NTT DATA and Cisco have announced a joint effort to support enterprises in modernising their networks for the artificial intelligence era. The companies released a new IDC InfoBrief, Wired for Intelligence: A CIO Guide to Enterprise Networking for AI, which outlines strategies for organisations aiming to upgrade their digital infrastructure to handle AI-driven workloads.
Rising demand for AI-ready networks
As businesses increasingly deploy AI across industries such as healthcare, manufacturing and financial services, the need for high-speed, secure and low-latency networks is growing rapidly. Traditional systems are proving inadequate for the scale and complexity required. NTT DATA and Cisco aim to address this challenge by guiding companies towards intelligent, adaptive networks that can sustain AI innovation at scale.
Dilip Kumar, Global Head of Technology Solutions at NTT DATA, said, “As two market leaders, NTT DATA and Cisco are well positioned to help clients modernise their digital infrastructure foundations for the AI era. The network exists as a catalyst for growth and organisations can unlock powerful new capabilities and achieve AI-driven business transformation at scale.”
Insights from the IDC study
The IDC report highlights that network modernisation is critical for AI success. More than 78% of organisations surveyed said that networking capabilities are either important or very important when selecting providers for generative AI infrastructure. Beyond speed and security, AI-powered networking can enhance operations through automated configuration, anomaly detection, self-healing capabilities and intelligent monitoring, improving both efficiency and user experience.
Industries have already begun to see benefits from these changes. Manufacturers are using AI to optimise production, healthcare providers are ensuring secure data transfer, and financial institutions are reducing operational costs. According to Brink Sanders, Senior Vice President of Global Networking Sales at Cisco, “Network modernisation is about more than replacing old hardware—it’s about allowing enterprises to lead in an AI-driven world. Our partnership with NTT DATA equips clients with the technology and expertise needed to build secure and connected networks.”
Chris Barnard, Vice President of European Telecoms and Infrastructure at IDC, added, “Your network will make or break your AI transformation. Overcoming the challenges of legacy networking technologies is essential. This IDC InfoBrief gives organisations the steps to transform enterprise networking from a bottleneck into a business advantage.”
NTT DATA’s intelligent services for modernisation
NTT DATA is extending its portfolio of intelligent services to support businesses throughout their modernisation journey. These services include advisory and consulting to align network goals with AI strategies, technology sourcing, professional services for deploying secure networks, and adoption services to maximise return on investment. The company also offers software-defined infrastructure services, which bring automation and AI agents into infrastructure operations, alongside managed network services for complete oversight from edge to cloud.
The company recently launched AI-powered Software Defined Infrastructure services for Cisco products. These are designed to provide automation and real-time insights, helping businesses optimise infrastructure, cut costs and improve operational outcomes.
With many enterprises facing mandatory hardware refresh cycles triggered by the rise of AI adoption, the collaboration between NTT DATA and Cisco positions both firms to play a pivotal role in shaping the networks that will underpin the next phase of digital transformation.
