Powering growth with high-speed networking

IT leaders face myriad tactical challenges: An increasingly large cohort of remote workers needs to access data and applications. Aging infrastructure is not up to the challenge of tomorrow’s high-bandwidth connectivity. The threat of cyberattacks requires a sophisticated prevention strategy.

Although you may be working on important projects — migrating your organization’s data beyond its traditional on-premises location, for example, or developing a diverse, resilient data storage and backup solution — your overriding goal is not tactical. It’s to help your business grow.

In fact, 83% of executives say they’re adopting a more long-term business strategy.¹ This will require moving to high-performance technologies, such as network infrastructure that can handle the throughput of connections up to 100 Gbps. At the same time, realizing the full benefit of your technology investments will require a clear strategy for choosing the right solutions for your business.

83% of executives say they’re adopting a more long-term business strategy.²

The right strategy at the right time

It’s a pivotal moment for many organizations — and their IT strategists. The structure of work is changing. Though fully on-site job postings remain most common in the U.S., hybrid arrangements have increased significantly over the past two years as many employers increase retention efforts.³ And approximately 32.6 million Americans — about 22% of the U.S. workforce — are working remotely.⁴ But to fully realize the productivity of remote workers and those in branch offices, organizations need the right network to support them. More VPN and Ethernet traffic running through the network to access the internet, internal data and essential cloud applications increasingly requires high bandwidth beyond the capability of legacy connectivity solutions.

The move to a remote workforce has been paralleled by the migration of data and applications. Organizations continue to mature their governance of cloud investments, and they’re looking for ways to optimize the cost of software licenses in the cloud.⁵

Underpinning these advances in remote work and cloud computing: connectivity capable of moving data and workloads quickly between multiple data centers, on-premises servers and wherever workers are located. Organizations are realizing better performance by upgrading the dedicated internet and Ethernet connections at their headquarters and regional offices. As they implement these investments in their IT infrastructure, many are also exploring advanced networking options such as SD-WAN and high-performance security solutions at the edge.

Reaping the benefits

Strong connectivity should be treated as a foundational pillar of digital strategy and integrated into business planning.⁷ And high-capacity internet and Ethernet services provide numerous benefits beyond simply moving data quickly:

Cost control: High-capacity networking solutions enable more widespread cloud computing, which helps organizations save money while implementing new technologies. One survey has found that the value cloud generates from enabling businesses to innovate is worth more than five times what is possible by simply reducing IT costs.⁸

Managed services in the cloud also cut costs by reducing complexity. The less time it takes to configure, maintain and troubleshoot a network, the lower the ongoing costs will be. By outsourcing their IT needs, businesses can eliminate costly downtime, benefit from predictable monthly expenses and focus on growth-driven activities. Therefore, managed IT services are a strategic choice for cost reduction.⁹

Increased productivity: Giving workers smooth access to cloud-based data and applications — whether they are at the main office, in a branch office or remote — helps ensure their productivity. Being able to hire for some roles across a wider geographic area also expands the pool of available workers, bolstering the workforce. For IT specifically, restructuring connectivity and networking architecture to be more efficient can free up limited staff to focus on more important business priorities.

Enhanced experiences: High-capacity networks have the potential to increase performance for customers and employees. Direct Ethernet connections to cloud service providers, for example, allow fast and secure access to applications that are essential to business operations.

Business continuity: Every organization should be prepared in the event of fires, natural disasters and other disruptions to its communications. High-speed connectivity enables redundant, daily backups off site that can help get the business back up and running without data loss. High-performance connectivity infrastructure also provides opportunities for redundant connections and path diversity to help prevent service outages.

$9.36M is the average cost of a data breach in the United States.¹⁰

Stronger cybersecurity: With the average cost of a data breach in the United States at $9.36 million, cybersecurity is one of the top priorities for IT executives.¹¹ Newer, high-capacity networking technology can offer stronger security than legacy solutions without degrading performance. An SD-WAN and firewall with throughput up to 100 Gbps can enforce consistent protection across all locations with automated updates to keep pace with evolving cybersecurity threats.

Finding the right partner

Two of the top three factors affecting businesses’ confidence in their tech decisions were distrust in data (56%) and data silos (49%).¹² That’s why it’s critical to find an experienced partner for your investment in network infrastructure. The ideal provider can help you sort through the options, deliver connectivity everywhere you need it and meet the unique needs of large organizations.

Two of the top three factors affecting businesses’ confidence in their tech decisions were distrust in data (56%) and data silos (49%).¹³

A lot is riding on the future of high-performance connectivity and the benefits that will flow from a well-implemented solution. Working with a networking partner that offers a nationwide reach, advanced technology and deep expertise will be key to boosting growth with better network performance.
 

Learn more about how high-speed networking can support your business growth.

1. “PwC Pulse Survey: 100 days in: What’s next for business,” PwC, 2025
2. Ibid.
3. “Labor Market Overview,” Robert Half, 2025.
4. “The State of Remote Work: 2025 Statistics,” neat.no, 2025.
5. “State of the Cloud Report,” Flexera, 2025.
6. “IT and Technology Spending & Budgets for 2025: Trends & Forecasts,” Splunk, Nov. 2024.
7. “Digital Transformation: Why Connectivity Is the First Step to Modernizing Your Business,” flo.net, 2025.
8. “What is cloud computing?,” McKinsey & Company, July, 2024.
9. “Exploring the 2024 IBM Cost of Data Breach Report,” EverChain, July, 2024.
10. “Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025,” IBM, 2025.
11. Ibid.
12. Eugene Khvostov,“3 Key Challenges for Enterprise Technology Investment in 2025,” Apptio, March 2025
13. Ibid.