New EMA Research Uncovers How Early Adopters Are Preparing Enterprise Networks for AI Success

Based on a survey of 269 North American IT professionals involved in preparing their organizations' networks for AI applications, this new research serves as a practical guide for IT decision-makers embarking on their AI initiatives

LAFAYETTE, Colo., June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Enterprise Management Associates (EMA™), a leading IT research and consulting firm, today announced the release of its latest research report, "Readying Enterprise Networks for Artificial Intelligence," authored by Shamus McGillicuddy, vice president of research for network infrastructure and operations at EMA.

As artificial intelligence (AI) adoption gains momentum, network readiness is emerging as a critical success factor. AI workloads generate unpredictable bursts of traffic, demanding high-speed connectivity that is low latency and lossless. AI adoption will require upgrades and optimizations in data center networks and wide-area networks (WANs). This is prompting enterprise IT teams to rethink, re-architect, and upgrade their data center and WANs to support AI-driven operations.

EMA's new report serves as a strategic guide for IT decision-makers who have started their AI journey and:

• Examines how enterprises are preparing their networks for AI
• Explores changes to data center networks and WANs
• Investigates some of the security implications of these network
• Identifies changes made to network observability tools
• Explores some of the basic aspects of overall AI strategy, such as who leads these projects and what kinds of technologies companies are adopting

"Networks will make or break enterprise investments in AI technology. IT organizations are well-aware of this fact. However, preparing networks for AI will be expensive and complex," McGillicuddy said. "This research shows that AI workloads will be distributed across public clouds, data centers, and the enterprise edge. This kind of architecture requires improvements to both data center and wide-area networks."

Some of the key findings from the report include:

• The top business challenges to networking for AI are security risk (39%), budget issues (34%), and difficulties with keeping up the pace of AI innovation (33%)
• 42% of companies have established AI centers of excellence to lead strategy across technical teams and business units
• Organizations that can automatically apply quality of service or routing policies specific to AI-related traffic report more success with preparing their networks for AI

This independent research is sponsored by Aryaka, BlueCat, and Versa Networks.

A detailed analysis of the research findings is available in the report, "Readying Enterprise Networks for Artificial Intelligence." Highlights of the research will also be presented during a free webinar on July 8.  

About EMA 
Founded in 1996, EMA is a leading IT research and consulting firm dedicated to delivering actionable insights across the evolving technology landscape. Through independent research, market analysis, and vendor evaluations, we empower organizations to make well-informed technology decisions. Our team of analysts combines practical experience with a deep understanding of industry best practices and emerging vendor solutions to help clients achieve their strategic objectives. Learn more about EMA research, analysis, and consulting services at www.enterprisemanagement.com and follow them on X and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:
Raleigh Gould
Enterprise Management Associates
303-543-9500
rgould@enterprisemanagement.com

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SOURCE Enterprise Management Associates