If digital transformation, what IDC calls DX, is in your future – and IT IS – then the ugly truth is that your network infrastructure will have to change radically. Most of today’s networks are based on technology that hasn’t changed much over the last 30 years. But that technology is woefully inadequate for addressing all the new and emerging requirements of big data, analytics, mobility, Internet of Things (IoT), social media, security, and cloud.
Just over half of the respondents to a recent networking trends survey – 52% – are struggling to increase bandwidth requirements, and scalability seem to be at the forefront as organizations work to keep their networks up to date.
According to IDC:
- In 2016, the level of connectivity related to products, assets, and processes will increase 50% for all industry value chains.1
- By 2018, at least 20% of all workers will use automated assistance technologies to make decisions and get work done.1
- By 2017, 60% of DX initiatives will not be able to scale because of lack of strategic architecture.2
“The challenge for the IoT, mobility, and cloud developments is to update network operations to be agile and supportive of rich digital experiences for the internal and external customers of IT infrastructure,” said Elisabeth Rainge, research vice president, Communications Service Provider Operations at IDC. IDC stated, “Any meaningful, sustainable and high-impact digital transformation must have robust and responsive network architecture as their skeleton.”
So what do you have to do when your network must evolve from a supporting role to the lead in your DX future? Here are 10 networking priorities for digital transformation, according to Zeus Kerravala, ZK Research, A Division of Kerravala Consulting:
- Take an architectural approach.
- Build on open, standards-based interfaces.
- Take a two-pronged approach to IT.
- Simplify the network.
- Make the network more agile.
- Introduce centralized policy-based control.
- Integrate security throughout the network.
- Leverage network-based analytics.
- Leverage the network for contextual information.
10. Move toward cloud-based services.
The DX stakes are incredible:
- Forrester Research predicts that 47% of revenue will be influenced by digital sources by 2020.3
- By 2019 worldwide spending on DX technologies will be more than $2.1 trillion (over $730 billion in the US) with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.8% over the 2014-2019 forecast period, according to IDC.4
The urgency to revamp your network to support the DX future is growing, and that’s where a trusted partner, like Connection, can assist you. We have years of experience – and expertise – helping customers upgrade their networks to digital-class, addressing their network efficiencies, collaboration, increased speed, and greater productivity requirements.
Sources:
1. IDC: IDC Reveals Worldwide Digital Transformation Predictions; November 4, 2015.
2. IDC: IDC Predicts the Emergence of “the DX Economy” in a Critical Period of Widespread Digital Transformation and Massive Scale Up of 3rd Platform Technologies in Every Industry; November 4, 2015.
3. Forrester: The State Of Digital Business, 2015 To 2020; November 2, 2015.
4. IDC: IDC Forecasts Worldwide Spending on Digital Transformation Technologies Will Surpass $2 Trillion in 2019; January 26, 2016.
