Dell Technologies World: The future is hybrid everything

SHI’s team of data center, cloud, and infrastructure experts were boots-on-the-ground at this year’s Dell Technologies World (DTW) event in Las Vegas, where Dell laid out their vision for the future of IT. The key takeaway from this three-day event was clear – the digital workplace of tomorrow will focus on creating great experiences through responsive infrastructure, multipurpose edge computing, and new, sustainable practices.

The operating word of that vision is experience. To accommodate a hybrid everything future, workplaces will need to shift their focus from user productivity to fostering great user experiences. That means deploying technology that works with and for the user.

“DTW reinforced a lot of the trends that are hot in the industry right now. Multi-cloud, edge computing, sustainability, security, and customer experience are huge, and we got to see first-hand how Dell means to innovate in all these areas,” said Elisabeth Hauser, SHI’s Senior Strategic Partner Campaign Program Manager for Infrastructure.

Let’s discuss how multi-cloud infrastructure, edge computing, and sustainability will impact the way organizations operate and how teams and users can succeed in a hybrid everything future.

The multi-cloud future

Multi-cloud infrastructure was a recurring theme throughout DTW, as attendees learned how leveraging multiple clouds can help maintain full control of your organization’s data, and how hybrid cloud infrastructure helps modernize, protect, and scale your operations with ease.

Our own experts agree – the future is hybrid everything, supported by multi-cloud to transform the way we work and interact through responsive infrastructure.

But to achieve this, your organization needs to strategize what infrastructure and applications are best-fitted for your needs. SHI’s Hybrid Cloud Engineer Paul Woodward states, “One of the challenges I hear all the time from our customers is around data storage in a hybrid cloud world. Having multiple clouds can solve many problems, but without a proper strategy, it can create some as well. Dell’s Project Alpine aims to alleviate data mobility problems by abstracting block and file data to allow it to live in an on-premises data center and in a public cloud, and move freely across both.”

This also comes with Dell’s continued expansions to their Everything-as-a-Service offering, APEX. Organizations will need to reimagine how their services and solutions are deployed, with additions including Business-Outcomes-as-a-Service, Cloud-Experiences-as-a-Service, and on-prem extensions to data analytics.

If Everything-as-a-Service sounds overwhelming, then consider how optimizing your IT can reduce the burden of adopting new services. With help from optimization experts­, you can improve utilization and governance, reduce compliancy risks, and reclaim wasted spend across your software and license portfolio.

Innovation at the edge

The hybrid everything future is also a work-from-anywhere future. And for remote teams, your organization’s data center could be hundreds or even thousands of miles away from where they work. That’s why great user experiences will need to happen at the edge of your organization’s infrastructure.

Driven by improvements in technologies like 5G, AI, and IoT, DTW attendees saw how an intelligent edge will impact how the world works, lives, and creates. From helping retail businesses improve their store layouts, services, and inventory to improving athletes’ techniques with data-driven insights, innovations at the edge will unlock new ways for organizations to make informed, critical decisions while empowering individuals to work better, faster.

To fully realize the business value of the edge, you need on-demand access to technical guidance from real architects and engineers. That’s why SHI continues to invest in our Customer Innovation Center (CIC) – so businesses like yours can build out expert-driven proofs of concept for your short- and long-term goals and strategies.

Sustainable from the very beginning

Sustainability is an incredibly important factor in every business’ operations – so much so, that federal funds are available for clean, green initiatives in the public sector. To be truly sustainable, businesses need to consider the impact of their operations every step of the way.

At DTW, Dell revealed their philosophy for sustainable device manufacturing. Future end user devices will be designed from the ground up for reuse with longer support life and modular construction. This design will allow for easier part replacement and a significant reduction in materials, reducing the bloat for organizations, users, and landfills alike.

Ready for the hybrid everything future?

The keynotes, sessions, and showcases of Dell Technologies World have made clear their vision for the hybrid everything future. Remaining competitive and secure in the digital workplace of tomorrow means strategizing how you will adapt today.

SHI is a Dell Titanium Black partner, and we continue to make investments to ensure your organization is ready for the upcoming innovations in multi-cloud, edge computing, hybrid work, and sustainability. Read our guide on creating an effective data center transformation strategy or contact us today for expert insight from our digital transformation specialists.