These extremely dynamic characters are at odds with traditional networking models. Almost every key behaviour is challenged by networking models that are slow, inefficient and built to serve brick and mortar multinational corporations. The old way of approaching connectivity actually inhibits innovation and makes it increasingly difficult to change and grow.
An ideal scenario for network operators selling connectivity would be to lock customers into multi-year deals where businesses have to estimate their usage in the long-term. There would be limited scope for scaling up or down and rolling out new services could take weeks or months.
For a Unicorn, this would mean limited growth and spiralling costs. They wouldn’t be able to move fast enough to serve new demand while having to estimate the response to their services in new markets. One market could grow overnight and another could stagnate. They would still be locked into inflexible contracts and unable to serve new user growth.
It is a nightmare scenario for any high-growth business. The traditional model simply can’t move fast enough to serve these needs.
All of the control is in the hands of the network operator while the Unicorn may be used to procuring Cloud environments from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Alibaba Cloud or Google Cloud Platform in seconds. One segment of their ICT operations would be self-service and on-demand while networking would be stuck in the past and out of sync with their business.
Networking has to serve these new expectations and offer these businesses a reliable, flexible and agile foundation for innovation. Otherwise networking is the bottleneck and the barrier to success for these organisations.
The first step to turning networking into an enabler for innovation is choosing a connectivity provider that is focused on the future. The best connectivity providers are evolving their networking solutions to match the needs of Cloud-first businesses. They are in tune with changing needs and are not afraid to adapt and behave like a Unicorn themselves.
Cloud-centric solves many of the largest networking challenges facing Unicorns. Just like Unicorns themselves, Cloud-centric networking is disrupting traditional networking models and delivering connectivity in a way that mirrors the Cloud. It removes the limits that traditional models place on Unicorns and turns networking into a driver for innovation.
It gives them an elastic networking environment that is ready to scale to meet new demand and adapt in a changing market. Cloud-centric networking is connectivity that is purpose-built to support businesses in the Cloud era.
Epsilon is serving start-up Unicorns globally. To learn more about our approach to serving this unique community, take a look at our whitepaper here: Connecting Start-up Unicorns
