A New Age of Network Infrastructure

Our current landscape reinforces the need for reliable IT infrastructure in organizations of all sizes. As most employees will be working remotely for the foreseeable future, more pressure is put on organizations to test, assess and improve overall network performance. Moving forward, network infrastructure will play a deciding factor in an organization's ability to survive. Recently, CDW commissioned a survey with Angus Reid to examine the relationship between the optimization of IT solutions, including infrastructure, and the state of business continuity. Thankfully, our survey found that nearly two-thirds (61 percent) of IT professionals believe their network is future-proofed and able to meet organizational needs as we adjust to our evolving landscape.

Drivers of change

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the demand for optimized IT infrastructure at a time where innovation within the digital landscape was already growing at a rapid clip. As reliable solutions have become more necessary than ever, we are constantly reminded of the potential consequences that can occur when the maintenance of IT infrastructure is not taken seriously. Thankfully, one-third of respondents (33 percent) indicated they review network infrastructure performance quarterly, nearly one-quarter (24 percent) indicated they review it every six months and nearly one-third (30 percent) conduct this review annually. This highlights that organizations are making commitments to ensuring network infrastructure is properly tailored to meet current and future needs, although some are doing it at a better pace than others.

Looking specifically at small businesses, many were significantlyimpacted and forced into closure due to COVID-19. However, many were betterprepared for these changes compared to larger enterprises. Nearly two-thirds ofsmall business IT professionals (62 percent) felt their organization hadalready adequately adopted new technologies to optimize performancepre-pandemic, compared to 45 percent of enterprise organizations.

Adopting new technologies to ensure business continuity

Canadian organizations are at various stages of their technologyadoption. Nearly one-third (29 percent) of respondents believe they wereproactive in adopting new technologies prior to the pandemic, while 53 percentof respondents noted their organization did an adequate job of doing so inresponse to the changing landscape.

Looking at the new technologies that were adopted, cloud saw significantattention among infrastructure trends. One-third of respondents (33 percent)noted there was accelerated deployment of new services in public cloudproviders, while 36 percent witnessed growth and investment in existing publiccloud services. Another 30 percent of respondents indicated growth in existing on-premiseand co-location data centre services, while 38 percent experienced investmentin data centre technologies to solve new challenges.

While this adoption is encouraging, concerningly, 39 percent ofrespondents don't feel their organization's network is future-proofed. This highlightsa significant gap in technology adoption at today's organizations. While it'simportant to meet the current demands, it's equally important to be prepared forthe workplaces of the future and able to adapt to the evolving needs. Thankfully,87 percent of those who don't feel their current organization's networkinfrastructure is future-proofed anticipate they'll be conducting reviews inthe coming months.

Ongoing barriers to IT

While the pandemic has impacted organizations of all sizes indifferent ways, there are some consistencies in the barriers they faced intheir technology adoption to improve and future-proof infrastructure. The overwhelmingbarrier respondents indicated as most prevalent in optimizing networkinfrastructure was cost (66 percent). Other barriers included the perceivedcomplexity of projects (29 percent), reluctance from senior management (22percent) and project duration (11 percent). It is important for organizations torealize that updating and future-proofing IT infrastructure is no longer anadded benefit, but has become a necessity to ensure profitability, success andbusiness continuity.

Perspectives

As regions across Canada face various second waves of the pandemic,the majority of organizations will continue having employees working from homefor the foreseeable future. Some key takeaways for organizations to keep inmind are:

1. Recognize the link between infrastructure and businesscontinuity.

Regardless of an organization's size or sector, having agile and flexibleinfrastructure in place will help ensure operations can function in amanageable and future-proofed way.

2. Network performance must be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

With increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks and an everchangingdigital landscape, ongoing assessments to determine if improvements ormodifications are needed are key to ensuring a safe, secure and efficient ITenvironment.

3. Infrastructure cost should be a consideration in annual financialplanning.

If cost is the number one barrier to optimizing IT, this needs to beaddressed and incorporated into an organization's strategic plan. Sustainableand efficient infrastructure is a key business driver and should be anorganizational priority.

If you're interested in learning how to future-proof your organization and enable yourself to adapt to the ever-changing landscape, contact our CDW solution experts at 800.972.3922 or  visit cdw.ca/datacentre. Our complete market trends report is available here.