Why 'As-a-Service' Solutions are the Modern Approach to Lagging Infrastructure
Summary
- Is technology innovation possible with in-house capabilities? 87 percent of companies think digital will disrupt their industry but only half of those say they are equipped for potential digital disruption.
- The collection of outdated in-house labs, known as 'technology museums', distributed across almost all large enterprises illustrates the difficulty of managing an in-house testing capability.
- 'As a service' solutions are on the rise, offering access to the best facilities, services and expertise without the cost and inefficiency of maintaining it in-house.
- Evidenced by our customer's experiences, WWT's Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) allows customers to fast-track technology agendas through comprehensive testing, technology and industry-leading expertise.
Transformation is a journey, not a project
Without consistently reviewing, evaluating and implementing the latest technology, digital transformations become a distant dream rather than a realistic target. It's important to be set-up for success. Each organisation needs the right innovation processes and access to a technology ecosystem from which the desired agility and innovation to transform can be enabled.
Most organisations no longer fund significant multi-year, double-digit financial waterfall investments to fuel transformations. To successfully deliver on technology strategies and create competitive advantage, organisations should adopt continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) with infrastructure, as is already seen with software. This approach will empower enterprises to achieve their desired technology advancements, whilst also ensuring alignment with ever-evolving business goals and regular return on investment. A scalable, formally-serviced and highly-accessible platform on which to test and innovate is a vital component amongst organisations that achieve this.
Is technology innovation possible with in-house capabilities? 87 percent of companies think digital will disrupt their industry but only half of those say they are equipped for potential digital disruption[1]. Whether the business priority is the latest mobile banking product, online eCommerce offering or zero downtime manufacturing line, technology is key to delivering the desired innovation.
The challenge is that now more than ever, every business is a technology business — staying up to date with the latest technology is mandatory, and getting ahead is necessary. New products are launched constantly, and understanding which is the correct choice when integrating into wider enterprise architecture is complex. Businesses cannot afford to risk the wrong investment, and should therefore look to a partner that provides both the platform and the expertise to service these needs.
The rise of 'as-a-service'
In the consumer space, 'as-a-service' platforms are already extremely popular. Users have migrated from owning films and music to accessing a diverse virtual library of content, which they do not own but merely access. Rather than paying to own multiple products, users are free to try shop around and find what works for them in a cost-efficient manner.
Given the stated challenges of maintaining a testing environment, and given that almost half of C-suite executives admit they do not know where to start when developing transformation strategies[2], can the same extensive 'on-demand' service be provided for enterprise technology? In the B2B space, the advantages are even clearer, because as-a-service offers the chance to choose from the latest vendor products, test their suitability, and move on without having legacy assets to own.
WWT's Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) is a $500m platform designed for its customers. With 24x7 access provided globally, WWT prides itself on providing 'Lab as a Service' to its customers to fast-track technology agendas through comprehensive testing. This means the ability to try many products from multiple OEMs in different configurations, to find the ideal solution without CapEx.
WWT's approach is based on three levels depending on customer needs: sandboxes for common integrations, customised proof of concepts (POCs) and a dedicated customer lab environment. This is achieved through access to the very best technology — with nearly 300 racks of products from over 100 vendors — plus public cloud connectivity, and a large team of dedicated architects, engineers and technicians. Since WWT works closely with world-leading organisations as a technology transformation partner, we are well placed to share our expertise and provide insights on industry best practices, meaning WWT customers can benefit too.
For customers, all of this means significantly reduced investment, both upfront and long-term, to access and maintain the technology and expertise required to innovate in any direction.
References
[1] https://www.siliconrepublic.com/business/deloitte-leadership-digital-disruption-infographic