4. November 20256 min reading time

Why a modern IT infrastructure is the key to success with artificial intelligence

With the acquisition of Juniper Networks, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has significantly expanded its infrastructure portfolio and now offers companies an end-to-end offering for the data centre, from the hybrid cloud to AI-native networking. Together with us as a partner, this creates a complete package of technology, service and expertise that optimally prepares companies for the challenges of the AI era.

An end-to-end and modern IT infrastructure is needed to utilise the added value of AI

With the acquisition of Juniper Networks, the leading specialist for AI-native networking, this summer, HPE set a real milestone in the realisation of a clear strategic goal: to offer customers fully integrated infrastructures and at the same time enable the necessary agility to master the new challenges arising from the technology push around artificial intelligence (AI). The three central pillars for this are hybrid cloud, networking and AI - always in combination with the topic of security.

A year earlier, Morpheus Data, a specialist for hybrid cloud management, automation and virtualisation, had already been brought into the company and its comprehensive virtualisation platform had been integrated into its own portfolio under the name HPE Morpheus VM Essentials - and scored twice over. Firstly, with the perfect addition to its own technology platforms such as HPE GreenLake or HPE Aruba Networking, the company has now actually completed the big picture. Secondly, the company has brought on board innovative technology for a topic that, between complex AI requirements, agile hybrid workloads and secure connections, is increasingly becoming the decisive nerve centre in digital business: the network.

However, consistency does not stop at the technology. It must also be delivered to customers as added value - as flexible and easy to use as possible. This requires the right service provider and integrator as a partner. One like CANCOM Austria. The Platinum Partner also successfully offers a range of its own solutions based on HPE infrastructure technology, such as Network as a Service or an LLM called CANCOM Assistant.

In an interview with Manfred Traumüller, Managing Director of HPE Austria, and Christian Neuhauser, Vice President System Integration at CANCOM Austria, about reversing trends, challenges in a whole new dimension and why infrastructure and networks are becoming key factors in the era of AI and smart apps.

The biggest IT challenges in 2025: data security, AI pressure and rising expectations

Companies are in the midst of a technological turning point. The rapid development of AI, increasing regulatory requirements and growing cost pressure are presenting IT and digitalisation managers with enormous challenges.

According to Traumüller, there are currently four major focal points that IT decision-makers will need to focus on in 2025:

Data security and data privacy
Information security, data protection and data compliance are the foundation of every digital strategy.
AI demand - the growing demand for AI
Companies want to use AI to work more efficiently and drive innovation. However, setting up the necessary infrastructure is complex - both technically and financially.
Data modernisation and data strategy
For AI to deliver real added value, data must be structured, up-to-date and accessible. The right strategy is crucial: where is the data located - on the edge, in the data centre or in the public cloud
Cost control under growing pressure
Despite the pressure to innovate, cost management remains a key factor. Companies must introduce new technologies without losing sight of profitability.

Neuhauser adds that the pressure to innovate has never been greater for IT and digitalisation managers. With AI technology, there is now a need for IT to once again make massive investments in local infrastructures. Behind this is often the expectation that these investments will be directly returned in the form of noticeable improvements and efficiency gains. However, achieving this is anything but easy.

Why AI delivers no real added value without data modernisation

AI is undoubtedly a game changer and it is right that managers at all levels are engaging with the technology in order to develop new business models and competitive advantages. However, the key success factor is often overlooked: data modernisation.

"The basis for really being able to utilise modern technology and derive added value from it is always access to data that is available in the required quantity and quality, and in an appropriate form so that it can be processed efficiently. This is particularly true for processing by AI algorithms," says Neuhauser.

How companies can really utilise their data - from strategy to infrastructure

Manfred Traumüller, Managing Director of HPE Austria, explains: "We support our customers with advice and modern concepts to assess the maturity of their data and make them fit for AI." To do this, HPE relies on data fabric models and automated platforms that can process data centrally or decentrally - for example, directly at the edge. This means that only relevant information is transferred to the data centre, making analyses more precise and efficient.

According to Neuhauser, the pressure on IT departments is increasing: "Companies today need more flexibility than ever before - while at the same time responding to new requirements relating to data protection and regulation." Issues such as data sovereignty mean that many organisations are increasingly using AI on-premise again. Regulatory requirements such as the AI Act, Data Act and NIS2 are fuelling this trend.

AI is also giving rise to new cybersecurity risks such as prompt breaking, data poisoning and model stealing. "We are increasingly seeing AI-based attacks that specifically target company models," warns Neuhauser. The CANCOM Cyber Defence Center therefore uses AI-supported protection mechanisms and HPE GreenLake infrastructure to detect threats at an early stage and combat them automatically.

Why modern infrastructure is becoming a success factor in the AI era

With new technologies such as AI, infrastructure becomes an enormous utilisation factor. This starts with high-performance networks and ranges from energy consumption, cooling and software development to data analytics and regulation. It is precisely this variety of aspects that opens up new opportunities for companies to generate added value from their infrastructure - from higher performance and lower energy consumption to optimised data usage.

"High performance computing has been a core topic for HPE for years - not least because the three most powerful supercomputers in the world were built by HPE," says Traumüller.

With the increasingly complex requirements of AI, such as simulations and data-intensive analyses, the importance of these technologies is growing rapidly. At the same time, the infrastructure itself is becoming a source of innovation - for example through liquid cooling, which significantly reduces energy requirements and waste heat in data centres.

Topics such as energy efficiency, sustainable cooling and intelligent resource utilisation are therefore not just technical details, but decisive factors for economic and ecological success in the age of AI.

Advantages for orchestration through the integration of Juniper

The end-to-end orchestration of IT systems plays a central role in the success of modern technologies - and two factors are crucial here:

Security: Must be part of every technology orchestration and every agile infrastructure - for example, when it comes to security profiling to define the respective rights in the public cloud as well as in the private cloud.
Network: Serves as a connecting element that provides the neural pathways, so to speak, for end-to-end orchestration, and does so in a secure and protected manner.

With the integration of Juniper Networks, HPE is strengthening precisely these two pillars. The company is thus expanding its HPE Aruba Networking portfolio with additional intelligence, automation and security - creating the basis for powerful, AI-optimised networks of the next generation.

From technology to added value: How customers benefit from end-to-end solutions

An end-to-end IT architecture is far more than just a technical concept - it is the basis for agility, innovation and real customer benefits.

Traumüller explains: "The technological consistency of our portfolio enables our customers to react flexibly to new developments such as Agentic AI or Robotic AI. However, it is crucial that this technology can also be experienced as an integrated service - via seamlessly harmonised systems, applications and services."

Data analysts, software engineers and big data experts work closely with HPE systems to develop customised solutions that are optimally integrated into the customer's existing IT landscape.