Written by: Brian Huhn (Jul 15)
Modernization is no longer optional
Businesses everywhere are re-architecting applications into microservices, shifting to cloud-native platforms, and building systems that can scale fast, change frequently, and run anywhere.
This evolution brings huge gains in agility — but also introduces new layers of complexity, especially in networking.
Networking has always “just worked.” But as applications become more distributed, dynamic, and decentralized, traditional models for managing traffic, enforcing policy, and securing communications are falling behind.
What was once a simple routing layer is now a strategic control point.
That’s why NetScaler is investing in the next generation of networking — helping organizations scale with confidence, control costs, and simplify operations across teams and environments.
We’re focused on:
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Seamless automation
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Intuitive container traffic governance
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Built-in readiness for emerging security risks
All of this — without adding complexity. In a world where speed, security, and clarity are essential, networking shouldn’t slow you down. It should make everything else work better.
Why networking can’t be an afterthought anymore
Applications today rarely live in a single data center—or even a single cloud. They’re stretched across clusters, zones, and teams, each running different protocols, policies, and environments.
A single app might need to:
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Support multiple communication patterns
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Enforce policies by region, user type, or compliance need
At the same time, networking ownership has expanded:
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Developers want control over app delivery
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Security teams need visibility and enforcement
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Executives are demanding answers about cost, complexity, and risk
The days of networking being a “back-of-mind” function are over.
As complexity and cross-team dependencies grow, so does the risk of friction. A fragmented networking stack slows deployment, creates confusion, and strains collaboration.
But with the right foundation, networking becomes an enabler — connecting systems, aligning teams, and helping the business move faster with confidence.
The ecosystem is evolving — fast
The broader tech ecosystem is responding with a wave of innovation.
Kubernetes plays a central role in that shift. Advances like the Gateway API — not to be confused with API Gateway — are redefining how teams manage application traffic.
Gateway API offers:
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Greater flexibility
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Clearer role separation
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Support for complex routing scenarios
It’s a Kubernetes-native standard that’s designed for multi-team environments, giving infrastructure, security, and app owners a unified way to manage traffic.
Beyond Kubernetes, companies are adopting modern operational models that treat networking like infrastructure — automated, repeatable, and defined in code.
This shift brings:
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Greater speed and consistency
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Better control and governance
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Fewer manual errors
And with zero trust and multi-tenant models now mainstream, networking isn’t just about moving data — it’s about managing risk, enforcing boundaries, and keeping teams aligned.
In today’s environment, the right networking approach isn’t just a technical upgrade — it’s a competitive advantage.
This isn’t just a platform concern — it’s a business one
Your networking strategy directly affects how fast your teams ship — and how safely your business scales.
According to CNCF’s 2024 survey, 46% of organizations say cloud-native infrastructure is “too complex to understand or run.” That complexity is a real brake on innovation.
Security remains another challenge.
As applications span on-premises, cloud, and SaaS, the attack surface widens — and so does the difficulty of securing it.
In modern microservices architectures, even small gaps in network security can ripple across systems — hurting uptime, compliance, and customer trust.
Then there’s cost.
Misrouted traffic, inefficient routing, and lack of egress control can balloon cloud spend.
NetScaler customer Xenit cut their monthly cloud bill by optimizing autoscaling using NetScaler and Terraform automation.
“We didn’t really know we needed something like this before NetScaler … We just went with the ‘old way’ of doing things before. But now we’re able to scale based on the load, which means we also save money since we don’t need to have all the capacity allocated all the time.” — Simon Gottschlag, CTO, Xenit
These aren’t outliers — they’re the new normal for enterprises running cloud-native applications at scale.
How NetScaler is helping companies prepare
At NetScaler, we’re building the future of secure, modern, and scalable application delivery.
Our platform is:
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Modern and lightweight
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Deployable anywhere — cloud, on-prem, or hybrid
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Unified under a single console and API
This means reduced complexity, lower cost, and top-tier performance — with developer-friendly automation built in.
And now, we’re extending that with:
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Kubernetes Gateway API support in the NetScaler Kubernetes Gateway Controller
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The ability to define traffic behavior using modern, declarative resources
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Automatic translation into enterprise-grade configurations