Data growth increases need for digital infrastructure

21st May 2021

By: Khutso Maphatsoe

journalist

     

Font size: - +

The significant proliferation of new-enterprise data that is being generated and processed outside of a data centre and cloud network requires digital infrastructure in multiple locations, says Lenovo Middle East and Africa Infrastructure Solutions Group GM Dr Chris Cooper.

“If you look at what's happened during the pandemic, cloud service providers have recorded huge growth in their business and in opportunities.

“All end-users have made a profligated move towards the cloud, partly because they could not gain access to their own infrastructure and not being able to upgrade it,” he says.  

End-users also need digital infrastructure to ensure that they stay connected and competitive in their markets.

This proliferation of connected devices will  impact many businesses and their employees alike. The rise in connected devices will mean that more data will be generated at the Edge, which highlights the need for Edge to Cloud and Edge to Core computing solutions to enable business continuity and resiliency, he notes.  

This digital revolution we are currently witnessing has the potential to disrupt every industry. Access to on-demand data and analysis will change every industry as we know it, including healthcare, aviation, banking et cetera. With this explosion of data and connected devices, all parties involved need to make sure they have the correct infrastructure in place to be able to interpret and analyse the data in order to take advantage of this digital transformation. This is where our mantra lies, when we say ‘Smarter Technology for All’. We are not only developing smarter technology for the sake of it, we are trying to really use technology and data to solve mankind’s greatest challenges, highlights Cooper.

He advises that the focus should not only be on the need for digital infrastructure but also the human aspect of empowering individuals in every organisation, as this will enable them to understand and access data for the better good.

“Every individual in organisations should not only understand data but have access to it and Lenovo believes that it’s important that everyone has access to data and leverages the value in it to make improvements - and this is across different industries, such as in healthcare, where it can be used to advance how the professionals in that industry assist patients.”

Consequently, companies will remain competitive once they realise the benefits of implementing this, Cooper notes.

“This will give organisations a great opportunity to learn and teach themselves to be more marketable in their industries and other industries, while having a positive impact on humans.

“This comes back to this underpinning circular economy – which is about doing things as efficiently as we possibly can and providing a more sustainable future,” says Copper.

We’re really trying to move  towards a  circular economy – trying to move towards a greener future. This is the way in which this digital revolution is playing out in a positive light, he concludes.

Edited by Zandile Mavuso
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Features

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION