EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
Organisations in the Middle East and Africa ( MEA ) need to ensure they are keeping up with the rapid pace of Digital Transformation if they want to remain relevant and have a successful business . For example in the Gulf region , governments are driving the agenda of Digital Transformation , with an emphasis on bringing Smart Cities to life through initiatives such as the Saudi Vision 2030 .
At the forefront of this transformation are technologies such as cloud computing , analytics , Edge Computing , Machine Learning , Big Data , automation , and the Internet of Things ( IoT ). These new technologies are revolutionising the way we live , work and communicate , and are all supported by networks that need to keep up with the increasing bandwidth demands . Service providers across the MEA region have started the rollout of 5G networks to support the adoption of Digital Transformation at scale .
With the adoption of technologies like AI , 5G , IoT , and cloud everywhere , service providers across the MEA region are having to adapt to unforeseen growth and emerging use cases that are radically changing how organisations connect to partners , data centres and end users .
While Digital Transformation is the end goal , achieving it requires fast and efficient network connectivity . Intelligent , software-based network automation and intent-based networking are key to overcoming legacy technology and process challenges – and vital to accelerating the journey to the self-governing , self-healing networks of the future . Networks are the foundation of any business Digital Transformation and must provide the same agility and flexibility that enterprises need to offer to their customers .
CIOs have the challenge of building the IT infrastructure that support the end-to-end integration of the different business workflows across their organisation and also with their partners and customers while making sure this IT infrastructure is built based on the most advanced security applications .
This year , Digital Transformation will continue reflecting in new technologies that enable the workforce to collaborate more effectively . For instance , we can expect companies to start offering Augmented Reality software and wearables to keep teams engaged . Businesses will also need to extend cloud and advanced network capabilities into the homes of their employees . Mesh Wi-Fi networks or even new methods of bringing connectivity to the home will become increasingly important . We will see an increase in the number of homes with a 5G connection during the year .
We will also see different cloud applications that will enable us to adapt to new technologies rapidly . Early adopters of these new applications and features will give companies a good understanding of the business challenges that can be addressed using technology and give them a competitive edge .
Given that many of the applications required to drive Digital Transformation are cloud-based , connectivity to cloud apps must happen in real-time , with low-latency , scalable bandwidth , and resilient connections . Any network outages , congestion or jitter can impact the enterprise ’ ability to support their customers .
Most inherited networks are usually slow , complex and inflexible , making it almost impossible to adopt new technologies that are scalable and provide the services and experience differentiators that customers want . In order to deal with all these new complexities , enterprises now require network infrastructures that can be changed easily to adapt to dynamic changes required by different business and customers ’ needs . p
AZZ-EDDINE MANSOURI , GENERAL MANAGER , SALES ,
CIENA MIDDLE EAST
www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA 29