Digital Realty recently commissioned Amárach Research to conduct an inaugural piece of research, in partnership with HPE, entitled ‘The Drivers and Challenges of Ireland’s IT landscape’. The research explores the opportunities and challenges that are driving Irish enterprises, from a cross-section of industries, when it comes to digital and IT transformation.
Greg Casey, Sales Director at Digital Realty Ireland, and Davin Cody, Chief Technology Officer at HPE, recently spoke with Emmet Ryan, Editor of the Connected Podcast and Technology Reporter at the Business Post, about the findings from the research. The discussion explores the meaning of Hybrid IT and uncovers the realities of Ireland’s digital landscape. Outlined below is a summary of the key points discussed by Greg and Davin on the podcast.
Data, data, everywhere
As the world becomes increasingly connected, it’s no surprise that data has become deeply embedded with all critical business operations. For Irish organisations there is an urgent need to ensure they have the right data management strategies in place. Davin Cody explains how organisations are still experiencing a number of key challenges when it comes to data management, including security, governance, and agility. Above all, the volume of data passing through organisations has jumped considerably and managing this leap change is a huge challenge for different types of businesses.
Data characteristics are also changing rapidly from structured to unstructured, meaning organisations are struggling to extract value from their data. Data is among the most valuable asset for any organisation and that is underscored by its potential to be something more physical and present on the balance sheet. It should be considered as the critical layer of an organisation’s digital strategy. Over the last number of years, the main focus has been on cloud integration, however we need to look at data modernisation, and the strategies and approaches, organisations need to put in place to optimise their insights from data.
Why Hybrid?
Almost half (45%) of Irish organisations are moving towards a Hybrid IT environment, but what does this mean for businesses?
The research indicates a big variance when it comes to hybrid IT adoption between organisations headquartered in Ireland, compared to those headquartered elsewhere (36% vs 67% respectively). suggesting Ireland lags behind its global counterparts when it comes to embracing Hybrid IT. Davin explains that effective data management really is key here and it will drive decision making going forward. For example, it was no surprise that 64% cited data security as the main challenge faced when it comes to upholding an effective digital strategy. For example, the HSE cyber security attack in 2021, heightened the awareness of the importance of IT and data security. As a direct result, Irish businesses have looked upon their business continuity and data security as a key priority.
Covid-19 completely transformed the way we work. Temporary measures are no longer passing and the ‘hybrid workforce’ has become a permanent feature of the current work environment. For many enterprises the pandemic acted as an accelerant for the roll out of new working practices and in turn, a rethink of their IT infrastructure to support this.
It should no longer just be about the nuts and bolts or the physical infrastructure i.e. cloud, on-premises, and data centres. A bigger focus should be on the desired outcome and services in providing consistent user experience. Businesses need to take stock of their IT needs and evaluate which route will best enable them to get the most out of their information.
IT companies like HPE are looking at delivering ‘data as a service’ which means workload placement is less important. The focus needs to be on having a consistent digital strategy and delivery of services that will dictate the efficiency of data management, storage and applications. The biggest concern for organisations is security, complexity, costliness and agility that comes with hybrid IT adoption. That’s why Digital Realty and HPE’s partnership is designed to help organisations deploy a Hybrid IT model that provide users with a more consistent experience and ensures, predictability when it comes to costs.
To hear more about the other topics discussed including connectivity, skills and the importance of the IT partner ecosystem, listen to the podcast in full here.
