When we browse the mainstream media today, the mention of technology is often centered around a few key words and phrases – artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, 5G, various social media platforms, and automation. 

While these technologies often make the front page of the media, the reality is that NONE of them would move an inch, if not for the tireless and relentless operations of some chunks of metals and cables and invisible software in the background – enterprise networking solutions. Turn off enterprise networking infrastructures, and everything from bullet trains, airports, power plants, and yes, your smartphones and social media will shut down.

Make no mistake, enterprise networking is not going away. The more wireless the everyday user experiences from their smartphones, tablets, and even laptops, the more enterprise networking infrastructure will be needed to support wireless enablement at every node we know as end-users. 

Asia Pacific Leaps Ahead

Analyst firm Global Market Insights, Inc. recently published a report on enterprise networking solutions worldwide and projected that the Asia Pacific (APAC) market may have a compound annual growth rate of more than 8% from 2018 to 2024 (a very healthy growth projection). This is no surprise as the Asia Pacific market is the fastest growing market for any technological adoption and where many emerging markets are adopting enterprise technologies boldly and expediently. 

With the migration of many enterprises’ data to the cloud, Asia Pacific has a sure footing to adopt the cloud architecture to leapfrog the global competition. Markets such as China, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea are the biggest cloud adopters in Asia Pacific according to the Cloud Security Alliance. These are the very same markets that are leading the way in edge-to-cloud technologies and infrastructures, typically enabling metropolitan cities to be exceedingly connected with high-speed fiber broadband and wireless networks. 

Automating the Enterprise, the Extreme Way

Asia Pacific’s meteoric growth over the past two decades is a natural progression of the global economy. While the incredible growth in this region is heralded and nurtured by governments region-wide, the chasm between available human capital and the rapidly-growing needs becomes greater and greater. 

Human capital is not a resource that can happen overnight, however, growth cannot wait. Fortunately, automation and AI are some of the tools that have become available over the past decade to bridge the gaps in human capital and the productivity required. 

While AI and automation tend to be centered on the more glamorous world of transportation (including aviation, marine, and rail), manufacturing, and software, these technologies have no limits to their applications. What if behind all the enterprise networking steel is a layer of tightly-woven software technology that not only powers the edge devices to the cloud and data center, but also provides an unprecedented level of intelligence and automation?

There is.

Extreme Networks is now paving the way of the future for enterprise networks with what is aptly called the Autonomous Enterprise. Extreme Networks is pumping 95% of its research and development dollars into software and AI to further enhance our already smart enterprise networking solutions. Smart OmniEdge™, Automated Campus™, and Agile Data Center™ solutions, provide a secure, self-healing, self-driving network — from the enterprise edge to the cloud. 

By offering new sources of automation and intelligence, we’re giving customers the tools they need to automate routine networking tasks, and the freedom to create compelling new experiences that increase efficiencies, improve competitive advantage and, in some cases, change lives. The businesses of the future are being built today – and they’re customers of Extreme Networks.

Ed Meyercord President and CEO, Extreme Networks

What Does this Mean?

The Autonomous Enterprise in the prism of Extreme Networks looks like this:

• Open and standards-based – you can build the exact architecture and applications you require to fulfill the specialized demands of your enterprise.
• Cross-domain and closed-loop automation– you can optimize network performance from the edge device to the application server.
• Software-driven infrastructure, augmented with machine learning and AI – so you can easily respond to bandwidth demands and user behavior, ensuring your users always get the experience they need when they need it.
• Insights and analytics – so you can track the behavior of applications, users, and IoT devices in real-time; identify anomalies, and automatically resolve issues without human intervention.
• Intrinsic security – so you can fly safely with cybersecurity defense for your business at its most fundamental level – the network.

Today, if you intend to become number one or stay that way, you need agility. Agility is the freedom to excel without encumbrances and fears, which may stem from laggard technologies, lack of human capital, and cybersecurity challenges. Extreme Networks has been the steward of enterprise networking in the industry, and we have cleared your clear path ahead for takeoff. 

This blog was originally authored by Director of Field Marketing, Chew Peng Healey.