Bytes Systems Integration has announced its participation in the Imagine Virtually Anything (IVA) initiative, in terms of which it has partnered with Cisco, NetApp and VMware to fulfil the promise of a virtualised dynamic data centre.
IVA provides a shared, unified architecture that is the foundation for cloud computing and the realisation of IT as a service. Together, the companies provide integrated products, solutions and services to give effect to this vision.
“Virtualisation has led to the transformation of data centres,” says Patrick Hastings, divisional MD, Advanced Technology Services at Bytes Systems Integration. “IVA allows customers to respond faster to changing business requirements, and reduce their overall data centre costs.”
IVA presents customers with:
* One virtualisation platform
* One consolidated server infrastructure
* One converged data centre fabric
* One unified storage architecture
* One data centre infrastructure to manage
* One common shared dynamic infrastructure
“CIOs today are faced with a number of challenges,” says Hastings. “They have to do more with less, with more than two thirds of their budgets allocated to simply keeping the lights on. This dramatically limits their scope for innovation. Despite this, they need to adapt quickly to business changes. They typically lack a future-driven architecture, along with the associated skills. Given the pressure to go green, they have severe power, cooling and space constraints, and the fact that they must deal with multiple vendors delays problem resolution.”
New-generation data centres will be inclined towards IT as a service, adds Hastings. “We have moved from delivering a vertical point solution to a horizontal infrastructure, which fulfils a business need and can expand or contract as required.”
In terms of the partnership, VMware delivers the virtualised operating infrastructure; Cisco the unified server infrastructure and fabric; NetApp the storage layer; and Bytes Systems Integration the skills required to make it all work.
“As a preferred partner for Cisco, NetApp, and VMware, we have deep expertise across all technologies and can provide complete assessment, design, and implementation services,” says Hastings.
One of the early success stories regarding the new, virtualised approach is of Tucson, Arizona-based Tucson Electric Power, which reduced its server base from 300 to 80. In the process, it saved $3 million in server/storage hardware, quadrupled storage capacity without increasing headcount, avoided $1.1 million in labour costs by simplifying management, and reduced restore time from two days to 10 minutes.
“It is this kind of success story that has caught the imagination of South African companies,” Hastings reports. “We have had a terrific reception to Imagine Virtually Anything and we expect it to take off rapidly.”
Share