Your digital transformation is only as good as your network

Digital disruption is the reality for most businesses and IT organizations today. To succeed in a digital transformation, you need a communications fabric in place that goes beyond simply connecting infrastructure. Your organization’s network must participate in and enhance the business outcomes you are looking to achieve. Assuming that the network is a “commodity” and “will do what it’s supposed to do” is a mistake that diminishes your ability to maximize the outcomes from the solutions you are deploying.

When thinking about this communications fabric, keep in mind these six key design attributes that will enable you to differentiate from your competitors (who are no doubt running their own digital transformation initiatives). Your network should be:

1. Application-driven. You’ll want a network that responds to and enables your business application requirements.

2. Secure across multiple clouds. Create a multi-cloud networking platform with unified control, encryption and visibility that enables a transparent public, private and hybrid cloud approach.

3. Fluid. Aim for a fluid network architecture that seamlessly configures resources anywhere inside the data center, in the public cloud, or in the branch/campus environment.

4. Intelligent and automated. Remove operational complexity and increase automation to reduce costs while increasing network quality and uptime.

5. Agile. Design your network to support an Agile approach, ready for DevOps and NetOps.

6. Equipped for robust governance. Eliminate shadow IT and deliver on the expectations of stakeholders with an easy-to-use service catalog clearly mapped to the business needs.

HPE Pointnext Services has built an extensive global network consulting practice to help you harness your network as a driver of competitive advantage. We bring to the table our decades of experience from thousands of client engagements and partnerships with the major communications vendors.

Organizations of all sizes look to us to help them move forward in leveraging the network to advance on their digital transformation journey. Here’s why:

1. We’re a one-of-a-kind network system integrator. HPE Pointnext Services is perhaps the only major networking vendor in the industry that also has deep third-party and solution aggregation expertise.

2. We offer the full breadth of services, including consumption-based solutions. Our advisory, transformation, professional and support services for networking are now also packaged in an XaaS consumption model.

3. We bring cloud into the mix. Our recent acquisitions of Cloud Technology Partners (CTP) and RedPixie enable us to bring deep cloud and cloud networking expertise to our networking customers.

4. We deliver the full stack of services. We cover the entire technology stack, from (internet of) things to compute, storage and networking infrastructure, to data platforms, to application deployments, to governance, security and management of change.

Indeed, in a recent report by IDC, HPE was positioned as a worldwide leader in network consulting services based upon our capabilities and strategy. In this report, IDC stated that “Worldwide, buyers of network consulting services regard HPE Pointnext Services as particularly strong for improving compliance, faster time to market with new services and solutions, and development of new revenue streams and growth strategies.” Some of the customer feedback included the following:
 

• "Worked very closely with us in meeting objectives and worked with other third parties. Delivery methodology was agile."
  
  
• "they really helped us achieve our goals"
  
  
• "staff and customer linkage was perfect."

SOURCE: "IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Network Consulting Services 2019 Vendor Assessment", by Leslie Rosenberg, July 2019, IDC # US44532219_HPE

IDC MarketScape vendor analysis model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT suppliers in a given market.  The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor’s position within a given market. The Capabilities score measures vendor product, go-to-market and business execution in the short-term. The Strategy score measures alignment of vendor strategies with customer requirements in a 3-5-year timeframe. Vendor market share is represented by the size of the circles. Vendor year-over-year growth rate relative to the given market is indicated by a plus, neutral or minus next to the vendor name.

If you’re looking for a trusted partner for your digital transformation, consider HPE Pointnext Services. This may be the most important lever you pull for the differentiation and success of your initiative.

Learn how  HPE Pointnext Services can help you take your digital enterprise to the next level.

Read my post: Networking for your Right Mix: Architecting a communications fabric for hybrid cloud.

Stay tuned for an upcoming blog from HPE Chief Technologist Jeff Enters, who provides 3 reasons why the network should be at the core of your digital transformation project.

Saadat Malik is HPE’s Vice President responsible for its IoT and Intelligent Edge Services. As part of his portfolio, Saadat heads HPE’s Network Consulting Services organization. This organization is focused on building out communication fabrics that support the delivery of digital transformation outcomes, working with customers across the globe.