WATCH | How NTT and Cisco simplify software-defined infrastructure

These days, flexibility and agility are everything. Organizations must be able to take advantage of opportunities fast and skillfully – whether it’s moving to a hybrid work environment or creating a digital storefront. Meanwhile, the pressure to reduce costs and add efficiencies continues to squeeze technology budgets.

Operating models that support a digital-first strategy deliver a faster time to value, while subscription-based software – including for infrastructure management – can make it easier for an organization to embark on a cloud-first strategy.

Modernizing their technical infrastructure is a top priority for organizations. In a recent International Data Corporation (IDC) survey, 68% of respondents expected to undergo a near-major or major transformation of their IT or digital infrastructure to support their business strategies over the next five years.

These initiatives typically involve the network (81% of organizations are still prioritizing networking programs, according to the IDC); security, with architectures such as secure access service edge (SASE) gaining in popularity; and new technologies such as AIOps.

New opportunities also create new complexity

Much of the relevant software has now been decoupled from the hardware to provide a more flexible network – in the form of software-defined infrastructure – and to enable the application of automation and AIOps techniques. Therefore, software license management (including entitlement, adoption and consumption) is now part and parcel of network management.

But, even as the move to software-defined infrastructure holds promises of speed, agility and the ability to innovate, organizations with legacy systems and operational practices are facing increased complexity and a lack of relevant in-house skills.

In this data-rich environment, NTT and Cisco are integrating the functionality of controllers, AI, machine learning, Cisco CX Cloud, analytics and more with application programming interfaces (APIs) to share data between a range of sources and to reduce operational complexity.

Watch our webinar

To discuss the evolution of software-defined infrastructure and how we are helping organizations reap the benefits, some of our experts joined Cisco and IDC in a virtual event on the topic of Modernizing Your Infrastructure for the Digital Age: 8 Myths Dispelled.

• Watch the NTT, Cisco and IDC webinar now

Unlock the power of data

Beyond having the right tools and platforms in place, it is also key to unlock the value of data in order to realize the value of software-defined infrastructure and make the operational changes that organizations need to maximize performance and return on investment. 

As Dilip Kumar, Chief Digital and Global Business Services Officer at NTT, says: “Organizations need access to expertise and insights at the right time to accelerate business success, simplify IT operations and ensure lifecycle value is realized while transforming infrastructures.” 

Connected, software-controlled devices – embedded sensors, for example – are driven by cloud-based management platforms that store and analyze data.  

Gain control securely and limit downtime

In the words of Tony Hopson, Partner Executive Director in the Global Strategic Partner Organization at Cisco: “As we transform our technology to deliver the benefits of software-defined infrastructure, the ability to leverage lifecycle analytics and automation will give our clients new levels of visibility and control.

“Organizations that lack a comprehensive lifecycle management strategy for their infrastructure investments will find it harder to ensure consistent governance, risk mitigation and cost control.”  

NTT’s Support Services helps you ensure asset availability, manage costs and limit downtime of your SDI-associated hardware and legacy investments.

Meanwhile, our extensive integration with Cisco Success Tracks, based on a connection to Cisco PX Cloud, provides telemetry that accelerates the adoption of new technology and gives you predictive insights to optimize asset lifecycle value and security.