By Zaza Soriano-Nicart, Managing Director, Cisco Philippines
As businesses in the Philippines and around the world embrace the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI), one thing remains clear: the network is the backbone of making all of this happen.
From powering AI applications to ensuring seamless connectivity for Internet of Things (IoT) devices and cloud-based workloads, the network is no longer just a means to connect — they are strategic enablers of innovation, growth, and digital resilience.
In a world where AI assistants, agents, and data-driven workloads reshape how work gets done, they are creating faster, more dynamic, latency-sensitive, and more complex network traffic.
IT leaders need to change how they think about the network: what it is, what it enables, and how it protects the organization.
Here are six key trends on how IT leaders think about their networks — and the role they play in unlocking business value and ensuring success in the AI era from the Cisco 2025 Network Research.
1. The Network Has Become a Strategic Priority
The modern network is no longer just a tool for connectivity; it is a critical enabler of digital transformation. According to our findings, 97% of IT leaders in the Philippines say a modernized network is essential to rolling out AI, IoT, and cloud technologies. To meet these demands, almost all (99%) IT leaders plan to increase the share of their overall IT budget allocated to networking.
This shift reflects the growing realization that the network is the backbone of business strategy. The infrastructure decisions made today will determine how organizations innovate, compete, and grow in the years to come.
2. Secure Networking Is Mission-Critical
As organizations embrace AI and other transformative technologies, security has become a top priority. They are increasingly seeing the value of the network as the first line of defense to help security teams address the emerging AI-driven risks more effectively.
Nearly all (98%) agree that secure networking is essential to their operations and growth, with 77% describing it as critical. 97% say that an improved network will enhance their cybersecurity posture.
This is an area of significant focus for Cisco, as we see the network playing a crucial role as a control point for security, with its ability to provide visibility into every connection, user, and device.
Our recent innovations, like our new class of Smart Switches, that integrates security directly into the network and unified management platform which offers assurance and observability across both owned and third-party infrastructure bridge back to our secure networking vision.
3. AI Intensifies Demand for Resilient Networks
AI’s transformative potential comes with significant demands on network resilience. 98% of IT leaders say a resilient network is critical, at a time when 82% faced major outages – driven largely by cyberattacks, congestion, and misconfigurations. These issues can lead to major outages, adding up to $160 billion annually globally from juts one severe disruption per business, per year.
Whether its navigating disruption to the business, ongoing security challenges, or changing customer and employee expectations, companies need a network platform that can deliver resilience across every part of their infrastructure.
4. Leaders Look to AI to Drive Revenue
AI is not just a challenge for networks; it is also a major opportunity for growth. About half (45%) of IT leaders believe that modernized networks will have their greatest impact on revenue by enabling AI tools that automate and personalize customer journeys.
These AI-driven experiences — from faster service to personalized recommendations — strengthen customer loyalty and open new paths to improve their experience. For businesses in the Philippines, investing in networks that support these capabilities is key to staying competitive and meeting evolving customer expectations.
5. AI Is Reshaping Computing Infrastructure
The rise of AI is also transforming how organizations think about their broader IT infrastructure. According to our research, 65% of IT leaders say their current data centers cannot meet today’s AI demands. As a result, 92% are planning to expand their infrastructure capacity, whether on-premises, in the cloud, or both.
At this critical juncture, businesses need networks that are equipped to handle the scale, security, and reliability requirements that AI demands. This provides a future-ready foundation for enterprises to confidently embrace AI without sacrificing performance or security.
6. Leaders Want to Make Networks Smarter
Finally, the future of networking lies in intelligence and automation. Nearly all IT leaders (99%) agree that autonomous, AI-powered networks will be essential to future growth. However, only 56% have deployed the intelligent capabilities — such as segmentation, visibility, and control — needed to make their networks’ adaptive.
There is still some way to go. But the potential of a smarter network that can reduce reliance on manual oversight and enable organizations to respond to evolving demands in real time is huge. Just think about what this can do to improve energy efficiency, reduce downtime, and everything more.
Building the Network for Tomorrow
As we look ahead, the network businesses build today will determine the business they become tomorrow. From enabling AI-driven innovation to defending against security threats, modern, secure, and adaptive networks are no longer optional — they are essential.
Already, IT leaders are delivering financial value from today’s networks largely by improving customer experiences, boosting efficiency and enabling innovation.
But much of that value is at risk if it comes from infrastructure that hasn’t been designed for AI or real-time scale.
In the Philippines, where digital transformation is accelerating across industries, organizations that prioritize their network investments will be best positioned to thrive in the AI era.
To unlock the full growth and savings they expect, leaders need to bridge critical gaps such as siloed or partially integrated systems, incomplete deployments, and reliance on manual oversight in their infrastructure.
The era of AI is here — and the network is its foundation. Let’s build it right.
Cisco Confidential
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