To thrive in a newly software-centric IT world, choose your partner wisely

Optimization, innovation, staying ahead of the competition: these are all buzzwords in the era of digital transformation – and for good reason. Organizations that don’t embrace the power of technology run the risk of missing out on business opportunities.  

However, while implementing new IT services and infrastructures can help contain costs and boost performance, these rapidly evolving technologies also introduce complexity.

Without access to the expertise your organization needs to manage your fast-evolving hardware and software infrastructure, it can be an uphill battle to keep the lights on – even before you embark on new initiatives.

Technology transformation never ends

Modern organizations are only as good as their technology, which must keep pace with changing business demands. So, they have to keep transforming their technology to take advantage of new opportunities. In fact, more than 8 in 10 organizations agree that inadequate or outdated technology is holding back their innovation efforts, according to NTT DATA’s 2024 Infrastructure Lifecycle Management Report.

However, constant modernization is not a straightforward task. IT infrastructure ranges from on-premises platforms to cloud architectures, or takes on a hybrid nature. Similarly, there’s plenty of data available, which should make it easier to generate valuable insights, but it’s often spread across multivendor environments.

The best way to chart a way forward in this environment depends on many factors within your organization, and there’s no single approach that works for everyone. Even the best technology will not deliver a great return on investment if your applications and data remain siloed.

Partnering with an IT service provider is often the best way of accessing the multivendor technology modernization skills you need to realize your technology and business goals.

A software-centric environment

Network infrastructure used to be mostly on-premises and hardware-centric. This model worked well when most employees were at the office, but it does not support a hybrid environment where having access to the resources you need to do your job is more important than where you work.

At the same time, many on-premises applications are moving to the cloud. As this migration gains pace, hardware companies like Cisco and Palo Alto Networks have also started managing policy automation, analysis and more from the cloud, even if their hardware remains on-premises.

In this increasingly software-centric environment, both new and legacy assets need to deliver lifecycle value. And hardware cannot simply be replaced with software-driven infrastructure or hardware as a service. Assets must work together to improve performance, with decision-making driven by controllers, cloud telemetry, AI and machine learning, and analytics enabled by vendors’ application programming interfaces.

• ALSO READ → Customer engagement: the secret ingredient of efficient lifecycle services

The value of a partnership

To make decisions that improve business operations and user experiences, you need a full view of your technology environment – and it must always be up to date.

Choosing a partner that takes such a holistic approach to technology lifecycle management will help you align your technology initiatives and sustainability goals with your business strategy.

NTT DATA’s Technology Solutions supports your transition to software-defined infrastructure through full lifecycle management. We can help you speed up technology adoption and find opportunities to maximize your lifecycle return on investment.

For example, our License Management Assessment is designed to show you the full value of your licensing investments, whereafter we can work with you to simplify governance, mitigate risk and control costs in this area.

We’re also committed to incorporating circularity into the way we work, to reduce waste and carbon emissions. This promotes sustainability as products and materials are reused, remanufactured or recycled to extend their lifespan and minimize resource consumption.

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

Take the next step

Our focus is on delivering business outcomes through technology. We simplify your software-defined infrastructure management, leaving you free to focus on the digital transformation of your organization.

And, beyond the technology itself, our Support Services cover license management and insights across technology architectures and vendors. Wherever the future takes your business, we’re here to help.