From Scripts to Platforms: Why Homegrown Tools Dominate Network Automation and How Vendors Can Help

Tuesday, June 17, 2025
10 a.m. Pacific | 1 p.m. Eastern

Enterprise IT organizations need network automation. It reduces operational overhead, eliminates errors and compliance violations, and helps integrate network operations into broader IT management practices by enabling programmable networks. 

Despite this mandate, most network automation is do-it-yourself (DIY) today. Past Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) research has found that 57% of IT organizations use open source tools and 61% use custom scripts and homegrown software. Why do they eschew vendor products for this critical toolset?

EMA has published new research that examines this issue in unprecedented depth. EMA Vice President of Research, Shamus McGillicuddy, conducted in-depth research interviews with a dozen network automation experts about their homegrown tools. Join him for a free webinar that will present highlights from this research, such as:

• Why network engineering teams prefer custom scripts, homegrown software, and open source tools over products from enterprise vendors
• The challenges network teams encounter with their DIY network automation
• What they truly need from vendors
• A roadmap for migrating to a vendor platform while maintaining the value of your existing homegrown tools