This is the first in a series of five Industry Insights, in which I will explain what companies need to do to make use of new business models and processes enabled by global network connectivity.
There are many aspects to virtualisation, many of which are only vaguely understood. Along with cloud computing and the shift to anything - software and any other infrastructure - as a service (XaaS), most people get the gist of the concept, but the details are still unclear.
But, it's the exact details that really matter when a company needs to implement a solution that meets its business needs.
So, perhaps it's best if I simplify the overall concept by talking about unified infrastructure, unified applications and unified business or government.
When I say “unified”, I am talking about new business models and new ways of doing things that are dependent on the convergence of hardware and software, the existence of global network connections and the general ability to access content through many channels. These include unified communications, including voice, video, phone, fax, SMS, e-mail and instant messaging - and on many types of device, including smartphones, netbooks, laptops, desktops and so on.
Whole new world
Because of these technologies, the world has changed. There are new ways of working, new lifestyles and new challenges to be met. This isn't just the next wave - it is already happening. If a company isn't part of it, it is already falling behind.
There are new business models - Google and Amazon are examples - and this is a truly disruptive change in the way we do business.
The new models might not be the only way to do business, but their existence and success changes the landscape, even for companies that keep to traditional processes and strategies.
The need to take advantage of new ways of working is undeniable, and the hardware manufacturers, software vendors and solutions providers are all well aware of this.
Andy Brauer is CTO at Business Connexion.
One thing that hasn't changed is the drive to reduce costs, and that leads people to start thinking about virtualisation, business process automation, unified communications and other new abilities, which are enabled by the use of global networks.
What do companies need to do to keep up with this inevitable trend?
The fact is that the new abilities cannot be used on old technology, unless the infrastructure is built to do so. It cannot simply be added on as an optional extra to the current infrastructure - unless cloud services are going to be used and accessed remotely, provided by external companies. A unified infrastructure can run these services and still meet the perennial demands of security, reliability, availability and flexibility. In this case, I am referring to private and enterprise cloud technologies.
The infrastructure must be advanced, mature and robust. Many existing IT infrastructures will fail on one or all of those criteria.
Out with the old
The need to take advantage of new ways of working is undeniable, and the hardware manufacturers, software vendors and solutions providers are all well aware of this. Cisco, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft and many others all have product and solution offerings in this area.
Virtualisation has already reached as far as hardware on a basic level. A high-end workstation is unnecessary if an application can run through a browser interface on a phone or netbook. Storage and processing is moving to the server.
While this means less emphasis on high-performance desktops, it does mean that connectivity - whether to a private or public external network - is critical. The connections need to be reliable, secure and able to handle increased and variable traffic.
Businesses need to make sure their infrastructure is ready for this. If not, it must be upgraded. Working in a virtualised environment places new demands on security and archiving processes - and it has to be available to users at any time, in any location and on any device.
Archiving itself has become a major issue, with both global and local legislation making the preservation of records and communications a mandatory compliance requirement. Outsourcing storage needs is a choice many companies will consider, simply because the cost of setting up a storage area network in-house is considerable.
Storage might be the first choice when it comes to virtualisation, but progressive companies will focus on ensuring their infrastructure is ready to work with other services as well. The concept of “anything as a service” is the key point.
If the infrastructure meets the requirements noted above, it is truly unified and the business is ready to take advantage of the new business models that will dominate the future.
* Andy Brauer is CTO at Business Connexion.
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