According to new research by Cisco, 88% of IT leaders plan to expand their data centre capacity- whether on-premises, in the cloud, or both- to keep up with rapidly growing AI requirements.
Additionally, 55% believe AI-driven automation and personalisation enabled by modern networks will significantly boost revenue.
Some 97% of respondents added modern networks are critical for deploying AI, IoT and cloud technologies, with 98% calling secure networking vital and 61% rating it as critical to their business operations and growth, respectively.
This comes as AI increases the need for resilient networks. As a result, 95% said network resilience is essential, while 77% reported experiencing major outages caused by congestion, or cyberattacks - leading to global losses estimated at $160 billion annually.
Meanwhile, although 98% agree that autonomous, AI-powered networks are essential for future success, only 41% have deployed intelligent capabilities like segmentation, visibility, and control, the study found.
Finally, nearly nine in ten IT leaders (89%) expect improved networks to drive revenue growth, and 93% foresee cost savings from smarter operations and fewer outages.
Cisco EMEA CTO and vice president of solutions engineering, Chintan Patel, said: "AI is changing everything- and infrastructure is at the heart of that reinvention. The network has powered every wave of digital transformation, accelerating the convergence of IoT, cloud, hybrid work, and defending against rising security threats.
"IT leaders know the network they build today will shape the business they become tomorrow. Those who act now will be the ones who lead in the AI era."
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