Customers' need will be the driver for the growth in IaaS

First software-as-a-service, then security-as-a-service, now
infrastructure- as-a-service (IaaS)-will all future solutions be based on this
service-driven model?

Yes, the industry is moving towards an environment where offering all kinds
of solution is a trend now. Take the example of cloud computing. It is a
repository of services where you are able to tap into that cloud for a service
that you require for your business. And this model makes sense as more than 50
percent of the traditional data centers are under-optimized, high wired and have
dispersed physical infrastructure due to a sprawl of servers.

Aman Dokania VP & GM-Infrastructure Software, HP APAC

So how will this environment change?

Customer needs will change it. That's driving the data center transformation
into next-generation data center (NGDC). This means that you create a modular
system, which is flexible, scalable, virtualized and automated. It is a
convergence of technologies where irrespective of whether you are running a
mission-critical application or a front end one, they all sit on the same
system.

Can you explain that with an example?

Imagine a banking institution is starting a new office in a different
country. That bank will require IT support.

Traditionally, customers would have to understand the IT requirement. Most
likely it has to place the order and then wait for the server to be shipped and
approved, which then needs to be provisioned and run. This can take months.Now
with a virtualized environment and the right software like the HP Insight
Orchestration, the same customer can create a template mentioning the various
parameters and SLA requirements.

Do you have a ready blueprint of the channel strategy to drive IaaS?

We are working jointly with virtualization vendors like Citrix, VMware, and
Microsoft etc to help partners establish a data center practice. We are also
identifying and working with some select partners currently where we educate
them. We also emphasize on looking at virtulization not looking at it as selling
few licences but on how to initiate a data center practice.

Vinita Bhatia

vinitavs@cybermedia.co.in