Modernize your network for the AI era: A strategic imperative

In the age of AI, every network refresh is more than a technical upgrade — it’s also a strategic inflection point. Done right, it becomes the launchpad for AI-powered transformation, unlocking new revenue streams, reducing operational costs and speeding up digital innovation. Done wrong, it risks anchoring your organization to outdated capabilities for years.

Forward-looking CIOs now see network modernization not just as a routine IT cycle but also as a leadership moment. It’s a chance to reposition the network from a cost center into a growth engine that powers secure, scalable and intelligent operations.

The key? Design your network for business value, not only for uptime.

3 strategic realities you can’t ignore

1. End-of-life is a catalyst for change

End-of-life and end-of-support milestones are no longer just technical deadlines; they are strategic triggers. Yet, many organizations postpone refreshing their infrastructure until risk becomes unavoidable. According to NTT DATA’s Global GenAI Report, only 45% of organizations strongly agree they have assessed their future infrastructure needs for GenAI. The result? Nine in 10 say legacy systems are already constraining their business agility and holding back their effective use of AI.

More than a maintenance milestone, end-of-life also means you can:

• Reposition your network as a business enabler, not a legacy liability
• Mitigate escalating cyber risks
• Avoid unplanned outages and support gaps
• Unlock agility to accelerate innovation and embrace AI

This is your opportunity to lead, not react.

2. AI workloads are redefining network demands

AI is no longer experimental; it’s operational. According to our Global GenAI Report, two-thirds of organizations plan to implement GenAI in at least half of their business processes this year.

These workloads demand:

• Deterministic data paths
• High-throughput, low-latency connectivity
• Secure, scalable access across hybrid environments

Legacy networks weren’t built for this. Without modernization, your AI initiatives — from predictive analytics to customer experience — will stall because of infrastructure constraints.

3. Reactive operations are a hidden cost

Reactive network operations drain innovation capacity. Organizations spend significant time resolving network issues.

This drag on resources:

• Delays transformation
• Increases operational costs
• Limits agility in responding to business needs

Modern networks must be designed to activate AI-driven observability, automation and self-healing capabilities, shifting from reactive firefighting to proactive value creation.

Three imperatives for your network refresh strategy

1. Architect for AI-ready resilience

The rise of AI is reshaping enterprise priorities. By some estimates, organizations will spend around $3 trillion on AI initiatives between 2023 and 2027. Your network must be designed to support this scale by delivering secure, high-throughput, low-latency connectivity across hybrid environments.

This means:

• Embedding software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) and secure access service edge (SASE) at the WAN edge for secure cloud access
• Building campus networks that support high-density, data-generating endpoints
• Ensuring cloud networks are flexible and scalable for AI workloads

This isn’t just about performance. It’s also about enabling AI to help you realize business outcomes, from predictive analytics to real-time customer engagement.

• ALSO READ → Beyond connectivity: Chart a course for your future-ready network

2. Operationalize security as a business enabler

In our Global GenAI Report, 94% of CIOs report that GenAI has caused or will cause them to invest more in regulatory compliance, and 95% state the same for cybersecurity. Secure networking is now foundational, and a refresh must integrate security into every layer of the network fabric by:

• Automating threat detection and response using AI-powered telemetry
• Shifting from perimeter-based models to zero trust architectures
• Aligning network security key performance indicators with business risk metrics, not just technical thresholds

This imperative transforms security from a reactive cost center into a proactive enabler of trust, resilience and compliance.

3. Drive adoption through platform-enabled infrastructure services

The shift to platform services is accelerating. At NTT DATA, we already support more than 5,000 clients on our Technology Solutions platforms. Your network refresh must be paired with multivendor, platform-enabled lifecycle services that:

• Simplify adoption through automation and AI-driven operations
• Go beyond service-level agreements (SLAs) to utilization-level agreements (ULAs) and value-level agreements (VLAs) that improve your business
• Support sustainability goals by delivering measurable carbon savings and ensuring compliance with emerging regulations

This imperative ensures that your network will keep evolving to deliver business value, agility and competitive differentiation.

Lead the conversation

End-of-life is more than a deadline — it’s your mandate to lead. Use this moment to shift the conversation:

• Are you linking network ROI to business outcomes or just uptime?
• Which of your business goals are constrained by current network performance?
• Who are the partners committed to outcomes — not just technology or lights-on services?

Organizations that thrive in the AI era are embedding AI infrastructure services into their core operations and aligning every investment with measurable business value.

• ALSO READ → Triple your impact: Modernize cloud, security and network simultaneously