One of the many things 2020 has shown us is the escalating need for digital transformation across all enterprise organizations. An increased IT spend focused on network optimization is absolutely necessary as your workplace transitions back to the office post-COVID, because while some pre-pandemic aspects of communication will remain the same, the need for video communication and expanded network bandwidth will increase at least tenfold.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION POST-COVID

Returning to the office to then deal with tech debt, dated software and outdated processes is an unnecessary hassle that you don’t have time to deal with. Companies that have started their transformation journeys are ready for the challenge of managing digital communications when the workforce returns.

Among the changes that we’ll see within the next year will be the move to a more distributed workforce and workplace, with digital experiences at the forefront, which will require multiple technologies and platforms connected by digital workflows. This will be the case no matter which one of your offices your employees are working in.

HOW IT BUDGETS WILL CHANGE IN 2021

As the need for digital transformation increases, so will worldwide IT spending. In 2021, spend is expected to reach $3.8 trillion, an increase of 4% from 2020, according to research firm Gartner . Specifically, enterprise software spending should also see tremendous growth in 2021 with an anticipated gain of 7.2%, due to enterprise digitalization efforts.

“In the 25 years that Gartner has been forecasting IT spending, never has there been a market with this much volatility,” said John-David Lovelock, distinguished research vice president at Gartner. “While there have been unique stressors imposed on all industries as the ongoing pandemic unfolds, the enterprises that were already more digital going into the crisis are doing better and will continue to thrive going into 2021.”

THE ERA OF CLOUD END-USER GROWTH

When enterprise organizations increase IT spend, Gartner also expects growth in public cloud to be sustained through 2024. In fact, recent Gartner survey data indicates that almost 70% of organizations using cloud services today plan to increase their cloud spending in the wake of the disruption caused by COVID-19.

“As CIOs think more strategically about how to lay the foundations to support a return to growth, it is clear that the move to digital and associated services will play a big role for organizations in the future,” said Sid Nag, research vice president at Gartner. “Cloud adoption therefore becomes a significant means to stay ahead in a post-COVID-19 world focused on agility and digital touchpoints.”

Network Impact of Increased Cloud Adoption

SD-WAN is a crucial technology that businesses need to invest in to thrive in the “new normal.” As cloud-adoption becomes more prevalent moving forward, the need for SD-WAN technology will continue to increase. Here’s why:

INCREASED DEMAND FOR ROBUST VIDEO QUALITY:

The days of in-person all hands meetings have been traded with back-to-back video calls. While businesses are planning to return to the office in the future, many will have employees stream enterprise video and live events at their individual workstations. Video communications have proven necessary for inclusivity and productivity during the pandemic, but a surge of users using video can completely bog down your network, causing lags and connectivity issues which can be frustrating and ultimately lead to decreased productivity. A simple fix for these issues is adopting a robust and higher bandwidth network connectivity, by way of an SD WAN.

BOOST BANDWIDTH WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK:

Adding bandwidth to your network can be expensive. SD-WAN is an attractive option for increased bandwidth pressure because it’s a solution that can meet your demands while remaining cost-effective.

OPTIMIZE CENTRALLY OPTIMIZED NETWORKS:

Once you check the boxes for enterprise video quality and bandwidth, the next step is to ensure that IT teams have the resources needed to effectively operate networks from cloud-to-cloud. SD-WAN is a useful IT tool for network management because it provides full visibility into what’s happening across the network.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU NEED MORE ENTERPRISE BANDWIDTH

Simple. It’s time to optimize your network, and Kollective’s browser-based peering is the easiest and most efficient solution to solve your enterprise bandwidth needs. The browser-based peering solution scales video communication across your network, allowing you to achieve 100% delivery at 1% the bandwidth. Kollective’s superior user experience, seamless integration, global scalability, decision-based analytics and effortless onboarding. Kollective optimizes the network you have today, we use peering to distribute content efficiently.

Kollective Browsed-Based Peering offers:

• Lower transit costs
• Retain greater control of routing paths
• Improve overall network performance
• Increase redundancy by using multiple locations
• Increase bandwidth capacity

Talk to an expert today to find out how Kollective can help you optimize your network in 2021.