Want to be a hybrid cloud winner? Secrets to XaaS Success

Imagine this: Your business is a dynamic player in your industry, approaching a major turning point. As you struggle with the limitations of traditional approaches, you recognize that you must embrace IT-as-a-Service to stay ahead, with the introduction of AI as a catalyst for change. result? Innovation across revenue operations, customer engagement, employee satisfaction, and seamless product development and delivery flows.

Welcome to a new era where incorporating AI into every aspect of your operations is a necessity, not an option. We find in this new IDC white paper sponsored by IBM that the shift to IT-as-a-service delivery is fundamental and scales strategic transformation of IT infrastructure to add more value to the business. In fact, IDC expects IT infrastructure-related spending to increase slightly by 4.5% compared to 2022, with infrastructure as a service (23%) leading the way, followed by software as a service (SaaS). , 8.4%) and IT services (3%).

In my last article, “Enabling innovation for today and tomorrow with a future-ready digital infrastructure,” I detailed how IBM helps clients make strategic architecture decisions to future-proof their businesses and create lasting value. . We deliver the possibilities with flexible, as-a-service solutions for custom workloads. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the four key essentials that IDC helped highlight in further detail.

1. Strengthen hybrid cloud strategy

A pivotal aspect of the modern IT environment combines the cost-effectiveness, scalability, privacy, and reliability benefits of both private and public clouds. In an IBM study, more than 77% of decision makers have adopted a hybrid cloud approach, but many are challenged by the complexity of making all cloud environments work together. A successful hybrid cloud strategy requires a unified control and management plane that enables automated deployment of applications across diverse environments, comprehensive observability, and improved cyber resiliency.

2. Build confidence in data protection

Data is the lifeblood of modern business, but its movement must be secure and compliant. An IDC study predicting the top drivers of enterprise storage spending growth in 2023 found “greater data protection requirements” to be the top driver chosen by IT decision makers. A unified platform allows organizations to leverage best-in-class cloud security and compliance technologies consistently across all environments.

3. Scale AI for better business performance and impact

AI has transitioned from a peripheral to a core business driver, requiring infrastructure optimized for high-performance AI workloads. Overcoming the challenges means addressing data collection bottlenecks, deploying hybrid cloud AI models, strong model protection with advanced encryption, and governance for trustworthiness. As you’ve seen recently, IBM and Meta recently launched the AI ​​Alliance, a group of leading organizations across industry, startups, academia, research, and government to support open innovation and open science in AI. This reinforces our commitment to creating opportunities everywhere to shape the evolution of AI in ways that better reflect the needs of businesses, and especially the needs of our society.

4. Accelerate IT on demand

The traditional perception of IT as an internal service provider is evolving. Modern IT organizations must transition to delivering IT on demand by providing a centralized control plane for hybrid cloud services that consume resources as needed. This approach optimizes your infrastructure for specific workloads, introduces new technologies seamlessly, and ensures agility and scalability.

The transition to XaaS and the road ahead

Think of your XaaS offering similarly to eating at your favorite restaurant. When you go out to eat, whether you’re with a loved one or catching up with an old friend, you’re there for the experience of dining out. You don’t have to worry about hosting, shopping for ingredients, cooking, or even cleaning. Instead, you pay for your meal and enjoy the convenience and experience of having someone else handle everything. This is what the “fit-for-purpose” model of XaaS aims to achieve. We handle the technical aspects, allowing organizations and IT leaders to focus on their core business activities and, most importantly, the clients they serve with a clear focus on their desired outcomes.

In this current environment, XaaS is emerging as a solution that can simplify operations, increase resilience, and accelerate digital transformation. According to IDC, 78% of IT organizations agree that XaaS offerings are a key part of their future strategy. Ultimately, the winners of this digital transformation journey will be those that modernize their IT environments and operating models and leverage insights from data to optimize workflows, automate productivity, and accelerate business outcomes. With a focus on XaaS and a comprehensive AI and data platform, IBM is poised to become a leader in this transformative era by providing organizations with the tools they need to succeed in an ever-changing digital environment. Delivering IT through a XaaS foundation allows you to leverage flexibility, speed, and ease of consumption with a results-driven focus. this It’s the future of our business.

Read our white paper on XaaS now.