NTT DATA and Cisco have announced the release of a co-sponsored IDC InfoBrief, titled “Wired for Intelligence: A CIO Guide to Enterprise Networking for AI.” The July 2025 study delivers strategic guidance to enterprises seeking to modernize network infrastructure to support artificial intelligence (AI), responding to growing demand for secure, low-latency, high-speed networking in AI workloads. NTT DATA reports that legacy network architectures are not sufficient for the scale and complexity of today’s AI deployments, prompting a need for adaptive, intelligent networks.
The report finds that over 78 percent of organizations consider networking capabilities critical when selecting providers for generative AI (GenAI) infrastructure. This positions modern networks as essential for supporting large-scale AI training, inference, and storage clusters, as well as for seamlessly handling secure and increasingly complex AI workloads. According to the study, network modernization introduces AI-driven configuration, anomaly detection, self-healing, and intelligent monitoring—automating operations to speed up issue resolution and enhance system performance.
Data center operators, including those in manufacturing, healthcare, and financial services, are reported to be using AI-driven networks to improve operational efficiency, ensure secure connectivity, and reduce costs. The InfoBrief underlines that updated digital infrastructure forms the foundation for AI transformation at scale.
NTT DATA outlines a portfolio of network modernization services aimed at supporting AI strategies for data centers. These include advisory services to align network upgrades with AI objectives, technology sourcing, professional services for architecture and deployment, software-defined infrastructure with automation and AI agent integration, adoption services for continuous improvement, and complete managed network operations from edge to cloud. NTT DATA recently introduced AI-powered Software Defined Infrastructure (SDI) services for Cisco products that offer intelligent automation and real-time infrastructure insights, with the goal of optimizing infrastructure and cost management.
The announcement includes technical commentary from industry representatives. “Network modernization is about more than replacing old hardware—it’s about allowing enterprises to lead in an AI-driven world,” said Brink Sanders, Senior Vice President of Global Networking Sales at Cisco. “Our partnership with NTT DATA equips clients with the technology and expertise needed to build secure and connected networks.” Chris Barnard, Vice President, European Telecoms and Infrastructure, IDC, added, “Your network will make or break your AI transformation. Overcoming the challenges of legacy networking technologies is essential. This IDC InfoBrief gives organizations the steps to transform enterprise networking from a bottleneck into a business advantage.”
Source: NTT DATA
