17 June 2015
Stuart Sutton, CEO, Infinity SDC
The use of technology in business is no longer a functional requirement but a strategic must-have for forward-looking companies. The 24/7, on-demand culture that exists in both the business and consumer world today is driven by advances in technology innovation and automation. As a result we have seen IT become the heart of the organisation, with worldwide spending predicted to total $3.8 trillion (£2.4 trillion) in 2015 – an increase of 2.4 per cent on 2014.
With the pace of technological change showing no signs of slowing, this is placing huge demands on already stretched IT resources and storage requirements, but also presents great opportunities to those who can keep up. To be able to react quickly and reap the benefits, companies need to be ready for “now” at all times – whatever the next “now” will be.
However, despite a predicted rise in technology spending, it’s no longer enough just to keep up. Instead of getting the best deals, CIOs need their technology investments to translate into business growth and increase the revenue per dollar of IT cost.
A new approach
With that in mind, CIOs need to make technology strategic and accountable; taking a new approach to IT investment in order to gain a quick return as well as adapt to advances on the horizon. Data centre services have a huge role to play in making this happen and can arm CIOs with a solid, scalable and flexible infrastructure from which to foster business growth.
When it comes to making data centre services work for you, there are five key areas where CIOs can gain real value and drive business growth, if approached in the right way.
1. Managing change
Change is constant and for today’s CIO, the ability to adapt quickly to the next big technology trend is vital. Having the right scalable and flexible IT infrastructure in place is key in not only helping CIOs to keep up but placing the business in the best position from which to grow.
2. Driving innovation and growth
No longer just a nice to have, technology in today’s business needs to be the backbone for growth and innovation. Rather than realising a return on investment, IT needs to make the organisation money and provide new channels to market and opportunities to increase revenues and market share. Data centre services can provide a flexible and responsive platform from which to drive this growth.
3. Turning data into an asset
Rather than providing CIOs with a storage challenge, data holds real value for today’s businesses. The sheer volume of information flowing into and out of organisations can provide insight and advantage if harnessed, analysed and used in the right way. Data centre services have a huge role to play in helping to manage not only the volume but the fragmented nature of information, to give CIOs a better platform from which to interrogate it and find the value.
4. Manage rising costs
Rising property costs mean that despite the essential nature of today’s data centre, CIOs need to get more from their investment in this area. It is therefore vital that the data centre can scale quickly and be flexible enough to support the business at all stages of its growth, without a huge price tag.
5. Tailored approach
Despite every business using technology, they are all different when it comes to adoption rates and application, which means that data centre services can’t be bought off the shelf. It is important to work with a data centre provider who understands your specific business drivers and objectives and can provide a solution tailored for you.
Today’s data centres are much more than off-site IT infrastructure and storage solutions. They have become a strategic asset. Being able to manage the magnitude of data and adapt quickly to the next technology trend is at the heart of CIOs priorities today and data centre services hold the key to making this happen.
