Data has changed the business world forever. The global adoption of mobile technologies, faster computing, social networks, the internet and the cloud means the future of business is filled with opportunities for business leaders who can leverage that technology to their advantage and for consumers who will get better service and value as a result of increased competition. With the right tools, companies will be able to predict precisely when supplies will reach the factory, exactly when products will arrive at the store and – perhaps most importantly – the very moment when specific customers will be inclined to buy.

With the help of advanced analytical and processing systems operating across global networks, companies will be able to fill an order for a customer anywhere at any hour. They’ll support sales staff in the field with critical information. They’ll gather real-time feedback from customers who purchased newly released products. They’ll adjust production rates based on fresh orders. Many will even forecast the yearly profit on a rolling basis using real-time revenue and cost reports. All of this and much more is possible right now. It’s quite understandable that business managers everywhere are eager to acquire these new powers, and just as understandable that many are currently frustrated at the seemingly slow pace of the IT staff to make it happen. But the IT staff is not to blame. The growth of data over the past decade has far, far outstripped the capabilities of almost any enterprise to acquire, analyse, secure and deliver actionable intelligence to business managers, suppliers, employees or customers. For while data has grown, the data centre has not kept pace.

It’s quite understandable that business managers everywhere are eager to acquire these new powers, and just as understandable that many are currently frustrated at the seemingly slow pace of the IT staff to make it happen. But the IT staff is not to blame. The growth of data over the past decade has far, far outstripped the capabilities of almost any enterprise to acquire, analyse, secure and deliver actionable intelligence to business managers, suppliers, employees or customers. For while data has grown, the data centre has not kept pace.

“It’s such a dynamic and changing environment that is impacting the much broader sense of the market as a whole. And the data centre is really at the heart of that change,” says Patrick Hermes, Services Director for Dimension Data Luxembourg.
That’s about to change. A transformation has begun. Thanks to the cloud, software defined networks, automation and other fast-evolving technologies, there are new answers that can help large companies create customized environments to absorb the rising tide of big data, add new applications in minutes and empower all stakeholders with information that will change outcomes.

This transformation of the datacentre will result in better performance with increased agility and shorter time-to-market. To be sure, there’s much to be done. And CIOs will quickly learn that one size does not fit all. But companies that complete this journey – some already have – will be well-positioned to assume leadership roles in their sectors.