industry news
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECTS AT RISK AS IT TEAMS STRUGGLE WITH THE PRESSURE OF MEETING EXPECTATIONS
Nine out of 10 IT leaders feel digital transformation has brought unprecedented change , in addition to new levels of pressure never experienced before in the industry , according to new research from CloudTalent . As nearly 90 per cent of UK businesses are engaging in digital transformation projects , a universal feeling of overwhelming pressure is growing amongst IT teams tasked with bringing these projects to life . Many revealed that this new challenge is greater than any previous IT task they have undertaken .
‘ Our findings show just how much stress IT leaders and their teams are under to deliver practical change . Many are painfully aware that they are not as effective as they could be at delivering the necessary transformation , due in part to the gaps in execution capabilities that exist in their business ,’ stated Adrian Overall , CEO at CloudTalent . ‘ Teams have had to move from running to sprinting just to keep up with projects , let alone grow and innovate , which has led to more and more organisations rethinking how they resource their IT - on-shoring and in-sourcing their IT projects , as well as hiring contractors or bringing in external organisations to address skills shortages associated with digital transformation and cloud migration .’
Digital transformation is the process of accelerated change of business activities , processes , competencies and models . As today ’ s businesses strive to remain relevant and competitive , becoming more digital has become a critical driving force . In CloudTalent ’ s research , conducted by Loudhouse , 100 senior level IT leaders from a range of organisations across the UK were interviewed about the challenges they face in adapting their businesses for the digital age .
The survey found :
Only 40 per cent of respondents believed their company is making good progress with digital transformation . Only a third ( 34 per cent ) say that they are near the end of the process . Two thirds of respondents admitted the need to employ specialist IT consultants as a critical , yet practical solution to deliver change . An overwhelming 94 per cent of those surveyed already use consultants to help them . Half of the respondents are planning to increase their dependence on external specialists as they look to diffuse the mounting pressure and deliver projects on time and within budget .
IN BRIEF
Aegis Data has linked a partnership with Global Cloud Xchange ( GCX ), a subsidiary of Reliance Communications , to expand its global reach across Europe , US , Asia and the Middle East . GCX operates one of the largest global subsea cable and terrestrial networks , and offers the high performance Cloud X platform with multi-cloud orchestration to enterprises around the world . Through GCX ’ s scalable global IP and MPLS network , customers in Aegis Data facilities will now have access to an expanded data centre footprint in addition to boosting their strategic deployments of cloud globally via Cloud X Fusion .
Cogeco Peer 1 has announced a collaboration with Microsoft that will integrate Microsoft ’ s security enhanced , enterprise grade , hyper-scale cloud services with Cogeco Peer 1 ’ s global cloud infrastructure , to better serve customers . With an already robust global cloud infrastructure supported by 17 data centres , an extensive FastFiber Network and more than 50 points of presence in North America and Europe combined , the addition of the Microsoft Cloud enhances Cogeco Peer 1 ’ s multi-cloud portfolio .
Interoute has announced that the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority has once again awarded the FINMA certification to Interoute Colocation Data Centres in Geneva and Zurich . Interoute ’ s Swiss Colocation Data Centre
services have successfully and continuously achieved FINMA certification since 2012 . The certification demonstrates that Interoute ’ s colocation services meet the highest standards of security and privacy for financial institutions operating in the country .
Unisys has been recognised by Amazon Web Services ( AWS ) as one of its first partners to achieve AWS Government Competency , a new component of the AWS Competency Program which highlights companies demonstrating technical proficiency and success in delivering specialised cloud based solutions on AWS to customers . Unisys was selected based on its proven track record of successfully delivering cloud based solutions on AWS to federal , state and local government agencies in the US , including clients like the Department of the Interior , the State of Washington and the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau .
A new White Paper from Schneider Electric , # 217 , How to Prepare and Respond to Data Center Emergencies , describes a framework for an effective strategy arranged across three categories , and in addition , how good preparation and process can quickly and safely mitigate the impact of emergencies to help prevent them from recurring .
To download the white paper visit : http :// www . apcmedia . com / salestools / PDON- 936Q8E / PDON-936Q8E _ R0 _ EN . pdf ? sdirect = true
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