While the primary focus for most IT leaders is geared towards IT transformation and adopting the systems and applications that will allow them to better support today’s digital demands, the IBM z Systems™ mainframe remains the foundation for the…
As we move deeper into ‘the age of the customer’ organizations must possess the necessary business continuity to effectively serve and support customers, regardless of varied market conditions or unforeseen disastrous circumstances. Robust…
None of us can solve for the ever-changing challenges of IT alone, there are far too many complexities and intricacies that require the specialization and expertise of various organizations, departments, and teams. With that said, establishing…
You’d be hard pressed to find any enterprise that didn’t consider its bottom line to be the ‘end all be all’, and frankly, why wouldn’t it be? Every single initiative, system, process, and employee of an organization is ultimately brought on to do…
In order to succeed in today’s digital era, IT organizations must adopt a new way of thinking that embraces the next generation in technology. The world we live in today looks much different than it did 10 years ago, and as technology continues to…
Do you remember when ‘the customer is always right’ was the staple of every business? Well, while the verbiage has evolved to reflect a more reciprocal, mutually beneficial relationship, the concept has stayed relatively the same; to best serve…
Just when you thought you were up to speed on the latest and greatest in data center solutions, a new wave of emerging technologies and trends has surfaced. As more services move to the cloud, enterprises have been forced to build more data centers…
CIOs are on the front line in the war against digital disruption, and many are facing an uphill battle. Amazon, the undisputed leader in cloud computing technology, alone has catapulted today’s digital business era so far forward that long-…
Market demands, business needs, and the role of CIOs are in a state of constant change, but reducing IT costs is an area that is always under relentless scrutiny by CIOs and business leaders alike. With the rise of digital, modern enterprises have…
In 2014, Gartner unveiled its new ‘Bimodal IT’ model to the industry in the hopes of addressing the challenges faced by modern enterprises in today’s digital world.
Described by Gartner, “bimodal IT is the practice of managing two separate,…
Traditional outsourcing offers clients an option that allows a service provider to control and run a given infrastructure function on your company’s behalf. If you look at traditional data center outsourcing for instance, it typically consists of a…
Consumer behavior has made a dramatic shift in the past decade, and within the IT industry, adapting to this shift has become a vital component to maintaining relevancy. Consumers have become more demanding and impatient than ever before; constantly…
Seems like only yesterday that servers, storage area networks (SANs), and virtualization were the topics of discussion in IT; and now, fast forward a few years, hyperconvergence is taking center stage. Hyperconvergence, which simply didn’t exist…
No piece of wisdom has ever been more true than, ‘the only thing that doesn’t change is change itself’, and in terms of the modern enterprise, this phrase could not more be applicable. As people, businesses, and technology advance, so too does the…
The IT landscape has changed dramatically from what we were dealing with just a few years ago. There are more service delivery options, more vendors and more pricing models for you to consider than ever before. How do you sift through all of…
Psychologically, there’s an inherent sense of control and security that comes from owning and operating your own data center. Obviously the biggest advantage is one of convenience. This is your data center, it is at your beck and call, and its…
The decision to go with mainframe outsourcing is a large one, and, ultimately beneficial to a company from both a cost effectiveness and efficiency standpoint. But these benefits will only come with good understanding and proper planning for the…
The decision to outsource a data center rather than maintain one yourself can be quite beneficial for a company in the long run, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. After all, running and maintaining your own data center is an immensely complex task…
Many IT leaders will probably admit that they’re spending too much on the day-to-day operational functions, like preventing existing systems from breaking down with ongoing maintenance and replacing or expanding capacity - essentially keeping the…
For many CIOs, the term “rip and replace” is among the most dreaded in their vocabulary. It is thought of as a last resort strategy that should only be contemplated when absolutely necessary, or following a catastrophic technology failure. In…
Data center outsourcing is a complex proposition. Fortunately, there are resources available to help you.
Talk to colleagues who’ve been there.
Individuals you know well in other companies and your LinkedIn connections and groups can offer advice…
Selective IT sourcing is not a new concept, but it has come back into focus recently because of its obvious strategic value. There are now myriad permutations of outsourcing -- new technologies that allow more solution choices and a broader array of…
The point of hiring IT sourcing advisors is to get help you can’t give yourself. You want tangible results, and that requires a relationship based on trust and accountability. The right advisors bring a fresh, independent and knowledgeable approach…
Solutions that work well for some other enterprise aren’t necessarily right for your organization, either financially or functionally. You can learn from others, but you never want to copy them. That’s not leading-edge thinking, and it could lead…
Feeling all fogged in by the cloud? Knowing you need to loft at least some of your workloads into this rarefied computing atmosphere, but not sure which type of transition is right for your enterprise? You’re not alone. Cloud computing has become a…
As soon as you begin your search for IT outsourcing consultants, you’ll realize there are more firms out there than you expected. Complicating matters, each of these firms can be quite different, so it’s not easy to compare and evaluate them. What…
Confused about how to compare IT consultants? There are many to choose from, and it’s vital to pick the right one, so you can be sure your consulting experience will go smoothly and you’ll get the great advice you need. The worst thing you can do is…
This year is well underway, but it’s never too late to consider what might unfold in the way of IT outsourcing trends as the year continues to evolve. One of the most interesting trends industry watchers seem to agree on is that DIY is on the…