EDITOR ’ S QUESTION

NICK EWING , MD , EFFICIENCYIT

ccording to Gartner , 91 % of organisations

Many of our conversations today are framed around three central points of transformation ; firstly , increased reliability of the data centre or IT function ; secondly , increased efficiency , both in terms of day-to-day operations and energy usage ; and thirdly , improved sustainability , or a direct reduction in C0 ₂ emissions as a primary outcome . What ’ s paramount , however , is that before beginning any Digital Transformation initiative , and specifying the technologies to accompany , it ’ s crucial to understand the business drivers and to join the lines between IT decisionmakers and procurement .

With that in mind , there are three technologies we believe data centre professionals should be prioritising as they plan their Digital Transformation strategies for the coming year .

Increasing reliability and uptime

To increase resilience within any infrastructure environment , there are two key aspects to consider . Firstly , the underlying power system , and secondly , increasing the visibility of disparate IT assets . According to the Uptime Institute Global Data Centre Survey 2021 , power ( 43 %) remains the leading cause of outages within the industry , and critical power protection systems such as single or three-phase Uninterruptible Power Supplies ( UPS ) are one area in which we often see an immediate need for modernisation . Here , utilising the newest UPS technologies powered by lithiumion means decision-makers can gain the perfect balance of reliability and energy efficiency , supporting the business case for DX directly .

Driving efficiency across the life cycle From a visibility perspective , today ’ s software platforms can deliver real-time visibility of any infrastructure device directly to your smartphone . For any end-user tasked with managing multiple IT sites , or a large data centre using components from different vendors , we ’ d recommend they install a Data Centre Infrastructure Management ( DCIM ) solution .

From a reliability and both an operational and energy efficiency perspective , DCIM will enable you to manage your infrastructure more effectively , safeguard you from unwanted downtime and provide data-driven recommendations on how to reduce energy consumption . What ’ s not measured cannot be managed , so from a Digital Transformation point of view , it ’ s a no-brainer – especially when trying to demonstrate a Return on Investment ( RoI ).

Sustainability as an outcome

By modernising with energy efficient components and using software systems to reduce stranded capacity , identify hotspots and lower power consumption across the IT estate , end-users can begin to reduce CO ₂ emissions and demonstrate sustainable returns from their investments in Digital Transformation .

Here , advances in critical infrastructure have indeed become one of our greatest assets . However , before specifying any technology , it ’ s crucial to understand the business case and to join the allotted decision-makers .

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