Five enterprise network services trends are reshaping how organizations prepare for AI, multicloud growth, autonomous operations and evolving security demands, according to new research from Gartner^®.¹ See how we think Lumen is addressing each shift through our network, software-driven control and integrated approach.

Enterprise networking enters the AI era

Artificial intelligence is transforming applications, infrastructure and what enterprises need from their network.

In its July 2026 report, Key Trends in Enterprise Network Services Offerings in 2026, Gartner^® states, “Enterprise WANs must evolve to support AI data traffic patterns and performance requirements, such as latency and packet loss. Agentic AI for cost efficiency and more autonomous operations, and delivery models that guarantee dependability, security, and agility, will be basic requirements.” Gartner also notes a shift from static, hardware-dependent connectivity toward more programmable and intelligent network architectures.

In its report, Gartner discusses five trends in enterprise networking, including efforts to bring together high-capacity network infrastructure, cloud-native control, operational simplicity and security for increasingly distributed digital environments. These topics closely align with the Lumen approach to networking and help explain why Gartner references Lumen multiple times throughout the report

For technology leaders, understanding these trends is important, but the bigger priority is translating them into action. Here are the five trends Gartner highlights and how we believe Lumen supports enterprises as they prepare for what comes next.

1. AI is reshaping network infrastructure

AI training and real-time inference are creating new traffic patterns and placing greater demands on capacity, latency and performance across data centers, clouds and edge environments.

To address this, Lumen is aligning network, compute and edge capabilities to support distributed AI environments. High-capacity transport and access infrastructure help move data between the locations where it is generated, processed and consumed.

This approach recognizes that AI outcomes depend on more than compute alone. Networking decisions must work in concert with data, cloud and application strategies so organizations can move from experimentation toward production-scale AI with a stronger digital foundation.

2. Programmable networks are moving into the mainstream

Enterprises need greater flexibility to support variable AI and multicloud workloads. Gartner points to growing demand for programmable, API-driven network services that can make connectivity easier to provision, adjust and consume.

The Lumen NaaS (Network-as-a-Service) direction brings software-driven control and consumption flexibility to enterprise connectivity. The goal is to help organizations respond faster to changing requirements without relying solely on static, hardware-dependent networking models.

Programmability also creates an opportunity to simplify operations. By combining physical network reach with software-driven control, Lumen is working toward a model in which enterprises can manage connectivity with greater agility while maintaining the governance needed for variable workloads.

3. Multicloud connectivity is becoming an operational challenge

As applications, workloads and data spread across clouds and data centers, the challenge extends beyond establishing connections. Enterprises also need a simpler way to design, deploy and manage connectivity across complex environments.

This is why Lumen is combining physical network infrastructure with cloud-native orchestration. Its vision for a programmable network fabric, strengthened by the completed acquisition of Alkira, is designed to unite network reach with a cloud-native control plane.

That direction supports a more software-driven approach to multicloud networking, with an emphasis on orchestration, automation and operational simplicity. Continued investment in fiber-based access infrastructure also helps address the bandwidth and resiliency requirements of more distributed architectures.

4. Network operations are transforming

Network environments increasingly span multiple access services, clouds, private wireless deployments, Internet of Things (IoT) and distributed AI infrastructure. According to Gartner, “Consequently, enterprise network operations must move beyond traditional automation and simple AI alert correlation into the era of agentic NetOps and semiautonomous service operation and assurance.”

At Lumen, our strategy emphasizes software-driven control and operational simplicity across increasingly distributed environments. This creates a foundation for more intelligent management experiences, including greater automation and more intuitive ways to interact with the network over time.

Because agentic NetOps is still emerging, enterprises will also need to balance innovation with governance, integration and operational risk. Our infrastructure and control plane strategy supports a measured evolution toward more autonomous operations rather than treating autonomy as a standalone feature.

5. Security is moving deeper into the network

As hybrid work, multicloud architectures and distributed AI expand the enterprise attack surface, networking and security are becoming increasingly interconnected. Gartner highlights growing attention to Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), zero trust network access, fabric-native DDoS protection, sovereignty and post-quantum preparedness.

At Lumen, we bring connectivity and security together into a more integrated architecture. Rather than treating security as an afterthought, Lumen pairs network infrastructure, software-driven control and security capabilities so organizations can modernize with resilience in mind.

This approach can help technology leaders evaluate network transformation and security transformation together. It also reinforces the role of the network as a strategic platform for protecting access, applications and data across distributed environments.

Preparing for what's next

Taken together, we believe the five Gartner trends show that enterprise networking is moving beyond static transport. AI-ready capacity, programmability, multicloud orchestration, more intelligent operations and integrated security are becoming connected parts of a broader infrastructure strategy.

Responding to these shifts requires more than addressing each need in isolation. Enterprises need a network foundation that can connect distributed environments, adapt as requirements change and support greater operational and security integration. Lumen is bringing together high-capacity network infrastructure, cloud-native control, operational simplicity and security to help organizations navigate that transition. The report references Lumen initiatives in related areas, including distributed AI infrastructure, multicloud orchestration and fiber-based network modernization.

For technology leaders, these trends provide a useful framework for evaluating what comes next. Rather than treating AI readiness, network modernization, multicloud connectivity and security as separate initiatives, organizations can consider how each decision contributes to a more agile, resilient and manageable digital foundation.

Learn more about how Lumen is addressing these enterprise networking trends by building a next-gen programmable network for the AI era.

_{¹Gartner, Key Trends in Enterprise Network Services Offerings in 2026, Gaspar Valdivia, Charanpal Bhogal, July 13, 2026.}

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