Does your Data Deserve Better?

For many, the impending GDPR compliance deadline is a cause for concern. For others, it represents an opportunity. Building a business case for change can sometimes be a challenging task for IT professionals, especially if there is no compelling event to sharpen the minds of c-level execs.

Most organisations realise the value of data, especially when it is lost in a data breach or systems failure. However, outside a demand for instant access, users rarely stop to think about their storage environment.

The on-rushing storm of compliance represents an opportunity to review your data storage situation. Understanding what data is stored, where it is stored and how it is stored is a good place to start. After all, if data sovereignty is an issue, you will need an accurate picture of your data storage and where it goes when in transit. A comprehensive infrastructure audit will also identify if your storage is fit for purpose in a modern business environment that prioritises scalability and agility.

More complex WAN and SAN infrastructures can be difficult to manage without the right level of systems intelligence and analytics. This management is often made more complex when the infrastructure in question comprises a mix of on-premise and Cloud components, multiple vendors and multiple protocols.

Infrastructure management has always been a core component of the IT skill set, but keeping “right-sized” in a dynamic environment has become more challenging. A challenge made more difficult when IT is expected to increase efficiency whilst reducing risk and lowering costs.

Effective infrastructure management is about making the right decisions at the right time. Informed decision making is dependent upon access to up-to-date management information and business insights.

Your choice of data centre management solution will have wide ranging implications; not just for IT, but across your organisation. Access to the right business intelligence will allow you to identify any under (or over) utilised resources, plan future spending and avoid unnecessary capital outlay.

It will also enable you to proactively monitor and manage your estate, identifying issues before they become service-affecting, reducing risk and maximising systems availability.

Of course, management is just one component of performance. At the heart of the data centre sits the technology itself.

Modern infrastructure has made great strides in eliminating technology silos and become more agile. Server consolidation and virtualisation has helped improve efficiency and scale-out approaches to storage, such as clustering, have enabled organisations to adjust rapidly to changing demand in a big data world.

Whether you choose to locate your data centre on-premises, in the Cloud or a hybrid of both, you owe it to your data to provide the best possible environment.