Three trends currently impacting digital networking

Emerging technologies are still being developed at a rapid rate and rolled out across all industries. These include anything and everything; from cloud communications and cryptocurrencies to autonomous vehicles and telemedicine, digital technologies are changing the face of business. Although these technologies have very different functions, they are all supported by network architecture.

In essence, digital networking is the future of business and day-to-day living. Networks must be diversified yet located close to the technologies that they support in order to keep up with the pace of innovation. Next-gen network architecture will be the key to success for enterprises that forge ahead with their digital transformation strategies.

There are three basic trends that are currently happening in the world of digital networks; the rollout of 5G networks, the cloudification of networks and an effort to define ‘the edge’. These trends will determine whether businesses keep up with their competitors or get left behind in a rapidly-shifting world.

The rollout of 5G networks

5G is one of the newest frontiers for network connectivity and is currently being set up in many countries around the globe. It is much faster than 4G but accessibility is still limited right now. In South Africa, 5G networks are being implemented in major metropolitan areas, but fibre networks remain the clear favourite so far.

China currently leads the field in the deployment of 5G networks - around 20% of mobile connections in China are now 5G. The penetration of this technology in other countries around the world is set to grow in the near future, so we can expect to see growth in private 5G LTE networks for businesses. These offer better security, privacy and long-term cost savings.

Healthcare providers, manufacturers, financial institutions, government agencies and retailers can all benefit from 5G networking in terms of speed, responsiveness, increased capacity and reduced latency of their networks. Fibre currently forms the backbone of 5G, so the two technologies go hand-in-hand rather than competing against one another.

Cloudification of networks

Modernising and improving a business network still relies on manual labour involving the on-premise servers, modems, adaptors and firewalls. However, businesses have now started to shift away from physical infrastructure to cloud-based solutions. This process of cloudification has been a trend for a couple of years but it is only set to increase in uptake over the coming years.

Cloud-based computing, workload management, file storage, automation and operations are becoming the way of modern business. The cloud offers greater agility, scalability and delivery of networking functions and processes. The cloud environment can be accessed from anywhere in the world, so it holds massive benefits for global corporations and those businesses that have shifted to remote working.

Defining ‘the edge’ in networking architecture

The term ‘the edge’ focuses on the what and where of networking architecture. It can be defined in many ways and there is no universally accepted answer to what ‘the edge’ entails. Essentially, the edge is a distributed architecture in which data is processed at the periphery (the edge) of the network.

The growing number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is creating a massive increase in data that needs to be stored somewhere other than centralised data centres. This means that businesses now need low latency and reliable edge computing services to process this data.

Enterprises need to find tailored edge solutions that integrate with the cloud in order to maximise the capabilities of their networks. This entails finding the right cloud and networking providers that your company can partner with. Seacom Business offers various connectivity solutions, including cloud services and networking infrastructure that will take your company to the next level.

The future of digital networking is certainly cloud-first. A company’s computing, data storage and network infrastructure need to be flexible, agile and scalable in order to be cost-effective as the business grows. Tailored technology and implementation of cloud-based networks are essential for any modern enterprise. For more information or to get a quote for our various networking services, email us at marketing@seacom.com or leave us a message.

Seacom owns Africa’s most extensive network of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, including subsea cables and secure internet connections. We offer a diverse range of flexible, scalable and high-quality solutions for businesses that meet world-class standards for connectivity.

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