The fast-paced world of technological innovation and the increased reliance on digital resources are making it more critical than ever for businesses to have a robust network infrastructure. Yet, many companies are finding their current networks ill-equipped to handle these growing demands, especially when it comes to implementing large-scale AI projects. This report delves into the essential elements of a network infrastructure that is future-ready and capable of supporting the rapid growth of data and AI applications. IDC's Technology Leaders Survey 2024 of 650 respondents informs much of this report, providing insights into the challenges and priorities influencing global technology leaders in their quest for digital maturity. In this report, you'll discover:

The digital grid leverages connectivity to unite energy consumers and producers, enabling bidirectional energy transmission. Digitalizing and virtualizing substations have become critical in grid investments, driven by advances in edge computing, AI, IT/OT integration, advanced distribution protection, and software-defined assets.

Today’s businesses must adapt to rapidly changing market conditions, manage and derive insights from massive volumes of data, and meet the rising demands of today’s always-on customers. In short, they must modernize—rethinking processes and leveraging technology to seize opportunities earlier, achieve maximum value from their investments, and innovate faster than ever before. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic further drive these changes. Businesses across all industries must now move even faster to embrace new work styles and drive down costs. Recent research suggests that more than 90 percent of enterprises are accelerating cloud adoption plans because of COVID-19.1 Many organizations are instituting digital transformation initiatives in response to these growing pressures. By embracing new ways of building applications and services, these organizations can connect previously siloed data, streamline processes, and accelerate innovation in ways that delight their customers. Digital transformation promises substantial rewards, with leading companies achieving critical business advantages such as higher productivity, faster time to market, and a stronger bottom line. Reaching these rewards can prove challenging, however. Digital transformation represents a massive undertaking involving far-reaching changes to technology, processes, and culture. Breaking the process down into distinct phases can help prevent organizations from losing their way.