First software-as-a-service, then security-as-a-service, now infrastructure- as-a-service (IaaS)-will all future solutions be based on this service-driven model?
Yes, the industry is moving towards an environment of offering all solutions as a service. Take the example of cloud computing. It is a repository of services where you are able to tap into that cloud for a service that you require for your business. And this model makes sense as more than 50 percent of the traditional data centers are under-optimized, high wired and have dispersed physical infrastruc­ture due to a sprawl of servers.

Aman Dokania VP & GM-Infrastructure Software, HP APAC

business is moving towards the direction where all network related solutions will soon be offered as services. This is why Dokania is trying to drum up interest amongst Indian sps about HP's Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) strategy

So how will this environment change?
Customer needs will change it. That's driving the data center transformation into next-generation data center (NGDC). This means that you create a modular system, which is flexible, scalable, virtualized and automated. It is a convergence of technologies where irrespective of whether you are running a mission-critical application or a front end one, they all sit on the same system.

Can you explain that with an example?
Imagine a banking institution is starting a new office in a different country. That bank will require IT support.

Traditionally, customers would have to understand the IT requirement and how much physical server does that translate to. It most likely has to place the order and then wait for the server to be shipped and approved, which then needs to be provisioned and run. This can take months.

Now with a virtualized environment and the right software like the HP Insight Orchestration, the same customer can create a template mentioning the various parameters and SLA requirements. The software will then inform the user about the pool of resources he needs, and the current availability and areas from where he can drive that availability. He can then publish that template as a best practise.

While you are creating that template it will also tell you the cost of deploying that service to let's say your bank in Indonesia. So the CTO can now bill that service to that new bank.

Isn't it similar to the managed services model?
Yes it is but, what you are doing in IaaS is that your internal IT can do it easily as it's not a very sophisticated solution. So it's making the concept of IaaS easier as the fundamental building blocks are in place. It's an integrated architecture with mission-critical and x86 applications all sitting together with an attached storage, with virtualization and automa­tion on top. There is also a service portal.

Do you have a ready blueprint of the channel strategy to drive IaaS?
We are working jointly with virtualiza­tion vendors like Citrix, VMware, and Microsoft etc to help partners establish a data center practice. We are also identifying and working with some select partners currently where we educate them that the opportunity lies in not looking at virtualization as selling few licenses, but on how to initiate a data center practice.

Vinita Bhatia
(vinitavs@cybermedia.co.in)

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