Top 5 Reasons To Upgrade Your Business Technology Now

Like most businesses, you probably have competing priorities: increasing revenue, developing new products and services, hiring new talent and expanding to new markets, to name a few. With so many critical demands, the technology your business is using can easily be overlooked, especially if it has been in place for a few years.

NTT DATA’s 2024 Infrastructure Lifecycle Management report reveals that 71% of organizations have aging or obsolete network assets and 80% feel outdated technology is holding back innovation efforts.¹

In today’s competitive landscape, prioritizing technology updates is crucial to help ensure your business remains capable of competing and your employees have the necessary tools for success.

Five Signs You May Need to Invest in New Technology

1. Aging network infrastructure. If you have an aging network – one that is five or six years old – it may be time to evaluate its performance. New networking technology offers advanced capabilities that enable faster and more reliable communication. This can lead to improved collaboration and productivity across your organization. Recent advances in networking provide greater scalability, enabling businesses to rapidly grow and adapt to changing demands of the business more effectively. Even how bandwidth is procured has been transformed, with bandwidth on demand capabilities and flexible Network-as-a-Service models that enable you to easily manage your costs.

Lumen helped Customer Elation Call Center Services upgrade their business technology from old, outdated circuits and legacy TDM technology to Lumen^® Dedicated Internet Access for seamless connectivity across all their locations, while improving security and reducing costs. See the full story.

2. Outdated security protocols. If your technology is outdated, chances are your security is, too. Security protocols change rapidly as new threats are constantly emerging. Upgrading to newer systems can help safeguard your business from potential breaches and address compliance with industry standards. Innovations such as SASE Networking enable you to seamlessly integrate your security with your network, providing robust protection against a wide range of cyberattacks. When businesses audit their security, they often find they are managing multiple vendors for various security solutions, and when they upgrade, they can reduce costs by consolidating point solutions from fewer providers.

Ames Construction works with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and State Departments of Transportation, clients that require significant security protocols. Lumen provided an advanced SASE-enabled SD-WAN framework, enabling Ames to secure additional contracts. Learn more about how Ames Construction bolstered their security with Lumen.

3. Incompatibility with modern tools. Your aging systems may not be compatible with more modern tools and capabilities. For example, if your network is old, you may not be able to take advantage of the enormous productivity gains that companies are achieving using artificial intelligence (AI), leaving your business at a disadvantage. Likewise, if you do not have the infrastructure to enable hybrid work models, staff may struggle to collaborate, which, in turn, may reduce productivity. While you may believe it is less expensive to stick with your older hardware and software systems, long-term costs can escalate as older technology is more costly to maintain. Newer cloud-based services are more efficient, highly flexible and enable you to scale your services on the fly, with pay-as-you-go models which may reduce costs.

American Family Care operates more than 200 healthcare facilities in 26 states. Their old, unreliable network was holding back this growing organization. Lumen^® SD‑WAN and Dedicated Internet Access delivered 99.9% uptime, helping to increase patient engagement and significantly reducing costs. Read how American Family Care saved $30,000 in monthly operational costs.

4. Lack of competitive edge. Keeping up with the latest technology can provide your business with a competitive edge in the marketplace. It fosters innovation and enhances customer service by quickly addressing issues. For example, AI chatbots can manage routine inquiries 24/7, allowing human agents to focus on complex problems. Advanced technology can also help streamline processes and reduce costs, enabling your business to produce goods and services more cheaply than your competitors, giving you a significant advantage.

Horizon Bank serves 350,000 customers in Michigan and Indiana. They were looking to streamline their network and upgrade their security and compliance. Horizon deployed Lumen^® DDoS Hyper^® to mitigate DDoS attacks and migrated to Dedicated Internet Access, successfully transitioning from their old, disjointed legacy internet service. See how Lumen helped Horizon Bank migrate to upgraded technology.

5. Inability to create unique customer experiences. A key initiative for many businesses is building unique customer experiences to differentiate themselves from their competitors. These customer experiences help businesses build customer loyalty, enhance brand reputation and increase customer retention.

• • • Predictive analytics uses machine learning to anticipate customer behavior, creating a seamless user experience.
    • Data analytics platforms analyze customer data, identifying early trends and patterns to enhance targeted marketing programs.
    • Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies enable businesses to create immersive experiences for product demonstrations, virtual try-ons and interactive engagement.

To utilize these powerful tools, you typically need to upgrade your technology – but the payoff can be substantial for your business.

Alphabroder enlisted Lumen to replace their costly MPLS network with Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) for greater performance, easier network management and improved customer experience. Get the rest of the story on how Alphadroder boosted their networking capabilities with Lumen. 

Modernize Your Network Infrastructure with Confidence

If one or more of these factors resonated with you, you may find yourself wondering what next steps you can take to reap the many benefits of a business technology upgrade. While migrating to new technology is a process, it does not have to be painful. You can upgrade your old systems gradually, focusing on the projects which yield the best ROI for your business.

You also don’t have to go it alone. Lumen is a trusted partner for businesses worldwide, with a proven track record of delivering innovative technology solutions. Our clients have seen significant improvements in their operational efficiency and cost savings by partnering with us, and you can achieve similar results. Whether you choose to update your network and security or incorporate new tools to maximize productivity, our team of experts can seamlessly migrate you to the services that work best for your business.

With more than 30 years of network management experience, Lumen has the expertise to support your business through every step of the upgrade process. Trust Lumen to be your partner in innovation and efficiency.

Investing in the right technology upgrades now can set your business up for long-term success. Take the next step — explore our portfolio of advanced networking solutions.

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¹NTT DATA, “80% of Organizations Agree That Inadequate or Outdated Technology Is Holding Back Innovation,” June 13, 2024.

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