A new survey results from Crossbeam identify network security as the number one reason IT organisations are stalled in their efforts to transition to cost- and energy-efficient Next Generation Data Centres (NGDCs). The survey polled 529 IT professionals within large global enterprises and service provider organisations to understand how far along they are in transitioning traditional data centres to the NGDC model.
NGDCs are an evolution of the data centre in which virtualisation and other technologies are deployed to create an environment that is more dynamic, efficient and flexible, allowing organisations to easily scale and respond to changing business requirements. However, according to survey findings, among the three main technology areas of the data centre – application servers, storage infrastructure and network security – network security has not only become the greatest obstacle to the NGDC evolution, it is bringing many NGDC efforts to a halt.
According to the findings:
• 94 per cent of respondents cite network security as the top reason why NGDC deployments are stalled, with virtually no progress anticipated in the next 12-18 months.
• More than 40 per cent of respondents say that network security is the biggest obstacle to the successful deployment of NGDCs. This is compared to storage and application servers, which received merely 15 per cent and 14 per cent of the responses respectively.
The survey research note, a copy of which can be downloaded here, explains a key driver behind this problem is that network security technology remains mired in a “last generation data centre” approach, due largely to a lack of understanding of how to virtualise network security infrastructure as well as budgetary constraints.
“Organisations need to adopt a virtualisation strategy that enables network security infrastructure to be as dynamic as the rest of the environment, or they will wind up with many of the same cost and complexity problems that plague traditional data centres,” said Michelle Bailey, research vice president for IDC’s Enterprise Platforms and Datacentre Trends. “While virtualising network security is still a relatively new concept, it is clear that IT organisations need to be making investments in the right expertise and technologies if they want to avoid repeating the security mistakes of the past.”
“For all the documented efficiencies and green benefits of the NGDC, virtualised environments are much more fluid by nature, which opens the potential for threats due to the ease with which applications and data can be moved around,” said Jim Freeze, chief marketing officer of Crossbeam. “IT organisations realise that bringing network security into the NGDC must be a priority. Yet the survey results reveal a troubling lack of progress.”
To learn more about Next Generation Data Centres and to download a copy of the survey research note, please visit http://www.crossbeam.com/solutions/next-generation-data-cent....
Brian Robertson, Crossbeam’s product marketing manager, discusses the research findings in his blog titled Survey Results: Crossbeam Customers Closer to their Security Vision in the Next Generation Data Centre.
To register for one of Crossbeam’s upcoming NGDC Summits worldwide, visit http://www.crossbeam.com/ngdc-road-show/.
FACTFILE:
Crossbeam Systems®, Inc. offers a proven approach to deploying network security that meets the extreme performance, scalability and reliability demands of large enterprises, service providers and government agencies. Its leading X-Series security platform offers an open, high-performance architecture that easily provisions and scales multiple best-in-class security applications to meet the ever-changing threat landscape. Companies rely on Crossbeam to intelligently manage risk, accelerate and maintain compliance, and protect their businesses from evolving threats. Crossbeam is headquartered in Boxborough, Mass., and has offices in Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. More information is available at http://www.crossbeam.com.
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