Connectivity: the true backbone of private and public organisations

Businesses, institutions and government organisations rely heavily on IT. However, IT encompasses much more than the hardware and software, which are the focus of attention in most cases. Connectivity is often neglected, even though it is the true backbone of every modern organisation.

Digital transformation

Data and applications are increasingly located outside an organisation’s physical office or production environment. The shift from on-premises to off-premises is apparent in both small and large organisations. However divergent different organisations may be, the advantages of transferring data to an external location are the same for everybody. As these developments are still in full swing, the range of possibilities continues to expand and using multiple cloud services is increasingly becoming the norm. ‘Digital transformation’ is a term that is increasingly used in this context.

Fundamental choices

Regardless of whether an organisation chooses an off-premises infrastructure, exclusively uses applications in one or more clouds, or adopts a mixed strategy, none of these approaches would be possible without connectivity. So connectivity deserves a higher place on everybody’s IT and strategic agendas. Even though it requires fundamental choices, connectivity all too often seems to be a formality or afterthought. But it plays an essential role in keeping IT architectures practical and manageable in the long term. Clear specification of the requirements that apply to connectivity is also required.

This whitepaper explains why connectivity is more than just an operational choice. In fact, connectivity is a strategic choice first and foremost. For example, a connectivity configuration that is mainly associated with OPEX components and only has a low CAPEX element. This may be a practical solution if there are good reasons for assuming that the demand for connectivity and the number of applications will remain stable for a prolonged period. Managed Dark Fibre is a common choice in such cases.

Retaining control

Outsourcing via managed Dark Fibre is a great solution, however this choice also has its limitations. Particularly if an organisation’s long-term strategy includes digital transformation, or when an organisation needs to be able to react quickly to external developments. These organisations want to retain control and limit their dependency on external suppliers. So they choose Dark Fibre with WDM. This is a dedicated connection for the organisation’s sole use. It is associated with a CAPEX component and offers many benefits that are not available with managed Dark Fibre. Organisations active in banking & finance and healthcare – sectors where security and privacy play an important role – often choose Dark Fibre in combination with their own WDM equipment. This configuration gives them maximum control over the services that are used via the fibre-optic connection.