We're ending 2025 here at Network Computing with a range of industry predictions and insights to prepare us for a new year of networking. First, Zyxel's Kevin Drinkall gives us an overview of the new technology and market developments set to gain traction in 2026. "The past year has brought steady progress across multi-gigabit switching and WiFi 7, but not the explosive growth many expected," according to Kevin. "Instead, 2026 is shaping up to be the year these technologies truly accelerate." Read Kevin's opinion piece to learn about the outlook for multi-gig, WIFI 7, SMB security and more in the months ahead.

We also have in-depth analysis of the key storage trends for 2026 from Toshiba Electronics Europe's Rainer W. Kaese. "The rapid rise of generative AI, the proliferation of high-value data, and the expansion of enterprise and surveillance environments are fuelling demand for greater storage capacity, improved efficiency, and enhanced reliability," observes Rainer. "For Toshiba and its partners, these trends present both significant opportunities and challenges as the industry adapts to the new era of data growth." With the AI boom showing no signs of slowing and the growing storage demands of data centres and cloud computing, coupled with rising sustainability concerns, Rainer explores how the storage industry will progress with unprecedented levels of demand and innovation in 2026.

Looking even further ahead, we also have an intriguing introduction to the future of quantum networking from Opengear's Douglas Wadkins, who outlines the path to making enterprise networks ready for the quantum era. Finally this month David Mitchell reviews Mutiny's Observability Platform 8. A mainstay of the network monitoring sector for more than 25 years, v8 of the easily deployed Observability Platform delivers a wealth of accessible information via a smart central console combined with a range of new features, and scores highly for value too with its competitively priced subscription plans.

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