Summary Bullets:
• Despite inevitably addressing AI, Colt highlighted the importance of scale, security, and sustainability – data sovereignty and protection in particular – at its 2023 Analyst Relations event.
• Networking topics covered intent-based networking – software-defined and on demand – orchestration platforms and the importance of the customer experience and managing complexity.
Colt’s annual Analyst Relations event kicked off with the inevitable discussion about artificial intelligence (AI) both at a broader level and as a technology that is being used in networks and in supporting customers. The discussion then moved on to current challenges such as the importance of scale, security, and sustainability. Part of this was focused on geopolitics and the growing importance of data sovereignty, with enterprises needing to know what data they have, where it resides, and how it is being moved around.
As part of its discussion of the above challenges, Colt noted their impact on network and computing resources, highlighting the need for ever-more capacity and how customers need to be able to observe their networks, and prioritize traffic, while at the same time promoting sustainable practices. All these areas offer the potential for solutions using AI.
Colt also noted that sales teams can use AI better to know about customers using public domain information as a way of establishing deeper customer knowledge and empathy, noting that the contract conversion rate has improved by 38% – but also noting the importance of ongoing human intervention through its ‘100 Voices’ customer discussion program.
On the broader ESG front, Colt underlined the growing importance of sustainability by observing that the number of contracts, including environmental demands, increase 75% year-on-year. The provider continues to demonstrate leadership, having reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 28% since 2019. At the same time, Colt identified Scope 3 (indirect emissions) as accounting for 93% overall. As a result, the provider has engaged with 70% of its top suppliers with the goal of setting science-based targets) through 2025. In addition, Colt highlighted the primacy of decarbonization over offsetting. It also illustrated how if it can help customers to select the lowest-emission data journey using real-time carbon emissions information (based on Cisco Skylight Analytics).
Colt suggested progress was imminent on the proposed acquisition of the Lumen EMEA assets, noting the value the trans-Atlantic cables and landing stations would lend to the business if the plan went ahead. The company said it would share details once it was in a position to do so.
On the product front, Colt promoted the success of its SD-WAN offering and stated it was looking to extend its delivery, support, and management capabilities in the near future. Essentially, Colt is looking at ‘hyper-mesh’ networks for delivery of services beyond ring and star networks and toward a mixture that intermixes data centers, edge technology, connectivity, and hyperscaler access.
Colt neatly blends strategic and operational challenges as areas like security, sustainability, and customer control increasingly become integrated with its core network services. Imminent announcements are set to underline this strategy.