According to IDC, the digital shadow of each human is currently 45 gigabytes and is continuing to rise.
When applying this to a business context, it’s no wonder that the pressure on networks is straining at the seams. The solution?
Next generation technology in the form of 10 gigabit switching.
For many SMBs, this is an untrodden territory.
Despite this, recent research from NETGEAR has revealed that 100% of SMBs understand the need to transition to 10 Gigabit switching either now or in the future in reaction to the inevitable demands on the business network.
Looking at the current uptake, however, we have a very different story, with three-quarters (77%) of SMB networks still to make the move to 10 Gigabit switching. Yet, with the ongoing onslaught of the Internet of Things (IoT), there is a strong need for robust technology to underpin and cope with the general transformation now and in the future.
Taking action now to implement a 10 gigabit solution will allow for a more agile and progressive business; crucial in what is becoming an increasingly fast paced, competitive and global marketplace.
The here and now
Adoption rates of IoT continue to rise as businesses benefit from the inherent efficiency, innovation and creation gains it brings.
As traction takes place in larger enterprises, it will ripple out into the supply chain and SMBs, becoming normality for businesses of all sizes. Because of this, the value of the IoT is predicted to rise to £16 billion by 2020, representing a 0.8% share of forecasted GDP.
As such, more data is being produced than ever before. Implementation of innovative technology to handle this increase is frequently deemed as a costly, complex and confusing process, but this in fact, doesn’t need to be the case.
Instead, embracing the change now enables organisations to deliver consistent, affordable and easy-to-use connectivity beyond the core of the network.
As the pace of change in business is expediting and exceeding expectation, the ability for technology to scale and remain flexible during the inevitable growth is vital.
If businesses overlook the need to embrace new technologies and have the appropriate infrastructure in place, they run the risk of their network potentially collapsing, causing downtime, lost opportunities and even possible business failure.
Connected devices are becoming more mobile and a part of our everyday life, with the number of employee’s own devices (BYOD) in the workplace set to treble by 2018 according to Gartner.
This plethora of connected devices therefore needs to be sustained within the business network, and with this comes the need for speedier server and storage connections.
As SMBs continue to produce and consume a large amount of data, businesses need to be underpinned with 10 Gigabit connectivity to ensure a consistent, seamless operation.
Embracing the challenge
How we work and live is constantly changing.
It may be that businesses are experiencing performance bottlenecks as the number of devices requiring access to the corporate network increases, or they may have plans for office expansion to accommodate the growing business.
Is your network prepared to cope with the change in user and device numbers?
Future proofing for increased speed and reliability needs to be considered as central to all decisions of business development.
Ultimately, making these considerations now will decrease the overall network cost, complexity and maintenance in the future.
Future success
In order to succeed in the 21st century, SMBs require robust, reliable technology at the heart of what they do.
With a large focus on growth, business development and streamlined service delivery, businesses need to ensure all of their related processes are running at optimal efficiency.
Businesses can combat the complexity presented by the constantly connected, BYOD wielding, tech savvy generation with this simple solution.
Sourced by Rob Wells, senior director, Northern Europe, NETGEAR
