NC Nov-Dec 2021
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OPINION<br />
CREATING BEST-CASE OUTCOMES<br />
With that level of clarity established, a<br />
company can then embark on thoughtful, but<br />
fast-paced, planning of the changes most<br />
relevant to its unique digital transformation<br />
journey. From there it is then possible to move<br />
on to the selection and deployment of the<br />
right technology-or technologies-to make<br />
those changes a reality.<br />
This is because if a business wants to achieve<br />
exceptional performance across all digital<br />
platforms, it will ultimately have to assess how<br />
far it needs to reach - from core to cloud to<br />
edge, or vice versa - and how far up or down<br />
the protocol stack to look. Some may also<br />
find it useful to examine how to validate<br />
performance gains, potential and actual, and<br />
decide what to test in the lab and what to<br />
monitor in the field.<br />
All of this makes it clear that all things digital,<br />
those essential enablers of "everyone and<br />
everything, connected," are also what make for<br />
superior user experience. The business goal is<br />
to create an experience that provides<br />
differentiation and competitive advantage. The<br />
best-case outcome is a user experience that<br />
meets or exceeds ever heightened expectations.<br />
FACING THE CHALLENGES<br />
Getting there is not easy. There are significant<br />
obstacles on the road ahead, and the strain of<br />
the past year and a half has revealed crucial<br />
weaknesses that are on the verge of becoming<br />
fatal liabilities.<br />
Demand for bandwidth continues to grow<br />
unabated, and it's rising like a digital tidal<br />
wave. In today's world, more devices are<br />
transmitting and receiving richer content:<br />
high-resolution images; 4K and 8K video;<br />
dynamic, interactive experiences like<br />
multiplayer gaming; and telemedicine.<br />
Here, the key drivers include exponential<br />
growth in IoT devices and machine-tomachine<br />
communication. They also include<br />
new capabilities and use cases made possible<br />
by the ongoing rollout of 5G. In networking,<br />
the world continues to deploy 400 gigabit<br />
Ethernet, but the jump to 800 gig is coming,<br />
and 1.6 terabit Ethernet is on the horizon.<br />
The need for ever more processing power is<br />
unending. After almost 60 years, it looks like<br />
Moore's Law is decelerating. Makers of<br />
classical computers and supercomputers<br />
continue to innovate, but most are also<br />
investing in quantum computing. Perhaps<br />
ironically, quantum effects in semiconductors<br />
are one of the factors limiting the ability of<br />
device makers to move process geometries<br />
significantly below 5 nanometers. Thus,<br />
between the traditional manufacturers and a<br />
cadre of focused startups, quantum is<br />
gaining momentum.<br />
DRIVING THE DIGITAL<br />
TRANSFORMATION OF EVERYTHING<br />
Pulling back on the zoom lens, these forces<br />
are driving technology trends we all need to<br />
be ready for now: process automation,<br />
machine learning, artificial intelligence, the AI<br />
of things, edge computing, and so much<br />
more. Staying ahead of these trends is<br />
essential to meeting customer needs, building<br />
competitive advantage, and achieving<br />
business success.<br />
ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />
Jay Alexander is Chief Technology Officer of<br />
Keysight Technologies. He leads Keysight's<br />
centralised technology development team to<br />
focus on addressing top opportunities and<br />
market trends.<br />
WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK @<strong>NC</strong>MagAndAwards NOVEMBER/DECEMBER <strong>2021</strong> NETWORKcomputing 09