Trends driving enterprise IT transformation in 2018

Many of the hype-technologies of recent years such as software-defined networking (SDN), the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to name but a few – are now in the mainstream, and 2018 is the year when attention will turn to what organisations do with them.

Verizon Enterprise Solution shares its view of those enterprise technology trends that are most likely to impact our global business and government customers in 2018.

1. With software-defined networking (SDN) deployments now live around the globe, companies are beginning to explore what they can really do with the security, agility and flexibility of virtualized network services. The next big thing is application-aware networking – managing the performance, capabilities and security of applications to make the most of bandwidth - ever more critical in an increasingly complex content world.
2. Security will undertake a step change in 2018, and become embedded into the platform, supporting everything a business does. We’re talking end-to-end managed security infrastructure for the network, the developer and applications. In today’s threat landscape, it’s all about global scale – but openness and information sharing to combat the bad guy, both online and in the real world will also become the norm. With this step change, measuring security effectiveness is imperative so that cyber-risks can be integrated into any enterprise risk assessment. The quantification of security posture, maturity and hygiene will not only enable effective risk management, but also establish a security ROI - a key ability for the C-suite.
3. Savvy organizations have been moving away from aging PBXs to IP-based telephony systems over recent years - but 2018 will be the year when digital technologies really begin to transform workplace collaboration, not least as third-party compliance becomes a major frustration. Employees expect to be able to seamlessly access calendar information, share documents and schedule calls across platforms, quickly and securely. The focus is therefore on enabling multi-channel access to improve both the user experience and productivity. Software-defined networking will facilitate intelligent data management and multi-platform call routing for more effective collaboration, and mobile apps will put the power of information directly into the hands of employees or consumers.
4. IoT will become part of the fabric of an organization in 2018 – the challenge will be how to integrate device management into overall IT infrastructure in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the organization. This is where AI and robotics will come into their own, offering intelligent automation of managed IoT deployments cheaply and efficiently.
5. Consumers are increasingly aware of the power of their data, and in 2018 will become choosier about their engagements. Brands will need to be aware of how they deal with data, as their customers will be looking for mobile, secure, simple interactions for a higher level of intimacy. Brands that can deliver on this will stand out.
6. 2017 has seen a large number of both terrorist incidents and natural disasters around the globe. Seamless, secure connections across rapidly deployable networks -- particularly those dedicated to first responders – will be a critical focus in 2018, particularly in the United States in the context of FirstNet. Interoperability will let companies and public safety organizations benefit from choice in network and technology services, will drive innovation through market competition, and will also help control costs. Most importantly, interoperability will better enable first responders to keep in touch and communicate with authorities and private citizens, should disaster strike.
7. As the world becomes more complicated, business success is increasingly about separating out core versus chore. Successful organisations will focus on delivering key business outcomes, and will outsource the non-core to key partners. Working out who does what to quickly reduce complexity to the point where things become simple will define future business success.