IT Departments are Stretched by the Edge, but Remote Monitoring Can Help

Cost-efficiencies. Scalability. Mobility. Flexibility. These attributes of the cloud were driving adoption by organizations in every industry even before Covid-19 hit. Then, with challenges such as strained supply chains, stay-at-home orders, and an emerging new hybrid work reality, cloud adoption went into overdrive, spurred by renewed digital transformation priorities.

In response to the pandemic, 61% of IT leaders planned to accelerate their digital transformation efforts, according to the 2020 IDG/CIO Covid-19 Impact study.  The cloud is a vital part of those efforts. And as cloud deployments have grown, another important and interrelated strategy for continued transformation has emerged: edge computing.

The benefits of the edge include bandwidth savings, real-time data processing, reduced operational expenses, lower network latency. But realizing those benefits in conjunction with all that the cloud provides depends on modern management.

The Role of the Edge in Digital Transformation

The edge comprises micro data centers, Internet of things infrastructure and devices, mobile devices, and more designed to provide faster access to valuable data and insights, especially when coupled with cloud resources. It’s no wonder that the edge now plays a starring role in digital transformation for many organizations.

That’s because, along with the cloud, edge computing has evolved into a key component of a scalable, flexible, remote infrastructure. It’s all about responding more quickly to business needs while fostering greater flexibility and resiliency.

According to IDC, organizations working now to foster enhanced digital resiliency can expect to react to changing conditions 50% faster in 2022 than those simply working to restore pre-disruption levels of resiliency. The edge and cloud will make it possible. But only with robust remote monitoring and management (RMM) solutions in place.

Turning to Remote Monitoring and Management

Edge infrastructure may mirror the complexity of large, conventional data centers, complete with server racks, uninterruptible power supplies, cooling, and physical security needs, but on a smaller scale in distributed locations away from dedicated staffers. And keeping up with the workload of maintaining and monitoring such infrastructure often requires more attention and expertise than on-site personnel can bring to bear on the problem.

“There is, as in many other parts of the U.S. economy right now, a shortage of available personnel in IT,” says Adam Compton, a strategy director at Schneider Electric. “It is outpacing that of other industries where there is demand for a highly specialized skillset. There just are not enough people available to satisfy the demand.”

Cloud-based remote monitoring and management (RMM) solutions let IT administrators — on-site or not — keep watch on all the devices under their care in one place. Through a central dashboard, they can perform such functions as provision equipment, update firmware, and configure alarms. Software combined with sensors and other hardware can also alert them to problems such as cooling breakdowns and physical security breaches. Which can make all the difference for organizations striving to achieve their digital transformation goals.

To learn more, visit ecostruxureit.com.