How Adaptive Networking Can Enhance Manufacturing Innovation

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has blurred the lines between the physical and digital worlds. Manufacturers are undergoing fast, disruptive changes in their IT operations as they automate and digitize their supply chains with smart sensors and Industrial Internet of Things, big data platforms, augmented reality, and predictive analytics.

A foundational component necessary to succeed is an enterprise-wide network that is flexible, scales easily, is secure, and delivers on performance. Adaptive networking is the collection of software-defined functions that together deliver high-performance, flexibility, and secure connectivity.

Adaptive networking components include software defined WAN (SD-WAN); hybrid networks that merge internet virtual private network (VPN) and private VPNs; flexible bandwidth, particularly bandwidth on demand; dynamic WAN ports into data centers and clouds; and network functions virtualization (NFV). Financial services institutions combine these components and wrap them together with security and reporting intelligence to meet their accelerating IT needs.

A recent survey by market research firm Ovum, sponsored by CenturyLink, highlighted the following improvements by manufacturers that have leveraged adaptive networking technologies:

• 36% easier NFV management
• 50% better hybrid networking performance
• 38% better performance utilizing flexible bandwidth
• 47% improved resilience & security from implementing SD-WAN

Manufacturing IT executives draw on the full range of adaptive networking practices to support their industry’s applications, including:

• Connected supply chains
• Digital twinning and virtual simulations
• Augmented reality
• Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and smart sensors
• Predictive analytics

Read Ovum and CenturyLink’s report on how a flexible, scalable, and secure network can enhance digital transformation and business innovation in manufacturing.

This blog is provided for informational purposes only and may require additional research and substantiation by the end user. In addition, the information is provided “as is” without any warranty or condition of any kind, either express or implied. Use of this information is at the end user’s own risk. CenturyLink does not warrant that the information will meet the end user’s requirements or that the implementation or usage of this information will result in the desired outcome of the end user.