Enabling Continual Digital Transformation
We all know that market growth requires the digital transformation of business infrastructure. But how do you put it into practice? Technology-enabled, data-driven solutions can provide a competitive edge. Likewise, by focusing network growth on future standards, you can build infrastructure that may not be essential now — but soon will be.
Ray Mota of ACG Research recently sat with Dennis Kyle, Zayo’s SVP of Product Marketing, to discuss this focus. You can watch the full interview here, or read on for the highlights:
Building Blocks
When it comes to the growth of the Cloud, Kyle talks about the necessary infrastructure in two specific segments: Cloud-to-Cloud (or business-to-business) and core-to-edge. Consumer demands drive changes in enterprise demands, and for Cloud-to-Cloud connectivity, that means more speed. “The bar for business-to-business communications has gone up tremendously,” says Kyle. The other component, core-to-edge, is the part of the puzzle that’s still being put together. The current demand for enterprise users is to get applications processing data closer to where that data originates. But why?
Solving for Latency
The cloud infrastructure has afforded immeasurable growth and flexibility to modern enterprise. Long-haul data speeds between enterprise and the cloud improve drastically year-by-year. But there’s still one unavoidable drawback in moving data processing and storage off-site: added latency. The solution – the next stage of the cloud – is to push data processing and storage to the edge. Mixing compute responsibilities between local edge and centralized servers creates a hybrid model that provides the latency boost we’ll need in the next generation of growth technologies: faster AI, smarter automation, real-time video analytics, responsive IoT and safer self-driving vehicles. “And,” Kyle reminds us, “behind all of that, you have to have a network that can support that type of capability.”
Security First
Expanding into new areas of growth often means increasing the complexity of processes, but this can bring security challenges. “Security has to be thought of from the outset and embedded deeply into the infrastructure you’re putting in place,” Kyle says. “At the communications layer, at the application layer, at the compute layer: all of those things need to account for some form of security from the very beginning.” Luckily, Zayo provides a suite of products (including global DDoS Protection, Firewall managed cyber security, and, with the acquisition of QoS Networks, Managed Enhanced SD-WAN, and SASE) that keeps security at the top of the priorities stack, holistically integrated into whichever phase of expansion is on your horizon. Because, as fast as you’re working to secure something, somebody else is working to figure out how to get around it.
Heading Our Way?
You can be a part of setting standards for the future of your industry, rather than playing catch-up. Zayo’s focus on building the best network possible enables you to build the infrastructure, growth, and security your business needs. We’re committed to expanding our network and increasing density both through direct investment and mergers and acquisitions. Furthermore, we’re always looking to develop and expand relationships with partners who rely on innovation and want to get the most out of our powerful network. Kyle summarizes Zayo’s philosophy: “Work with a vendor that has the full breadth and depth of services that support the direction you’re trying to go.”
For more on digital acceleration and future-proofing your infrastructure, check out our expert guide.