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When it comes to Internet connectivity in an organization, user expectations are sky high! Employees and guests, alike, expect fast, secure and highly available WLAN services the moment they step into office premises. To match this growing demand, several organizations have opted for subscription based Managed WLAN services.

Apart from easing business operations and enriching the corporate work culture, Managed WLAN services contribute directly to business productivity and profitability. To better illustrate the scope and benefits of an outsourced cloud based Wi-Fi setup we look at how an ITES enterprise can be transformed by managed WLAN services.

Challenges and Needs

In a large global company with thousands of employees spread across various regional offices in India, WLAN systems are complex projects that require dedicated management and support.

For an enterprise spanning vast geographies, the challenge is to provide secure and reliable Wi-Fi Internet access to users in all the regional office across the country. The enterprise would also require dependable connectivity at a desired bandwidth to ensure a certain speed for executing business critical functions.

What does a managed WLAN service provider bring to the table?

Managed WLAN services is so much more than providing access and managing corporate users, it’s a 360° process that starts right from the design phase – a team of Network experts study the organizational layout and its bandwidth requirements and design a WLAN plan based on their analysis.

The technology partner will then start the engineering and installation process. This includes –

• Installing an Internet link of required bandwidth, based on the number of users expected to access the Internet.
• Deployment of Wireless Access Points at all corporate branches, including cabling and PoE injectors/ switches.
• Configuration of wireless SSIDs.
• Building a customized corporate homepage with access control through user login.

Once the WLAN system is in place, the solution provider takes over the daily management and monitoring of the Wi-Fi ecosystem. This takes the form of –

• A cloud based centralized WLAN monitoring console to observe the network and detect, prevent and mitigate wireless attacks. The client is also able to gain 360° network visibility and user–level and application-level control.
• A centralized authentication system to provide network access based on users, devices type and location.
• A guest management portal to provide access to guests and temporary users.

How does Managed WLAN transform the corporate workplace?

After implementing a managed WLAN solution, the first and the most perceptible benefit is seamless and smooth connectivity for all users. Employees and guests alike can now bank on reliable wireless connectivity that can be accessed easily.

A managed WLAN service also frees up the core IT personnel from the daily operations of network management, giving them time to focus on areas of strategic business importance.

The network managers are also given complete network visibility and control. Along with being able to easily control the bandwidth and access, the managers are provided metrics and reports on Internet usage among employees or guests and performance and usage of applications.

In conclusion

From large global organization to SMEs, the rise of mobile usage and BYOD culture has changed the significance of Internet connectivity in a corporate setup. To provide secure, scalable and seamless Internet access, professional solution providers must be brought into the picture. The increase in productivity and efficiency that a fully managed WLAN system brings to an organization equals a positive Return on Investment.

For more than a decade, Sify has been successfully building and managing complex networks ecosystems across the globe. From commissioning the world’s largest MPLS network to leveraging cloud platforms for enhancing connectivity – Sify has the deep domain knowledge across the entire length and breadth of the network landscape. This experience gives us an in-depth understanding of what enterprises require from their networks and how they use them.

The rapid rise of new disruptive technology trends – cloud, social media and mobility –has added a new dimension to business operations. Connectivity is now the most critical factor for running a competitive business.

To get an enterprise-grade WLAN service for 100% secure and seamless connectivity, businesses need to outsource their WLAN design, installation and management to a professional technology partner. A fully managed Wi-Fi solution provides fast, easily accessible and secure wireless connectivity across the organization on a flexible subscription based payment models.

Here are the 5 key benefits of Managed Wi-Fi

Ease of Business

The first and the most noticeable benefit of outsourcing WLAN management is the hassle-free access to connectivity. The IT team no longer needs to deal with the stress of network downtime and constant demands for accessibility from users spread across the company.

The entire WLAN ecosystem is managed by the technology partner, who takes care of all the Wi-Fi requirements of the company – from analyzing enterprise requirements, designing and installing a customized WLAN system to day-to-day management and operations of the system.

Dynamic scalability

Managed WLAN services have the added advantage of being highly scalable. Organizations can rely on rapid provisioning and deployment of additional WLAN nodes to match sudden workload spikes.

Highly secure

Making your network open and accessible to a vast number of users and devices can lead to serious security gaps. A managed WLAN service offers a layered security structure – centralized authentication infrastructure to control access to the network, automatic tracking of all users and devices and wireless intrusion detection, prevention and mitigation.

Complete visibility

With a fully managed wireless network, companies gain an unprecedented level of visibility and control over the entire network. A cloud based centralized WLAN monitoring dashboard provides deep visibility of the entire WLAN infrastructure and provides application-level and user level control. Managers can control Wi-Fi usage by app category and make quick decisions with weekly or monthly reports.

Enhanced user experience

Outsourced wireless systems provide completely smooth and seamless connectivity for all users – from the employees to guests and visitors. Employees can now expect to walk into their office building and link instantaneously with the enterprise WLAN and guests are provided easy access within minutes – without compromising on security!

The last few years have seen the corporate work culture changing drastically. Employees no longer sit for hours in front of their desktops; mobile devices and laptops allow people to move freely and work from anywhere in the building. This dynamic work culture is perfect for enhancing teamwork and nurturing innovation and an enhanced WLAN ecosystem is an essential component of this new work environment.

For more than a decade, Sify has been successfully building and managing complex networks ecosystems across the globe. From commissioning the world’s largest MPLS network to leveraging cloud platforms for enhancing connectivity – Sify has the deep domain knowledge across the entire length and breadth of the network landscape. This experience gives us an in-depth understanding of what enterprises require from their networks and how they use them.

On July 1st, 2017, Indian businesses will enter a new economic era. The GST bill, India’s biggest tax reform since independence, will unify and simplify India’s complex tax system to bring transparency and reduce tax evasion and corruption.

While the new tax regime will have several benefits for businesses in the long run, the change over to GST compliant systems is keeping managers awake night after night.

ERP systems, in many organizations, are the foundation on which business applications are operated; the critical and non-critical functions of most departments are run on these applications. Hence the GST compliance of ERP systems is crucial and MUST be planned and implemented to meet the July 1st deadline.

Some key ERP areas impacted by the GST bill

Business process changes

The GST bill is bound to affect several departments and business processes; first and foremost, all tax related procedures will need to be aligned to GST rules. Some other processes that will need significant revisions are sales order, billing document, purchase order, goods receipt, vendor invoice, stock transfer and subcontracting.

Master data revision

The new GST requirements will need to be incorporated in the master data; changes to various master data, such as chart of accounts, vendor master, customer masters, etc will need to be made. Companies will be required to maintain a GST registration number for each registered customer and vendor.

Document numbering

Unique sequential numbering for outgoing GST invoices must be maintained.

GSTIN Registration

Companies will be required to register and obtain a GST identification number (GSTIN). The GSTIN will subsume the existing excise registration, service tax registration, and VAT registration.

The GSTIN registration number will suffice for all three types of GST taxes – CGST, SGST & IGST, however companies must have individual registration for each state.

Tax Procedures

Tax procedures will need to be changed completely to accommodate the new GST structure. Some specific GST based changes are – mandatory monthly tax returns, GST tax accounts to define CGST, SGST & IGST separately for both MM & SD, migration from TAXINJ to TAXINN for SAP ERP systems, input tax credit and opening of a Tax Register for reporting information such as inward and outward supplies.

Open transactions

There are bound to be several partially open transactions, which must be closed, reversed or migrated to the new system. In some cases, temporary provisions must be made to manage transactions that spillover after the GST rollout such as returns of goods sold or purchased before GST and returned after GST implementation, goods in transit during cutover activities, etc.

Upgrades and Patches

The ERP system must be evaluated to understand the need for upgrades or patches for GST compliance.

While companies like SAP are providing GST related support and software patches, it is up to each organization to define how its business processes and functions will adapt to the challenges thrown up by the GST rollout. The simplification of the tax structure and the monetary benefits of GST open new opportunities for businesses, but the first step to unlocking these benefits, is to be GST ready on July 1st.

Sify being a leading integrated ICT player in India and with services that cut across Data Center, Cloud, Network and Application and Technology Integration, we are uniquely placed to offer enterprises comprehensive IT services tailored to accelerate their growth.

When it comes to upgrading, migrating or changing your mission critical SAP environment to meet external changes – such as the GST bill implementation – our comprehensive SAP services suite backed by our expert SAP consultants and engineers and strong infrastructure DNA, ensures that your SAP environment complies seamlessly with the new regime.

We provide a one-stop shop for all SAP solutions to take care of your GST related SAP compliance challenges.

The days of spotty connectivity and Internet cables are far behind us; these days’ people expect instant connectivity – everywhere and all the time. And when it comes to a business setting, quick and easily accessible Wi-Fi connectivity is not just about ease of business, it has tangible benefits such as enhanced productivity, efficiency and teamwork.

In the past decade, the business WLAN scenario has changed completely; from managing a few access points (AP) to provide wireless hotspots for a small number of employees, office Wi-Fi is now expected to provide complete enterprise-wide coverage to hundreds and thousands of users.

Managed WLAN defined

To manage this new scale of wireless connectivity demand and to ensure that scores of employees, guests and users are provided instant and secure connectivity, enterprises need to rope in professional service providers to manage their Wireless LAN.

Cloud based Wi-Fi services is the way forward; the entire WLAN ecosystem is managed remotely by the service provider ensuring a secure, scalable and stress free Wi-Fi network.

A managed WLAN solution is more than just managing user access, it can comprise the entire lifecycle of WLAN – from designing, engineering and installing the wireless systems to managing the entire network. Cloud managed Wi-Fi uses a flexible subscription based payment model to deliver centralized management for authentication of users and network monitoring.

Why do businesses NEED to consider Managed WLAN services?

The massive upsurge in the use of smart mobile devices (currently there are over 2 billion smartphones worldwide) and the rise of BYOD (bring your own device) culture has resulted in a corresponding increase in the demand for connectivity. Wi-Fi Networks are now required to provide safe and fast connectivity to a growing number of diverse devices.

Add to this, the huge growth in Internet usage with social media and other web-based applications. Employees require more than just email access and expect high speed connectivity to be present always and on any device.

Gone are the days of providing a few wireless hot spots in the office, WLAN now needs to manage thousands of users, using a variety of devices, and deliver enterprise grade Internet connectivity to a multitude of business sites. The magnitude of Wi-Fi management is enough to tie up valuable in-house IT personnel daily. Outsourcing to a managed WLAN service provider removes the burden of the day-to-day WLAN operations and frees up the core IT team to concentrate on other business critical issues.

Whether you have a small office or a large enterprise spread over multiple locations, connectivity is critical for running a competitive business. A well-managed wireless ecosystem allows employees the freedom to move away from their desktops and to be flexible with their work environment; this, in turn, creates and fosters a more productive work culture.

For more than a decade, Sify has been successfully building and managing complex networks ecosystems across the globe. From commissioning the world’s largest MPLS network to leveraging cloud platforms for enhancing connectivity – Sify has the deep domain knowledge across the entire length and breadth of the network landscape. This experience gives us an in-depth understanding of what enterprises require from their networks and how they use them.

To stay ahead in the current hyper competitive business world, enterprises are under immense pressure to reach a new level of operational efficiency while being cost effective AND at the same time adopt and internalize a new customer centric business model. To adapt to this rapidly evolving business landscape, organizations are embracing digital transformation solutions.

To keep pace with the changing business needs and structures, enterprise networks must also be completely transformed. With the rise of globalization, growing demand for virtual workplace, BOYD culture, and Data Center virtualization, organizations NEED faster, 100% secure and highly reliable networks to run their business operations. A 360° WAN transformation ensures that Enterprise WAN systems are ready to take on the challenges coming their way.

As part of the ongoing WAN transformation series (link to blog landing page), we have discussed the basics of WAN transformation and the need for the transformation process (please link appropriately). But what exactly constitutes the WAN Transformation Process?

WAN transformation, first and foremost, integrates multiple service providers and disparate networks into a unified, centralized system and applies various cloud solutions to deliver enhanced network performance and enterprise-grade security along with significant cost benefits.

Key ingredients of the transformation process

WAN Consolidation

Network analysis, design and implementation form a key part of the WAN Transformation process. The technology partner conducts a complete and thorough analysis of the current network to identify areas of improvement.

All network connectivity gaps are filled by the partner’s MPLS network to ensure secure, reliable and scalable site-to-site connectivity to connect the remote branch offices of enterprises to the head office.  Managed Internet access services provide affordable, reliable and secure bandwidth to connect enterprise data, applications, customers, and employees.

A secondary backup network is also put in place to provide a fail safe in case the primary network connectivity is disrupted.

WAN Outsourcing

Based on the network analysis, appropriate outsourcing of WAN components and services is undertaken – some of the components are VPN over Broad Band, modems, and other CPE. The complete management of the entire network, including other 3^rd party BSO links and security is also outsourced to the technology partner.

Professional Services

The technology partner also provides a range of services to optimize the client’s network. Some of these services are network audit, network design including, designing the WAN, LAN, disaster recovery and Data Center, designing network security and complete network management.

Value Added Services

Depending on the requirements of the client and the existing state of the network, WAN transformation can also include several add-on services. The most important of these are customized network security solutions comprising managed DDoS, unified threat management with 24×7 proactive monitoring through NOC services and managed WiFi services.

The strength of the WAN transformation process lies in the fact that it recognizes that no two organizations have the same network requirements. Different business operations and challenges demand a personalized approach to WAN transformation; hence a carefully designed mix of network services aligned to the enterprise’s goals is the essence of successful WAN transformation.

As the most successful Enterprise WAN service provider in the country, we understand what businesses need from their WAN. We offer services that range from Data Center, network, cloud, application, and technology integration. Our decades of experience in building and managing complex network environments along with our network integration services make us the perfect partners for your WAN transformation journey.

Smart Cities and IOT are largely articulated buzzword in Digital transformation space. Digital transformation is good to have significant change towards betterment of human life style and “way of living”. Digital Transformation is broadly classified into exponential technology growth, Miniaturization, Virtualization and Linking Bio Technology with Information technology. The goal of digital transformation is towards the betterment of human life, one of the finest outcome of digital transformation is Smart City.  IoT devices are the building blocks for the smart city. Smart Cities are becoming a reality, more than 80 cities across the globe are projected to be smart by 2025.  Information Security plays a vital role in Smart City space towards safeguarding the higher levels of confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of the available services and automation process flow in the critical infrastructure, physical security, Transport, Telecommunication System, Government applications, Surveillance system and Inter connected alert mechanism.

IoT devices will obviously make your life easy, from your work place using your smart phone you can open your home door which is 40 Kms away from your geo coordinate. Even you can switch off your home AC, patrol your external sight of your home, get an alert if there is any smoke inside your home (Nest Labs). Even you can water your plant, weed your farm, plant your seed in your Farm house (Farmbot). Precise details about your heart beat zone, calories burn, your fitness information will be flashed in your smart phone screen with a help of a IoT band in your wrist. But there is a negative side too.

Albert Einstein had commented “Technology growth is like the axe in the hands of pathological criminal” Inorganic, uncontrolled technological growth without rationale will always paves way to the path of destruction. IOT and Smart city remains as Blue Ocean in terms of Business opportunity. The market remains untapped, New entrants, Start-ups are making floods of appliances and devices which are connected without a thought basis of Interconnections behind. Kaspersky Organization baptized IoT as “Internet of Crappy things”

IoT devices are evolving without inbuilt security architecture, If the manufacturer designs the security architecture in a chip form and embeds in the IOT the Price becomes unaffordable, due to the market needs and business drivers, IoT devices are incarnated without the security chips, remains affordable and highly Vulnerable. In addition, the IoT devices are not properly tested in security aspects.  A fitness band with lax security architecture in design will expose your personal, location and health related data to the internet world. An IoT Insulin pump and IoT pace maker security breach not only going to affect the confidentiality, but also affect the livability. Cherokee Jeep with a ECU OBD IoT devices had been hacked in United Kingdom and the cybercriminal taken the control of the Jeep and tried to crash the car. A Pace maker IoT device had been hacked and the hacker gained the access of IoT-pace maker and killed the victim. Those incidents triggers lexicographers to coin a new term Cyber-Killing.

Hence the IoT devices call for additional human security perspective along with information security perspective and proves the triadic CIA approach is not suffice.  Fourth factor of livability should be added to form CAIL quartet (Confidentiality, Availability, Integrity, Livability), Since Digital transformation is playing role to linking Bio technology and Information Technology. Stern information Security control must be mandated for the IoT devices, else it will cannibalize the human life.

IoT devices are the building block of the smart cities. driver less train (IoT train), Driver less Tram (IoT tram, Driver less Cars (IoT Cars), Fire Alert system, Fire Suppression system, Water Supply system, All mode of transportation, Government Integrated Applications, Street Lighting System, Transport Control, Crime detection system. Everything will be integral part of Smart cities. The weakness in the IoT devices sums up and endanger the human life, If it is not architected well in Human security and Information Security aspects.

The IoT technologies exposes new risk and attack vectors like IoT Security-Side-channel Attacks, this type of attacks focus less on the information rather it focuses more on how the information is presented. “The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it” Albert Einstein. Considering the challenges in this arena the IoT devices vendors, IoT Hardware manufactures, IoT Application developers must include Security   (Authentication, Authorization and Encryption technologies ) in their designing phase, and Security Testing framework for IOT devices must be introduced. Furthermore, IoT Security compliant assaying should be mandated for all IoT devices.

Let’s aspire to have the secure Smart cities built with well-Engineered IoT devices towards the objective of betterment in human way of living.

Cloud technology has completely shaken and redesigned the IT world and forever changed the way businesses are run. It’s no wonder then, that increasing cloud adoption is impacting Wide Area Networks as well.

Since the introduction of WAN, constant research has been carried out to find ways to improve it. Over the last decade, Internet content, applications, and users have grown exponentially and now with the advent of cloud computing, networks are made to handle ever-increasing amounts of traffic.

In this scenario, existing WAN optimization or WAN acceleration solutions are no longer enough to stay competitive; a completely new and innovative approach is required to harness cloud technology to reap the twin benefits of increased productivity and profitability. This is where service providers, like Sify, have integrated network and cloud services to create a new transformational approach to redesigning the existing WAN landscape – WAN Transformation.

WAN Transformation defined

WAN transformation can be defined as ‘the process of enabling organizations to transit from its widely disparate and hybrid networks to an integrated cloud-enabled networking platform, where new approaches powered by the cloud technology drives substantial business benefits.’

What is driving WAN Transformation?

Organizations are facing several challenges and difficulties with their current network landscape–operational complexity along with the pressure created by increased traffic has made the need for change, imperative.

The biggest problems that businesses face – dealing with multiple network providers for separate voice and data networks, keeping up with latest technological upgrades, minimizing the risk of technological obsolescence, plugging security gaps, keeping the network safe against the latest security threats and keeping control of infrastructure and operational costs– can be easily overcome by transforming into a fully managed cloud-enabled WAN system.

By transforming their Wide Area Networks, a business can access the next generation of WAN services – Anywhere to anywhere connectivity with a network that is application aware and supports all cloud-based applications – all backed by industry-leading SLAs!

Network and Connectivity will play a major role in turning today’s businesses into tomorrow’s global organizations. To make enterprises future ready, the next generation of WAN services is essential. WAN transformation leverages the power of the cloud to provide businesses with uninterrupted and high-performance connectivity with centralized management and control, creating a strong network to serve as a springboard for business growth.

 

As the most successful Enterprise WAN service provider in the country, we understand what businesses need from their WANs. We offer services that range from the Data Center, network, cloud, application, and technology integration. Our decades of experience in building and managing complex network environments along with our network integration services make us the perfect partners for your WAN transformation journey.

Today’s hyper-connected and hyper-competitive marketplace needs enterprises that can react quickly and efficiently to the changing market scenarios.  To respond with speed to these new market expectations, businesses need 24×7 access to reliable and high-performance connectivity. From connecting employees spread across geographies to responding and engaging with customers –a high performance and secure Enterprise WAN is an essential tool for business success.

The emergence of cloud technologies has created an urgent need for companies to reassess their current Wide Area Network (WAN) infrastructures and it has become clear that to power their future growth, they need to invest NOW in the next generation of Enterprise WAN. Instead of the usual add-on WAN optimization and acceleration solutions, enterprises must undertake to transform their WAN ecosystem from the bottom up – turning it into an integrated, cloud-enabled networking platform.

To understand the fundamentals of WAN transformation you can read our first blog part of our more detailed WAN transformation series.

Over the last few years, while servicing its various clients Sify has acquired a deep understanding of the networking problems, bottlenecks, and requirements of enterprises across all industries. This feedback and understanding prompted Sify to create WAN Transformation services.

What are these business needs driving WAN transformation?

Organizations are continuously dealing with several pressing problems and challenges with their network services; in the long term, some of these issues can severely limit business growth.

Operational complexity – resulting from the need to manage hundreds, or in some cases thousands, of sites and dealing with multiple service providers for non-converged voice and data networks.

Managing infrastructure costs – spiraling CAPEX and OPEX costs while ramping up or down. Businesses are looking for an overall reduction of costs by integrating disparate networks.

Technology Obsolescence – Need to keep pace with technology innovation while eliminating the risk of investing in old or dying technology.

Enhancing Network Security –urgent need for a holistic and unified security system to plug all security issues due to overlapping networks and multiple providers.

Administrative challenges –managing multiple vendors with separate contracts and SLAs takes up enormous amounts of time and effort.

Enterprise WAN systems are expected to deliver a vast number of services and support new technologies and trends. The scope of the network services must increase to deal with various factors such as – Data Center virtualization, growing demand for the virtual workplace, the rise of BOYD culture, stringent business compliance and the need for faster, secure and reliable communication platforms. To manage the resulting complicated networking scenarios and infrastructure challenges, CIOs need to carefully consider WAN Transformation.

As the most successful Enterprise WAN service provider in the country, we understand what businesses need from their WANs. We offer services that range from the Data Center, network, cloud, application, and technology integration. Our decades of experience in building and managing complex network environments along with our network integration services make us the perfect partners for your WAN transformation journey.

Every year, businesses are incurring significant losses – they are losing money, customers and their reputation – due to cyber attacks. By 2019, cyber crime is predicted to cost businesses $2 trillion worldwide. So it’s hardly surprising that, from boardrooms to server rooms, almost all IT related conversation revolve around Security.

Data and IT infrastructure security have always been a huge concern for all businesses and now with IT systems moving to cloud platforms it has taken center stage on all IT agendas.

Security solutions have always been a key part of DC design and architecture and Data Center owners have worked hard to ensure the highest level of security and have scrupulously followed industry best practices for security and met all compliance norms. But Data Centers are complex ecosystems and protecting it requires that security requirements of every component must be considered separately, but at the same time follow a central, holistic security policy.

Here are some of the critical components and their special security requirements.

Physical Security of DC

Physical security of the Data Center building and its components is crucial for keeping the data within it safe. The Data Center building must be designed to weather all types of physical challenges, from terrorist attacks and industrial accidents to natural disasters. Enhancing physical security includes a variety of measures such as DC design with thicker walls and fewer windows and doors, enhancing CCTV monitoring, fire protection and investing in specialized security team.

Restricting Access

DC security team needs to keep a close watch on the people who enter the Data Center. From cleaning crew and internal IT staff to visitors, access to critical areas must be restricted and all movement must be tracked to ensure that unauthorized people are kept out of sensitive server rooms.

Securing your Data

All Data Center security is ultimately aimed at keeping the hosted data safe and private. This includes comprehensive measures such as complete data backup and recovery, using data encryption while transferring files, enforcing the latest data privacy regulations and comprehensive monitoring of traffic.

Network security

The first layer of network security is securing the perimeter by installing firewalls to clean up traffic right at the point of entry. This can be followed up by using the Zero trust model and inspecting and monitoring the internal traffic within the network, to detect and mitigate any threat that might have bypassed the perimeter firewall.

Server security

With virtualization, server security has become more complex and challenging. It is imperative to follow industry standards to ensure complete server security with 24×7 monitoring, intrusion detection and intrusion prevention. Comprehensive security solutions need to protect all virtual and physical server environments and infrastructure as well as all web-based applications.

All businesses face a very real risk. Cyber attackers are now targeting anyone and everyone, regardless of size or industry. And these attacks are becoming more aggressive and sophisticated.

Being at the receiving end of these attacks, Data Center companies are, of course, well aware of the extent of the problem and are devising equally aggressive and innovative ways to safeguard their businesses. The continuing fight against cyber attacks has resulted in DC security services market worth $6.36 billion, a number that is set to grow exponentially in the coming decade.

With over 15 years of experience in building and operating Data Centers and a decade of managing network security, Sify understands the ever-evolving nature of IT security. Enterprises can rely on our comprehensive security solutions to safeguard and grow their business. Our remote monitoring and management of networks, servers, applications and managed security services help enterprises cut costs while improving their security posture.

At this very moment, industry experts and visionaries are designing the future of IT services and systems. The vision outlines a fully enmeshed and embedded role for technology in our daily lives – from non-invasive micro tech providing real-time medical care and smart home technology to microcomputers -a web of smart and predictive devices that will connect all the different parts of our lives.

But to make this vision a reality, we need IT systems that provide a strong and flexible foundation to jump-start these innovations. We need Data Centers that facilitate rather than obstruct innovation, Data Centers that are proactive and are able to anticipate workloads and respond quickly.

As data explodes and newer technologies come into play, the next generation of DCs is likely to incorporate one or all of the following features to support future business needs.

Software defined Infrastructure

Simply put, in a software-defined Data Center (SDDC) all the components of the Data Center – compute, storage, security and networking are virtualized and delivered as a service. All the infrastructure functions and operations are completely automated by software and this allows SDDCs to provide a high degree of flexibility, efficiency, and reliability to the entire infrastructure.

Hyper converged Infrastructure

Hyper-converged DC combines and integrates all the DC services and infrastructure components such as compute, storage and network in one single box. Along with reduced complexity and costs, hyper-converged DCs provide enhanced operational performance and better disaster recovery and backup facilities.

Robotics and Automation in DCs

While robots will not replace humans in Data Centers anytime soon, there is a move towards using automation to take over repetitive and monotonous work, freeing up DC engineers to focus on more important issues. Companies have started experiments using robots to measure temperature and humidity in its Data Centers and several robotics manufacturers have already developed small robotic devices geared towards Data Center work.

Green Data Centers

Billions of devices are producing data every second, which ultimately ends up, stored in Data Centers across the globe. Increase in DC size and numbers will result in a corresponding rise in energy consumption. Future DC architecture will strive to be Green, with energy efficiency and conservation strategy at its core.

As with all IT changes and evolution, DC design and architecture will be a reflection of the needs and challenges faced by businesses. The next generation Data Center is not a fixed product yet; industry experts are in the process of defining its various components. It is still a concept and an evolving work in progress and the next 5 years will be crucial in shaping the new fundamentals of the next generation Data Center.

With over 13 years of operational and technical expertise (or 500+ man years of experience) serving over 300 customers spread across various industry verticals, viz., BFSI, Telecom, Pharma, Retail, Manufacturing, Media, etc., Sify has an impressive portfolio of over 2,00,000 sq. ft. of white space spread across 6 concurrently maintainable Data Centers, 15 Tier II Data Centers, 6 State Data Centers and several more for private clients, all built to exacting specifications and best-in-class global standards.