Information Technology IT Business Strategic Plan: Look for secure network services to begin replacing internal enterprise applications.

---

The time has come for the enterprise to exit the datacenter

Hello again, Sun Inner Circle readers. Some of you may be aware that I've been raising more than a few eyebrows recently by claiming that IT as we know it may soon be a thing of the past. The days of customized applications, inefficient datacenters, large power bills, and a fruitless attempt to satisfy the limitless demand for an increasingly mobile workforce must evolve. The current model simply isn't sustainable.

Mother Nature hates inefficiencies, and most IT shops today are full of them. Applications are too complex and too expensive to maintain. Datacenters and servers run at only a fraction of their total capacity — unless there is a sudden spike in demand or month-end processing. All of this adds up to spiraling energy costs thanks to a new generation of IT-savvy consumers who expect service levels that drive most CIOs crazy.

Now, I'm not an alarmist by any means, IT won't disappear immediately, but the IT department of tomorrow must find a creative way to face these challenges. Trying to solve them with the same old thinking is a recipe for frustration and failure. Instead of trying to keep up, we need to think differently — by anticipating and planning for where the industry and our customers are headed.