Preventing Network Failures Could Save Asia Pacific Businesses Billions Annually
50% of Asia Pacific Businesses Have Been Forced to Urgently Reevaluate Their Tech Infrastructure Following a Wave of High-Profile IT Outages
Network instability is taking a serious toll on businesses in Asia Pacific (APAC), with over 50% reporting revenue losses of USD $5 million or more due to network failures or poor performance. These findings come from an IDC InfoBrief commissioned by Expereo titled “Enterprise Horizons 2025: Technology Leaders Priorities: Achieving Digital Agility.”
Following a series of high-profile IT disruptions over the past year, ranging from cybersecurity breaches to connectivity failures, half (50%) of APAC businesses have been compelled to reevaluate their technology infrastructure. As a result, 40% of tech leaders in the region now report that networking and connectivity have risen higher on the C-suite agenda.
The broader impact is that networking/connectivity and cybersecurity now top the list of investment priorities for APAC businesses over the next 12 months [48% for networking/connectivity, 46% for cybersecurity, followed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) at 38%). Last year in APAC, AI took the top spot (43%) followed by cybersecurity (39%) and networking/connectivity (37%). This highlights that AI is no longer the most urgent technology priority.
The urgency is well-founded. More than one in four APAC organisations (30.7%) say that inadequate network and connectivity performance is actively threatening their growth plans for the coming year. At the same time, 44% report that network limitations are holding back their ability to support large-scale data and AI initiatives. Alarmingly, just 8% of businesses in the region believe their networks are fully prepared to support AI without any barriers.
“To drive a sustainable competitive advantage, connectivity is no longer an IT concern—it is a strategic business imperative, said Ben Elms, CEO of Expereo. “This research confirms what many technology leaders are already experiencing firsthand: connectivity is now the backbone of business. As organisations race to adopt new AI solutions, the C-suite must treat network performance with the same urgency as cybersecurity and AI itself, because without it, businesses simply cannot succeed.”
Eric Wong, President, APAC, at Expereo, added: “We’re seeing a direct correlation between network performance and bottom-line success, and the data confirms that the conversation around connectivity has matured from an IT concern to a strategic business imperative, particularly here in the Asia Pacific region. With nearly a third (28.7%) of businesses in the region experiencing revenue losses exceeding US$5 million from network outages, the financial stakes are higher than ever – and it is no surprise that businesses are now prioritizing investment in networking and cybersecurity more than anything else. This strategic shift is critical for building the robust digital foundation needed to not only support large-scale data and AI initiatives but also to drive resilient, sustainable growth across the region.”
Having the right talent in place is also critical for building and maintaining the robust network and connectivity infrastructure businesses need to thrive. However, the research suggests this may be easier said than done.
Networking tops the list of areas where organisations in APAC struggle to find or retain skilled professionals (37.5%), closely followed by cybersecurity (31.6%). One in four (23%) APAC businesses say they plan to increase their reliance on external partners, such as vendors or managed service providers, to help bridge this skills gap.
For the full IDC InfoBrief, please visit: https://www.expereo.com/enterprise-horizons-2025.
