CIOs and IT Decision-Makers Consider Intelligent Security Enhanced by AI a Core Focus, MetTel Survey Finds
New York, NY, May 3, 2018 – MetTel, a leading communications solutions provider, today released its findings[1] of enterprise customer IT priorities. Of those respondents, 64 percent indicated that AI and analytics top their list of digital transformation (DX) technologies they are most interested in, followed by 55 percent saying that networking and hyper-connectivity solutions – such as SD-WAN – are of interest.
According to IDC’s Shawn Fitzgerald, “DX impacts every industry and IDC predicts that investment in DX technologies (hardware, software, and services) will cumulatively reach nearly $6.3 trillion (from 2017 to 2020) and will result in $18 trillion of economic value add across the global economy.”
Yet 43 percent of customers surveyed still see proving the business case as the main barrier to implementing these technologies, with only 29 percent saying the associated costs are the main challenge. Among other concerns—unrelated to costs—33 percent consider malicious use of AI to be the greatest threat to their organization, while 22 percent also said IoT vulnerabilities top their threat list.
Despite these barriers, 43 percent of enterprise respondents said they plan on leveraging AI as part of their overall DX strategy within the next year, 17 percent within the next three years. Still, more than half of those surveyed said they are not sure when they will be able to prioritize the resources needed for autonomous and intelligent security, with only a small margin committed to making the investment in the short term: 18 percent said they would be able to make it a budgeted priority over the next six months followed by 9 percent saying they will do it in the next twelve months.
“Enterprises are eager to undergo digital transformation but there are several things that need to be evaluated before they start implementing these technologies, such as educating the entire organization on the potential value, benefits, and challenges while also considering resource allocation and a realistic timeframe,” said Lori Thomas, VP, Strategic Engagement & Transformation, MetTel.
“Overall, security was a core concern for everyone, especially for specific industries. For example, healthcare organizations need to factor in compliance and privacy laws, whereas retailers need to protect customers’ financial and personal information, among other things,” Thomas added.
MetTel works closely with some of the world’s largest enterprises and organizations to simplify DX through its integrated portfolio of technology such as Intelligence, Analytics and Communications Management, SD-WAN, UC, Fleet/Telematics, IoT, and Cloud Computing. The company also serves several industries and verticals including retail, healthcare, pharmaceutical, energy, manufacturing, distribution, food and beverage, and government organizations.
About MetTel
MetTel is a leading global provider of integrated digital communications solutions for enterprise customers. By converging all communications over a proprietary network, MetTel enables enterprise companies to easily deploy and manage technology-driven voice, data, wireless and cloud solutions worldwide. MetTel’s comprehensive portfolio of customer solutions boosts enterprise productivity, reduces costs and simplifies operations. Combining customized and managed communication solutions with a powerful platform of cloud-based software, the company’s MetTel Portal® enables customers to manage their inventory, usage, spend and repairs from one simple, user friendly interface. For more information visit www.mettel.net, follow us on Twitter (@OneMetTel) and on LinkedIn, or call us directly at 877.963.8663. MetTel. Smart Communications Solutions.™
*Source: IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Digital Transformation 2018 Predictions (Doc #US43154617), October 2017