While AI has captured the attention of the technology industry, the majority of CIOs and senior IT leaders are focused elsewhere.
A new research report released from Extreme Networks, Inc., titled “CIO Insights Report: Priorities and Investment Plans in the Era of Platformization,” found that while AI has captured the attention of the technology industry, the majority of CIOs and senior IT leaders are primarily focused on the convergence of networking and security.
The survey, fielded in July and August 2024, polled 200 CIOs and senior IT leaders across a variety of vertical markets and found that CIOs ranked their top three IT priorities for the second half of 2024 as 1) securing their enterprise network, 2) integrating network and security, and 3) evaluating and deploying AI across their organization. In fact, 88% of respondents said they desire a single integrated platform for networking, AI, and security, reflecting increased industry demand for platformization, a robust integration ecosystem, and a streamlined user experience.
Key Findings and Trends
Beyond the AI Hype, Security Remains Top Priority:
- 34% of CIOs ranked securing the network as their number one priority, while 22% of respondents ranked integrating networking and security as their second biggest priority.
- 57% ranked protecting the network against potential threats as one of their top three challenges.
- 55% of respondents said built-in security was one of their top three requirements when selecting a networking vendor.
- 96% agree the network is the foundation of a robust cybersecurity and risk management strategy, making it clear that point security solutions bolted on as an afterthought are not ideal.
AI Implementation Requires More Bandwidth, Training, Strategy, and Alignment with Security: Though most organizations are prioritizing AI implementation, several factors, including network bandwidth, employee readiness, and security concerns, are common barriers to success.
- 84% of respondents have started to integrate AI into their tech stack; 40% cite that their biggest concern with AI is keeping data secure.
- During AI implementation, 49% of respondents encountered network bandwidth challenges, and 30% said they lacked proper guidance and training for employees.
- 32% of respondents said they had not yet seen significant ROI from AI investments nor efficiency improvements post-implementation.
Credits By: www.securityinfowatch.com
