Intelligent Data Centres Issue 19 | Page 35

FEATURE FEATURE Digital Transformation is inevitable and businesses have no choice but to conform, or risk being left behind. Stephen Green, CTO, NTT Ltd. UK&I, discusses the findings of a recent NTT report and tells us how data centre leaders can build confidence in their Digital Transformation efforts in a bid to adapt and evolve. Digital Transformation falling onto back burner due to widening ‘hesitancy gap’ Global Data Centers, a division of NTT Ltd., has released a new report revealing that Digital Transformation projects are stalling due to a ‘hesitancy gap’, as enterprises struggle to navigate the risks and complexity associated with turning innovation from concept to reality. The report, Mind the Hesitancy Gap: There’s No Time to Waste in High Stakes Digital Transformation, shows that 26% of IT teams’ time is wasted laying the groundwork for Digital Transformation projects, costing UK enterprises an average of £2.01 million per year. Despite a continued focus on Digital Transformation, half of UK enterprises admit their projects are always or regularly delayed as a result of too many barriers to overcome, or too much existing pressure on IT. At the same time, 65% are heavily reliant on multi-cloud services to underpin their projects, creating added integration challenges. In fact, 35% cite the complexity of connecting the range of cloud services and other technologies together as a major barrier to the progression of their Digital Transformation projects. “In a rapidly evolving landscape, enterprises can’t afford to drag their feet on Digital Transformation, but it’s not surprising that many are feeling hesitant,” said John Eland, Chief Strategy Officer of Global Data Centers. “The complexity of connecting a mix of cloud services and other technologies together adds a significant challenge to overcome before transformation projects can turn into a reality. Adding further strain, there’s the risk that even just a Proof of Concept could have a negative impact on live production systems, leading to service failures that result in reputational or revenue damage. This is understandably causing enterprises concern, resulting in many projects falling behind and innovation to stagnate.” www.intelligentdatacentres.com Issue 19 35