Chief information officer (CIO) concerns were analyzed in a recent report by Extreme Networks. The report found that while AI has captured the attention of the technology industry, the majority of CIOs and senior IT leaders are primarily focused on the convergence of networking and security.
According to the report, 34% of CIOs ranked securing the network as their number one priority, while 22% of respondents ranked integrating networking and security as their second biggest priority. Fifty-seven percent ranked protecting the network against potential threats as one of their top three challenges.
Fifty-five percent of respondents said built-in security was one of their top three requirements when selecting a networking vendor. Ninety-six percent agree the network is the foundation of a robust cybersecurity and risk management strategy – making it clear that point security solutions bolted on as an afterthought are not ideal.
Eighty-four percent of respondents have started to integrate AI into their tech stack; 40% cite that their biggest concern with AI is keeping data secure. During AI implementation, 49% of respondents encountered network bandwidth challenges and 30% said they lacked proper guidance and training for employees. Thirty-two percent of respondents said they had not yet seen significant ROI from AI investments nor efficiency improvements post-implementation.