^{This article was originally featured on TD SYNNEX Level Up}

Networking is no longer just infrastructure. It’s strategy. It’s value. It’s the heartbeat of modern business.

Why the resurgence?

Simple. AI workloads are hungry—ravenous, even. They demand massive compute power, lightning-fast data transfer, and zero tolerance for downtime. That puts the pressure squarely on the network. And guess what? Networking is stepping up.

We’re seeing a refresh frenzy across the board. Enterprises are upgrading to high-speed connectivity—think Wi-Fi 6E, 5G, and fiber optics—to handle the data deluge. And the numbers don’t lie: AI-enabled networking is projected to hit $61 billion by 2030, with a jaw-dropping 32.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years.¹ That’s the fastest-growing segment among AI-driven infrastructure categories.

But it’s not just about speed. It’s about smarts.

Networking is getting intelligent, thanks to AI-powered management platforms. These systems don’t just monitor—they learn. Real-time traffic optimization, predictive maintenance, and anomaly detection are becoming standard features. AI is now the network’s co-pilot, helping it self-heal and adapt on the fly.

This evolution is being driven by a surge in network automation and optimization. AI and machine learning are being embedded directly into network management, enabling dynamic traffic routing, proactive issue resolution, and smarter access point control. It’s not just about keeping the lights on—it’s about making the network a proactive, intelligent force that anticipates needs and solves problems before they escalate.

So yes, networking is cool again.

Cooler than cool, actually. It’s the silent enabler of every flashy AI demo, every seamless cloud migration, and every secure remote login. It’s the reason your Teams call doesn’t freeze, and your data doesn’t disappear.

To our Advanced Solutions resellers: this is your moment. Networking isn’t just back, it’s booming. Whether you’re selling switches or architecting secure environments, you’re not just part of the infrastructure. You’re part of the innovation.

So go ahead—refresh that pitch deck, update that playbook, and tell your customers: Networking is cool again. And it’s never been more essential.

     ^{1. Market.us. AI in Networks Market Size, Share and Demand Analysis Report. December 2024.}