EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
JASON BECKETT , HEAD OF TECHNICAL SALES EMEA AND
CTO , HITACHI VANTARA
In today ’ s hyper-digital age , IT is no longer just a support function but a central part of business strategy . It drives decisionmaking processes and provides valuable insights for business growth . However , the potential of data is often hindered by broader challenges such as rising data complexities .
It is estimated that the data we generate , collect and consume is projected to surge from approximately 50 zettabytes in 2020 to more than 180 zettabytes
The ultimate win case scenario is the adoption of hybrid cloud , which gives organisations the combined strengths of speed , flexibility , scalability and more robust data security .
by 2025 – an astonishing figure . At the same time , a large proportion of this enterprise data is unstructured , making it far harder to secure due to its volume , variety and inherent lack of organisation .
As data volumes continue to grow exponentially , the complexity of managing multiple environments can lead to a lack of integration across data sources that limits a company ’ s ability to extract business value . A survey conducted by Hitachi Vantara revealed over 40 % of businesses experience revenue losses from downtime , cloud complexity and legacy constraints . To effectively overcome these challenges and drive business value , IT leaders must adopt the right cloud strategy and modernise their IT infrastructure .
First , when exploring cloud adoption , businesses must choose the most suitable infrastructure to meet their operational needs . Public cloud services ,
with their scalability and flexibility , are ideal for organisations seeking quick access to resources , especially for smaller projects with variable workloads . On the other hand , a private cloud offers dedicated resources and heightened security , making it suitable for industries with stringent compliance requirements . Although both have their merits and drawbacks , the ultimate win case scenario is the adoption of hybrid cloud , which gives organisations the combined strengths of speed , flexibility , scalability and more robust data security .
Second , as data continues to explode , business leaders are under pressure to transform their IT infrastructure to thrive better in a cloud environment . Organisations can accelerate their technology modernisation through cloud-based practices , which include transitioning to a cloud operating model for managing traditional , cloud-native and mission-critical applications and workloads .
With research now showing a shift from traditional IT infrastructure purchase / lease models to IT-as-a- Service ( ITaaS ) with subscription- and consumptionbased models , this shift is driven by the need for faster , more reliable and sustainable technology delivery to a wider range of locations . ITaaS solutions can enable this by simplifying IT infrastructure management , facilitating a smoother journey towards enterprise modernisation .
By adopting the right cloud strategy and modernising IT infrastructures , IT leaders can not only navigate the complexities of hybrid cloud environments but also unlock significant business value . These steps will become increasingly important as we continue to face the age of the data deluge , enabling businesses to harness the power of data effectively to drive innovation and growth .
32 INTELLIGENTCIO EUROPE www . intelligentcio . com