Four network capabilities that digital enterprises should focus on

We live in an increasingly digital world where our homes, offices, schools and even cars are connected. Enterprises need to integrate the latest digital innovations such as mobility, data analytics, cloud and the Internet of Things (IoT) into their operations and improve operational efficiency to maintain sustained growth. The use of digital technologies enables organizations to create more efficient processes, differentiate products and services, better meet the needs of customers and employees, while increasing revenue and reducing costs.

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According to Adobe's 2020 Digital Trends report, the customer experience maturity in Asia Pacific lags behind other regions in the world, with only 7% of respondents believing that the customer experience shaped by their company is "very mature", compared with 12% in North America and 11% in other parts of the world. Using technology to connect and provide positive customer experiences has become a priority for companies in the Asia Pacific region.

Source: Adobe 2020 Digital Trends Report

But it should be clear that digital technology and network technology go hand in hand. Traditional infrastructure is usually unable to efficiently and securely support today's business solutions and applications. Especially in the face of cloud computing applications and a large number of IoT devices connected at the same time, network infrastructure will be the focus of subsequent considerations.

In the digital age, enterprises' digital transformation needs to face the problem of business mapping efficiency. Cloud computing and the Internet of Things have brought about productivity improvements, but have also put forward higher requirements for the smooth migration of traditional architectures. Network infrastructure has become the focus of attention. At this time, an appropriate digital network strategy is particularly important. Let's take a look at the four basic network capabilities that need to be focused on in this strategy.

1. Automated connection

Enterprises need to equip their digital networks with excellent wired and/or wireless connectivity to ensure a seamless customer experience as well as efficient and effective data transfer. This is where connectivity becomes key.

The expectation among users is that deploying new applications should only take minutes. While it still takes time to set up a network, the process is improving. For example, there are now networks that automatically provide secure connections to authorized applications from a user or object/device. These networks were previously implemented using reactive alarm-based monitoring and were largely manual operations. Now, enterprises have the option of driving the connection to drive the network.

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is a great example of how modern network infrastructure can drive an enhanced end-user experience. With more than 35,000 students and 10 buildings on campus, UTS was challenged by many network issues caused by different technologies used by different faculties and groups. UTS deployed a network automation solution to automate the deployment of its network and simplify migrations, adds, and modifications, thereby reducing the time and effort required to maintain and operate the network in a more cost-effective manner. The new scalable architecture can also support more than 90% of the daily activities that UTS needs to run, which means fewer network outages and more proactive feedback on issues or failures.

2. IoT Security

IoT devices and sensors are changing the world we live in and the way we do business. Billions of connected devices have already been deployed, and experts predict that the growth of the Internet of Everything will continue. IDC shares that there will be 55.9 billion connected devices worldwide, 75% of which will be connected to IoT platforms, by 2025. One of the most significant risks posed by connected devices is security. Once an object is compromised, the entire enterprise network becomes vulnerable. Protecting an enterprise's IoT network and devices is critical.

However, configuring and managing many individual devices is not practical. IoT inclusion provides an automated solution to securely onboard IoT devices and protect the network at the same time. With IoT inclusion, each object is discovered and classified, categorized, and monitored. It is crucial to monitor them so that if something unusual occurs within the network, the enterprise can take immediate action.

3. Network intelligence

Artificial intelligence, data analytics, and machine learning can correlate events occurring in the network with user and device behavior. Piecing these elements together gives IT a better understanding of the facts and a holistic view of the problem, allowing them to resolve underlying issues sparked in the network and optimize digital business processes.

Proactive analytics also provide intelligence about the quality of their user experience and can quickly identify if there is a problem. For example, if a device is connected to the wireless network for too long, the network can identify the problem and take steps to resolve it. The network will then send a notification to the administrator to indicate whether the problem can be automatically fixed. When unusual activity is detected on a connected object, the object will be automatically disconnected or quarantined. This automation ensures the fastest possible response and is a way for enterprises to use existing technology more intelligently to achieve optimal operational efficiency.

4. Cloud-network economic model

The cloud network economic model brings new revenue opportunities to enterprises. In the current situation where budgets are limited, the cloud business model brings a new paradigm of cost investment, allowing enterprises to re-examine the cost expenditures related to network infrastructure.

Network as a Service offers an alternative to technology procurement, with a subscription model based on a fixed monthly operating expense (OPEX) fee. Cloud technology also provides value-added services that can generate new revenue streams. For example, in a stadium scenario, location-based services can provide information about the location of users or objects, which means that large retailers can send promotional codes or food suppliers can send discount notifications, creating new revenue opportunities and the cost can also generate profits.

The way forward

A solid digital network strategy lays the foundation for the future IT infrastructure of enterprise digital transformation. The above four directions provide a guide for enterprises to see how the network can be transformed from a complex and costly infrastructure to a tool for generating new revenue sources at a lower operating cost.