Today’s networks are largely static. But the world continues to move forward with things like 5G, augmented and virtual reality, big data, business critical applications, the cloud, containers, the internet of things, video, and more.
That creates a need for more bandwidth, of course. But these new applications, requirements, and traffic types require more than just bigger pipes. They mean we need to get better at being responsive, securing networks and applications, introducing new services and features, and more.
All that calls for networks that can adapt to situations as they arise and ensure resources are available to the applications that need them, based on business and network policy of course. Adaptive networks include analytics and intelligence, programmable infrastructure, and software control and automation.
The programmability enables network operators to set policy so the network can use that as its guide, automatically spotting things that are out of the ordinary and even potentially using artificial intelligence to make decisions and implement fixes without the need for human intervention.
Such new networks promise to enable businesses and service providers to more quickly introduce new initiatives, features, and services; keep networks up and running more reliably and securely; and use artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate tasks, understand what’s happening on their networks and connected applications and service, and deliver better overall performance and business outcomes.
“From predictions, recommendations, and advice to automated customer service agents and intelligent process automation, AI is changing the face of how we interact with computer systems,” IDC (News - Alert) notes.
IDC estimates 40% of digital transformation initiatives will use AI services by 2019. And the research firm forecasts 75% of enterprise applications will use AI by 2021.
Edited by Maurice Nagle