The demise of the traditional data center and the rise of Hybrid IT

Oct 19, 2018


Technology, by its very nature, is subject to constant change — so it's not surprising that the IT market is once again undergoing a fundamental shift. As interconnect services, cloud providers, the Internet of Things (IoT), edge applications and SaaS offerings continue to flourish, the advantages of remaining in a traditional data center topology are dwindling. This evolutionary conversion is prompting enterprise IT to abandon the incumbent approach of data center infrastructure management (DCIM) and move away from overseeing all functions from a centralized facility. In its place, a new thought process has emerged: distributed digital infrastructure management (DDIM).

Distributed Digital Infrastructure Management (DDIM) Distributed digital infrastructure management will provide the tools to monitor and manage any asset or process, anywhere, at any time.

The DDIM approach addresses the needs of the hybrid IT environment, which many consider to be the IT of the future. In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2025, 80 percent of enterprises will have shut down their traditional data center, versus 10 percent that have already done so today.

A shift in focus, with new power requirements

With the focus no longer inside the data center, enterprises are turning their attention outward, specifically to the three primary elements of hybrid IT: cloud computing (such as hyperscale data centers), distributed IT (consisting of network closets, edge computing and IoT), and on-premise IT (corporate and multi-tenant data centers).

As the backbone of IT transforms, so do power requirements. The power infrastructure deployed in edge applications demands specific requirements. To begin with, automation is key; organizations must be able to seamlessly monitor and manage environmental hazards and rely on automatically initiated policy-based actions on power events. Security is another critical factor, with Cybersecurity becoming a critical decision factor. Make sure that your UPS network connection is cyber-secured to avoid potentially destructive hacks. Physical security is also to be considered, with power distribution units (PDUs) that feature outlets with retention systems. Another need is reduced latency, which can be enabled at the UPS level with Gigabit Ethernet communication cards. Finally, modern IT environments increasingly require solutions that can be deployed with a set-it-and-forget-it mentality, such as lithium-Ion UPS batteries, which have the ability to operate for up to eight years with no human intervention.

Eaton's today is your tomorrow

Despite the ever-changing technology landscape, Eaton remains ahead of the curve, with multiple solutions already available to address the needs of DDIM. For instance, our comprehensive offering of rack enclosures, PDUs and rackmount UPSs is ideal for the edge environment. In addition, Eaton's VCOM intuitive power management software provides business intelligence by monitoring both IT and facilities power infrastructure, featuring capabilities designed to reduce data center operational expenses, improve system and application reliability, and mitigate risk through data analysis. Eaton also offers lithium Ion-battery-powered UPSs, which afford the hands-off approach that is especially valuable for edge applications such as retail, hospitality, healthcare and factory floors. Finally, ever-escalating concerns about cybersecurity are addressed in Eaton's new Gigabit Network Card (Network-M2), the first in the industry to include the UL 2900-2-2 listing for cybersecurity.

We're poised for your success

As technology leaders seek ways to create an agile, flexible infrastructure that is responsive to new business initiatives, Gartner recommends that they leverage partner ecosystems, as well as integrate diverse platform choices into a unified solution that will allow market advances to be deployed quickly and easily. Eaton stands ready to help meet these new challenges, offering the products, services and support IT professionals will need to succeed in this ever-changing technological landscape.


Read what CRN.com has to say about Eaton's commitment to recurring partner revenue.

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