Connectivity

Fast and reliable wired broadband has always been the preferred connectivity option for wide-area networks (WANs), but that’s not always an option in today’s increasingly distributed network environments. Growing numbers of remote users and locations simply can’t be reached by physical connections such as cable, DSL and fiber optic lines.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has captured the imagination of businesses in almost every industry. It refers, of course, to the billions of network-connected devices that are capable of monitoring systems, capturing data and automating many tasks.

The vast majority of organizations have embraced the idea of a hybrid work environment in which employees split their time between onsite and office work — 82 percent, according to one recent study. However, many are finding the transition is more difficult than they imagined.

All signs suggest that businesses will continue to support hybrid and remote workstyles for the foreseeable future, but most IT leaders say it will require a significant shift in their networking philosophies. In particular, they expect accelerated adoption of software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) and secure access service edge (SASE) technologies to securely connect branch offices and distributed workforces with the cloud resources they need.