The Verizon view on wholesale technology trends for 2019

NEW YORK – It’s the time of year when all our thoughts turn to how we are going to be able to ‘work smarter’ in the coming months. From the Verizon Partner Solutions’ perspective, our mission is all about understanding how we can help our customers move their business forward, partnering for success to help them make the most of the latest and greatest innovations in the technology space.

In 2018, we thought that our customers would mainly be looking at 4 areas:

• Flexible networks;

• Security effectiveness;

• Scalable, global solutions, and;

• Transformation of the customer journey.

Looking back, we think we got this just about right. So what about 2019? What do we think will be most impactful for the wholesale world in the coming months?

When it comes to flexible networks, we have indeed seen a major shift throughout 2018 around the importance of network and infrastructure ownership, particularly linked to the rise of software defined networking (SDN) deployments. The security, agility and flexibility of virtualized network services is helping companies make the most of bandwidth to better manage the performance, capabilities and security of their applications. In 2019, we think that organizational success will be driven by how well CIOs leverage the many options that SDN enables. It’s now beyond application-aware networking, but rather about focusing on the transaction guarantee.

We don’t think there’s been the same focus on security effectiveness in 2018. Yes, everyone knows that security is important, but still, too few organizations are integrating cyber-risks into enterprise risk assessment. In 2019, we expect that organizations will redouble their efforts to strengthen their security posture. Network-level IT security hygiene is vital to protect against vulnerabilities. Still too many organizations pay lip service to security – we think we’re reaching a point where security is absolutely fundamental to business operations.

It’s clear that our third trend, the increasing complexity and interdependence of telecoms, technology and media, have intensified the need for wholesale services. This year we’ve definitely seen greater demand for network solutions that are flexible and scalable enough to deal with technology needs today, but also whatever the future holds. We think that in 2019 we’ll see organizations really looking to see how they can use now foundational technologies - Software Defined Networks, the Internet of Things, security and more - to reinvent their operations so they are well placed to leverage the enormous potential promised by the new disruptive technologies - artificial intelligence/machine learning, automation and robotics, augmented and virtual reality and the next-gen cloud including edge computing.

In 2018, we thought that organizations would look to transform the customer experience, using digital technologies to enable multi-channel access to improve both the user experience y productivity. We’ve definitely seen this happening all around the globe – but feel there’s still a long way to go. In 2019, we think organizations will still be making an effort in this space, but with AI infiltrating CX systems, there’s an unprecedented opportunity to put the customer back in the center of the business opportunity. The best organizations will use data to inform human engagement, remembering that it is human engagement that creates real relationships.

Finally, in 2019 we think that CIOs will recognize that the network they use really matters to their business – a secure, strong network foundation enables them to deliver innovative platforms and solutions that will move their business forward. The key is to find a partner with the expertise to help them deliver on their business objectives. This is where my team comes in. As the global wholesale partner of choice to deliver a better network, we at Verizon Partner Solutions (VPS) have years of experience when it comes to partnering for success, enabling our customers with the latest in technologies to support their business needs. We’ll be continuing to do this in 2019 and beyond.