Maximizing Digital Transformation Investments: 3 Areas to Focus on in 2019

Embarking on a digital transformation journey is no small feat. It requires IT leaders to completely rethink their approach to business processes and the use of technology. Unfortunately, there is no cookie-cutter solution. Each organization has unique requirements and circumstances to consider, which is why digital transformation can be an expensive undertaking—and an impactful one, provided the IT investments are well placed.

Here are 3 areas to focus those investments for maximum positive impact.

1. A software-defined network (SD-WAN). Not only is SD-WAN more flexible and scalable than traditional wide-area alternatives, it also may cost significantly less to operate. Deployable as either a strictly software-based solution or as a hardware/software hybrid with WAN edge devices, SD‑WAN offers a clear pathway to a virtually, always-on, cloud-driven network operating model to meet growing bandwidth demand while staying within network budgets constraints.

2. Security. The best way to protect against threats to your digital assets, your customers and your brand, is by baking multiple levels of digital security into your network infrastructure. That means embracing a zero-trust security philosophy and leaning on tools like multi-factor authentication, firewalls on-premises and in the cloud, and end-to-end encryption.
3. A powerfully simple, centralized portal. Having complete control and visibility over all of your digital and network assets is vital. It’s much easier to coordinate a digital transformation effort across an enterprise when your network, communications and the data and services that are attached to it, can be managed through a unified online portal. Such portals can serve as a single pane of glass through which an IT department can see and manage their network resources and the functionalities attached to it.

I go into even more detail on this topic in my article with Information Age, click here to read the full article.