Spotlight on Network Infrastructure | TelecomDrive.com
Keeping its focus towards delivering modern network services and connectivity solutions, Zayo is working hard to drive innovation for the industry and to cater to the changing customers need in today's digital era. The company is actively investing in expanding and modernizing its network infrastructure and solutions.
Jason Taylor, VP of Large Enterprise Sales, Zayo speaks with Zia Askari from TelecomDrive.com about the company's priorities for the public sector and how Zayo is driving innovation ahead.
What are the key priorities for Zayo when it comes to the public sector and utilities segment?
Reliable connectivity and bandwidth are critical in the public sector and utilities segment. Not only are these sectors managing huge amounts of data, but they also have the highest requirements for the security and protection of all the data going across their networks. In other words, the sectors can't afford any network downtime. At the same time, many agencies are operating on outdated networks that can make meeting these requirements a huge challenge. But we understand that these industries come with their own unique challenges. Security, collaborative tools, IoT integration and innovation hurdles can impact their successful operation in the digital world.
Our key priority within these sectors is helping our customers upgrade their networks effectively to address these challenges head-on. With our extensive fiber network spanning over 16 million fiber miles and encompassing over 1,400 on-net data centers, we can provide our customers with secure, direct and reliable connectivity across all locations.
With the growth of our software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) and edge networking solutions through our recent acquisition of QOS Networks, we can also offer enhanced visibility and automation to our customers ' like insights to help optimize their networks and identify and mitigate instances of network degradation to avoid downtime.
For utilities, which need to process large data streams at a faster rate,· Zayo’s network infrastructure makes that possible. Our comprehensive solutions cover every aspect of their networking needs, from managing operations and collaborating to accessing data securely.
But our dedication to ensuring smooth, efficient and secure operations goes beyond just connectivity. We see ourselves as a trusted advisor for our customers throughout their digital journey. Our team of experts guides our customers through designing, planning and executing networking solutions to generate positive outcomes for their missions and initiatives.
At Zayo, we're working to make a positive difference in the public sector and utilities industries. We understand the important role these sectors play in our communities, and by offering robust network solutions, innovative technologies and individualized guidance, we can help our customers thrive in the ever-changing digital world.
What are some of the big trends that are reshaping the edge networking space?
The edge networking space is going through some exciting changes. And as the VP of sales leading Zayo's public sector and utilities practice area, I see several trends taking shape that will impact those sectors specifically:
Reliable 5G connectivity: The deployment of 5G networks is a game-changer in the edge networking space. With its ultra-low latency and high bandwidth capabilities, 5G is revolutionizing edge infrastructure. It's a huge step forward, enabling real-time responsiveness and reliable application connectivity. Think about the impact it can have on the public sector and healthcare applications like remote surgery, emergency response, smart cities and emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles and augmented reality that everyone's talking about. 5G is unleashing a whole new world of possibilities for edge networking, and it’s exciting to be a leader in this transformation.
Widespread distributed cloud: The distributed cloud model is another area we are seeing trends reshaping the digital landscape. Combining the best cloud and edge computing allows organizations to access faster processing and lower data transfer latency by bringing cloud services closer to end users. This capability is a big deal, especially in today's distributed work environments, where sophisticated applications like AI demand lightning-fast data processing. It’s all about delivering top-notch performance and seamless user interactions, and it feels exciting to be at the forefront of this transformative shift in the digital realm.
Robust edge security: Of course, with the increasing number of edge devices and critical data processed at the edge, robust security is a top priority. We're witnessing a surge in advanced security measures like SD-WAN and secure access service edge (SASE)· for protecting data, devices and networks from the edge to the core, to the cloud and back. It’s essential for building trust and confidence among our customers, and we take it seriously.
We're excited to embrace these changes and provide innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers.
What kind of growth do you expect to achieve in the coming months and where is this growth going to come from?
We are excited about the growth prospects that lie ahead for Zayo. Building upon our strong year-over-year growth, we have ambitious goals for the coming months, with several industry tailwinds helping to drive our success:
Digital business demands vs. current network capabilities: One of the driving factors for our growth is the growing gap between digital business demands and the capabilities of current needs. Businesses face unprecedented complexity and pressure to do more with less. They need faster adaptability, improved infrastructure, and as-a-service technology models to thrive in the ever-changing digital landscape. Zayo bridges the widening gap by offering cutting-edge solutions that protect networks and ensure reliable performance.
Growing demand for secure and reliable connectivity: Security is another crucial aspect of our growth. We understand how critical it is to safeguard data and maintain a secure network environment. Our robust security solutions, including encryption protocols, managed security services and network monitoring capabilities, position us as the preferred business security provider. Our customers trust us to protect their valuable data, and we take this responsibility seriously.
Diverse service portfolio: Our extensive range of services caters to increasing demands across various industries and market segments. From connectivity and data management to edge computing and security, our comprehensive service portfolio allows us to capitalize on emerging opportunities and expand our market share. We are well-positioned to meet the diverse needs of our customers and drive growth across different sectors.
Emerging need for automation and servitization: The traditional network model just doesn’t cut it for businesses anymore. We're seeing a rising demand for adaptable, open and distributed networks. At Zayo, we’re all about meeting customers’ demands for adaptable, open and distributed networks. We’re big on software-defined observability and control to make it happen.
Increased government investments in infrastructure: For the private sector specifically, our robust fiber solutions and network services have played a pivotal role in supporting the renewed focus on infrastructure development. As governments invest in critical infrastructure such as roads and bridges, our fiber solutions and network services provide the necessary connectivity to build the infrastructure of the future.
As another exciting development, Zayo was recently awarded a $93M grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Middle Mile Grant Program to support infrastructure efforts closing the digital divide and bringing robust connectivity to underserved communities. Through this funding, we are building critical middle-mile connections, providing broadband connectivity for those in need and transforming remote education, telemedicine and public safety communication for communities nationwide. We look forward to continuing to work alongside the federal and local governments and other internet service providers to execute these efforts over the coming months.
With these strategies, we are confident we can continue building our growth momentum over the coming months and remain dedicated to delivering exceptional solutions across the industries we serve.
How do you look at the fast emergence of AI today? How can this become a game changer for networking and communications and drive growth for telecoms?
The fast emergence of AI is undeniably creating an economic tailwind for telecom and communications infrastructure providers like Zayo. Investments in AI have skyrocketed to over $90B across industries. With that investment comes a rapidly growing need for network densification and fiber connectivity to support ' which we are already highly focused on here at Zayo.
AI also brings new opportunities for service providers, like network monitoring and observability through AIOps (AIOps). By harnessing the power of AI, we can help our customers analyze real-time data, spot potential issues and optimize network performance. This level of comprehensive visibility and control across platforms, domains and silos allows us to proactively detect and resolve network problems, which leads to more seamless operations and improved customer experience.
AI-driven automation is also helping to streamline IT operations by automating tasks and processes, boosting efficiency, and freeing up valuable resources for strategic initiatives.
But there’s even more opportunity for leveraging AI to drive a better customer experience. AI has the potential to enrich that experience by recommending personalized services based on a deep understanding of customer behavior and preferences.
Service providers who embrace this AI rise early on will open themselves up to significant opportunities for growth ' not only for their own business but for supporting the growth of their customers' businesses.
What kind of innovations and disruptions can we expect from Zayo in the coming months?
We are working hard to steer Zayo to the forefront of innovation for the industry and to ensure we are on the cutting edge of providing the capacity, capabilities and automation our customers need to succeed in today's digital age. We are one of the only providers actively investing in expanding and modernizing our network infrastructure and solutions. We will continue focusing on delivering network infrastructure where our customers need it.
One of the things I'm most excited for our recently launched Waves on Demand service, which enables same-day turn-up on some of our most in-demand routes. Zayo is the only provider offering customers the ability to provision wavelengths in one day, which we expect to be a huge value-add to our customers as businesses continue to struggle with anticipating bandwidth needs.
As the network landscape becomes more complex, we are also exploring opportunities for automation within our network and managed services to provide our customers with more visibility and control over their network performance, especially in sectors like utilities where network reliability is mission-critical.
Innovation is in Zayo's DNA, and we’re determined to push the boundaries of possibility for the industry. We’re here to support our customers’ success every step of the way and always search for fresh and better ways to make that happen.
