The network automation market hit $15 billion in 2024 and is projected to double by 2028. At Autocon4 in Austin TX November 17-21, 2025, the Network Automation Forum brought together practitioners, vendors and visionaries to wrestle with a question that's shifted dramatically since the early days: Why aren't more organizations doing this?
The answer, it turns out, isn't just technical. It's primarily psychological, organizational and financial. Autocon4 delivered the playbook for breaking through.
Session after session reinforced a central theme: network automation adoption has not stalled at orgs because the tools aren't ready. It’s because so many are caught up with the technical that the business case isn't being made effectively. Jeff Grey, the CEO of Glueware put it bluntly: "The future belongs to those who can explain value to CXOs, not just demonstrate technical excellence."
In this vein, presenters shared business frameworks for building airtight business cases. Things like Net Present Value (NPV) calculations showing $1M+ returns for mid-sized environments, payback periods of 4-7 months (so fast that finance teams struggle to believe them) and internal rates of return between 150-300%. One customer case study reported an $8.8M NPV projection that was exceeded in year one with over $7M in realized savings. That’s gibberish to many in the automation field but music to a CFO’s ears. These are the sorts of conversations that those wanting to sell the promise of network automation need to get more comfortable with.
The takeaway? Network automation isn't a cost center conversation anymore. It's revenue acceleration, risk reduction and competitive advantage. CFOs prioritize in that order: revenue first, then cost efficiency, then mission-critical, then nice-to-have. Know your audience and their incentives.
Perhaps the most memorable session came from Andy Lapteff, a USNUA (PA)NUG member and organizer, who shared his raw journey from “CLI lifer” to automation advocate after reflection while being unemployed. His breakthrough was realizing that resistance to automation wasn't about the technology. It was cognitive bias and a fear of failure carried from a failed computer science class decades earlier.
"Until I told myself a different story, I could not learn," he said. His advice: address the psychology directly, not just the skills gap. Start small, learn in public and build community around shared vulnerability.
AI integration was everywhere at Autocon4, but with a notably pragmatic tone. Multiple speakers emphasized that AI is "how, not what" i.e. a tool addition, not a replacement. The most practical sessions focused on RAG pipelines, deterministic execution layers and the critical importance of maintaining auditability. As Senad Palislamovic noted in his presentation “Building AI with AI”: "Network automation requires 100% accuracy. 99.9% is still unacceptable."
The automation conversation has matured. It's no longer about convincing engineers, it's about translating technical capability into business outcomes that executives understand and fund.
If you're navigating this transition, whether building internal business cases, developing automation strategies, or just trying to figure out where to start and you want to connect with a community of practitioners wrestling with these very same challenges, join us at US Networking User Association (USNUA) events. There are many folks just like you at them.
The tools are ready. The business cases are proven. The only question left is whether you'll be leading the change or reacting to it. Come work with your peers in the community to help light your way. Also be sure to make your way to the next Autocon to really perfect the pitch.