Overcoming the three biggest barriers to enterprise connectivity

Enterprise connectivity is the great enabler in modern business. Facilitating communication, data exchange and collaboration, seamless connectivity offers a competitive edge in the interconnected world. With key benefits of real-time decision-making, improved productivity and customer experience, enterprises looking to leverage connectivity for their profitability gains need to overcome certain hurdles:

1) One of the most significant barriers to enterprise connectivity is legacy systems and infrastructure. Outdated systems hinder integration and interoperability.

2) Another key challenge is security and data privacy. Protecting valuable digital assets with robust cybersecurity needs to be at the forefront of any digital transformation agenda.

3) The third key obstacle to overcome is scalability and flexibility challenges. Enterprise connectivity is the most successful when it is able to adapt to changing demands efficiently and effectively.

By addressing these barriers, businesses can tap into the full potential of enterprise connectivity, thus driving innovation and business growth

Barrier 1: Legacy systems and infrastructure

Many large enterprises depend on outdated technology, hardware or software that may have been in use for an extended period of time. Legacy systems, such as on-premise servers, lack modern connectivity capabilities and scalability benefits. They often use proprietary protocols and formats, making it difficult to integrate them with newer technologies and platforms.

Efficient data exchange and communication can be difficult because these legacy systems often don’t support seamless connectivity. Ageing systems can be expensive to maintain, especially as technology quickly advances. In the example of on-premise servers, businesses need to plan way in advance for any upgrades to bandwidth and storage capabilities.

By modernising legacy systems, organisations can leverage new technologies more efficiently. Migration to cloud-based solutions makes it easier for businesses to reap the benefits of scalability and accessibility.

Implementing integration platforms and using application programming interfaces (APIs) can help to connect legacy systems with more modern systems. Where necessary, enterprises can update or replace outdated components of the legacy systems, such as hardware or software, to improve compatibility and functionality.

Barrier 2: Security and data privacy

Businesses face increasing cyber threats and security concerns. South African businesses are being pushed to update their security systems in order to mitigate and prevent the effect of data breaches. With tightened data privacy regulations, businesses are legally obliged to uphold the data privacy of their customers. A large-scale data breach can have serious consequences for customer loyalty, so a robust security system is a key feature of a successful digital enterprise.

There are a number of solutions which can enhance security and address data privacy issues. The implementation of firewalls, threat detection and prevention systems and advanced encryption serves to prevent large-scale cyber attacks. Enterprises should conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments to understand which aspects of the digital ecosystem need stronger security protocols.

There are a number of advanced cybersecurity tools available to South African businesses, such as DDoS Protect. This solution ensures that business networks are able to detect and mitigate large-scale distributed denial of services attacks. Such attacks can be crippling for enterprises, leading to extended downtime and costly remediation.

Barrier 3: Flexibility and scalability challenges

Any modern network is characterised by flexible and customisable solutions that are able to integrate seamlessly with new technologies. With an adaptable system, enterprises can evolve according to changing demands and business goals. This promotes business growth through an agile approach.

Business networks tend to face changing levels of data volume, depending on the time of year or the types of services they offer. Because of this, networks that can easily scale up or down according to changing traffic flows are the most robust.

For example, an event ticketing system needs to handle sudden surges in traffic without crashing. Similarly, e-commerce websites need to be able to cope with increased requests when high-demand products go on sale. When organisations have insufficient network capacity and hardware resources, these inflexible systems cannot scale or adapt easily.

By adopting cloud-based solutions, businesses benefit from elastic scalability. With flexible pricing models, a key benefit of cloud computing is on-demand resource allocation and cost optimisation. Through the cloud, businesses can implement scalable infrastructure and network resources.

Leveraging enterprise connectivity for business success

By overcoming these barriers to enterprise connectivity, businesses can maximise the potential of their digital systems to improve productivity and decision-making. Addressing security and data privacy concerns safeguards sensitive information and valuable digital assets. By tackling scalability and flexibility challenges, enterprises unlock the potential for business agility and growth.

Businesses that proactively work to overcome these connectivity challenges are in a better position to welcome future advancements and opportunities. Emerging technology, like artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) systems require seamless connectivity.

Real-time data insights and remote working are most efficient when they operate on high-speed, cloud-based networks. Enterprises can enjoy the potential of enterprise connectivity and the benefits it brings for innovation, productivity and efficiency. For more information about our cloud, cyber security or networking solutions, email us at marketing@seacom.com or leave us a message.

SEACOM operates Africa’s most extensive network of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, including multiple subsea cables and secure internet connections tracing both sides of the continent. This is partnered with broad terrestrial fibre networks in Southern and East Africa, extending services to these regions.

Today, SEACOM provides holistic ICT solutions covering connectivity, cyber security, cloud, smart networking and communication products that provide African businesses with the necessary building blocks to deliver world-class solutions to their clients. We are privately owned and operated, making us agile and adaptable to the needs of our customers.

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