AT&T echoes the big data challenge, has embraced transformation early on, and understands the importance of accelerating transformation.

“We see 200-plus petabytes of data every single day on the network,” Rupesh Chokshi, Associate Vice President, Product Marketing Management at AT&T told Pipeline. “You can imagine the global scale we have. Getting ready for the future was very important for us, and we’re executing on it day-in and day-out. The strategy is right, the vision is right, we did it at the right time, and we’re reaping the benefits already.”

While it’s good to see an agreement between service providers and technology providers, big data and analytics are nothing new. In fact, we’ve been extensively writing about it in Pipeline for years (see: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017). Solution providers, such as IBM, have been offering various forms of data solutions for even longer. The truth is that there has been an evolution of both technology and techniques that has led us on the journey to where we are today. The difference, however, between those that are succeeding now is their ability to see through the hype to deploy viable solutions that both enable and accelerate their specific business objectives.

“The real question for everyone as it relates to harnessing big data is ‘what am I trying to learn?’” adds Williams. “Each department has its own unique needs and approach to analyzing the data for different purposes.” He goes on to explain, “The needs of a marketing department vary from that of network operations, which varies from that of the C-suite.”

Let’s face it: Better access to data simply makes you better. Remember life before YouTube? Google? The Internet? Anything you could ever want to know is now just a couple of clicks away. Better data enables you to make faster, better decisions. It enables you to learn rapidly. Why doesn’t this exist within the environments of service providers and enterprises? Well, it does.

Solutions, such as gen-E’s OpCenter, allow data to be aggregated from multiple legacy, third-party and future systems and present that data in customizable, preconfigured dashboards tailored to each user’s unique needs. This empowers key stakeholders across the organizations with the information they need, when they need it.

Combined with advanced analytics, such as OpsCenter Analyze,  (available in September 2018), it’s not unlike a time machine that enables you to look back, project forward, and make better decisions on what to do now. And leveraging machine learning, it will enable automated systems to make better decisions too. 

The end of hype

Hype ends when reality takes over. Many of us have heard the hype come and go, and me maybe more than most. But, the important takeaway is that much of the hype has become reality.  Remember all that hype around how broadband was going to change the world? That happened. 3G and 4G? Here. Cloud? Yep.

As we look to the horizon and listen to the constant drumbeat of hype, it’s important we listen. These new technologies—such as AI, machine learning, network virtualization, 5G, software-defined networking, and IoT—are becoming both a reality and a necessity.

Today’s market rewards the intrepid. There is no place for fear. Organizations need to embrace transformation and sift through the hype to find future-proof solutions that can help accelerate their innovation to achieve their specific business objectives.

For more, Analysys Mason, AT&T, gen-E and a panel of other industry innovators will be featured on an upcoming Pipeline webinar titled “The Impact of Transformation” later this month, which you can register for by clicking here.