EXPERT SPEAK
2020 was a challenging year for the entire world . We predict the pandemic response in 2020 will have a lasting impact on how and where consumers and businesses will use networks services , how service providers will build out their networks and where they will invest in additional capacity . Here are a few predictions for 2021 for service providers .
Digital Transformation will accelerate
The pandemic will erase years of resistance by late adopters , social institutions and businesses that previously hadn ’ t bought into the Digital Transformation argument . Forced to go ‘ online or die ’, individuals and businesses have learned new skills , overcome technology limitations and forged new business models during 2020 . These will continue in 2021 and will accelerate many technology transitions that service providers are conducting .
Internet Protocol version 6 will finally overtake Internet Protocol version 4
Hovering right around 33 % for most of the year , according to Google , IPv6 will be used in more than 50 % of Google searches globally . Boosted by the growth of 5G devices and networks and increased pressure on CISOs to upgrade enterprise networks for strong network security , many enterprise and websites will accelerate their eventual conversion to IPv6 in 2021 . However , many other ISPs , content providers and retailers , hard hit by pandemic shutdowns , have websites that are still IPv4 only and will remain unable to fund a conversion of their IT infrastructure . CGNAT can help extend their investment .
Hasan Darwish , Regional Sales Manager for Gulf at A10 Networks continues , post-pandemic . Edge Computing is forecast by IDC to exceed 50 % of new infrastructure deployments by 2023 and identified by nearly all mobile operators as extremely important to future networks .
The pandemic will have a lasting impact on education – remote / online learning will continue post-pandemic
The abrupt conversion of in-classroom learning to remote during the pandemic will encourage educational institutions to offer online options to traditional in-classroom on a regular basis . This will expand education during illness , during periods of inclement weather and other situations where a more flexible arrangement would be beneficial .
Lifestyles will be permanently altered by the pandemic and many will not want to return to commutes and less flexible working conditions . Remote work will become a new , acceptable alternative in many industries . The recent announcements by Tesla and Oracle to move corporate headquarters from tech talent-rich Silicon Valley in CA to Texas demonstrates a new trend . This will ultimately impact real estate , mass transportation plans and other social institutions that assume large-scale commutes to a few valuable job destinations . This shift will give a boost to distributed edge networks , cloud services and wireless that are less dependent upon centralised traffic aggregation .
That ’ s it for service providers but here ’ s my final prediction :
2021 prediction : this year will be so much better than 2020 and we will all be so glad
The COVID-19 vaccine will be hugely effective , and the world will establish an international day of togetherness in 2021 . •
Remote work will become a new , acceptable alternative in many industries .
Service providers move to the edge – faster than expected
Service providers will have to re-architect their access networks to accommodate the traffic shift from dense urban areas to suburban as work / play / learn at home
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS Issue 37
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