How Do We Reimagine an Entire Business with Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not just a technological advancement; it's a transformative force that has the potential to reimagine entire business experiences. For CIOs and business professionals, embracing AI means more than just integrating new tools. It involves a fundamental rethink of how every interaction—whether with customers, prospects, partners, or vendors—can be transformed and re-imagined by putting AI at the center of your designs and architecture, rather than merely treating it as an add-on. This will ignite a new way to think about experiences, business processes, organizational designs and ultimately business models that you can and should create. At the Office of the CTO here at Extreme Networks we are following this design pattern.

In a recent blog, Nabil Bukhari, Chief Technology & Product Officer of Extreme Networks, discussed ARC Theory—a three-phase cycle of Augmentation, Replacement, and Creation that provides a framework to classify and anticipate the evolutionary stages of any life-altering technology. In his follow-up blog, Nabil also discussed how the latest hot technology, artificial intelligence (AI), is also following the ARC framework. By understanding the ARC Theory, businesses can anticipate and leverage future advancements. Businesses should pursue AI initiatives that offer tangible benefits and reimagine business processes, rather than adopting AI for the sake of it.

On November 30, OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT to the public, making generative AI (GenAI) widely accessible to the masses for the first time. This marked the beginning of the AI hype cycle, with industries across the board eager to jump on the bandwagon. However, businesses must resist the urge to adopt AI purely for its novelty. A significant mistake many companies will make is simply adopting AI as an add-on to their current products or services. Instead, they should focus on how they can leverage AI to fundamentally transform their operations and the experiences they deliver to both existing and new customers and also partners. The goal is not just to keep pace with competitors, but to harness AI to rethink and reshape your entire business landscape.

The application of AIOps, or Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations, for has already being embraced by enterprise networking vendors in recent years. For instance, Extreme Networks released ExtremeCloud IQ CoPilot back in 2022. Vendors are offering solutions that utilize AI and machine learning (ML) technologies to enhance and automate network operations, primarily implemented as an AI/ML enhancement to existing cloud management capabilities, leveraging AI data analysis to streamline the troubleshooting and monitoring of network infrastructure.

This aligns with the augmentation of the previously mentioned ARC framework and represents a major step forward, but we want to completely reimagine how customers interact with their networks, applications, and data – and vendors and partners, for that matter. Justin Hurst, CTO APAC of Extreme, imagines how an IT Professional with manage a network in the future in his blog, “What Will a Day in the Life of an IT Professional Look Like in 2030?”. For years, the objective in network management has been to achieve a “single pane of glass”—a unified interface that consolidates all network data and controls into one accessible view. However, this objective has not fully lived up to its promises. AI, on the other hand, has the potential to transcend this traditional vision, transforming it into a far more comprehensive and cohesive experience. Imagine a world where our solution creates an experience that fosters a deeper connection between technology and human expertise, making IT operations more interactive, insightful, and ultimately more human-centric.

However, AIOps for enterprise networks constitutes only a fraction of what IT professionals want and businesses need. At Extreme Networks, we see the potential of AI extending far beyond AIOps. Instead, we envision a holistic experience where every aspect of the business benefits from AI’s capabilities, following our 'One Extreme' strategy to ensure that customers, prospects, partners, and vendors all have a seamless and consistent experience

We suggest that this approach can be applied also to your business, function, service, operations – whatever you are responsible for: the true power of AI lies in its ability to create entirely new experiences for all stakeholders involved. Imagine a scenario where every interaction, whether it’s with a customer, partner, or vendor, is seamlessly integrated and enhanced.

For customers, AI can analyze data to deliver highly personalized, consumer centric experiences. By understanding customer preferences and behaviors, businesses can offer tailored recommendations, proactive support, and predictive services. E-commerce platforms have used AI for years to suggest products based on past purchases and browsing history, while a customer service chatbot can anticipate issues and offer solutions before the customer even reaches out. Latest advancements made this technology much more accessible and possible to implement quickly. Financial institutions use AI to provide personalized financial advice and detect fraudulent activities in real-time, ensuring customer safety and trust. In the healthcare sector, AI can analyze patient data to offer customized treatment plans and predict potential health issues, enhancing the quality of care. This level of personalization not only enhances customer satisfaction but also builds loyalty, as customers feel understood and valued. Creating new experiences is critical for businesses to stay competitive and meet the evolving expectations of their customers.

Partners can benefit from AI by having more efficient and effective collaboration. AI can facilitate real-time data sharing and analytics, providing partners with the insights they need to make informed decisions. For instance, in a supply chain network, AI can predict demand fluctuations and optimize inventory management, ensuring that all parties are aligned and can respond swiftly to changes in the market. Vendors also stand to gain from AI integration. AI can enhance vendor relationships by streamlining procurement processes and ensuring timely payments. By analyzing vendor performance data, businesses can identify opportunities for improvement and foster stronger partnerships. Additionally, AI can help in negotiating better terms and prices by providing insights into market trends and vendor capabilities. What if a company had a unified platform for this type of engagement?

In summary, the possibilities that AI’s is going to unlock are yet to be fully imagined and understood. By placing AI at the center of your design, you position yourself to leverage its full power, create exponential outcomes, and leapfrog your competition on all levels. But you might ask, how do I get started with AI? Be sure you pick high value use cases and initiatives with clear benefits and returns in a short period of time. Time-box your efforts, and if a project is not successful within the defined timeframe, move on to the next one—you haven’t lost. You will see more about from the Office of the CTO at Extreme Networks. And stay tuned for my next blog, where I will discuss how to build an AI Architecture that fundamentally supports this approach.