

To simplify the data center strategy, first gain an understanding of the current environment and any new IT assets that may have been inherited through M&A activity. What assets are in place? Where are they are located? How do they integrate together to deliver services to the business? These questions can be difficult to answer, especially if the company has recently grown due to a merger or acquisition.

Understand the current IT environment.ĭocumenting all of the IT assets can be very challenging. The more aligned the IT strategy is with the business, the more buy-in will occur and the easier it will be to move the data center strategy forward. Also speak with a core group of sponsors -such as –infrastructure domain leads, facility manager(s), legal, IT finance and procurement - to gain an understanding of their challenges and goals. Meet with C-suite executives to discuss business strategy and ensure that the IT strategy aligns with the business goals and objectives. Before beginning, it’s vital to get clear on the reasons. For example, they may want to mitigate risk, reduce their costs, use new technologies or maximize their IT real estate portfolio. There are many reasons why companies develop or re-evaluate a data center strategy. Get clear on the objectives for the data center strategy. Here are 10 steps to help begin your data center journey: 1. This is because they offer greater agility and don’t take long to implement. Looking to mitigate risks while staying in existing facilities or migrating all or part of the environment to a new data center? Newer technologies, such as cloud and other hosting solutions, now play a key role in many long-term data center strategies. To succeed, the project will require alignment of the business and technology goals, as well as buy-in from several areas.Ĭonsider the following three data center strategy options: consolidation, mitigation or migration.
#Long term cost of using cloud services for business how to#
How to Create a Data Center StrategyĪ data center strategy isn’t done in a vacuum. This allows companies to migrate to a hybrid data center hosting solution that improves agility, security and business results. The new data center strategy requires an integrated approach. However, it also makes IT more complex - as infrastructure that lives both inside and outside the enterprise. How can companies deliver all these technologies in a reliable and secure manner?Ī modern data center strategy that considers legacy, on-premises private cloud and public cloud infrastructure requirements offers the greatest predictability. However, running disparate systems can lead to a number of security and business risks.

This ability to mix and match technologies makes enterprises more agile, innovative and competitive. Business units used to have only one option when they needed new technology: put in a request with IT for custom-built systems and wait.Ĭompanies can mix and match legacy, private cloud and public cloud systems to deliver the best solution at the best price, with the appropriate risk profile.
