Making sense of software-defined infrastructure with NTT DATA

There are several major shifts affecting organizational IT infrastructure right now. These include the shift from manual processes to automation, human input to AI, and hardware to cloud-based, software-driven technologies.

Software now runs both on-premises and remote services, enabling automation, analytics and cybersecurity, and vendors pack their software with amazing technologies and capabilities.

NTT DATA’s Technology Solutions have expanded greatly to accommodate these changes. We’ve also shifted: from focusing mostly on hardware, we now have software-defined infrastructure solutions and services at the core of our offering.  

• ALSO READ → How NTT and Cisco simplify software-defined infrastructure

Track and adjust IT performance against business outcomes

Our clients are increasingly outcomes-focused and keen to see a return on their investment in this area. The beauty of software-driven infrastructure is that it can help organizations track and adjust their IT performance against business priorities such as profitable growth, better customer and employee experiences, and lower costs – all in real time.

To do this successfully, though, you need a way to manage the many technologies, vendors, assets and hardware- and software-driven infrastructure that coexist in an intricate technology landscape. This complexity can make it difficult to achieve the goal of digital transformation, which includes creating a uniform client and vendor experience that’s supported by the right cost structure.

We help our clients navigate this complexity by bringing a range of useful data together into a unified platform that gives them a clear view of their infrastructure.

Manage software licensing, manage costs

Our approach also includes managing a client’s growing licensing environment. Organizations may consist of several companies or entities and numerous subsidiaries, each with their own infrastructure and combination of perpetual licenses, smart licenses and Enterprise Agreements.

We pull software licenses from Cisco and other vendors into our Digital Wallet. This gives organizations a single view of their licenses and agreements, making it easier to eliminate overlap and manage renewals in a cost-effective way.

Software lifecycle management is therefore a key part of our Technology Solutions.

The evolution of support

Organizations that want to retain in-house operational control of all or some of their infrastructure will require new skills, new tools and new thinking.

To make it easier to navigate the change to software-driven infrastructure and speed up digital transformation, they should consider collaborating with experienced service providers like NTT DATA who can manage everything connected to the network – from edge to cloud.

Over the years, we have supported 75% of Fortune 500 organizations with our tried-and-true traditional support services – which have now evolved into our Software-defined Infrastructure Services.

Our approach covers the full lifecycle of technology infrastructure, and our software-defined infrastructure platform provides centralized control over multivendor hardware and software environments.

• ALSO READ → How are support services evolving to keep pace with technology?

Avoiding the costs of a hardware graveyard

By reducing hardware costs and improving resource allocation, software-defined infrastructure also minimizes waste and environmental impact.

When organizations move away from investing in hardware, they ease the burden of disposing of technology once it reaches end of life or becomes too energy-inefficient and increases costs in the long run. Outdated hardware also poses security risks.

Organizations should therefore update their technology infrastructure in a way that prioritizes sustainability and resource efficiency. This includes working with service providers who can manage and dispose of these assets correctly.

We’re also looking at innovative ways of measuring and reporting on sustainability gains within our Software-defined Infrastructure Services platform.

• ALSO READ → Want to become more sustainable? Start with your technology

With near-real-time insights across your hardware and software assets, combined with our experts’ quarterly recommendations, you’ll be well placed to achieve faster time to value, control costs and improve your return on investment.