In common with other advanced technologies in widespread, popular use, corporate data networking tends to be subject to conflicting pressures. On the one hand are the seemingly ever-accelerating rates of technological obsolescence and innovation, on the other the day-to-day business constraints of economic and operational acceptability. Increasingly, the watchwords are 'open systems', 'evolution' and 'network management'. Some of the issues involved are investigated, and an architecture designed to alleviate the worst affects of the conflict is described.