IBM Systems Magazine Mainframe Demo - (Page 10)

Trends Industry signals to keep you in the know More Than Marketing IBM’s Information Infrastructure announcement transcends simple hardware and software solutions By Jim Utsler N ot long ago, storage seemed a simple proposition: Data came in and hit a hard drive. Users viewed it in databases or spreadsheets. Then administrators backed it up to tape. And then—all too often—it was never used again. Things have changed over the past few years, with some information-based products becoming “almost a form of currency,” according to Mike Barton, offering manager, IBM Systems and Technology Group. This is because many companies now understand their information assets can generate revenue and supply crucial input to everyday operations and planning. Now, for many companies to survive—especially in tough economic times—they must collect every scrap of data they can get their hands on and turn it into actionable information. But with the amount of data growing so rapidly, it can be difficult for companies to get a handle on things. A January 2007 study by IT consulting firm Accenture (accenture.tekgroup.com/article_display.cfm? article_id=4484) found while many managers spent up to two hours a day looking for information, more than half of that data had no value to them. Additionally, 59 percent of the study’s respondents said poor information distribution kept them from finding what they needed. Because of these and other data issues, solution providers are continuously releasing new storage devices designed to make it easier for companies to gather, store and retrieve data. But devices are only part of the solution. Companies must be able to work with vendors to avoid the problems Accenture’s survey shows managers are experiencing. That’s why IBM is taking a different approach. Rather than simply putting more storage devices on the market and expecting customers to pick the solution they need, IBM has launched its Information Infrastructure program, which is part of and builds on the larger New Enterprise Data Center vision. Thanks to a heavy investment in not only technology, but also reseller training, the company is making it much easier for customers to do business with IBM and make the most of their information investment. In the near future—thanks to programs such as Information Infrastructure—data will become more readily accessible and therefore usable, giving IBM customers a leg up when it comes to turning information into action—and keeping that information secure, available, protected and compliant. Storage Trends According to Barton, Sept. 8 saw the “largest storagerelated launch that the world has ever seen, and that’s because customers really need to scale out their data centers to deal with what’s at hand and what’s coming.” W hat’s at hand and what’s coming are v ital. Four pressures drive the need for improved storage technologies, software and ser vices: increasing information-availability requirements, privacy regulations and security threats, compliance regulations, and growing data-retention requirements. As noted, even when a company has the data it needs, that information can sometimes be hard to locate. In fact, according to the Accenture study, 42 percent of managers use the wrong data at lease once a week while making business decisions. 10 ibmsystemsmag.com/mainframe http://accenture.tekgroup.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=4484 http://accenture.tekgroup.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=4484 http://www.ibmsystemsmag.com/mainframe

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IBM Systems Magazine Mainframe Demo

IBM Systems Magazine Mainframe Demo
Contents
Editor's Desk
Trends
Focus on Storage
Mid-Size Iron
Welcome to Storage 2.0
Tech Corner
Stop Run

IBM Systems Magazine Mainframe Demo

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