German businesses require upgrading of their network infrastructures according to a recent study.
In a recent study titled "Future-Proof Networks for Business," techconsult GmbH, in collaboration with 1&1 Versatel and LANCOM Systems, surveyed 207 IT decision-makers from German companies with at least three sites in the retail, finance, and hospitality sectors. The study highlights the critical need for flexible, scalable, and secure WAN architectures to support digitalization and cloud adoption.
The findings reveal that performance and fail-safety are the most important requirements for companies in the retail, hospitality, and finance sectors. To address these needs, 1&1 SD-WAN Compact, a cost-effective solution, emerges as a viable option for connecting multiple locations across various industries. This solution offers hardware with variable bandwidth, multiple routers for hardware redundancy, multiple access lines, and mobile options as a backup.
The study also emphasizes the integration of SD-WAN technology to improve bandwidth efficiency, application performance, and centralized network management. Enhanced security measures embedded in WAN design are also crucial to protect against evolving cyber threats. Hybrid network models combining MPLS and broadband are recommended to optimize costs and reliability.
In the retail sector, the lack of awareness of cyber-attacks and insufficient network transparency are the biggest concerns. In contrast, the financial sector continues to struggle with the modernization of outdated WAN technologies. The hospitality industry faces challenges such as potential cyber-attacks, outdated network technologies, and insufficient network monitoring.
The study reveals the need for network infrastructure modernization in German companies, with hybrid approaches, combining central and decentralized elements, being widely accepted across industries. Flexible network structures enabling dynamic prioritization are crucial, with prioritization of data traffic for business-critical applications being essential across all industries.
The digital transformation challenges companies to adapt their network infrastructures to meet increasing demands in terms of performance, security, and flexibility. Outdated technologies and insufficient monitoring in cross-site networks hinder the digital sovereignty of German companies.
Companies can configure 1&1 SD-WAN Compact modularly to suit their needs, and data processing and storage for this solution occur in Germany. 1&1 Versatel, a fiber specialist for business customers, is one of the leading telecommunications providers of data, internet, and voice services in Germany, operating one of Germany's largest and most powerful networks.
The full study is available for download, shedding light on the digital transformation challenges companies face and the solutions they can adopt to future-proof their networks.
- The study indicates that data-and-cloud-computing, a crucial aspect of digitalization, benefits from the integration of SD-WAN technology, which improves bandwidth efficiency, application performance, and centralized network management.
- In the realm of business, technology like 1&1 SD-WAN Compact, with its features such as variable bandwidth, hardware redundancy, multiple access lines, and mobile options as backup, stands as a practical choice for connecting multiple locations across different industries.
- The need for data security, a key element in finance, is underscored in the study, as enhanced security measures in WAN design are essential to protect against evolving cyber threats.
