Tag: data storage

The expansion of the current data centre landscape is certainly making history. Its growth is almost reminiscent of time-lapse photography. In this scenario, we - the subjects - stand still while the data centre builds move around us at remarkable speed. Statistics support this observation. Database Trends and Applications cites that the global data centre market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.30% from 2024 to 2032.

Two years ago, we warned that organisations failing to embrace data, artificial intelligence (AI), and technology would risk being left behind by their competitors. A year later this prediction came true as organisations ranked technology as the most disruptive force in organisations in 2023 and rocketed to the top of the corporate agenda.

Africa's digital economy is growing at an astonishing rate, making dependable and scalable IT infrastructure indispensable. A key component of this growth is colocation, which enables multiple clients to store their servers and networking hardware in shared, third-party data centres. This approach is rapidly gaining traction across the continent.

Before the internet, businesses tended to operate in smaller areas and in a very siloed manner. Today, however, there is a global online economy, and the geographical boundaries that limited business operation areas have fallen away. The ease of access to information has become critical to successful operations, and the ability to leverage data has become a point of competitive differentiation.

As the world becomes increasingly focused on environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives, IT departments are actively driving sustainability efforts. According to Enterprise Strategy Group research, a significant majority (93%) of IT decision makers consider a supplier's ESG programme when making IT purchasing decisions.

Standardisation expert provides insight that could go a long way in driving efficacy as cybercriminals target South African organisations. South Africa has become a fertile hunting ground for international cybercriminals.

The global economy is facing challenges on many fronts, with inflation and recession becoming the words of the day. As a result, budgets that are always tight (like IT) are under even more scrutiny than before. Any unnecessary spending needs to be curtailed, for obvious reasons, but does data management fall into this category?

Storing data in the cloud is generally smart, and many organisations are already doing so, often without realising it. Enormous amounts of information reside in cloud-powered services such as Office365, Google Workspace, Dropbox, OneDrive, Slack and so on. If a business uses some type of Software-as-a-Service product, some of its data is already in cloud storage.

There’s no doubt that the rise of our digital landscape has resulted in some incredible tools for businesses. These have opened global marketplaces to even small enterprises and made actionable data analysis more accessible. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning software continue to improve data integrity and efficiency.

There is no greater threat to South African businesses than load shedding. It is that simple and that stark. It touches every aspect of us as a nation, as a people and as industries attempting to stabilise and grow the country. It is the most disruptive challenge of our generation.