Network leaders say that managing change is a top priority for 2009, according to a study from network automation vendor Netcordia.

Netcordia polled more than 500 network managers and executives about network management issues. A full 76% said that managing devices from multiple vendors, configuration changes on those devices and dealing with new technologies are routine daily tasks, with high stakes for performance and compliance. Indeed, compliance ranked as the second biggest priority. (Compare Network Auditing and Compliance products)

Changes to the network are inevitable, and each one affects uptime, security, compliance, and the overall health of the network. As such, it’s not surprising that managing change is important. Network leaders must know what was changed, when, and who did it.

Configuration management tools such as Netcordia’s NetMRI can help IT identify potential problems and incompatibilities caused by changes to the network, and fix them in real time. They also can help IT gauge whether a network still meets internal policies or the external compliance guidelines.

Compliance has moved beyond authenticating users to encompass event management. Security, too, is now more than just a compilation of data breaches and basic report. For example, issues to consider include has the password been changed, has it been changed within the allotted window, and according to the established protocols?

I’m curious as to what your other technology priorities are for 2009. Drop me a line.

Amy Schurr is the former managing features editor of Network World.