By: Branimir Madzarevic (CTO)
In today’s digital world, where everything is interconnected, IT and network infrastructures form the basis of our everyday lives. The pace of change in these areas is high, particularly when it comes to new technologies. This can make it very challenging for companies that create and provide services based on these structures to keep current.
At FNT, we take pride in our level of preparedness for the future. We always have an eye to what lies ahead and are happy to share how we plan to support our customers in 2023. The planned enhancements to the FNT Command Platform will ensure users have what they need to address challenges related to their IT Infrastructure & Operations. Our roadmap reflects how we are not only adapting to the latest developments in the markets, but are leading the way among software providers. Some of the most notable market developments FNT Command will better address going forward include:
- Energy efficiency: The emphasis on reducing the carbon footprint and dealing with rising energy costs make improving energy efficiency a top priority.
- Cybersecurity: Protecting data and networks from cyber-attacks is an important factor in the planning and operation of both data centers and network infrastructures.
- Edge Computing: With the increasing distribution of IoT devices and applications that require low network latency, there is growing demand for edge computing solutions that enable data processing closer to end devices.
- Cloud Computing: As more companies shift computing power off premise, the demand for flexible and scalable data center solutions is growing significantly.
- Service orientation: Successful “Infrastructure & Operations” requires a high degree of service orientation. The target is to provide and integrate reliable, scalable and secure services that are tailored to the specific requirements of users and customers. Such an approach allows companies to respond more quickly to changing business requirements and technological developments.
It’s important to note that the expansion of fiber-optic and 5G networks plays an important role in all the above concerns. 5G, for example, is used in edge computing because it is a key enabler of data processing and storage close to end devices. 5G technology significantly reduces transmission latency, which is important for the edge, and increases data security, which is important everywhere.
Consequently, the focus of our 2023 roadmap is primarily on telecommunications, data center infrastructure management and cable management. This in addition to the management of hybrid infrastructures, which is an ongoing focus of FNT. In addition to the optimization of classic cable documentation, other aspects of network improvements worth calling out include geo-referenced extensions for FTTx rollouts, 3D views to support in-house and OT (operational technology) networks, more flexible logical telco connectivity, enhancements in site management, and improvements in the planning and reporting functions. All are designed to better support the processes of our customers.
Rounding out the list of big enhancements to FNT Command is virtual/cloud resources and applications, and easier integration of our software with other applications in order to be able to synchronize data efficiently, quickly and securely across systems.
Beyond these planned market-specific and business-driven enhancements, our product roadmap is focused on five core capabilities of our platform:
- Mobile Touchpoints: Improved and enhanced mobile access to our software.
- Configurability: More robust configuration adaptability of our software to customer-specific requirements.
- Graphical Visualizations and Analytics: Expanded graphical, configurable visualization and analytics capabilities.
- Workflows: Easy modeling and establishment of BPMN-based workflows for processing information and controlling activities.
- WorkOrders: More flexible order management for the process-based implementation of plans and the associated control of executing teams.
We are confident this roadmap sets the right course for 2023 and beyond. It contains the elements our customers need the most as they pursue their IT and network infrastructure transformation initiatives. We look forward working with our customers as a key partner in their future successes.