It’s December and while visions of sugar plums might be dancing along with budgetary headaches, now is the time to consider what is really happening in the data center market and consider what may happen in the year to come. For 2017, we’re seeing a shift in the cloud discussion away from complete public cloud adoption toward more hybrid solutions. We’re also witnessing a change in how storage solutions are developed and an increased need for prevention and not just remediation in cyber security. Read on to dive further into the data center trends to watch in 2017:
Hybrid IT Adoption
The fevered rush to the public cloud is tempered with regulatory requirements, workload/application realities, and cost concerns. Companies are finding that the public cloud works for many, but not all applications and can send budgets soaring if not expertly tended. Colocation and the private cloud help to offset these concerns. IT departments are recognizing this and planning accordingly. Management of the multiple cloud environment will remain a concern, but expert strategic architecture and tools, such as Epsilon’s Cloud LX or X, can help to ensure a hiccup-free (or at least rarely hiccupped) experience.
Shifts in Storage Options
With the Internet of Things, big data, and the proliferation of data in general on a major upswing, storage is a serious concern for most organizations. Traditional storage can require multiple replications and ever-increasing price tags to keep the redundancy and availability most businesses need to keep themselves protected. New technologies in the market are giving businesses other options. Temporary storage needs will rise to deal with disposable data with a limited shelf life. Object-oriented storage solutions will help to reduce required storage capacity and help to ensure availability. This might not be a game changer for those with smaller storage needs right now, but in 2017 those with larger storage requirements will be able to get some budgetary relief.
Increased Focus on Prevention in Cyber Security
We hear a lot about intrusion detection and remediation, but what if your data is never compromised? While it’s virtually impossible to guarantee against intrusion, you can take real action to make it exceedingly difficult for anyone to gain access. Companies are looking beyond recovery and toward protection – and they’re opening up those solutions to the commercial market. These solutions will radically shift the cyber security conversation and help to make the data center a more secure environment. Look for encryption to advance and become more accessible beyond the government to help organizations meet regulatory requirements and keep their sensitive data protected.
This list is definitely not comprehensive, but it does touch on some of the key considerations when it comes to the care and feeding of your invaluable business data. What trends are you watching for 2017?
