It is an understatement to say that in the last few years, Irish businesses have faced a continuous battle against a variety of socio-economic challenges. From labour shortages to supply chain issues, the challenges have been relentless. With a possible recession looming on the horizon, Irish enterprises are facing another challenge in managing costs and shrinking margins.
While Covid-19 accelerated the digital transformation journey of many, some enterprises are still slow off the blocks. However, in the face of another potential economic crisis, they must have a strategy in place. Digital transformation is the integration of technology into all areas of business and was critical in facilitating the level of flexibility needed during Covid; organisations were able to modernise legacy processes, improve workflows, ensure security and ultimately, generate profits despite a strained economic climate. As Ireland continues to recover from the symptoms of the pandemic, hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures are set to take over when it comes to data storage in the future.
Similar to the takeover of the hybrid work model, data storage and its digital transformation are experiencing a dual-faceted approach: colocation and on-premises storage. This is just one example of how digitisation is having a profound and positive effect on business value. It is also worth noting that there is no singular solution that is ideal or most appropriate in all cases. Cloud services can be hugely significant in increasing efficiency for businesses, they drive cost savings and support an agile approach to business.
Ireland’s digitisation is another component which deserves much thought. The average yearly relative growth of Ireland' Digital Economy and Social Index1 score between 2017 and 2022 is approximately 8.5%, one of the highest in the EU. This indicates that Ireland is a key player in the digital realm and the evidence can be seen with the arrival of several multinational organisations over recent years. Ireland is geared towards becoming a forerunner in terms of business digitisation and its attitude towards technology.
A primary objective for the Government is to increase the use of cloud computing, big data and AI to ensure that 75% of all enterprises take them up by 2030. Ireland also strives to ensure that 90% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a basic level of digital intensity by 2030, this is being achieved through schemes such as the Digitisation Voucher.
The Government’s action highlights the understanding that in order for optimum business value to be achieved, Ireland needs to be prepared to overcome whatever socio-economic challenge it is presented with, and digitisation is the most ideal scenario for protecting businesses now and in the future.
As mentioned, there is no “one size fits all approach” when it comes to a business's digital transformation, but recent history has demonstrated that various external factors play a role in determining the survival and success of an organisation. Digital transformation is paramount for businesses looking to protect, capitalise and drive value in today’s contemporary climate
Putting this all together, being digital means dealing with data, so any business serious about digital transformation needs to bring data silos to an end and put data to work. This must be done securely with the required regulatory compliance for your business. Hybrid cloud, combining cloud-like private infrastructure, preferably including modernisation of legacy applications, with public cloud where appropriate is the obvious way to drive value in your business.
So how can Digital Realty help you deliver real business value?
We believe that our data centres can do just that. More enterprises are looking to leverage hybrid-cloud strategies, low-latency colocation and instant scalability to help drive agility, increase security and improve operational efficiency. We are removing some of the complexity in accessing and optimising all the critical data centre and network elements by bringing them together into a single, environment and combining them with the necessary expertise. That’s why Digital Realty has made The Connected Campus central to its core strategy, differentiating itself from other providers.
If you’re ready to create a more dynamic and responsive business while enabling the digital transformation of your organisation, make Digital Realty part of your hybrid cloud strategy.
1Digital Economy and Social Index link: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/desi-ireland