Survey: Multicloud Needs Modern Data Centers

A new survey finds that the majority of IT leaders tag data center modernization as a top priority to support the growing demand for multicloud environments.

Dell Technologies, Microsoft, and MeriTalk came together to survey 375 IT decision-makers to gain insights into how IT modernization – with an eye on multicloud environments – can contribute to enhanced operational efficiency, robust data protection, and the cultivation of a data-driven culture.

Based on survey results, the majority of IT decision-makers – 87 percent – say data center modernization is one of their organization’s top priorities, and for good reason.

Existing data center solutions often fall short of fostering innovation or seamlessly supporting the growing demands of multicloud environments, the report explains.

Less than a third, 29 percent, of IT leaders surveyed said their data center solutions are fully prepared to support a multicloud environment. At the same time, 49 percent said their existing solutions facilitate innovation at their organization, and 51percent said they have no impact or actively impede their efforts.

Furthermore, IT leaders who have data center solutions that support a multicloud environment are fully prepared to support cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) implementation. The survey finds that 30 percent of IT leaders are fully prepared to support proactive, end-to-end cybersecurity, and 16 percent are fully prepared for AI implementation into their environment.

In addition to data center modernization, IT decision makers also rely on effective change management to support multicloud environments.

According to the report, multicloud management systems offer visibility and control across multiple cloud providers, which can help IT decision-makers ensure the right fit for each of their workloads.

Survey results show that IT leaders who have implemented a multicloud management platform are twice as likely to feel confident in their ability to find the right cloud systems for their workloads — or a margin of 60 percent versus 38 percent.

IT decision-makers that describe their organizations’ multicloud management platform as “advanced” described their data center solutions as “2.5x more likely to facilitate innovation,” with 59 percent contributing this fact to active improvements in cyber and data protection, 57 percent to network and application modernization, and 54 percent to data storage and management.

Going forward, IT decision-makers agreed that infrastructure modernization will play a critical role in unlocking the full potential of multicloud, setting a long-term track for success.

When asked how a modern IT infrastructure would impact their organization’s ability to innovate and stay competitive, one participant answered that it will “enable us to more effectively monitor and maintain both security and efficiency across cloud services.”

About 87 percent said that infrastructure modernization plays a crucial role in the effective management of operations across multiple cloud environments.

Overall, IT leaders expressed that long term multicloud success hinges on effective change management.

According to respondents this includes “[fostering] a culture of understanding and adoption thought transparent, companywide communication; [developing] and [sharing] comprehensive roadmaps outlining the migration journey, timeline, and expected benefits; [implementing] training programs not just for IT, but for all departments impacted by the shift; [and celebrating] the wins along the way and showcase how multicloud adoption translates to real-world benefits, like improved performance, efficiency, or faster time-to-market.”