After years of hybrid work, cross-channel integration and engagement, and the blending of in-person and virtual experiences, consumers and employees have a simple expectation: That every digital interaction—no matter where it takes place or with what application, process, or person—feels seamless and connected.
And while changing customer and employee expectations are natural outflows to years of fast-paced innovation in customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX), we’re not yet approaching any kind of stasis. Continually evolving expectations have driven a universal demand for connected digital experiences, although many enterprise organizations may not be equipped to deliver because of outdated networking and connectivity infrastructures.
That means IT leaders are dramatically changing the ways in which they approach wide-area networking, last-mile connectivity, application performance, and network security.
For many organizations, there’s still work to be done in setting the right technology foundation to enable the types of connected customer and employee experiences that are now expected. In fact, 81% of organizations are still prioritizing connectivity programs. Organizations are still determining their path to agility and connected experiences, but are moving to embrace 5G, edge, and cloud infrastructure and services to keep data moving. By 2026, 40% of companies will lag in executing a resilient connectivity strategy due to budget shortfalls, as workplace transformation becomes the new normal for customers, employers, and partners.
So for business and technology leaders, it’s imperative to not only adjust to current market demands, but also lay the groundwork for what’s to come. The connected employee and customer experiences of the future will exist on top of future-ready network connectivity. In practice, that comes down to a few key elements:
- Fast and reliable connectivity: Effective experience hinges on the fact that no matter the device, no matter the touchpoint, no matter the application, no matter the location—data gets to where it needs to be in real time. That means that reliable Internet connectivity is a prerequisite for success.
- Agile networks: Multi-transport, application-aware, and software-enabled networks—supported by comprehensive managed network services—optimize performance and responsiveness, enabling real-time responsiveness and rapid evolution to support better CX and EX.
- Cloud-based solutions and multi-cloud connectivity: Multicloud adoption has accelerated as enterprises seek agility, operational efficiency, and cost savings. At the same time, the agility it enables is instrumental in maintaining control over dynamic network edge environments.
- Integrated networking and security: As security threats evolve and cybersecurity remains a boardroom-level concern across enterprise, IT leaders seek full-spectrum support and services to help protect critical business and customer data.
Connected digital experiences have become essential to enterprise businesses, both to drive better customer experiences and support evolving employee work models. Powering these experiences at scale requires future-ready networking that is fast, reliable, and agile, with security solutions. Comcast Business can help. Find out how.
