Connections Redefining the Enterprise Network

February 23, 2017 / G C Network / Comments Off on Connections Redefining the Enterprise Network

The Endpoint Imperative: In a Software World, Hardware Does Matter

By G C Network | January 9, 2018

Hardware matters. From productivity to security to innovation, make sure your machines can keep up. Intel’s Sarah Wieskus joins The End Point Imperative: A Podcast series from Intel to discuss…

IT Transformation with Watson

By G C Network | January 5, 2018

Credit: Shutterstock by Kevin Jackson & Dez Blanchfield   IBM recently launched an exciting new project in the form of a podcast series produced and hosted Dez Blanchfield, appropriately titled the…

The Endpoint Imperative: A Form Factor Renaissance

By G C Network | December 22, 2017

Workplace expectations are changing, and along with them, the devices we use to do our jobs. In this episode of “The End Point Imperative”, Intel’s Sarah Wieskus tells us about…

Cloud Storage 2.0 Set To Dominate Market

By G C Network | December 19, 2017

The enterprise data storage marketplace is poised to become a battlefield. No longer the quiet backwater of cloud computing services, the focus of this global transition is now going from…

Top “Cloud Musings” Posts For 2017

By G C Network | December 17, 2017

    ( This content is being syndicated through multiple channels. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of GovCloud Network, GovCloud…

The Endpoint Imperative: ID’ing and Overcoming the Stumbling Blocks to Digital Transformation

By G C Network | December 6, 2017

Digital Transformation is the No 1 priority for organizations large and small. It’s imperative that IT remove any obstacles to digital transformation success – including outdated PCs and mobile devices.…

Industry Verticals Tackle Unstructured Data

By G C Network | December 1, 2017

  Organizations around the world are struggling to cope with the current data explosion. A vital characteristic of this data is that it is unstructured and represents things like email,…

The Endpoint Imperative: The Perimeter is Dead; Long Live the Perimeter!

By G C Network | November 27, 2017

Cloud, mobility and the Internet of Things have obliterated the traditional perimeter that protected organizations. The result: Higher productivity, but bigger challenges for security, data protection, and mobile device management.…

The Data Storage Explosion

By G C Network | November 25, 2017

Cloud computing innovation will power enterprise transformation in 2018.  Cloud growth is also driving a rapid rise in the storage market, exacerbating the enterprise challenge around storage cost and complexity.…

Digital Transformation Drives Mainframe’s Future

By G C Network | November 15, 2017

  Digital Transformation is amplifying mainframe as mission critical to business growth more than ever before. With 70% of the world’s corporate data and over half of the world’s enterprise…

Photo credit: Shutterstock

The computer and the network that connects them are both inextricably linked to the success of any business.  This truth is at the heart of our contemporary connection economy.
“The computer patiently measures and reports. [T]he network creates value in connection. The connection economy values the bridges between the nodes as much as the nodes themselves.” – Seth Godin
This train of thought explains why Uber is worth more than the independent cars it connects.  It also describes the imperative for enterprises to redefine their network in order to operate in the modern data economy.  The instantiation of today’s data economy lies in the digital supply chain that links customer demand and organizational products.  This reality surfaces the need for organizations to transform their supply chains into demand and product networks. This strategic vector increasingly includes the Internet of Things (IoT), machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and their joint ability to support new and varied digital products.

Networks and networked devices are just as vital to a business as they are, in many cases, integral to the digital product itself.  Many modern business models boil down to having the ability to connect information seekers to service providers that serve as information sources. Uber, AirBNB, and Travelocity are all examples of this sort of business transformation that can be created through the real-time management of information accessible via network connected devices. This same business model could be just as effective in any company if it was able to focus on delivering customer centric services in a rapid, network enhanced manner.  Linking chain-of-delivery communications, for example, could optimize just about any business model that could benefit from gaining scheduling efficiencies.
Another impressive reality lies in how IoT is becoming the glue of the extended network supply chain. Through the use of machine-to-machine communications, physical product sensor data can now provide new and different insights into supply chain efficiency and customer service levels.  These innovations are even providing direct linkage between maintenance contracts and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
With extended digital supply chains supported by business driven IoT technologies operating over a software defined networked environment, the digital economy is directly connected to the larger enterprise.  With this capability, companies can effectively respond to real-time information, capture opportunities and flexibly solve their customer’s problems. This concept transforms supply chain silos into product and demand networks. It facilitates real-time information exchange and drives the required focus on customer centricity and speed.  This approach also leads to a successful accomplishment of seven key tasks that enables your business model to thrive in today’s connection economy:
  • Deliver sustainable product innovation that wins market share and meets regulatory and quality requirements
  • Execute demand-driven business processes that effectively address strategic, financial, sales, and operational goals
  • Sense customer demand, orchestrate your production supply chain and respond with appropriate services in real-time with profit
  • Maximize automation and enable full visibility and transparency of your internal and external operations
  • Integrate your digital supply chain, physical logistics and order fulfillment processes in a way that delivers wildly satisfied customers
  • Operate and manage all assets at lower risk, improved security, higher safety, better quality and with improve return on assets
  • Monitor and measure everything using real-time network management tools that sense, analyze, and predict events and key performance indicators (KPIs).

Accomplishing all of these tasks requires a competent and experienced enterprise network management team that can ensure efficient connections and improved network agility.  These two attributes are essential to attaining the twin organizational goals of reduced cost and reduced complexity.  At a minimum, your team must be adept at network management automation, software defined networking and cloud networking operations.  Needed capabilities could also include:

Your return on these network investments will be realized through less network downtime, improved staff efficiencies and enhanced industry competitiveness.

This post was brought to you by IBM Global Technology Services. For more content like this, visit ITBizAdvisor.com

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