BUSTED! 5 COMMON MYTHS OF MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE. These Common Misconceptions Could Be Holding You Back

Transcription

1 BUSTED! 5 COMMON MYTHS OF MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE These Common Misconceptions Could Be Holding You Back

2 2 IT Is Facing a New Set of Challenges As technology continues to evolve, IT must adjust to changing needs. Between expectations for mobility, a growing user base, diverse platforms, and a multitude of applications, traditional infrastructure is no longer enough to manage everything and still stay on top. It s time for a new approach. IT needs a modern infrastructure that s powerful enough to keep up with rapid expansion today, and flexible enough to adapt to changes in the future. A modern infrastructure leverages state-of-the-art compute and storage virtualization with management on industry standard x86 servers. Depending on your needs, this can play out in two different ways: You can modernize your infrastructure by adding individual components, or simply adopt hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) technology that delivers a unified, optimized solution. This enables all your key data center functions to run as software on the core compute platform in a tightly integrated software layer. Whichever path you take to modern infrastructure, it can help your IT organization achieve speed, agility, and cost savings without sacrificing quality or security.

3 3 Modern Infrastructure Is Surrounded by Myths As more people start to look into modern infrastructure, misinformation can spread fast. The five most common myths about modern infrastructure are around these five areas: The transition process from traditional to modern. The impact it makes on job security for IT. The value of existing infrastructure and the cost of new solutions. What modern infrastructure can and can t do. The relevance of modern infrastructure to developers. Let s take a closer look at each myth and learn why they simply aren t true.

4 4 MYTH 1 TRANSITIONING TO MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE IS A CUMBERSOME, RESOURCE-INTENSIVE PROCESS As you begin your journey to infrastructure modernization, you might think it s a daunting process that requires hiring more staff or bringing on specialists. You may decide that such a large, complex task is simply too disruptive and time-consuming for your organization. BUSTED There are multiple paths to a modern infrastructure. It s not all or nothing. It doesn t require one fixed set of solutions. You can start with the tools and hardware you currently have, and build on those, making it simple and cost-effective no specialists or new hires necessary. You already have the expertise you need. THE VMWARE SOLUTION A single software stack from VMware not only minimizes risks associated with infrastructure modernization, it also streamlines operations between the traditional silos of compute, storage, and networking. The VMware integrated solution delivers advantages around time to value and ongoing maintenance. And you can use blueprints through VMware Validated Design to enable outcomes that are quick and efficient. You can also choose to modernize your infrastructure using a building-block approach that allows you to deploy individual components. The latest versions of VMware vsphere, VMware vsan, NSX, vrealize, and unified management solutions can help you meet the unique needs of your organization.

5 5 Western Carolina University has saved more than $1.5 million in hardware, power, and cooling over 10 years, thanks to solutions from VMware MILLION 1. University Scales to Support North Carolina s Promise to Increase Access to Higher Education, Customer Case Study, 2017

6 6 MYTH 2 MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE TAKES JOBS AWAY FROM IT Modern infrastructure is powerful, using software and automation to quickly and securely perform tasks that traditional infrastructure could not. As a result, some IT teams are worried that modernization will eliminate or replace administration jobs, leaving them out of work. NO WAY Just because work is streamlined doesn t mean there s nothing left for IT to do. In fact, there s more going on than ever. By alleviating tedious, time-consuming tasks, you and your team will be free to focus on strategic projects that help move the business forward. Your jobs won t be eliminated; you ll have the chance to expand your skills. THE VMWARE SOLUTION VMware vsphere and VMware vsan are the foundation of modern infrastructure. With vsphere, a familiar tool for most IT managers, it s simple to make the transition to modern infrastructure by ensuring you are leveraging the latest version of vsphere that delivers a simplified customer experience, comprehensive built-in security, a universal application platform, and proactive data center management. The next step is extending it to storage with vsan. The hyper-converged architecture eliminates many tedious tasks and opens up the ability to focus on areas like deploying new applications, ensuring proper security, and optimizing disaster protection processes.

7 7 More than 50% of VMware customers reported improved IT staff productivity as a result of modernization, as reported by IDC IDC Survey of VMware Virtual SAN Customers, 2016

8 8 MYTH 3 MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE IS EXPENSIVE AND WASTES EXISTING INVESTMENTS After investing so much in hardware for traditional infrastructure solutions, many organizations are understandably hesitant to move forward with modernization. They assume that making updates means losing everything they ve already spent. DEBUNKED Modern infrastructure starts saving you money right away while leveraging your previous investments. CapEx costs go down as you shift from proprietary infrastructure to cost-efficient server economics, while unified management and better use of existing skill sets and tools drive down OpEx expenses. THE VMWARE SOLUTION With VMware, modernizing your infrastructure is an evolutionary process, not a destructive one. Your team will evolve and expand its current tools and skills, building on what you already have. And you can wave goodbye to expensive and tedious refresh cycles by decoupling software and hardware and using standard x86 hardware. VMware makes it possible for you to build as you grow, starting with compute and storage, and then adding networking and management as your needs continue to expand.

9 9 Some enterprises cited more than 50% reduction in capital and operating expenses after moving to a software-defined data center Software-Defined Data center: Evolving Data center Management and IT Skills, IDC, 2017

10 10 MYTH 4 MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE HELPS ONLY THE CORE DATA CENTER Most IT organizations understand the role and functionality of a modern infrastructure in the core data center, but still believe that it doesn t address edge technology emerging applications, devices, and methods that represent the most current developments in IT. SIMPLY NOT TRUE By modernizing your infrastructure, you open up the opportunity to use many new and emerging technologies. It gives you the flexibility you need to adapt and respond as your business changes and grows something that isn t possible with traditional infrastructure. THE VMWARE SOLUTION VMware offers two paths to implement an affordable, modern infrastructure. VMware Cloud Foundation provides the complete cloud infrastructure stack delivered in a single integrated platform. You can otherwise integrate components individually as your business needs change. Either way, you can address a variety of distributed environments across the data center. Business-critical apps Cloud-native applications and containers Remote offices Disaster recovery sites Management clusters Managed hosting platforms Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)

11 11 VMware Hyper-Converged Infrastructure Acceleration Kit Hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) allows the convergence of physical storage onto industrystandard x86 servers, enabling a building-block approach with scale-out capabilities. The VMware HCI Acceleration Kit is tailor-made for edge technology. It leverages the increasing power of single-socket servers to make enterprise storage a reality for distributed IT environments. With it, you can deploy HCI almost anywhere while still using your existing centralized VMware vcenter Server deployment and support team. Take your IT vision beyond the data center to wherever you need next-generation infrastructure today and tomorrow. VMware HCI Acceleration Kit <$25K Hardware/Software solution price vsphere 25% SW discount Unlimited VMs vsan 3 Node cluster configuration Single-socket servers Single-Socket Servers

12 12 MYTH 5 DEVELOPERS DON T NEED TO CARE ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE Traditional on-premises or modernized infrastructures have little effect on how developers operate. Why should they care about how the infrastructure is built as long as they can do what they want? For them, IT exists to slow them down. WRONG AGAIN Modern infrastructure establishes a common cloud infrastructure with a unified operational model across both private and public clouds. It supports all applications, including traditional, containers, and next-generation. And it dramatically improves response time, reducing the potential for shadow IT. THE VMWARE SOLUTION With modern infrastructure from VMware, developers can deploy applications more quickly with security and control, whether on-premises or off. VMware gives developers the ease of use and flexibility they need to respond faster to changing needs. VMware vsphere is a universal app platform, and includes vsphere Integrated Containers that deliver an enterprise container infrastructure that provides the best of both worlds for developers and vsphere operations teams.

13 13 By using VMware NSX and vrealize Automation, we enabled our developers to be 20 30% more efficient in developing crucial business applications that we need to provide white-label services to our customers. Instead of projects a week, we are able to complete projects per week with the same headcount. 30% MORE RYAN FAY GLOBAL CIO ACI SPECIALTY BENEFITS

14 The Future Won t Wait A modern infrastructure is crucial to staying ahead so don t let myths and misinformation stop you from achieving your business goals. Knowledge is power. Armed with the right information and trusted tools, you can make the transition smoothly and efficiently. A modern infrastructure built from software-defined compute, storage, and network virtualization provides agile, secure, and cost-efficient delivery and management of applications across private and public clouds. It s what your business needs to succeed in today s fast-moving technical landscape. With VMware, you have a trusted partner and a wealth of resources to tap into as you begin the journey. LEARN MORE ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE MODERNIZATION Download the ipaper, Modernizing the Infrastructure For Dummies > Take a test drive in a Hands-On Lab today > Join Us Online: VMware, Inc Hillview Avenue Palo Alto CA USA Tel Fax Copyright 2017 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and intellectual property laws. VMware products are covered by one or more patents listed at VMware is a registered trademark or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. Item No: vmware-busted-5-common-myths-of-modern-infrastructure-dcma /17