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Availability is non-negotiable

Simnikiwe Mzekandaba
By Simnikiwe Mzekandaba, IT in government editor
New Orleans, Louisiana, 17 May 2017
Veeam co-CEO and president Peter McKay.
Veeam co-CEO and president Peter McKay.

In today's age, users expect a digital life experience with access to their applications, data and services whether they are home or at work or whenever they want it.

This is the word from Veeam Software co-CEO and president, Peter McKay.

Digital transformation, the change associated with the application of digital technology in all aspects of social society, is now CEOs' top priority, he said.

"Availability is 24/7, 365 days. Availability today is a must-have for CEOs in digital transformation success."

In April, Veeam released its 2017 Software Availability Report, which revealed the cost of unplanned service downtown for businesses. Each of the enterprises surveyed lost an average of $21.8 million a year.

This was up from last year's $16 million and represents a cost increase of 36% year-on-year, according to the company.

McKay delivered these comments on availability as part of a VeeamON 2017 keynote address on how businesses can embrace the future.

According to him, it is the best of times for companies that are the most agile and adaptive.

Meanwhile, it is potentially the worst of times for those companies that fail to adapt or change because these companies will become irrelevant to the customers of the future, he said.

Even companies like General Electric (GE) understand that speed and magnitude of change is critical, he stated.

"Today, especially for companies like GE, it is becoming more about machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of things, blockchain, and so forth. These are all the things we are hearing about more and more; these are huge disruptors in the market but also opportunities."

McKay added it is imperative for companies to take advantage of the disruption that has characterised the direction of the industry.

Veeam, which claims to be the pioneer of always-on solutions, says it protects 13.9 million servers and has 47 000 service provider partners.

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