The connected workplace has become synonymous with sustainable business success. The golden thread that pulls the customer and employee through the organisation to deliver relevant and consistent experiences, and that ensures the organisation is capable of leveraging agile and emergent technologies to fully realise its potential. The IDC whitepaper ‘Software-Defined Networking: Underpinning Successful Enterprise Digital Transformation’, highlights how important reliable, secure and scalable networking has become. It’s less a box that has to be ticked and more a vital asset that can enhance product development, innovation and customer interactions.

Software-defined networking (SDN) is essentially a network architecture approach that allows for the organisation to structure the network using intelligent and adaptive software solutions that are highly customisable and capable. The flexibility and scale inherent within SDN architecture gives the enterprise the ability to create a network that fits within its unique frameworks and that can be managed more consistently and holistically. As enterprises are on the prowl for technology that makes digital transformation simpler and more efficient, it’s easy to see why SDN has risen to the top of the proverbial pile.

The six SDN success points

There are several reasons why SDN has become such a successful digital transformation tool but, for the enterprise, these six are the most relevant.

01: Improved agility and service delivery. Thanks to the reliability, security and scalability of the new networking paradigm, companies have access to the technology and capabilities they need to transform service delivery, improve product development cycles, and engage with a diverse and geographically widespread customer base.

02: Intelligent connectivity. With SDN, networks can be controlled centrally and with no small measure of intelligence – the software within the network capable of self-healing and self-learning, as well as in consistently optimising to ensure a seamless network experience. As connectivity is now the lifeblood of the organisation and key to successful digital transformation at any level, this offers the business a powerful advantage.

03: Improved control and visibility. As management capabilities are more centralised, it means that the network infrastructure is more reliable and it’s easier for the business to manage the network and costs more efficiently. It also allows for improved visibility into wide-area network performance and security which means better traffic management, more efficient application rollout, and improved user engagement.

04: Adaptable agility. SDN is cost-effective which means it can be used by organisations of all sizes as they embark on their digital transformation journey. It also cuts costs by virtualising the network, simplifying networking infrastructure, and opening the business doors to the easy adoption of cloud, analytics, artificial intelligence, robot process automation and more.

05: Dynamic intelligence. Along with handing the organisation the keys to all the shiny new technologies that are proving invaluable to the enterprise, SDN helps the organisation to optimise its capacity and applications iteratively. This means that the business can easily keep up with capacity requirements, innovations and operations.

06: Cloud capability. Of course, no conversation about digital transformation would be complete without looking at how the enterprise can leverage SDN to fully realise cloud potential. Considering how many benefits tag along in cloud’s wake, it makes sense to invest in an architecture that allows for the organisation to really squeeze out every last drop of digital value from its cloud investments.

In the whitepaper developed by IDC, the research highlights the value of SDN in driving digital transformation success for the enterprise and unpacks the multiple value-adds that walk hand in hand with cloud, networking and digital technologies. At BCX, we understand exactly how SDN can deliver measurable value to your business, and we have the digital transformation track record to prove it.

Read the full whitepaper here.