Customers in every industry are genuinely excited about the possibilities of 5G, cloud and AI coming together. According to ReportLinker, the global network automation market is expected to reach $27.85 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 19.8% during the forecast period. The Asia Pacific region is expected to witness the highest growth rate over this period, which is in part thanks to the increasing investment in 5G technology and artificial intelligence (AI).
With cyber security high on the government agenda both in Australia and globally following a series of high-profile attacks, governments are more than ever looking for secure, first responder networks with ultra-high speed and ultra-low latency. 5G and automation are also appearing in everyday apps like in-home healthcare and e-health, gaming, live broadcasts, and, of course, self-driving vehicles.
It is strongly agreed by the top CSPs and the wider networks industry that customer experience is the next battleground and will be fundamental in defining tomorrow’s winners. Delivering exceptional customer experience starts from the first moment the customer requests a service. Automation is fundamental in delivering on that promise to customers, as is ensuring that services are monitored on an ongoing basis. This is critical to ensuring that the quality of the customer experience is consistent and built with longevity in mind.
In telecommunications and networks, automation does not just improve the experience, the costs it reduces by automating complex processes can be passed down to the customer. Automation also creates a real opportunity to transform not only the experience for the end-user, but also the experience for the operator. Today’s network infrastructure is so complex that if you aren’t investing in automation, the complexities of using manual processes and technologies will catch up and is vital to unlocking scalability and growth.
Embedding a high level of active assurance, with a focus on service quality from the entirety of the design, delivery and ongoing operations of the services, into all stages of the operational lifecycle is critical. Juniper’s Paragon Automation, for example, opens the door to a new experience-first era of networking. Assuring the service experience is already laying the groundwork for some exciting new possibilities, like 5G network slicing technology that can provide users with a dedicated end-to-end network with guaranteed quality. The evolution of 5G network slicing is an ongoing journey that will support attractive use cases for customers going forward.
In the emerging experience-first era, assurance is the key to achieving the differentiation needed to succeed and thrive in a dynamic marketplace. Looking for technologies which provide that assurance and allow you to tap into the plethora of opportunities that 5G and automation can unlock, can be the difference between winning and losing in today’s network environment, which is centred around delivering exceptional user experiences.