Are You on Track to Meet Your Data Center Resolutions? [Infographic]

Time for a check-in: how well are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions? If you answered with a sharp inhale and a shake of the head, you’re not alone. In fact, about 80 percent of folks aren’t able to stick to their resolutions.

But when it comes to your data center, resolutions are not something to give up on easily. Have you made some for 2019? To help you along, we’ve compiled 5 of the top data center resolutions you might have on your list — and most importantly, how to achieve them.

Saving on Cloud and Infrastructure

Did you know the average cloud spend for enterprises is a harrowing $2 million?

To avoid cloud sticker shock, budget owners need to:

• Gain visibility over cloud consumption to eliminate unexpected high costs
• Plan resource consumption effectively across all teams
• Govern cloud spend using simple, effective budgeting and chargeback mechanisms

For 96% of cloud users, the best way to govern cloud is through a cloud management service. Increasingly, IT teams are recognizing that the lengthy strain of round-the-clock cloud management is unsustainable, especially for businesses hoping to foster innovative strategies and push products into the market quickly.

More Automation, Less Management

On the topic of efficiency, one critical step to take in the data center is to automate whenever possible. Automation does more than just reduce the pain of tedious tasks and eliminating human error; it frees IT teams to funnel their manpower toward initiatives that move their business forward.

In fact, GigaOm recently noted that the single most important investment enterprise IT can make is automation, finding that for every dollar invested in automation, $100 will be returned over a 5-year period. Read their full report here to learn more about the power of automation.

Becoming More Innovative

Innovation can mean one of two things: innovation in or out of the business. Regardless of which one you’re prioritizing, one message is simple: you can’t focus on innovation if you’re stuck in the data center, putting out fires, and managing complex daily tasks.

Your infrastructure should work for you and free up your time. According to the 2018 State of the Enterprise Datacenter report, nearly 80 percent of businesses who have adopted hyper-convergence work up to 40 hours a week, whereas those without it are more likely to work overtime.

Eliminating Fire Drills and Security Scares

Data center resolutions aren’t all about becoming better. Sometimes, they’re about staying safe — especially in the midst of ever-growing security threats. The average cost of a data breach is $4M, and with nearly 90 percent of businesses saying they’re dissatisfied with their current security plan, prioritizing security should be a major initiative.

One way to do so is to adopt a security-first approach to data center modernization, which incorporates best practices throughout the entire development lifecycle, automates and self-heals to reduce time-consuming management and human error, and more. This eBook details everything you need to know about the approach and how to adopt one for your business.

Enjoying a Better Work/Life Balance

Here’s a fact of life: spending all your time in the datacenter — weekends included — is neither sustainable nor fun. One reason this is an unfortunate reality for some IT teams is aging infrastructure. Specifically, 3-tier infrastructure is complex and time-consuming to manage, leading to many lost weekends.

The solution is straightforward. Building a more stable foundation, i.e., infrastructure, ensures everything from the ground-up works smoothly, cutting back on wasted time. Increasingly, hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) is gaining speed as not just a feasible, but a superior alternative to legacy infrastructure, with over 67 percent of businesses adopting or considering adopting HCI. Take a closer look at the inner workings of HCI in this eBook. (And if you’re already considering adopting HCI, look at Gartner’s most recent assessment of the leading vendors in the space).

You’re Not Behind...Yet

Even if you fear you’re behind on your resolutions, rest assured that there’s always time to get started — no need to wait until 2020. Several of your resolutions can be achieved starting from the bottom, like your infrastructure.