Whether you chose to call it business transformation, positive disruption or some slightly more technical kind of architectural reengineering, the drive to replace outdated systems (both hardware and software) is at an acute inflexion point right now.
The new impetus for what has been called ‘digital transformation’ in firms across all verticals is of course largely fuelled by the rise of cloud computing, ubiquitous web connectivity and the proliferation of mobile devices.
At the infrastructural level, this is challenging the status-quo on all business components. To be clear – previous notions of basic technology functions are being quickly eroded as a new ‘composable’ and software-defined era now rapidly comes into being. Silo-based IT from the client-server is being strategically updated and replaced to facilitate the opportunity to create a services-centric IT lifecycle.
As we build this new lifecycle of IT deployments, we can take a passage around the new IT stack, inside which we find:
- Infrastructure (servers, storage & networking)
- Services (such as cloud, management & security) and
- Endpoints or devices (PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones and also the use of so-called zero/thin clients).
The ‘lifecycle’ is a staged cyclical route that centres around these building blocks that takes the following shape:
- Initial consulting and architectural requirements planning
- Testing, training, deployment, monitoring and change management
- Managed service layers placed into the lifecycle to be consumed
- Asset audits, assessments and ultimate retirement, resale or recycling
Optimisation matters
But establishing and building the lifecycle is just the start. The truly efficient IT lifecycle is essentially optimized through services designed to meet customer requirements on an ongoing basis.
Executive director of EMEA services sales at Dell is Stéphane Reboud. He explains that it’s now a question of building, finessing and evolving the IT lifecycle infrastructure and services to enable applications.
“The big revolution factor here is that we are going to customers and talking about how they are switching to a new digital world. This is a big task, but Dell has everything customers need in terms of hardware and software – and, crucially, Dell is no longer just the manufacturer. Customers can now think of us as the Systems Integrator too with end-to-end visibility all the way from analysis to deployment and retirement. Essentially, it’s all about breadth of competency… and Dell’s range is extremely wide.”
Reboud adds that to optimise IT lifecycles through services, the planning time spent with the customer is crucial as it enables Dell to understand what the drivers are for the business. “This way, we can create a customer journey based on the business drivers that each firm need to succeed.”
Elements of the services lifecycle
In practical terms then, the lifecycle through services is enabled by everything from site planning, to project management, onward to asset reporting/labeling and then right though to areas like software/OS installation, replication, backup, and archiving – and down to application installation, data migration and testing.
What is especially important to realise is that the lifecycle of services itself is never static. Essentially dynamic in nature, we see different emphasis being put on different elements of operations from start to finish – and, crucially, as a strategic and holistic programme that runs from end-to-end.
Whether you call it a ‘cradle to the grave’ approach or one that spans from ‘data center to mobile endpoint’, the services-based IT system lifecycle is the lifeblood of the modern business.
Adrian Bridgwater
Latest Posts:
Tags: Business, Productivity