That data center down the hall may have been shiny new and state-of-the-art at one time, but technology—and business—often moves too fast for even the most advanced sites to keep up. Inefficiencies creep in over time, and as the environment evolves, a lack of adequate focus on data protection may expose organizations to increasing levels of risk. That’s why it’s important that data center operators turn to approaches such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and automation to enable people to focus on the future. Successfully managing a data center these days requires operators to implement infrastructures that integrate with cloud, modern protection, AI and automation.

How does data center modernization help today’s businesses? Business leaders recognize that their industries and markets are either being disrupted or have the potential to be disrupted by nimble digital players. To compete in this new environment, enterprises need to make the most of information technology—to engage with customers in real time, maximize return on IT investments and improve operational efficiency. Accomplishing this requires a deep understanding of what is happening in their data centers to predict and get ahead of trends, as well as the ability to automate action so staff is free to focus on strategic endeavors.

Contrary to perceptions, the analytics needed to gain insight s and predict trends don’t exist somewhere in the sky—it is within the data center systems that either reside on premises or within someone else’s domain. The challenge for organizat ions i s to access the analytics and leverage it as par t of an automated, continuous improvement process that keeps IT running at peak performance.

This is the role of the emerging modernized data center—powering the digital enterprise with technology that is highly adaptable and scalable to meet today’s, as well as tomorrow’s, competitive demands. Data center modernization isn’t just about machines and software— it is about creating and supporting a responsive and agile organization that can thrive in today’s disruptive digital economy.

The modernized data center optimizes systems, software and operational processes to catalyze digital transformation. At the same time, the very concept of what constitutes a “data center” has evolved. No longer is a data center “owned.” Its components can be used and paid for on demand, as with a utility or a car rental, rather than requiring steep upfront investments. Modernized data center resources and their management can be handled by an outside vendor and may even be highly distributed.

The modernized data center supports modern process management where execution is based on crafting best practices and having the technology to execute them. This allows systems and software to be deployed and configured to address users’ needs in an automatic and seamless fashion. With process management automated, expert staff are free to research new technologies and architect the solutions that will accelerate innovation and drive the organization forward.

In this report, we look at the three key pillars that make the modernized data center a reality:
• Agile data infrastructure
• Modern data protection
• Intelligent operations

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