How to make infrastructure intelligent: start with the network with NETSCOUT Smart Data

Modern operations depend on digital services, but digital infrastructure only connects systems — intelligent infrastructure understands them and acts. For CIOs and IT leaders the question is how to turn constant streams of device, application and user interactions into reliable context that AI, analytics and automation can trust. NETSCOUT argues that this context already exists on the network, and that packet-derived Smart Data is the fastest way to read it. Softprom is the official distributor of NETSCOUT.

What was announced

In the blog What Makes Infrastructure Intelligent? Start with the Network, NETSCOUT describes how intelligent infrastructure — as defined by the World Economic Forum, combining sensors, connectivity, data platforms, IoT, industrial controls, analytics, AI and automation — depends on reading interactions across systems in context.

NETSCOUT positions its Smart Data approach, generated from live network traffic using deep packet inspection at scale and Adaptive Service Intelligence, as the evidence layer behind observability, security analysis, AIOps platforms, LLMs, AgenticOps and AI workflows.

Why this matters

For CIOs, CISOs, IT directors and procurement leaders, the operational challenge is familiar across manufacturing floors, airports, connected buildings and cloud environments: information must move reliably, and teams must understand how one system affects another. Blind spots hide important dependencies and make routine events — such as a brief traffic spike during a scheduled backup — look like incidents.

AI can evaluate those relationships faster than a human switching between tools, but its conclusions are only as good as the operational data it sees. Packet-derived context gives teams and autonomous systems concrete, millisecond-level evidence instead of guesses.

Technical details

• Continuous awareness: real-time visibility across data center, cloud, remote sites and the network edge.
• Relationship awareness: mapping how applications, devices and infrastructure components communicate and depend on each other.
• Adaptability: using cross-environment data to respond to change and validate adjustments, such as a VPN configuration update.
• Clear evidence: millisecond-level, packet-derived context that helps AI and automation separate normal fluctuations from issues requiring action.
• Smart Data engine: deep packet inspection at scale plus Adaptive Service Intelligence to feed observability, security, AIOps, LLMs and AgenticOps workflows via Omnis Streamer.

FAQ

What is intelligent infrastructure?

Intelligent infrastructure is a digital backbone that combines connectivity, sensors, IoT, industrial controls, analytics, AI and automation so the environment can understand changes in context and act, not just transport data between systems.

Why start with the network when building intelligent infrastructure?

Every exchange between devices, applications and users leaves evidence on the network. Reading those interactions together reveals dependencies and the real impact of changes, giving AI and operations teams reliable context.

What does NETSCOUT Smart Data add to AIOps and observability?

NETSCOUT Smart Data uses deep packet inspection at scale and Adaptive Service Intelligence to deliver millisecond-level, packet-derived context. It feeds AIOps platforms, LLMs, AgenticOps and AI workflows with trustworthy operational evidence.

Softprom and NETSCOUT

Softprom is the official distributor of NETSCOUT. Our team helps enterprises design network observability, security and AIOps architectures powered by NETSCOUT Smart Data, from pilot to rollout and support.

Prepared by the Softprom editorial team based on vendor materials (Softprom DistriFlow). Source: original article.