In South Africa, businesses are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) and integratig it in its pocesses. One exciting development is AI networking, which could revolutionise how wired, wireless, and wide area networks (WAN) are managed.
“At HPE South Africa, we firmly believe AI networking is a game-changer," states Mandy Duncan, the country manager of HPE Aruba Networking South Africa. "Understanding its capabilities can provide businesses with significant advantages in efficiency and customer experience."
AI networking, a subset of the broader AI for IT Operations (AIOps) movement, integrates performance and service management. Leveraging big data and machine learning, it automates IT processes, addressing challenges in network operations, especially during post-deployment optimisation.
Some of the benefits of AI networking include centralised visibility for near real-time network insights across locations, faster troubleshooting with AI-powered fault identification, and better user experience driven by AI recommendations. These advantages simplify remote management and resource allocation.
At HPE South Africa, we firmly believe AI networking is a game-changer.
Mandy Duncan, SA country manager, HPE Aruba Networking.
"Think of it as intelligent automation," Duncan explains. "AI networking provides insights and alerts, helping to quickly pinpoint issues or prevent outages. In today's network landscape, where complexity is increasing, this technology allows teams to work smarter and faster."
While the adoption of AI in South African businesses is underway, Duncan believes that the uptake of AI networking is expected to grow gradually. According to research from SafriCloud, nearly 40% of local businesses have integrated AI to some extent, with just 13% actively implementing an AI strategy.
“Looking ahead, CIOs should consider how AI networking can offer a competitive edge. It provides actionable insights and automates tasks, freeing IT resources for higher-value projects," advises Duncan.
Despite its potential, AI networking faces challenges in South Africa, including cyber security limitations, storage capacity, skilled personnel shortages, and bandwidth availability. Duncan suggests a collaborative approach with vendors providing integrated AI solutions to overcome these obstacles.
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