More than 78% of enterprises consider networking capabilities important or very important when selecting providers for generative AI (GenAI) infrastructure, reflecting a decisive shift in enterprise investment priorities toward AI-driven digital transformation, according to a report published by IDC, NTT DATA and Cisco. 

The report, titled ‘Wired for Intelligence: A CIO Guide to Enterprise Networking and AI’, surveyed 1,209 organisations and found that AI-powered networking is transforming network management by enabling advanced automation, enhanced security and optimised performance, bringing measurable benefits such as improved resiliency and responsiveness. 

It highlighted that network performance and availability are now baseline expectations, while security, service innovation and alignment with business outcomes are top selection criteria for service providers supporting GenAI deployments. 

Security remains the leading concern, with 19% of enterprises identifying network security vulnerabilities as their biggest challenge in supporting current and planned GenAI workloads, followed by the cost of necessary upgrades (16%) and network staff skills (15%). 

The report also projects that accelerated adoption of AI technologies will drive a cumulative global economic impact of $19.9 trillion by 2030, representing 3.5% of global GDP.

In manufacturing, firms are rapidly incorporating AI into network functions, with 31% citing extensive use of AI-powered management tools for network security and substantial uptake expected across data centre, edge and wireless WAN domains. 

The healthcare sector’s priorities are sharply focused on network security and aligning IT infrastructure with business strategy, with 53% of surveyed organisations citing improved security as their top campus network goal for the next two years. 

Financial services survey data show that 47% of organisations rank financial crime and cybersecurity as their leading priorities, with plans for significant investment in real-time, customer-centric services powered by AI and GenAI. 

The findings indicate that as enterprises move from piloting to substantial GenAI adoption, network demands are increasing significantly, highlighting the need for scalable, secure and high-performance digital infrastructure. 

The report recommended that organisations pursuing AI transformation must balance large-scale investment, flexible consumption models and the integration of AI-enabled network and security solutions to unlock business growth and maintain a competitive edge in an evolving digital economy. 

“Network modernisation is about more than replacing old hardware—it’s about allowing enterprises to lead in an AI-driven world,” Brink Sanders, senior vice president of global networking sales, Cisco, said in a statement.

“The network exists as a catalyst for growth and organisations can unlock powerful new capabilities and achieve AI-driven business transformation at scale,” Dilip Kumar, global head of technology solutions at NTT DATA, said.

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