FEATURE: AI NETWORKING
André Kannemeyer, CTO, Duxbury Networking
INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR THE HELPDESK TICKET OR WALKING INTO A ROOM FULL OF FRUSTRATED USERS, AI CAN SPOT THE PROBLEM BEFORE THEY EVEN NOTICE IT. to replicate a problem that happened hours ago. It is slow, human-intensive work. And while it is happening, your users are still experiencing poor connectivity.
AI changes that equation.
Instead of waiting for the helpdesk ticket or walking into a room full of frustrated users, AI can spot the problem before they even notice it. It can tell you which access point is behaving oddly, identify the affected devices, and even suggest the most likely cause. And because it learns from every incident across the network, it becomes better at recognising those patterns over time.
How does AI move networking from firefighting to foresight?
What challenges make South African networks uniquely complex?
In South Africa, we live in a world of‘ complicated Wi-Fi’ whether we call it that or not. Our clients run networks in places that were never designed for high-density wireless. Thick brick walls, steel roofs, and unpredictable floorplans. We contend with ongoing electricity interruptions, limited budgets and high RF interference.
In those conditions, troubleshooting is never straightforward. You are often piecing together clues from different systems, walking between buildings, waiting for the right people to be available, or trying
The real breakthrough is not just speed, but foresight. AI-enabled platforms like Extreme’ s can predict issues before they impact the business. Think about what that means for a hospital relying on wireless patient monitoring, or a logistics hub tracking inventory in real time. It means downtime is avoided, reputations are protected, and IT teams freed from constant firefighting.
It also means you can spend more time on meaningful projects. AI is not here to replace engineers. Rather, it is here to give them back the hours they lose to repetitive, reactive work. And in an industry where skilled networking staff are in short supply, that time is invaluable.
38 INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA www. intelligentcio. com