Digital Transformation: A Data Proposition for Healthcare and O&G

Enterprises are realizing that the resources (both time and money) it takes to operate their own data center is no longer the most efficient or cost effective way of managing their data. While some enterprises can’t quite part with the feeling of control that comes with owning and operating your own data center, others are realizing that finding the right partner can save time, money, and result in more effective IT strategy in general.

Bottom line cost and man hours are only one part of the equation. Just as frequently, advanced expertise is needed to identify and properly deploy the diverse array of products and services that are now available to enterprise data center customers. Meanwhile, the cost of owning and operating your own data center isn’t getting any cheaper.

Gartner recently released a report that suggests in no uncertain terms that enterprises’ shift to cloud will continue full steam ahead. The firm predicts that in the next five years, upwards of $1 trillion will be impacted, either as a direct or indirect result of cloud services. That’s likely to be about half of all IT spending by 2020.

Healthcare is one industry where digital transformation is happening thick and fast. In the healthcare field, automation began simply, with functions such as accounting and payroll. It is quickly growing more complex, potentially giving doctors mobile access to more insightful data. Tomorrow, the cloud could be facilitating advanced procedures such as remote surgeries on a large scale. For healthcare organizations, it’s a process, but as patients get used to the idea of digital being a key part of their healthcare, organizations can start to use those services as a competitive advantage.

Reliability, security, and compliance are three critical deliverables for IT in the healthcare industry. Digital Realty’s record of 99.999% and its approach to security strongly deliver on the key concerns of healthcare organizations.

The same can be said for other industries such as Oil & Gas (O&G). Because much of the work done in the oil field is now automated and/or digitally managed, digital downtime is now just as detrimental, if not more so, than rig non-productive time.

Transitioning to a digital oilfield is inevitable in order to establish a connected enterprise and drive innovation. The ongoing transformation of the oil field is dependent on new technologies, including mobile devices and the cloud. Just as cloud has helped transform other industries, such as banking and telecom, it is now helping O&G companies by providing an alternative to traditional on premise infrastructure and eliminating the need for a major capital investment to design and maintain a physical data-storage infrastructure.

What many of these cloud-migrating enterprises are realizing is that it’s not simply about storing data in the cloud, but about future-proofing their IT strategies to ensure future growth and scalability without ever compromising on support. It’s also about having the organization more prepared to take that next leap forward into “next-generation IT solutions such as the Internet of Things”, as noted by Ed Anderson, research vice president at Gartner. Instead of keeping your IT staff bogged down with the day-to-day operations of a dedicated data center, they can set their sights on what truly makes the organization competitive.

The cloud not only provides a technical advantage to enterprises in these kinds of industries, but a practical one, as well. Forbes reported that companies lagging behind on digital transformation risk losing their leadership, and likely their standing in the market as a result. Similarly, a recent report from BetterCloud and 451 Research indicates that migrating to the cloud is a boon for IT teams, making them able to focus on innovation and improving their knowledge around cloud services

Do you know what an hour of downtime costs your organization? Can your IT strategy keep up with evolving technology and your changing business requirements? The cloud is waiting for you. Learn about how to avoid negative impact to your bottom line, how a Digital Realty cloud environment can put you front and center on the road to digital transformation, and more when you download this free case study.