Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 70 | Page 40

CIO OPINION
# 3 Pay-for-use resources make variable workloads less challenging
It ’ s common for companies to have workload variability . For example , some workloads will follow a daily work schedule like virtual desktop infrastructure ( VDI ), HR systems and identity access and management systems , which are used most during employee working hours . On the other hand , log processing tends to happen at night when employees are offline .
Another variable workload is cyclical utilisation , where systems recognise trends around weekly , monthly or yearly cycles . For example , accounting and sales systems have heavy loads at the end of each month , quarter and fiscal year . These workloads can be highly utilised , straining resources during their critical cycle time . only for the resources used makes it more effective to run variable workloads while optimising infrastructure utilisation . It takes the guesswork out of planning and reduces the risk of being wrong .
# 4 When IT is agile , so is the business
IT teams are no strangers to the ‘ do more with less ’ game . It can be painful for teams who spend precious resources only to keep systems up and running . Managed services help IT free up resources to innovate and work on new projects that benefit customers , like improving SLAs and increasing SLOs . With Infrastructure- As-a-Service ( IaaS ), IT can minimise environmental impact , meaning that IT teams don ’ t have to deal with decommissioning old hardware as the service provider owns the hardware .
In both cases , average utilisation is often well below ideal . Adopting an As-a-Service model and paying
Just as we see advancements like restaurants implementing QR codes for menus and payment as well as hospitals offering more telehealth options , so companies must address the challenge of increasing infrastructure complexity .
Having the ability to accurately map computing resources to projects helps eliminate much of the routine ‘ keep the lights on ’ work IT experiences and makes it easier to scale teams . Businesses are increasingly looking at expanding As-a-Service adoption to focus on what matters most for their business : delivering business outcomes and value to customers .
It ’ s safe to say that the As-a-Service model is the future of the modern enterprise . The four benefits outlined above are just a preview of what ’ s achievable when taking an OPEX versus a CAPEX approach to IT . We will continue to see increased adoption of IaaS in business strategies over the next decade as companies build flexibility and identify opportunities for innovation in their businesses . p
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