Extreme Connect is a yearly event that brings together tech industry experts to share insight into the industry’s future, share advice and ideas, and talk about all things networking. Our 2022 event brought in panelists from some of the top analyst companies in the world, customers and partners, and Extreme executives.
Whether you joined us this year in person, virtually, or on demand, we wanted to recap the best advice our speakers had to offer this year. Here are the top highlights from the mainstage event at Extreme Connect 2022.
“If you are doing something today not strategic to your resume, don’t do them. Find a way to automate it out of your job.” – Zeus Kerravala, ZK Research
Simplification is the key to a successful IT strategy. Always ask your vendors the right questions and find ways to simplify your network without compromising security. When you automate, you remove a lot of tedious tasks from your to-do list, allowing you to focus on more important responsibilities. Find ways to incorporate artificial intelligence into your job to improve your employee and customer experiences.
“Don’t fear innovation and evolution, embrace it!” – Zeus Kerravala, ZK Research
Innovation is something to invest in, not recoil from. If you aren’t willing to step out of your comfort zone, try new technology, and embrace technological advancements, your company will not survive today’s highly digital world. The organizations that are embracing change and innovation are the organizations that are thriving.
“Know the implications of all the things that you are doing.” – Chris Kemmerer, Verizon Business
All organizations are unique. You need to plan and understand why you are doing what you are doing. It is super important that you know what different jobs are happening within your venue, both within the IT department and outside of it. You must always know what is going on within your organization to keep up with changing demands and understand what might impact your network performance.
“Technology never stops. The minute I accepted the fact that it is never going to end… I slept a whole lot better at night” – John Martin, NASCAR
There are always going to be more things to do. An IT staff’s to-do list is sure to keep growing because innovation is constantly happening. It is important to accept the fact that your job will never be done, and you will always have more to get caught up on, and that is okay. In fact, it is more than okay because that means that you are doing everything you can to keep your organization ahead and evolving with your consumers.
“Planning, plus experiential testing. Test as if you are your consumer.” – Aaron Amendolia, NFL
One of the best ways to understand your consumer is to put yourself in their shoes. Walk around your stadium, hospital, office, store, or wherever your consumer goes and test connectivity. Talk to your consumers and ask about their experiences. The best way to enhance the customer experience is to understand what your customers truly want.
“Know what is going on in the invisible wireless in your building, facility, or venue. There are a lot of bands of frequency that you want to manage, own, and control in your venue.” – Aaron Amendolia, NFL
There is a whole world of spectrum that you need to control in order to create the ultimate experience for your users. User experience is essential to thriving in the modern world and keeping your organization running as smoothly as possible.
Want to learn more about where the tech industry is going and the best advice for keeping up? Watch the full recording of Extreme Connect 2022, both the mainstage event and breakout sessions, available now in our on-demand library!
