Trends 2016: Holistic data management will be key

By Ramesh Mamgain

Look at any tech trend prediction and there is a prevalence of data-driven disruptors which translate to a priority for organizations to get the management of their information right.

Over the past 12 months, we’ve seen a seismic shift in our segment and the conversations we are having with CIOs. We are no longer talking about backup. The idea of “backup” is just too narrow when considering the information landscape of today and the breadth of devices, applications and information sources that organizations are dealing with. CIOs are coming to us for a much broader capability around how they enable their organizations with availability, access and agility when it comes to their information.

Access to the full lineage of data in its native application

One of the emerging needs for CIOs is the ability to see the full lineage of data in its native application. This is critical for an organization embarking on an analytics journey as they can access a much richer and complete source of information which may lay in backups or archives, and what might previously not be accessible. It is also supportive of the trend of shifting the burden away from IT towards a self-serve, end-user driven capability.

Gartner’s Device Mesh

Talking about Gartner’s prediction list for 2016, the Device Mesh falls right on top. It deals with expanding a set of endpoints people use to access applications, information or to interact with people, including governments and businesses. Tied into this is the Internet of Things – a reality which is rapidly increasing the flow of data and information, including sensors and systems that interact with each other automatically.

The challenge businesses will continue to face in 2016 is not only bringing all this information together from sensors, applications, mobile devices and beyond, but having the ability to make sense of it and understand the value it brings to the organisation. Before jumping ahead to try and use this information to drive value, we must take a step back to work out how to protect and make shareable this information which may be outside the traditional data centre and on these endpoint devices.

The data we have is only valuable if it is brought together in a single platform, and until organizations get that right, they won’t be able to drive value from the data flowing in from this Device Mesh. This trend will only escalate in 2016. Holistic data management that enables organizations to move quickly in provisioning new technology, bring all data into a consistent view and enable users with instant availability will be a key driver.

The adoption of cloud will continue to open opportunities in 2016. The industry is now understanding the value of cloud, yet is still unsure of what data makes sense in the public cloud versus on-prem. Further, they are increasingly facing unexpectedly high cloud consumption bills and are therefore looking for  ways to optimize their cloud spend through greater governance and technologies like de-duplication.

As CIOs build out their modern data centre infrastructure, the ability to easily and securely move their data as required across the different platforms will continue to drive strategy. Further, striking the balance between maximising the agility and flexibility of the cloud, while retaining control over sensitive information on-premise. This is driving an uptake in Hybrid cloud models, and Commvault is increasingly leading these conversations with customers as they seek the ability to manage the movement of their information from a single platform in a secure and efficient way.

eDiscovery and Search

With increasingly stringent legal, regulatory, compliance and audit requirements, the need for eDiscovery has become a critical part of information strategy, particularly in India. APAC is also the fastest growing region in eDiscovery uptake (May 2015, GIA). As Digital India comes of age and continues to fuel data growth, organizations will prioritize how they drive value and insight from their information. Tying into this again will be the ability to access the full lineage of data in its native application, with end-users such as HR or finance being able to perform audit searches without relying on IT.

(The author, Ramesh Mamgain, is area vice president (India and SAARC), Commvault)