For network engineers, keeping up with the rapidly evolving tech landscape is no small task. From new... 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[View More by Jayne Miller](https://resources.telegeography.com/author/jayne-miller) [Read Full Article](https://resources.telegeography.com/sd-wan-vs-mpls-battling-for-network-dominance) ![Network Monitoring for the AI Era](https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/maxresdefault%20(16).jpg) ###### Podcast Episode Jun 11, 2026 #### [Network Monitoring for the AI Era](https://resources.telegeography.com/network-monitoring-for-ai-era) [Read Full Article](https://resources.telegeography.com/network-monitoring-for-ai-era) [![TG\_LOGO\_color\_horizontal\_SIMPLIFIED 1](https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/TeleGeography%20Hub%20Theme%20Nov%202025/images/TG_LOGO_color_horizontal_SIMPLIFIED%201.svg)](https://www2.telegeography.com/) [Login](https://www.telegeography.com/login/login?service=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegeography.com%2Faccount%2Fhome%2Findex) [Contact Us](https://www2.telegeography.com/contact-us) ###### [About](https://www2.telegeography.com/about-us) - [Research](https://www2.telegeography.com/our-research) - [Products](https://www2.telegeography.com/products) - [Solutions](https://www2.telegeography.com/solutions) - [Demo](https://www2.telegeography.com/demo) ###### [Press](https://www2.telegeography.com/telegeography-press) - [Events](https://www2.telegeography.com/telecom-events) - [Careers](https://www2.telegeography.com/careers) ###### [Resources](https://resources.telegeography.com/) - [Podcast](https://www2.telegeography.com/telegeography-explains-the-internet-podcast) - [Newsletter](https://www2.telegeography.com/subscribe-to-telegeography-emails) - - All Rights Reserved 2026 - [Privacy Policy](https://www2.telegeography.com/privacy-policy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Jayne Miller", "url" : "https://resources.telegeography.com/author/jayne-miller" }, "dateModified" : "2026-01-31T14:39:58.659Z", "datePublished" : "2022-02-08T13:09:00.000Z", "headline" : "Upskilling Network Architects for the Automated Network", "image" : [ "https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/2022/Blog%20Assets/software-developer-g74fd78b4c_1280.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://resources.telegeography.com/upskilling-network-architects-for-the-automated-network", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/assets/telegeography/telegeography-logo-blog.png" }, "name" : "TeleGeography" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org/", "@type" : "WebSite", "image" : "https://www2.telegeography.com/hubfs/Website/assets/logo/telegeography-logo.svg", "name" : "Upskilling Network Architects for the Automated Network", "potentialAction" : { "@type" : "SearchAction", "query-input" : "required name=search_term_string", "target" : "{search_term_string}" }, "url" : "https://resources.telegeography.com/upskilling-network-architects-for-the-automated-network" } ```