5G is coming. But if you're late to the digital revolutionโand have been losing business to more agile digital service providers and other telecom industry disruptorsโdon't fret. You're not alone. And there's still time to adopt digital infrastructure solutions that provide the necessary flexibility, scalability, and security to not only support the latest 4G technologies, but also prepare your technical environment for emerging 5G innovations.
Facing a shift in the marketplace
If you've been in the telecom business for two decades or more, you likely remember a time when service providers were monolithic entities with monopolies in the marketplaceโa scenario that guaranteed a steady stream of customers, revenue, and high margins.
Today, however, the marketplace in which you operate is radically different. The current digital revolution heightens the need for agility in order to attract and retain customers, compete against over-the-top (OTT) players, and support the digital services that will drive new revenue streams. In this environment, you'll need to move past your legacy systems in order to be successful.
Meeting data demands with virtualization
To compete in this digital world, you'll need to move into virtualized IT processes. Networks based on network functions virtualization (NFV), software-defined networking (SDN), cloud-based platforms and as-a-service concepts are key elements for unlocking the full promise of 5G.
In fact, moving to digital infrastructure solutions, including an NFV-based environment, is essential in order to meet the data capacity demands expected in the near future and beyond. The Internet of Things (IoT), augmented and virtual reality applications, streaming media services, vehicular automation, robotics, smart buildings, smart cities, and more are generating an unprecedented amount of data that needs to travel over networks.
In its April 2017 white paper, Data Age 2025: The Evolution of Data to Life-Critical, research firm IDC predicted that the global datasphere will grow to 163 zettabytes by 2025โa tenfold increase from the 16.1 zettabytes of data generated in 2016. And this amount is increasing exponentially, creating a real urgency for undertaking the digital transformation necessary to make your infrastructure 5G-ready.
By leveraging HPE's suite of digital infrastructure solutionsโwhich are optimized for telecommunication workloadsโyou can prepare your network for the future. HPE can also provide your organization with the critical technological components that enable you to scale up and down as needed, thereby creating the flexibility required in a data-driven world without wasting valuable IT resources.
Becoming a digital service provider
Simply put, you must undergo a digital transformation in order to increase the capacity of your networks. More importantly, this shift is needed to support your transformation from a telecommunications service provider (TSP) to a digital service provider (DSP). Undergoing this shift will help you stay relevant and competitive moving forward.
The alternative is to remain a connectivity provider, a static position that will practically guarantee you'll lose out on new business opportunities and revenue streams.
Leveraging the right solutions
The combination of HPE's digital infrastructure solutions, advisory services, and partner ecosystem can provide you with the foundational technology elements you need on your journey to becoming a DSP. Digital solutions, including NFV platforms, can prepare you for data demand, while HPE's storage services, networking functionality, and compute capabilities will give you the agility, flexibility, and scalability to meet your organization's current andโperhaps more importantlyโfuture technology needs as you compete in this emerging digital marketplace.
HPE offers more than an off-the-shelf commodity, however. The HPE Business Transformation Services (BTS) practice provides you with the necessary tools and guidance to define and implement an architectural evolution that will meet your organization's unique requirements and strategic goals. Their proven methodology will guide you in orchestrating a customized transformation strategy that takes you through implementation and migration. You can also leverage HPE's orchestration and automation technology as you build the operation support system required in your modern environment.
Bridging the legacy-to-digital gap
Of course, transformation doesn't happen overnight, so you'll likely have a mix of legacy systems and digital solutions within your environment for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, this will serve to create a variety of management challenges. HPE's solutions can help you bridge the gap between legacy and virtualized solutionsโproviding the single pane of glass that's required for visibility into the systems as well as successful management of this complex environment.
Having a digital infrastructure is no longer optional. Without the agility, flexibility, and scalability that these solutions enable, you risk falling behind in your digital transformation, thereby putting your organization at a competitive disadvantage.
To learn more, download HPE's recent white paper, Digital transformation and the road to 5G.
Mary K. Pratt, Technology journalist
Mary K. Pratt is an award-winning freelance journalist who writes extensively about enterprise technology. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including newspapers, magazines, and trade journals. In addition to her work, she enjoys spending time with her family and engaging in outdoor pursuits, including running, skiing, and snowboarding.
