What Does Next-generation IT Infrastructure Management Mean for the Channel?

As you’ve been going about your business working with IT and data center professionals, you may have encountered different types of “next-generation” IT infrastructure management solutions. So what does that mean to you both as a technology and a resource to drive new opportunities for your business?

Connectivity and data continue to transform the way that industries work, how companies interact, and how people live. Data centers, server rooms, and IT closets all play a critical role in making this happen. But as the world looks for more assured accessibility and security, it’s time for the market to innovate and leverage the very data it has been responsible for creating, storing, and transmitting in order to deliver greater reliability and efficiency.

One such innovation is cloud-based IT infrastructure management platforms. It is composed of an integrated set of hardware and software solutions, some new and some already well established, to enable the optimization of the IT layer. This vendor neutral next-generation platform achieves this by simplifying, monitoring and servicing all connected physical infrastructure equipment which supports IT  in any sized facility, from edge installations to major enterprises.

A typical next-generation platform installation works by connecting physical infrastructure to the cloud using a secure and encrypted gateway. This enables connected equipment to be monitored, data outputs to be analyzed, and actionable information and alerts provided to the user via their smartphone or device. Next-generation IT infrastructure management promises the team managing IT and physical infrastructure real-time operational visibility, awareness of alarms, and reduced resolution time when troubleshooting.

There is already a huge installed base of intelligent equipment in data centers and distributed environments around the globe. Some of it is already cloud connected, and the resulting data lake is being supplemented and enhanced by customers connecting over a thousand new devices each and every day. As a result, data scientists are already able to provide all sorts of new insights to help you to improve the reliability and efficiency of your customer’s critical facilities.

The cloud-based IT infrastructure management platform provides a secure monitoring service which covers everything in the data center as well as distributed environments. As soon as your customer connects equipment to it, it will naturally lead to increased intimacy because you will be able to have a more in-depth and knowledgeable conversation about their complete IT system including the infrastructure that supports it.

This next-generation platform is also the basis for you to provide smarter and more proactive services to your customer. As you partner with your customer and vendors to create Certainty in a Connected World and build a foundation of trust in these relationships, you will also have a better platform for innovation and skills development. The more your business is embedded and interwoven with the fabric of your customers’ business, the more crucial you’ll become to their team.

Since next-generation IT infrastructure management is often connected to both cloud and edge computing solutions, you might also want to learn more about, “Why Cloud Computing is Requiring us to Rethink Resiliency at the Edge.” Download White Paper 256 to reveal how edge computing addresses latency and bandwidth demands to ensure your customers remain connected to their business-critical applications.