From cloud to microservices, mobile, analytics and big data, enterprise IT continues to be disrupted by a broad digital change agenda. In order to remain relevant, enterprises are left with no other choice than to adapt their tried and tested methods to herald in the new. While uncomfortable for some, the disruptiveness within tech has been a driving force for innovation, introducing forward-leaning technologies such as machine learning, containers and IoT - all well-placed to becoming mainstream in the not-too-distant future.
So how very apt that this year’s EMC World event theme should focus on modernizing IT.
Metamorphosis
As a fundamental pillar supporting how modern enterprises operate, IT is often the function that’s turned to first when there’s a need to build a business case for transformation. Legacy IT models are frequently hindering growth, as antiquated infrastructure simply can’t cut it in the modern world, unable to adapt to the speed, volume and variety of business workflows.
In a recent report, Gartner analyst Remi Gulzar commented on what happens to a digital change agenda, when organizations are marred in the old way of doing things: “Organizations that lack agility, struggle to enable a sustainable winning digital capability”. This view reinforces what many of us already know; the need for agility and flexibility when faced with the challenges of business transformation. But what exactly do we mean by these terms?
Making IT fit for purpose
Flexibility measures how responsive our IT remains to the changing needs of the organization. It’s the ability to on-board and deploy technologies that complement existing infrastructure, but are more geared towards specific benefits such as cost savings, speed to market advantages or adoption of new technologies such as those cloud-based. Agility refers to the inherent capability of one’s infrastructure design, and how well it’s suited for hyper-scalability. Ultimately, this is what enables a business to launch new products and services, as well as improve the customer experience.
Agile IT via the cloud is foundational to any transformation effort. And sitting at the heart of this modernization effort is the data centre, a critical component in the delivery of services supporting the requirements of the modern enterprise. The best data centers are therefore those well positioned to offer choice around cloud hosting options (be it private, public or hybrid), secure automation, continuous deployment tools and a portfolio of customizable services that address these requirements in full.
A seismic cultural shift
Gartner notes that organizational cultures, work styles and behaviors need to adapt to the demands of a change agenda. This is necessary in order to attain the digital business models, shorter time-to-market cycles, and competitive advantages being pursued. IT can provide the tools and set the agenda, but be clear that transformational business outcomes requires a company-wide culture shift - one that if successfully implemented, can allow for increased competitiveness and reward.
We're excited to be one of the Code Sponsors at EMC World, and if you plan to be at the event, be sure to drop by the EMC {code} pavilion and say hi at booth #1044. I look forward to exchanging ideas with you in Las Vegas, so we can create a dialogue around how we take the entire organization on the journey to modernization.
Until then, comments are welcome.