See where AI fits
The architecture
The six dimensions show whether the business is ready. These layers make the technology behind that readiness tangible: what gets designed, bought and run. Select a column to see what holds it up. Open any layer below for examples and what to look for.
Select a column to see what holds it up, or a footing to see what it carries.
Explore ↗Internet, private lines, fiber, mobile and SD-WAN carry information between locations, applications and clouds, with SASE bringing security into the same path. The right mix depends on where work runs and the bandwidth and resilience it needs. AI raises the bar on both.
Public cloud, colocation, private cloud and bare metal each suit different work. Monitoring, cost management and recovery keep capacity, service quality, spending and recoverability visible as demand grows, which matters more once AI workloads arrive.
Integration and data platforms bring information together from the systems it lives in, keep definitions consistent and permissions intact, and make answers traceable. This is the layer AI draws on, so look at how each option connects to the systems you already run and who keeps it current.
Identity and access, endpoint protection, data loss prevention and around-the-clock detection and response, sized to the team you have. Evaluate how each option controls access, flags suspicious activity and supports a coordinated response, including what people paste into AI tools.
Calling inside Teams, Zoom or Webex, unified communications and mobility, and replacing copper lines before they fail. Meeting summaries and assistants now ship inside these platforms, so it’s worth knowing what your license already includes before paying for another tool.
Cloud contact center, self-service, workforce and quality tools, and outsourced support when you need more hands. This is often where AI earns its first return, so look at how each platform connects to your customer records and how results are measured.
AI workspaces, model-access platforms, virtual agents and automation give people an environment for using AI. Look for connections to your business applications and controls over which models can be used. Every answer is only as good as the information behind it: relevant sources, preserved permissions and traceable answers. Policy and audit tools document what’s in use and under which rules; people still set policy and own decisions.
Help desk, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace management, desktops, field services and backup keep tools working after launch, so questions don’t stall adoption and your team can spend its time on what moves the business.