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Why fiber optic cable is an essential enterprise accessory for 2019

Enterprise information technology and revenue growth often go hand-in-hand nowadays. Of course, most business leaders understand this reality and are pursuing aggressive digitization initiatives, an industry-agnostic push that analysts for Gartner believe will drive more than $3.8 trillion in worldwide IT spending in 2019. Numerous hardware and software assets fill the shopping lists of the organizations intent on entering this booming marketplace over the next year. However, few of these items possess the transformational potential of fiber optic cabling, as this high-performing networking technology supports most of the IT innovations associated with digitization - most notably, internet of things devices.



The foundation for enterprise IoT



Today, an estimated 60 percent of organizations worldwide leverage enterprise IoT technology of some kind, according to research from Informa. From traditional smartphones and tablets to connected industrial sensors and automated retail devices, these forward-looking businesses take advantage of numerous connected assets. In fact, Gartner analysts estimate that these IoT adopters collectively maintain more than 4.5 billion IoT devices to date. However, a good number of these items are part of relatively immature IoT deployments with considerable room for growth. Solution providers might soon roll out the bleeding-edge products needed to support this enterprise IoT maturation, including artificial intelligence-powered manufacturing solutions, according to projections from PricewaterhouseCoopers. Forbes contributor and digital transformation authority Daniel Newman is under the impression that at least some of these new offerings will hit the shelves in 2019.

Enterprise IoT technology does not function in isolation, of course. Complex networking infrastructure enables it, facilitating the accelerated data transmission channels required to move massive amounts of information between countless endpoints. Fiber optic cabling often constitutes the foundation of these mission-critical installations - and for good reason. Fiber supports lightning-fast data transfer speeds and high bandwidth. For instance, the average wideband multimode OM5 fiber solution can easily facilitate transmission rates between 10 and 25 gigabytes per second, the range within which most existing IoT assets operate. With room for additional capacity, OM5 is capable of supporting the slew of IoT innovations set to materialize in 2019 and beyond. In short, fiber is essential to IoT success. 

Enterprise IT experts have known this for years, according to the International Data Group. Yet, many businesses, including those pursuing digitization at scale, have been reluctant to greenlight fiber implementation due to perceived cost and operational issues. In reality, all-fiber networks often come with lower implementation expenses than copper alternatives, researchers for the Fiber Optics Association found. And with reliable installation partners like LANShack populating the space, organizations that need to put fiber networks into place can do so with confidence.



Network technology for the new year



Companies intending to take advantage of the cutting-edge IoT innovations hitting the market in 2019 should pursue network optimization by implementing quality enterprise fiber technology. Here at LANShack, we help businesses do just that. We specialize in pre-terminated fiber optic assemblies designed to support companies navigating numerous IT shifts, including digitization.

Contact us today to learn how we have been helping enterprises stay connected for more than 20 years.