The huge influx of data in recent years has caused a shift in priorities for business leaders looking to remain a leader in the data era. Tim Loake, VP, Infrastructure Solutions Group UK, Dell Technologies, discusses the trends that underscore how data users and consumers have changed and how organisations must adapt to stay relevant.
Data is the foundation of an intelligent business. But data, data consumers and the business expectations of data have changed. These shifting realities call for a higher level of data maturity and the right technologies to achieve better outcomes and digitally differentiate. As every organisation races to transform, five key shifts are converging in today’s data era:
1. Exponential growth of structured and unstructured data
Fuelled by an abundance of smart devices and IoT sensors, worldwide data creation has been soaring for over a decade. A study from IDC cites that from 2021-2025, new data creation will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23%, resulting in approximately 175 zettabytes (ZB) of data creation by 2025. To put this into context, a single zettabyte is equivalent to a trillion gigabytes. As Wikipedia describes it, ‘a zettabyte is so large that it would take about a million supercomputers (or a billion powerful home computers) to store this amount of data’. Additionally, more data forms – including unstructured and streaming data types like loose files, PDFs, photos, audio and video clips – are growing at an unprecedented rate and organisations are finding it hard to extract value from the data they’re collecting. The same IDC report states that 80% of worldwide data will be unstructured by 2025.
Finding a solution for managing unstructured data has been a challenge. Next-generation applications that could handle rapidly growing unstructured data typically require the extreme performance of all-flash storage. Still, budget pressures have made it hard for organisations to commit to the new investments that these powerful systems require. Businesses will need powerful scale-out file storage solutions that are easy to scale and use, no matter how much unstructured data your environment must manage.
2. Emerging technologies are sparking a new era of intelligence at scale
Edge Computing, 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) transform how data is collected, processed and used. For the first time in history, we’re meeting the explosion of data with intelligent infrastructure, software and algorithms to turn it into actionable information rapidly. We can use this data to create new value and drive better user experiences at the edge. There’s a symbiotic relationship between the advanced, connected technologies being deployed in the digital economy and the wealth of new data waiting to be uncovered. Likewise, there’s a symbiosis between success with Edge technologies and data management.
By enabling organisations to act on data near the source, Edge technology can both improve efficiency and help create new experiences. Coupled with AI, the Edge will change how machines share and react to data – and this is where businesses will find the opportunities to create new value.
3. Decentralised data
The adoption of emerging technologies leads to more distributed locations where data originates. As data’s centre of gravity moves towards the Edge, data is increasingly being stored, processed and acted on closer to its source. But as more functions occur at the Edge, you must manage data differently and consistently – from the core to across Edge and hybrid clouds. That requires changes to your compute, network, storage and application architectures, as well as a keen eye on security.
4. Rising consumer expectations
Today’s consumers are more empowered than ever, demanding more data-rich, personalised, real-time experiences. In the past, you could take days to develop new data insights, but today that’s far too long. The increasing reliance on AI and ML to make real-time decisions in a distributed environment can strain even the most advanced data management strategies. Most organisations don’t have the IT capabilities to keep up; their data management is only fit for an outdated world where insights and outcomes can be delivered in hours or days. To be able to turn data into insights rapidly, organisations must evolve their expectations and data processing capabilities.
5. Data breaches vs. regulatory environment
Cybersecurity threats are more sophisticated and data breaches are skyrocketing. Consequently, the regulatory environment is evolving fast in the UK, with the new Data Protection and Digital Information Bill on the parliament’s agenda.
As more data is collected, stored and processed in multiple locations, the attack surface for malicious activity also grows, making compliance with international data laws and regulations more complex. In addition, customers want to do business with organisations they can trust with their data. These trends underscore how data users and consumers have changed and how organisations adapt to stay relevant.
In the new data era, simply being digital is no longer a differentiator
According to the Dell Technologies Digital Transformation Index, 94% of UK businesses agree that extracting valuable insights from data will be more critical for their business than ever. Although the importance of extracting actionable insights from data is evident, organisations often lack confidence in their data integrity.
Today we have zettabytes of data at our fingertips every second and intelligent compute infrastructure, software and algorithms to rapidly turn that data into meaningful insights. With such a tremendous influx of data, it is critical to be business-ready faster, accelerating data movement across the multi-cloud landscape – turning insights into actions and driving speedy outcomes. Now more than ever, organisations need to rethink data management with the new data regulations debated in parliament as we speak. This is especially important if they are to become an intelligent business with a leadership position in the data era.
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