The Network Buying Disconnect Closing the gap between IT priorities and procurement processes
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IT leaders are planning for AI workloads, edge computing, real-time data and compliance at scale. But, too often, their network infrastructure is chosen by someone still shopping on price per megabit. This disconnect can cause performance lag, compliance failures, and stalled innovation efforts. This guide is about bridging the gap. Inside, you’ll find: • How to build a network strategy that satisfies IT ambitions and procurement goals. • A practical framework for evaluating connectivity as critical infrastructure. • Industry-specific insights on what’s driving new connectivity requirements. • Implementation best practices that support long-term performance and growth. When technical vision and procurement discipline align, your business can stop working around limitations and start scaling.
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Misalignment in Network Buying Decisions
There’s no debate anymore: connectivity is critical infrastructure. It underpins your cloud strategy, enables your security posture, shapes your customer experience and determines how fast you can scale. Enterprise IT leaders know this. They build plans around it. But when it comes time to purchase that infrastructure, something gets lost. Instead of evaluating connectivity like a foundational system, procurement teams are still handed legacy RFP templates and price-per-megabit benchmarks. Speed and cost remain the dominant buying criteria, even as business-critical functions move to the cloud and latency-sensitive apps become the norm. Critical initiatives demand a buying process that balances IT priorities and procurement goals. We’re here to help. Visit segra.com
833. GO.SEGRA • SEGRA .COM It’s not that procurement is doing something wrong. In many cases, they’re doing exactly what their systems were designed for: minimizing upfront cost. But that logic no longer fits the business reality. Today’s enterprises need to treat the network as a strategic asset, not a utility line. If your next initiative depends on it, why is your The gap between IT strategy and the procurement process slows things down and exposes the enterprise to long-term risks: • Innovation gets constrained by networks not built for scale or flexibility. • Security and compliance postures suffer when provider decisions ignore regulatory nuance. • Downtime drags on longer because recovery planning wasn’t part of the buying conversation. • Transformation efforts stall because infrastructure can’t support the intended pace.
Evaluating Connectivity as Critical Infrastructure
If your network only existed to “turn on” the internet — like a light switch or a water line — then evaluating it like a utility might make sense. But enterprise connectivity isn’t a utility. It’s infrastructure. And infrastructure doesn’t just function, it enables. It determines whether your cloud strategy works under load. Whether your data stays secure across distributed environments. Whether customer-facing tools remain responsive in real-time. Whether regulatory audits become checklists or crises.
Still, too many organizations treat connectivity as interchangeable. If it meets a basic speed threshold, checks the SLA box and costs a little less, great. That’s the one. And that’s how innovation gets choked by networks that were never designed to handle the weight of the business they support. A utility mindset buys speed. An infrastructure mindset builds a competitive advantage.
COMMODITY THINKING
STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE THINKING
Price per megabit
Performance under real-world conditions
Shared traffic, best effort service
Dedicated bandwidth, business-only fiber
Standard install, national help desk
Locally engineered, locally supported
Designed to meet minimum standards
Built to enable scale and compliance
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The more your business depends on real-time data, remote operations and 24/7 uptime, the more your network becomes either a competitive advantage or a hidden risk.
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The Framework for Smarter Connectivity Decisions
Every IT leader knows the network matters. The real challenge is translating that knowledge into a buying process that reflects it.
That’s where things often fall apart.
While IT is thinking about cloud performance, security posture and strategic growth, procurement still wants a scorecard: fast, cheap, reliable. Pick two. So, how do you reframe connectivity procurement in a way that honors both sides? You build a better framework that moves beyond lowest-cost comparisons and starts evaluating the network like any other mission-critical system.
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Five Questions to Change the Conversation At Segra, we’ve found that shifting the conversation starts by asking five simple, strategic questions: 1. Can this network handle not just today’s demands, but tomorrow’s trajectory? Growth isn’t linear. A network that can’t scale quickly — or breaks when it does — slows everything down. Future-ready means built with flexibility, not just capacity. 2. Is this network designed for resilience in my real- world conditions? A resilient network keeps running when storms hit, lines get cut, or traffic gets rerouted — not just when conditions are perfect. Ask how the provider designs for redundancy, rerouting, and recovery in your specific environment. 3. Does this provider understand my business environment and what’s at stake if the network fails? Every industry has different compliance standards, uptime tolerances and security requirements. You need a provider who understands yours and builds accordingly.
4. What does support look like when something goes wrong? Outages happen. The difference is how quickly and intelligently your provider responds. Ask about local response times, authority to act and who picks up the phone. 5. How visible is performance across the network, and who’s responsible for fixing issues? Accountability starts with observability. If the provider controls the infrastructure, manages the monitoring and owns the resolution path, issues get solved faster. Strategic IT leaders already think this way. Now it’s time for procurement to catch up. These questions align stakeholders. They give procurement teams a clearer understanding of what the business truly needs, and they help IT teams articulate risk and value in a way that supports smarter buying decisions.
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When both sides use this framework, the conversation shifts. It stops being about cost avoidance and starts being about business enablement.
Ask like your success depends on the answer.
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Specialized Solutions for Every Sector
Smart networks reflect real conditions.
Every industry has its own operational demands, regulatory landscape and risk exposure. Segra supports organizations across sectors with purpose-built infrastructure that matches real-world pressures. Explore five of the industries where the right connectivity makes all the difference.
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Healthcare Needs More Bandwidth HEALTHCARE 1. HEALTHCARE Healthcare organizations generate massive data volumes daily, all while balancing cybersecurity risks and strict compliance requirements. Connectivity can’t just be fast. It has to be resilient, secure and available every second care is being delivered. Challenges and Needs • Rising data volumes and bandwidth demand • Strict HIPAA compliance requirements • Zero tolerance for downtime in life-critical systems Segra’s Solutions • Private, custom-built fiber networks • Dedicated bandwidth, business-only fiber • 24/7 monitoring with dedicated local support Segra builds private networks designed for healthcare’s strict requirements. Explore our connectivity solutions for healthcare or download our Healthcare Connectivity & IT Infrastructure Playbook.
Hospitals create roughly 137 terabytes of data every day, growing by 47% annually .
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Networks That Power the Future of Learning EDUCATION 2. EDUCATION Schools and universities must support more devices, bandwidth- hungry applications, and strict privacy requirements. Outages disrupt not just classrooms but the operations behind them. Challenges and Needs • Device proliferation across campuses • Hybrid and digital classrooms • FERPA compliance and student data protection Segra’s Solutions
• Dedicated fiber with symmetrical bandwidth • DDoS protection and secure infrastructure • Scalable design to grow with demand
82% of K-12 educators use edtech systems in their classrooms.
Segra powers learning environments with secure, scalable networks.
Explore our connectivity solutions for education or download our Education Connectivity & IT Infrastructure Playbook.
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Connectivity That Keeps Production Moving MANUFACTURING AND LOGISTICS 3. MANUFACTURING AND LOGISTICS Modern manufacturing and logistics depend on real-time analytics, connected equipment and uninterrupted supply chains. Even a short outage can ripple across sites and disrupt output. Challenges and Needs • Always-on supply chain connectivity • Real-time Industry 4.0 tools • Remote monitoring and management Segra’s Solutions
Digital transformation tools can reduce equipment downtime by up to 50%.
• Low-latency, high-capacity fiber networks • Edge-ready design with SLAs for uptime • Proactive local support for mission-critical continuity
With Segra, modern operations stay in sync and resilient.
Explore our connectivity solutions for manufacturing and logistics or download our Manufacturing and Logistics Connectivity & IT Infrastructure Playbook.
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Markets are shifting to cloud-based platforms, where spikes in latency or gaps in security aren’t acceptable. Financial firms need networks that enable speed, trust and compliance in every transaction. Challenges and Needs • Real-time trading and client services • Secure data transfer • Ongoing compliance with regulations Segra’s Solutions Every Millisecond Counts in Finance FINANCIAL SERVICES 4. FINANCIAL SERVICES • High-performance fiber with built-in security • Geographic redundancy to ensure availability • Flexible architecture for real-time responsiveness Segra’s networks are built to minimize risk and maximize responsiveness. Explore our connectivity solutions for financial services or download our Financial Services Connectivity & IT Infrastructure Playbook.
47% of financial services firms expect radical digital transformation within the next three years.
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Networks That Scale With Your Enterprise LARGE ENTERPRISE 5. LARGE ENTERPRISE Large enterprises face unique challenges. Complex workloads, distributed teams, and global operations demand more than legacy IT can deliver. Connectivity can’t just be fast — it has to be reliable, secure, and designed to support constant growth. Challenges and Needs • Supporting distributed teams and global operations • Securing data and applications across regions • Scaling bandwidth to match complex workload Segra’s Solutions • High-capacity, business-only fiber • Custom-designed networks for enterprise scale • Expertise and support for global demands Segra builds enterprise-grade networks that align IT priorities with business realities. Explore our connectivity solutions for large enterprise or download our Large Enterprise Connectivity & IT Infrastructure Playbook.
Enterprise networking demand in North America is set to climb 50% by 2033.
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More Industries. Same Segra Advantage. EXPLORE MORE EXPLORE MORE
Every sector faces unique pressures, but they all share the same need for secure, reliable and scalable connectivity. Beyond our spotlight industries, Segra delivers tailored solutions across a wide range of organizations.
Government Bring reliable digital citizen services to your community.
Auto Dealers Streamline operations and customer interactions.
Carrier Wireline Grow your network and reach on our infrastructure.
Construction and Engineering Big files and remote sites need fast, reliable connections. LEARN MORE
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Hyperscale Grow network infrastrucutre on our diverse fiber.
Retail A fast, reliable network is essential for modern retail.
Hospitality Elevate guest experiences with complete connectivity.
Religious Organizations Broadcast your nessage with crystal-clear fiber connectivity.
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Explore our full industry library to see how we can support yours.
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How Strategy Becomes Network Infrastructure Even the smartest roadmap won’t work if the infrastructure can’t carry it. That’s why implementation planning needs to be aligned from day one across teams, priorities and providers. When strategy, procurement and execution are working in sync, the result is a smoother install and a network that performs better under pressure, scales faster with the business and recovers quicker when something goes wrong.
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Here’s what that looks like in practice: Implementation Best Practices for Business-Critical Connectivity Design for growth, not just capacity. Build for the next five years. That means flexible architecture, scalable bandwidth and providers who understand how your business might evolve. Account for real-world risk. Include environmental, logistical and regulatory realities into your design. Local insight matters here. Your network should be built with awareness of construction patterns, weather risks and compliance zones. Align compliance and infrastructure early. If acronyms like HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOX, CJIS, FERPA, GLBA, FINRA, NIST, CMMC, GDPR or HITRUST mean something to you, then compliance must shape how the network is architected and supported — from segmentation and access controls to reporting, data retention and incident response. Establish clarity around responsibility. Who monitors? Who remediates? Who escalates? Smart implementation doesn’t leave these questions open. It ensures every piece of infrastructure has a clear chain of accountability, especially during an outage.
There’s more to implementation than an install window and a go-live date. It’s an opportunity to build real resilience into the DNA of your infrastructure. When that’s done well, IT, procurement and business operations stop working in silos and start moving forward together.
Plans talk. Implementation proves.
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Aligning IT Strategy and Procurement Reality
Connectivity decisions don’t happen in a vacuum. IT leaders want future-ready infrastructure. Procurement needs risk-managed, cost-efficient contracts. Both are right, but when they operate in silos, the business loses. Strategic Vision vs. Procurement Reality You need both. A good provider helps you align them.
The key is working with a provider who understands both sides and builds networks that reflect shared priorities.
STRATEGIC IT PRIORITIES
PROCUREMENT CONSIDERATIONS
THE OVERALP
Scalable bandwidth for multi-year growth
Right-sized solutions that scale with transparent terms Documented SLAs + references + futureproofing
Predictable pricing and contract flexibility
Cloud and edge readiness
Proven reliability and vendor accountability
Security, compliance and audit-readiness
Regulatory risk mitigation and liability control
Built-in compliance frameworks + audit visibility
Minimal downtime. Fast response to issues
Realistic SLAs with performance guarantees
Local support + enforceable uptime metrics
Ease of implementation and vendor coordination
Tailored design + clear ownership + implementation plan
Tech stack compatibility and custom configurations
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Segra Delivers
Segra isn’t just fast, local and business-only, though we’re proud to be all three.
What sets us apart is our ability to operate at the intersection of strategic vision and procurement reality.
We understand what IT leaders are trying to accomplish, and we know how to translate those goals into infrastructure that procurement teams can evaluate, justify and trust. That’s not easy. But that’s exactly what we’re built for. The network that carries your future shouldn’t be a compromise between price and performance. It should be a shared solution, engineered with foresight, delivered with care and supported by people who know exactly what’s at stake.
If your business depends on the internet, your internet should depend on Segra.
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