Today’s CIOs are facing a digital paradox – the more technology they implement, the more complex it becomes to manage. So while many CIOs have successfully shifted enterprise workloads from manual and legacy systems to new, cloud-based applications in recent years, these breakthroughs have also caused them fresh headaches.
“CIOs are now at the heart of the business like never before,” observes Dino Trevisani, SVP and Head of Americas region at Tata Communications. “Their organization’s digital fabric – the intricate tapestry of platforms, tools, solutions, and expertise that powers modern enterprises – has become the cornerstone of its success.”
The flipside is that, without a streamlined digital foundation, innovation will stall, security risks rise and overall business agility will inevitably suffer. The urgent challenge for CIOs is to turn the digital fabric of their organization from a potential liability into a powerful enabler of success.
A complex web
For Shane Guthrie, VP Operations at application delivery and security company F5, digital complexity is only speeding up: “In the past, technology innovation came along in 10-year or five-year blocks, so you had the time to cycle through solutions and plan better for the future. But now we just don’t have that kind of time.” New tools now emerge “year over year, even in some cases month to month now.”
In addition, today’s business ecosystems are ‘hyperconnected’, with always-on, real-time interactions between multiple audiences of employees, partners, suppliers and customers. And that’s not even counting the 32bn IoT devices forecast to be connected by 2030.
This accumulation and fragmentation of technologies has created a complex web that many organizations struggle to manage effectively. Far from speeding up their work, it can create silos that slow them down, and introduce vulnerabilities that put data revenue at risk.
The costs of inaction
The rise of AI brings further complications. While 92% of companies say they’re investing in AI today, according to McKinsey[1]only 25% have a clear AI strategy. The result for too many organizations is inertia, waste and enormous opportunity cost.
These factors might explain why, according to a recent Gartner study, more than half of CEOs think digital initiatives take too long to complete or to realize value. The message to CIOs is clear: speed and efficiency are no longer optional. IT leaders must rapidly optimize their organization’s digital fabric to help, not hinder, their business success.
Tata Communications has developed a comprehensive approach to addressing this challenge. Through a three-part process – integrate, uncomplicate, and innovate – it helps CIOs get their digital fabric into shape and provide the foundation for the next stage of their organizations’ growth.
Integrate, uncomplicate and innovate
The process starts with integrating disparate technology stacks across their network infrastructure, cloud strategy, connected IoT devices, and enterprise applications and APIs. That requires an in-depth understanding of organizational objectives, as well as a thorough assessment of their existing systems. Bringing these different technologies together creates a solid digital foundation for the enterprise.
Next comes simplification. This involves streamlining the IT estate by consolidating platforms, eliminating redundant systems, and optimizing workflows. A typical global enterprise’s network, for example, might involve anywhere from five to 30 different vendors, all working with different SLAs, regulations and architectures. Untangling this helps improve agility, resilience and performance, while critically reducing risk.
“Complication in their digital infrastructure is frankly killing a lot of IT teams,” says Raj Purkayastha, New Jersey-based VP Head of Pre Sales and Strategy, Americas at Tata Communications. “By uncomplicating it for them, we can help drive cost efficiencies and generate operational excellence that’s really transformational.”
With an integrated and simplified digital fabric in place, organizations can then focus on innovation. Greater visibility and control allow them to derive actionable insights more quickly and power new ideas. That can be the difference between winning and losing in today’s fast-paced business environment.
For modern CIOs, optimizing their organization’s digital fabric is arguably their number one challenge, as well as their number one route to value. The strength and flexibility of their digital foundations will determine their ability to thrive in an increasingly competitive global environment. With the right approach and expert support, CIOs can create a fabric that underpins success for years to come.
To learn more, visit Tata Communications’ website.
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[1] https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/superagency-in-the-workplace-empowering-people-to-unlock-ais-full-potential-at-work
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