Digital transformation is powerful, but also dangerous

More than two thirds of network managers in the UK consider the digital strategy an important part in tackling competition. However, almost half (49 percent) look at legacy technologies as something that’s holding them back in this endeavor.

This is according to a new report by Axians UK, released earlier today.

Digital transformation is serious business. It’s essential to delivering a satisfying customer experience, yet if done poorly, could force companies into administration. As digital strategy becomes a priority for more businesses, network changes that are necessary to sustain secure and agile businesses are being missed, the report states.

"Organizations are currently risking reputation and can’t always obtain the adequate skills in the network, causing disparity between the long-term vision of the business, and the reality of the here and now for network managers," comments Russell Crampin, UK Managing Director at Axians UK.

"CIO’s must look beyond software and focus on utilizing people internally and externally to truly address the digital strategy and secure long term success."

More than four in ten (44 percent) say their company struggles finding the IT skills or talent in areas that can’t be automated. Two thirds (62 percent) believe that with new technology, their company would be more profitable.

To successfully implement a digital strategy, respondents identified the following as important:

• network management (94 percent)
• security (92 percent)
• network visibility (90 percent)
• educated staff (89 percent)
• flexibility/agility (89 percent)
• application performance (86 percent)
• scalability (84 percent)
• automation (76 percent)

Crampin continues: "By investing in Axians’ experience in the network, and supporting the investment in next generation networking like SD-WAN, organizations can build a solution to fit their own business challenges. By doing so, companies can scale, be flexible and agile, while making the changes necessary to implement a digital strategy which will ultimately enable them to continue to address and improve the customer experience -- but with fewer casualties along the way."

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Future plc Publication. All rights reserved.

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