The world economy is transforming at an unprecedented rate as newer technologies and interconnectedness drive profound changes in people’s behavior, in how business is conducted, in how governments operate, and in every aspect of life. In early 2020, the entire world embarked on a crash course in digital engagement in response to the new environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience is likely to further accelerate the adoption of digital solutions at massive scales. Fundamental to the success of this transformation is an underlay connectivity infrastructure that is throughput intensive, reliable, flexible, automated, and secure.

Consumer and business applications are increasingly hosted in cloud environments and delivered as anything as a service (XaaS), requiring the right connectivity and security; the fast-changing market environment requires an agile, highly scalable operating environment with service velocity and continuous adaptability. As digital technology increasingly shapes life in the personal and professional domain and enables a rapidly growing number of tasks and processes, artificial intelligence and machine learning will become engines of execution.

To learn more about trends shaping the digital economy, solutions that power the digital enterprise, and a vertical breakdown of digital transformation, download the full ACG research paper.