Case Study

How Corning Is Scaling Global Network Operations With Itential

Standardizing automation across a global multi-vendor estate – without adding headcount, on a fixed team, on track for a 2030 refresh of 3,000–5,000 devices.

Challenge

Corning needed to modernize thousands of network devices across its global sites but faced limited staff capacity, fragmented tools, and inconsistent processes.

Solution

By adopting Itential, Corning unified workflows, integrated with their entire ecosystem, and empowered teams with self-service orchestration.

Impact

They scaled global network changes without adding headcount, improving compliance, reducing errors, and enabling faster, more consistent deployments.

The Challenge

Limited Staff & Complex Network Needs

Corning is a global leader in materials science with more than 10,000 employees and over $12 billion in annual revenue. Renowned for its innovations in glass, ceramics, and optical physics, Corning’s technologies enable advancements across industries – from consumer electronics to telecommunications.

Corning’s network infrastructure spans a diverse landscape of manufacturing facilities, research centers, and corporate campuses – each with unique operational needs and a wide range of network technologies in place. To support the company’s long-term strategy, the network team was tasked with refreshing thousands of devices globally by 2030.

Four challenges stood in the way: staffing constraints, where the fixed resource model made scaling manual processes for thousands of device changes unsustainable without adding headcount; inconsistent processes, with custom scripts varying by region and team; tool fragmentation across ITSM, Source of Truth, IPAM, and configuration monitoring platforms that weren’t integrated; and operational risk and compliance gaps from manual steps producing configuration drift across sites.

To stay on track for the 2030 refresh goal and improve overall network reliability, Corning needed a platform that could orchestrate change at scale while integrating seamlessly with its existing tools and processes.

Corning required a platform purpose-built for network automation and orchestration – one that could work across a multi-vendor environment, integrate with existing systems, and support both low-code and high-code automation use cases.

Why Itential

A Platform Purpose-Built for Network Automation

Corning’s network team conducted a thorough evaluation of potential paths to scale their automation efforts. Custom-built solutions on open-source tooling presented complexity and total cost of ownership challenges. Commercial automation platforms requiring heavy in-house development weren’t sustainable on a fixed team. Generic IT orchestration tools lacked the network-specific capabilities Corning’s environment required. Itential was purpose-built for the job.

Six Key Factors in the Decision

Following a comprehensive evaluation, Corning selected Itential as the orchestration platform best suited to meet the company’s operational and strategic requirements. Six key factors shaped the decision.

Out-of-the-Box Ecosystem Integrations

Out-of-the-box integrations with Corning’s ecosystem of platforms, including network and cloud systems, ITSM ticketing, IPAM, configuration management, chatbot, automations, and more.

Visual, Low-Code Workflow Builder

A visual, low-code workflow builder that enabled network teams, regardless of programming background, to create, maintain, and manage automations.

High-Code Automation Support

Support for high-code automation assets, ensuring Corning could continue leveraging investments in existing scripts and toolchains.

Native ServiceNow Application

Native ServiceNow application, enabling full lifecycle change management through Corning’s established ITSM processes – from request initiation to final approval.

Centralized Governance

Centralized governance to ensure consistency in how network changes – such as SD-WAN deployments or campus refreshes – are rolled out across diverse environments.

Chatbot-Initiated Self-Service

Chatbot integration that enabled site leads and operational staff to initiate predefined workflows through a self-service interface, improving responsiveness and reducing dependency on core network engineers.

Itential has given us the ability to take a consistent, scalable approach to network automation across our global environment. By integrating with our existing tools and simplifying the way we manage change, we’re able to execute on a large-scale refresh initiative while staying within our current staffing model.

Chris Healy

Director of LAN/WAN – Campus, Corning

The Solution

How Itential Works for Corning

Itential is now in active use by Corning’s network team to streamline operations across campus refreshes, SD-WAN deployments, and day-to-day network changes. The platform has been integrated into existing workflows and tools to improve efficiency, maintain consistency, and scale automation efforts globally.

Visual Workflow Builder

Corning’s engineers use Itential’s drag-and-drop interface to create and manage standardized workflows for common activities such as device onboarding, VLAN modifications, and SD-WAN configuration. These workflows reduce manual effort and ensure repeatability across global sites.

ITSM Integration

Through Itential’s integration, change requests and approvals are automated and aligned with Corning’s established ITSM processes. This integration enables full lifecycle change tracking, from initiation through implementation and validation.

Data Transformation & Governance

Itential enables Corning to standardize configurations across multiple vendors – including network and cloud – by abstracting device-specific logic into repeatable templates. Automated compliance checks and version control ensure adherence to policy and reduce configuration drift.

Scalability Across the Environment

The platform supports automation at scale, allowing Corning to manage network changes across thousands of devices without increasing operational headcount. This has proven essential in supporting the company’s 2030 refresh objectives while operating within a fixed staffing model.

We’re able to execute on a large-scale refresh initiative while staying within our current staffing model. That’s what consistent, scalable network automation actually looks like.

Chris Healy

Director of LAN/WAN – Campus, Corning

The Outcome

What Standardized Orchestration Delivers at Corning

Standardized workflows, governed integrations, and self-service for site teams – outcomes that compound as automation coverage expands and Corning’s 2030 refresh strategy plays out.

3-5K

Devices on the 2030 Refresh Plan

Corning’s network team is on track to refresh 3,000–5,000 devices globally by 2030 – within the existing staffing model.

100%

Self-Service For Federated Site Teams

Site leads handle VLAN updates and routine changes through a chatbot – no escalation to core network engineers required.

1

Unified Orchestration Layer

One governed orchestration layer across campus, SD-WAN, manufacturing, and corporate sites – ready for what’s next.

Zero

Headcount Added

Global change at scale, delivered on the team Corning already had – the original constraint, met.

Built for What’s Next

Governed workflows, deep ecosystem integration, and self-service across federated teams – the foundation Corning’s network roadmap depends on, and the execution layer ready when AI is part of the picture.