Logicalis US Unveils First Stop on the Road to a More Efficient Data Center

, Jan 9, 2014

Solution Provider Offers IT Pros Tips for Moving from a Component-Based Architecture to a Virtualized Environment

NEW YORK, August 29, 2013 – For organizations considering a move to the cloud, Logicalis US, an international IT solutions and managed services provider (http://www.us.logicalis.com/), says there are two critical things IT pros need to know.  The first is that a company’s IT  transformation begins when the organization stops thinking in terms of discrete servers and storage for every application and starts thinking about shared interoperable resources across the entire IT infrastructure.  Second, the data center of the future is as much a mindset as it is a bill of materials for new technology; getting there starts with determining where, technologically, the organization is today.  To help, Logicalis US has created a blueprint for IT transformation, a step-by-step guide to help IT pros determine where they are as well as where they’re headed.

At the beginning of any company’s IT transformation journey – the component-based architecture stage – the business’ infrastructure may be effective, but it may also be inefficient. IT pros in this scenario are likely facing a range of challenges that include time-consuming manual processes, over- or under-utilized equipment, lack of flexibility to keep up with their organization’s changing needs, and server or storage sprawl.

“A great example of a client moving from a component-based architecture to a virtualized environment was a Midwestern city that was building a new data center into an addition of its city hall.  Logicalis helped create a virtualization strategy that would consolidate its data center down to three servers and an HP P4300 for storage,” says Brandon Harris, Vice President, HP Solutions, Logicalis US.  “Once the central data center was virtualized and consolidated, the city built a matching disaster recovery site in the basement of a fire station several miles away. Before this, the city’s off-site recovery plan was that the IT manager took tapes home with him on Monday nights … if he didn’t forget.  Today, the municipal data center users HP D2D for backup with HP Data Protector software. In this instance, a solid roadmap and virtualization strategy employing HP technology proved to be the right solution for the customer and put this city three steps ahead on the road to tomorrow’s data center.”

Four Tips: Get Ready to Get Virtualized

  1. Servers: Start by determining the best server strategy for the organization’s data center and business needs, then combine cutting-edge server technologies with an integrated, strategic plan for their implementation, deployment and maintenance.
  2. Storage: Whatever step of the IT transformation journey a business is in, it’s critical to make sure the organization’s storage solutions are up to the task.  Any IT benefits are negated when users can’t access the data they need, so start by ensuring business-critical data is readily available and cost-efficient to access and back up.
  3. Networking: When purchasing networking solutions, there’s nothing more important than developing a roadmap for configuring, implementing and supporting the business’ solutions.
  4. Software: Managing IT infrastructure on a large scale can be unwieldy, to say the least. Getting things under control means employing the right management software to help make the job of IT administrators more automated while reducing overhead costs and boosting productivity.

Want to learn more?

About Logicalis

Logicalis is an international IT solutions and managed services provider with a breadth of knowledge and expertise in communications and collaboration; data center and cloud services; and managed services.

Logicalis employs nearly 3,500 people worldwide, including highly trained service specialists who design, specify, deploy and manage complex ICT infrastructures to meet the needs of almost 6,000 corporate and public sector customers.  To achieve this, Logicalis maintains strong partnerships with technology leaders such as Cisco, HP, IBM, CA Technologies, EMC, NetApp, Microsoft, VMware and ServiceNow.

The Logicalis Group has annualized revenues of over $1.4 billion from operations in Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific and is fast establishing itself as one of the leading IT and Communications solution integrators specializing in the areas of advanced technologies and services.

The Logicalis Group is a division of Datatec Limited, listed on the Johannesburg and London AIM Stock Exchanges, with revenues of over $5 billion.

For more information, visit http://www.us.logicalis.com/.

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