The network: A catalyst for digital business success
Architectural changes are underway to advance digital business. A network platform, AI-enabled operations, and converged security are proving pivotal to network strategies.
Business improvements driven by networking investments over the past 12 months:
Increase in customer satisfaction
Increase in employee productivity and satisfaction
Growth in revenue
Strategic networking areas driving digital business
Architecture transformation
A network platform, integrated partner ecosystem, and digital experience assurance are expected to simplify operations and drive innovative experiences.
Two-year outlook
72%
of respondents said they expect to embrace a network platform architecture across one or more networking domains.
Security convergence
Converging network and security technologies and workflows are a top priority and a best practice as security concerns expand with continued cloud adoption.
Two-year outlook
60%
expect to have an integrated multicloud networking and security management platform in place for secure workload mobility, network and application visibility, and policy management.
AI operations
AI-enabled automation is a strategic priority to close the IT skills gap while streamlining operations, assuring digital experiences, and mitigating risk.
Two-year outlook
60%
of IT leaders and professionals expect to have AI-enabled predictive network automation in place across all domains to manage NetOps.
Data center at scale
Data center infrastructure modernization is underway to meet AI workload and new application demands at scale.
Two-year outlook
56%
of respondents expect they will deploy a next-generation enhanced Ethernet network, providing standardized packet lossless technology to support AI workloads.
Sustainability advancement
IT is looking to networking platform features that advance telemetry and visibility, and create smart, sustainable buildings to advance net-zero goals.
Two-year outlook
60%
expect to be focusing on energy management using real-time telemetry, platform dashboards, and other networking tools.
About the research
The 2024 Global Networking Trends research was conducted in November 2023 by Cisco in partnership with IDC. Responses were gathered from over 2052 IT leaders and professionals from 13 markets and 10 industries assessing their top networking challenges, priority IT and business outcomes, architectural advances, and future-looking investment strategies.
Markets
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, U.K., and U.S. are the markets analyzed in the report.
Industries
The research covered the following industries: Education, Financial/lnsurance Services, Government, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Mining, Retail, Telecom, and Transportation.