Federal Agencies Experience Mixed Data Center Optimization Results

While some federal agencies were on track late last year to meet Office of Management and Budget data center cost reduction and consolidation goals, a number had only made limited progress toward reaching other data center optimization objectives, according to a Government Accountability Office report published in April.The OMB’s Data Center Optimization Initiative encouraged agencies to increase data center efficiency in several areas, potentially decreasing operating costs and agencies’ environmental footprint. The OMB had previously directed agencies to reduce the number of outdated or duplicative data centers in its 2010 Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative. The DCOI also tasked federal agencies with measuring their progress toward specific server utilization, energy metering, power usage, facility utilization and virtualization-based data center optimization goals.

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Virtual Server Management

EMA and Auvik Research Reveals Hybrid and Remote Work Has Increased Workloads, Posed Challenges to Remote Network Experiences

Business Wire | September 28, 2023

New research by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) and Auvik, an award-winning provider of cloud-based network management software, revealed that the ongoing shift to hybrid and remote work environments has resulted in key changes to the roles and priorities of network administrators in order to address new connectivity challenges and prioritize and preserve a secure, productive end-user experience. The report examined the remote and hybrid work paradigm through the lens of network operations teams – 73% of which reported an increase in workloads, either slightly or significantly, following the shift from traditional to hybrid work environments. Results from the report demonstrated that the top challenges associated with the remote work experience are poor home Wi-Fi setups, distance from applications, and poor ISP quality. To combat these obstacles, 72% of surveyed organizations have deployed network hardware to the homes of remote workers, including network security devices (62.7%) and Wi-Fi access points (54.1%). Additionally, 90% of organizations with hybrid workers shared that they had to upgrade Wi-Fi networks to address increased office mobility requirements. “These results reinforce that although people are beginning to return to the office, hybrid work is here to stay and is resulting in significant changes for network administrators,” said Alex Hoff, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer for Auvik. “Although IT teams no longer own all the assets utilized daily by employees, they are still responsible for these operations. And despite not being able to directly exert control over employees’ home networks, they can have visibility over these environments with network monitoring tools. Implementing network visibility software helps IT professionals overcome these new obstacles by providing the ability to maintain visibility and control amid changing work circumstances. The data provided in this report reinforces Auvik’s place in the market and demonstrates that our recent acquisitions, integrations, and expanded product offerings that were designed to help IT teams adapt to these new norms are well-suited for the challenges that are being identified within the industry.” Additional findings from the report include Nearly 49% of network operations teams started working with a new tool vendor to help them manage the network experience of remote workers. 76% of organizations need to unify how they manage network access policies across on-premises networks and remote users. Remote desktop access tools (deployed by 81% of companies) remain the go-to solution for troubleshooting remote users’ problems, but endpoint monitoring tools are increasingly popular (79%). Although 87% have allocated funds in their budget to update network operation tools for remote and hybrid user support, only 32% of organizations shared that they have been successful in doing so. The top issues employees most often report when they are working from home are VPN access issues, followed by performance issues with SaaS applications. “96% of IT organizations said they are supporting hybrid workers, and 30% of all employees who work remotely are hybrid workers,” said Shamus McGillicuddy, VP of Research, EMA. “With employees working both at home and in the office, it is important to have the assets and software necessary to support them in both locations. This means enterprises must invest in more secure remote access solutions that offer integrated network security automation, centralized management, and network optimization or network enhancement, as well as network observability tools that are able to monitor performance across disparate locations.” Methodology Auvik commissioned an independent research firm to survey 354 IT professionals directly involved in supporting the networking requirements of employees who work from home. About Auvik Auvik’s mission is to simplify how IT teams work and live by providing cloud-based IT monitoring and management with simplicity and speed. It lets IT professionals visualize IT infrastructure, SaaS applications, and shadow IT in minutes. As a result teams can identify and resolve issues in seconds, saving valuable time. Auvik is one of the fastest-growing North American technology companies, and is winner of the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 and Deloitte Fast 500. Visit www.auvik.com for more details. Auvik is a registered trademark of Auvik Networks Inc. About EMA Founded in 1996, EMA is a leading industry analyst firm that specializes in providing deep insight across the full spectrum of IT and data management technologies. EMA analysts leverage a unique combination of practical experience, insight into industry best practices, and in-depth knowledge of current and planned vendor solutions to help their clients achieve their goals.

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Backup and Disaster Recovery

Expedient Announces Partnership with Kyndryl to Deliver Disaster Recovery as a Service

PR Newswire | October 03, 2023

Expedient, a Full-Stack Cloud Service Provider, announced a partnership with Kyndryl the world's largest IT infrastructure services provider. Through this collaboration, Expedient's robust data center colocation and cloud infrastructure will enhance Kyndryl's industry-leading cyber resilience offerings to customers. By joining forces with Kyndryl, Expedient is extending the reach of its state-of-the-art data center colocation and cloud infrastructure known for its reliability, scalability, and security capabilities. Expedient's award-winning infrastructure is an integral element of its Cloud Different™ multi-cloud services and is delivered across a nationwide network of highly interconnected data centers. Infrastructure is available in dedicated, private cloud, and VMware-based Expedient Enterprise Cloud configurations to meet the needs of customers and prospects across regions and industries. This partnership will enable Expedient and Kyndryl to extend the reach and effectiveness of security and cyber resilience services to a wider range of customers, helping organizations across various industries strengthen and fortify their cybersecurity posture while further mitigating the risks associated with data breaches. "We are excited to partner with Kyndryl, a company known for its excellence in cybersecurity services, cyber resilience services and Disaster Recovery as a Service," said Dennis Musolino, Chief Revenue Officer of Expedient. "Expedient has a more than 20-year history and expertise in delivering unmatched disaster recovery and data center infrastructure solutions. We are proud and excited to be providing our data center and cloud infrastructure to help augment the comprehensive resiliency services that Kyndryl delivers to its array of clients nationally. Together, we will empower businesses to proactively protect their digital assets and maintain operational resilience in an increasingly complex digital landscape." "We're dedicated to helping customers navigate their ever-evolving cybersecurity challenges," said James Carrigan, Jr., VP, US Security Practice Leader at Kyndryl. "Partnering with Expedient will allow us to further provide our customers with access to a flexible, robust and security-rich infrastructure that supports their cybersecurity and cyber resilience needs and enables the uptime and availability of their most critical applications." About Expedient Expedient is a full stack cloud service provider, helping companies transform their IT operations through award-winning multi-cloud solutions and managed infrastructure services including enterprise cloud, disaster recovery, virtual desktop infrastructure, data center colocation, edge computing, security and compliance, and more. The company's Cloud Different™️ approach provides an on-ramp to the cloud, supporting the optimization and delivery of all applications. Named VMware's Americas Cloud Partner of the Year and acknowledged in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Disaster Recovery as a Service, Expedient eases a customer's transition to the cloud by providing curated and bundled best of breed solutions backed by "white glove" services and support. Expedient data centers are compliant with a variety of regulatory mandates, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as well as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) service.

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Backup and Disaster Recovery

Veeam Announces Backup-as-a-Service for Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure

Business Wire | October 05, 2023

Veeam® Software, the leader in Data Protection and Ransomware Recovery, announced two new offerings which combine the confidence and reliability of Veeam’s backup and restore capabilities with the ease-of-use of Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS). Cirrus by Veeam, which is available today for Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure customers, provides a simple, flexible, reliable and powerful BaaS offering. It gives companies the option of simplifying the management and administration of their backup operations with all the resiliency of Veeam technology. Veeam will launch a new, enhanced version of the BaaS offering in Q1 2024, available through Veeam service providers, the Microsoft Azure marketplace, and Veeam’s online store. "450,000 customers trust Veeam to protect their business and keep it running, which has led us to become the #1 global provider of data protection and ransomware recovery," said Danny Allan, CTO at Veeam. "We're now giving customers those trusted capabilities - for Microsoft 365 and for Microsoft Azure - delivered as a service. Through this new BaaS offering, customers have increased flexibility in how they wish to use Veeam to protect their business, whether in the cloud, on-premises or in a hybrid model." Cirrus by Veeam was acquired from CT4 who developed the cloud-native service utilizing Veeam’s industry-leading data backup and ransomware recovery platform. Customers can now choose from several options in how they wish to utilize Veeam and manage their Microsoft 365 and Azure data New Cirrus by Veeam: Delivers a simple, seamless SaaS experience, without having to manage the infrastructure or storage. Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 and Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure: Deploy Veeam’s existing software solutions for Microsoft 365 and Azure data protection and manage the infrastructure. A backup service from a Veeam Cloud & Service Provider (VCSP) partner: Built on top of the Veeam platform, with value-added services unique to the provider’s area of expertise. Cirrus Cloud Protect for Microsoft 365 Cirrus for Microsoft 365 builds on the industry's leading Microsoft 365 backup solution – Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 – and delivers it as a service. It simplifies a customer’s backup strategy with software, infrastructure, and unlimited storage in an all-in-one cloud service, allowing organizations to leverage powerful data protection and security technology with a simple, seamless user experience. Trusted, reliable technology: Customizable backup, flexible recovery options and powerful search capabilities. All-inclusive backup service: Simplifies Microsoft 365 backup by providing everything a customer needs, bundled together at one price. Modern, secure and intuitive: Keeps business-critical data protected with built-in immutability; no software to download or infrastructure to maintain. Cirrus Cloud Protect for Microsoft Azure Data on Microsoft Azure is exposed to the same cyber threats and data loss as anywhere else, and it’s the owner’s responsibility to protect it. Cirrus Cloud Protect for Microsoft Azure is a fully hosted and pre-configured solution that delivers proven, resilient backup and recovery. Quick ROI: Speed time to value by removing blockers like implementation, patching and remediating misconfigurations. Enterprise-readiness: Leverage backup, security and FinOps best practices in a service built for Azure Well-Architected Framework. Confident recoverability: Comprehensive, native protection with the most customizable RPOs and recovery to any location. About Veeam Software Veeam®, the #1 global provider of Data Protection and Ransomware Recovery, provides organizations with resiliency through data security, data recovery and data freedom for their hybrid cloud. The Veeam Data Platform delivers a single solution for Cloud, Virtual, Physical, SaaS and Kubernetes environments that give businesses peace of mind their apps and data are protected and always available so that they can keep their businesses running.

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