In a technology world where cybersecurity threats are constant and growing in sophistication, modernizing outdated infrastructure on a shoestring budget looms large, and deploying new and complex applications like AI, Machine Learning and Advanced Analytics stretches the demands of the data center, “Zen” is not the first term that would be used to describe an organization’s IT environment. If fact, for most that have responsibility for managing infrastructure, it’s probably pretty far down the list. Having dealt with complex IT challenges for over 40 years, ViON understands these challenges. We understand that in today’s rapidly changing IT landscape, which thrives on daily innovation, there is no silver bullet solution to make all of your IT problems go away. There are, however, steps you can take to achieve inner peace and calm. Here are a few lessons we’ve learned over the course of those 40 years that will help take a few small steps toward a more Zen-like IT experience.
- See the future. Be the future. It’s been said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you probably won’t get there.” This is as true for navigating IT as it is navigating the roads. It may sound overly simplistic, but the importance of having a vision, strategy and plan for what you want your IT program to be in 1 year, 3 years, 5 years and 10 years can’t be overstated. Many IT leaders quickly get bogged down in the day-to-day management of their infrastructure and become purely reactionary. While it’s healthy and even necessary to be responsive, that’s just a small view of the big picture. Equally as important is aligning with the broader mission of your organization, setting goals for modernization of outdated infrastructure, creating a vision for implementing new technology like AI and a building an execution plan to make it reality.
- There is no substitute for experience. Deciding on a technology path is a complicated decision. Reliability, cost, performance, scalability, interoperability, usability are just a few factors that weigh into a decision when procuring and implementing new technology. There are a myriad of OEMs that offer similar capabilities, whether storage, networking, compute or a combination of functions. Some are ideally suited for very specific tasks. For true piece of mind, from cost to performance, experience matters. Manufacturers like Dell Technologies have decades of experience working with thousands of organizations to implement highly complex, data intensive solutions. Their technology is battle-tested and their teams have the resources to make sure your deployment is successful. They’ve seen it all and the value of experience like this can’t be overstated. Reputation matters and good ones come from years of experience.
- You are not alone on this journey. Just as choosing the right technology manufacturer can put you at ease, equally as important is having a service provider and integrator that can simplify the process of designing, procuring, implementing and managing your infrastructure. This is the team that will stand alongside your team to make sure your systems are running at peak performance, who will quickly and efficiently solve problems when things go wrong and will help you innovate to achieve your vision for the future. Just like an OEM, there is no substitute for experience. At ViON, an integral part of our 40-year heritage is to always ask our customers, “What else can I do for you?”. A good technology partner shoulders your burdens and puts your mind at ease.
- Embrace diversity. While all types of diversity are worthy of celebration, in this instance we mean cloud diversity. It’s been said many times that not all clouds are created equal – public clouds, on-prem private clouds, co-located private clouds, Infrastructure as-a-Service – there are many options. One size does not fit all and different workloads are better suited for different environments. Deciding what goes where and how to manage it can be complicated. Cloud and Infrastructure as-a-Service are game-changing tools that flip the financial model to a consumption-based structure, accelerate modernization and drive innovation, if managed properly. Having a cloud service provider that understands how to align cloud architectures to your business needs, where different workloads should be deployed, and can provide tools like a Marketplace that help simplify management of multiple cloud environments is essential.
- Let it Go. Many organizations are turning to a fully managed service for their IT infrastructure, handing over day-to-day management to a service provider and empowering their internal teams to focus on more strategic objectives. Turning over the reins can seem intimidating to IT leaders, but in many instances, it’s the right choice and yields great results, especially when organizations are overwhelmed with the size and complexity of their data centers.
Managing technology can be complicated, stressful, overwhelming at times and messy. It’s a difficult job, but with the right strategy, the right technology and the right partner it doesn’t have to be. We can’t promise you eternal enlightenment, but we can help bring calm and peace into your data center based on experience and success.
Namaste.