Data centres 'not fit for the future'

The research - entitled ‘Motivation to Modernise’ – found that in spite of an improved level of general awareness in the market for greater flexibility, agility and the ability to adapt faster to change, only 1 in 20 (5%) data centers were considered state of the art. At a time when there is pressure in the business to ensure smooth day-to-day operations, a worrying 1 in 10 (10%) said their data center is long overdue a complete overhaul, whilst a further 41% said some of the technology in use is no longer current. In contrast, just 5% said their in-house data center is not at all out of date, and everything within it is state of the art. Most interestingly, more of those who outsource at least some of their data center requirements (12%) admit their in-house data centers are very out of date and overdue a complete overhaul, compared to those who do not outsource at the moment (2%).

More companies whose IT managers think the ideal data center infrastructure review frequency is monthly (13%) do not think their in-house data centers are out of date and say everything is state of the art, compared to those who think the ideal review frequency is annually (2%). However, even 87% of IT managers who think the ideal data center infrastructure review frequency is monthly admit their in-house data centers are out of date to some degree, but figures are higher for those who think the ideal review frequency is annually (98%).

The report also reveals that only 25% of the respondents felt that C-level executives are on board with data center modernisation plans, suggesting a degree of denial about the need to start embracing future plans now. Another 60% say the C-levels executive are only partially on board.

“The disconnect between what is in place and what is needed for the future is very worrying,” said Franek Sodzawiczny, CEO at Zenium Technology Partners. “There is massive demand for increased storage and computing power to manage huge volumes of data and the impending impact of the ‘Internet of Things’ will only exacerbate these problems.

Planning for the future of the business doesn’t take place in a vacuum and it’s often constrained by the lack of availability of budget, time and people, but any debates about what form modernisation should take are essential. The biggest issue in the data center today seems to be that ensuring that the board, who ultimately hold the purse strings, recognises the need for substantial investment in data center projects. It’s not just about increasing the IT budget; it’s about ensuring that the right systems and infrastructure are in place to continue operating effectively in a digital world.”

Interestingly, a Gartner survey into data center investment in 2013 found that two out of three respondents had projects planned, more than 70% of those planning projects had budgets allocated and 87% of those with infrastructure modernisation or upgrade projects also had plans for data center facility projects in 2013/2014.
“This ought to be considered a positive sign but the fact that nearly all of the respondents that took part in our survey (94%) still consider their data centers to be out of date show that there is still a very real need to get motivated to make modernisation the top priority going forward.”