In sometimes not-so-quiet management meetings, amid discussions of future forecasts and budgets, today’s IT leadership faces a puzzling issue. There’s a growing demand for more scalable, cost-efficient solutions across their IT strategy. And it’s a constant challenge to balance cost, reliability and performance.
For some IT teams, the path forward seems clear. Focus on a cloud-first strategy and reap the benefits of modernization, innovation and increased flexibility. However, this doesn’t always come to fruition for edge computing environments or small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
Recent market shifts have revealed that a cloud-first strategy may not always be the panacea it once appeared to be. Rising costs and underwhelming performance can quickly make the benefits seem elusive. IT teams often find themselves grappling with justifying the escalating expenses in leadership meetings, with even the CEO left perplexed by the disconnect between anticipated and actual outcomes.
Broadcom, The Market Shift, and SMBs
In November 2023, Broadcom completed its acquisition of VMware, a move that sent significant ripples through its customer base, particularly among VMware vSphere users.
The acquisition has sparked widespread concern due to anticipated changes in pricing structures, support services, and product direction. The uncertainty has been enough to drum up lively discussions about finding alternatives. Businesses want more control and scalability while avoiding the possibility of skyrocketing fees for cloud services.
This dilemma is particularly acute for edge environments and SMBs with modest budgets, where cost-efficiency is paramount. But now, hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) has emerged as a leading solution.
The Popularity of Hyperconverged Infrastructure: Explained
HCI combines computing, networking and storage resources into a single, streamlined virtualized datacenter environment.
IT leadership has realized that by integrating HCI into their IT ecosystems, they can effectively streamline data management and processing, enhance operational agility, and achieve greater responsiveness in operational workflows. HCI solutions allow them to transform their increasingly complex IT strategy with a radically simple, straightforward, all-in-one software-based solution – a breath of fresh air for the stuffy, cloud-first boardroom.
And they’re not the only IT teams to recognize this transformative shift.
Today’s market is constantly changing. An increasing number of SMBs and edge computing customers are moving towards HCI. It’s predicted that the 30% of non-VMware full-stack HCI installed base that exists in 2024 will increase to 60% by 2029, and HCI vendors are expanding their capabilities to create more robust solutions, in line with its growth and popularity.
Additionally, there seems to be a growing trend away from cloud-first strategies. Even in enterprise-size businesses, 75% of data will be created and processed outside traditional datacenters or the cloud by 2025. For companies of all shapes and sizes, moving to HCI isn’t just an IT transformation, it’s a future-thinking strategic pivot.
Reshaping SMB and Edge IT Strategies with HCI
By integrating storage, computing and networking into a single system, HCI eliminates the need for costly, complex infrastructures. Storage virtualization removes the boundaries of physical storage and enables everything to run together, smoothly.
Additionally, HCI can integrate with existing systems too. Businesses don’t need to completely eliminate their existing IT infrastructure to welcome in something new, unlike many cloud solutions. It offers the advantages of a cloud solution but without the costs and reliance on a significantly new network architecture. For SMBs and edge IT leaders operating across multiple or remote locations, this simplicity translates into tangible cost efficiencies, streamlined operations and a big sigh of relief!
HCI offers an additional layer of scalability, too. Most SMB and edge executives are busily tapping their chins, thinking of new strategies for growth. All too often, navigating IT transformative can stand in their way. A complex process that almost always exceeds its project completion date, major changes to IT strategies can be seen as a hindrance, not helpful.
As a software-only solution, HCI is straightforward to customize or scale up if needed – enabling businesses to accelerate growth and keep leadership teams not only satisfied but actively approving and engaged with their IT infrastructure. Now that’s likely to get an IT team the nod of approval.
What Does the Future Hold for Your IT Strategy?
As we look ahead, hyperconverged infrastructure represents a strategic choice, rather than just a technical one. One of its key strengths is its simplicity in a world of cloud complexity, ensuring that businesses move towards a more streamlined environment. As data increasingly moves beyond traditional datacenters and the cloud, HCI is a clear path to future-proof IT strategies. Embracing HCI isn’t just about adapting to the present; it’s an opportunity to pivot and move towards an efficient and radically simple future.
