One trend is set to dominate enterprise IT in 2017 - digitisation. While IT budgets have remained static in recent years, spend on digital has risen, and this trend shows no sign of slowing down. According to Gartner, the average CIO will spend 28% of their budget on digital by 2020, 10% more than they spend now.
A key driver behind this trend is the rise of digital communities and Gartner’s 2017 CIO agenda survey shows a clear link between joining such a community and business success.
These ecosystems provide the perfect environment for businesses to extend their reach and develop scalable connections with new and existing partners. By working together, businesses can achieve common goals more quickly and create products and services that they could never develop alone.
Any business can tap into a digital ecosystem, providing they can keep up with the lightning pace of collaboration and innovation. The four key platforms that support digital ecosystems – cloud, mobile, analytics and social – are bound together with a common thread – data. If a business is to thrive in the ‘we economy’ it needs the capability to process, store, access and share high volumes of data at speed. In short, it needs a modern IT infrastructure and access to a robust communications network.
This is why London is such an attractive location for digital businesses. The capital may be known for its world-class talent, wealth of investors and entrepreneurial spirit, but it also offers unbeatable connectivity. Businesses based in the city have access to two Internet Exchanges, 500 broadband providers and unrivalled transatlantic and Pan-European data links. This communications network provides the ideal platform for light speed innovation and collaboration.
There is one clear drawback of moving your data centre to the capital – the cost of London real estate. This is where colocation comes in. Colocating in the city enables businesses to meet demand for performance, reliability and security, whilst retaining full control over costs. What’s more, as hosted infrastructure isn’t dependent on single a network, or hardware and software vendor, businesses can choose from the widest possible range of connectivity providers and IT services.
Crucially, colocation facilities bring businesses together in one physical location, which engenders collaboration and creates partnerships opportunities. In our London campus, we’ve developed communities of interest, housing businesses from the same industry together so they can connect directly to partners, suppliers and end users using Cross Connects. Once a customer has identified a potential partner they can do business rapidly and cost-effectively without having to leave the data centre.
If you’re eager to capitalise on the potential of digital ecosystems, deploying your data centre in the heart of London could be the right choice for you. To discover all of the benefits of colocation in the capital, download our factsheet now.
