Many businesses have in-house data centers. Their IT infrastructure usually consists of isolated stacks or silos of technologies. For example, a data center might have a stack of application servers, a stack of networking equipment, and a stack of data storage devices. Each stack is typically managed and maintained by an IT staff member who specializes in that technology. However, managing and maintaining each stack separately can eat up a lot of the staff member’s time. Plus, getting resources from multiple stacks for a project can be challenging.

Converged infrastructure (CI) solves these problems by packaging IT components into a single integrated solution. The components can include servers, networking equipment, data storage devices, and software. A CI solution is sometimes called a unified computing system or infrastructure-in-a-box. Thanks to its design, CI lives up to these names.

With a prebuilt, customized CI solution, companies can:

  • Install the CI solution in short order. IT staff members can install it in hours or days, rather than weeks or months, because it is prebuilt.
  • Consolidate IT resources. Consolidation can reduce the amount of time that IT staff members spend on managing and maintaining the IT infrastructure. This will give them more time to work on other projects. Consolidation can also reduce operating costs.
  • Troubleshoot IT problems more easily. With a CI solution, IT staff members will not have to go back and forth between stacks when tracking down the source of a problem. This makes troubleshooting easier.
  • Improve reliability and availability. Integrating IT components into a unified solution can improve the performance and reliability of the IT infrastructure. This leads to less downtime.
  • Scale out the IT infrastructure with ease. CI features a modular approach to IT. Companies can use their existing IT assets at first. Later, they can scale out systems or add new technologies when needed. This modular approach is especially beneficial when companies add new services or applications to meet changing employee and customer needs.

Businesses with in-house data centers can benefit from CI, particularly if they have limited IT staff and frequently add new services and applications. A CI solution can save the IT staff members a lot of time and ultimately save the businesses some money. If you are interested in discovering how you can reap the benefits of CI at your business, talk to a trusted IT professional.