HCI Helps Businesses Remain Competitive in the Digital Era – What to Know

Over the past few years, hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) has transformed from a possible trend to a central role in enterprise technology because companies have embraced hybrid cloud’s importance in the evolution of IT. That’s why they believe that the convergence of networking, storage, and computing units into a unified framework is the way to go for future successes.

Likewise, the quick maturity of this technology inspired other innovative businesses to explore the framework as well. Therefore, it’s no surprise that a recent report reveals that there is a steady rise in HCI implementation among businesses. Also, know that close to 80 per cent of the more prominent companies have started deploying HCI systems for mission-critical functions. This shift indicates that cloud computing and other related technologies are igniting the IT infrastructure’s transition from hardware to software.

Strengths and drivers of HCI

Hyper-converged infrastructure became a viable option because enterprises are looking for a simple and flexible system that can address the workload demands of the digital age. HCI removes the barriers that once divided computing and storage functions by joining them in one system. That fusion increases the speed of operational tasks that support the business’ needs.

While converged infrastructure combines hardware and software into a more manageable system, HCI takes it a step further by including the computing, storage, and networking resources into the single system. That unified infrastructure makes HCI easier to scale because IT managers can control all related facilities under one setup.

Aside from improving operational efficiency, HCI also dissolves the need for specialized experts for individual functions. Hyper-convergence is also easier to deploy because some vendors claim that deployment and configuration can take an hour, regardless of the approach that fits the enterprise best.

Likewise, companies can start with one or two nodes and expand their HCI as their operations grow. There’s no need for unnecessary upfront commitments, and businesses can scale the infrastructure based on their requirements.

Increased usage in the future

HCI’s simplicity and efficiency will entice companies to either embrace or expand their usage of the infrastructure. HCI’s potential for faster edge computing may persuade more hardware vendors to support the system to meet the demands of mining, retail, and manufacturing companies.

This is why a recent HCI analysis revealed that up to 20 percent of mission-critical applications on standard three-tier IT infrastructure would undergo migration to HCI platforms. Businesses, however, must absorb as much knowledge as possible before investing in this technology, even if it has been gaining traction recently. Educating themselves about HCI will help them gauge whether or not the innovation is appropriate for their company.

Aside from the cost, executives must consider lag time, vendor lock-in, and lack of expertise before embracing new technology. As HCI continues to mature, these concerns will evaporate until it’s evident that the unified computing, storage, and networking systems help perform their tasks better.

While HCI is gaining approval from more companies, it’s still early to tell if it is worth all the craze. However, its efficient and straightforward framework has the potential to answer the IT concerns of businesses that want to stay competitive in this digital age.