
Virtualization and Cloud executives share their predictions for 2014. Read them in this VMblog.com series exclusive.
Contributed article by Deepak Kumar, CTO and founder of Adaptiva
BYOD Falls Short, WAN Bandwidth is Tested, & XP Security Issues Abound
Worldwide, enterprises are advancing in
various facets of technology - from BYOD to SDN and Cloud, new technologies and
changes to improve efficiency levels are implemented every year. Of course, some
of these are overhyped. While others are a more accurate depiction of the
enterprise IT space and should be taken seriously.
This year, IT departments embraced mobile,
cloud and virtualization in record numbers. These new technologies are
providing dramatic efficiency gains in many areas. However, some of these
innovations have raised unrealistic expectations, and IT is now finding the
limits of those technologies. In light of this dynamic and changing market,
here are my predictions for Enterprise IT in 2014:
BYOD will Fail to Live up to the Hype
Companies will increasingly provide limited
access to select corporate resources for employee mobile devices such as
tablets and smartphones. However, the idea that BYOD will replace corporate
endpoint devices, such as desktops and laptops, is far-fetched. The mobile device
form factor is suited for consuming simple content, but is inadequate for
consuming complex content or for creating content. Securing these devices is
nearly impossible because even in a tightly controlled environment, the devices
themselves cannot be locked down. Users can install any application, visit any
web site, and transfer any data outside the company's network. In regulated
industries such as health care and finance, BYOD can result in audit failure,
lawsuits, and fines. BYOD will improve productivity and employee morale, but it
will increase the burden on IT rather than reducing it.
Limited WAN Bandwidth will Stifle IT Infrastructure Convergence
According to the InformationWeek 2014 Next-Generation WAN Survey, 68% of
respondents say demand for WAN bandwidth will increase over the next year, but
only 15% are expanding capacity. The gap between required bandwidth and
available bandwidth is growing rapidly. As globalization accelerates, rolling
out high-speed global networks to distant sites will be expensive and not
possible in many parts of the world. Companies want to realize efficiency gains
by consolidating disparate assets into converged data centers, but this
architecture is not viable for supporting locations with low-speed connections.
For many global organizations, convergence will only succeed between
high-bandwidth offices-it will be DOA everywhere else. Instead, these companies
will adopt infrastructure and systems management software that operates
efficiently at multiple sites with narrow WAN connections.
XP Will Cause Significant Security Issues
Windows XP is still the second most popular desktop OS in
the world, and a significant number of enterprises will still be running it
after Microsoft ends support in April 2014. Rolling out Windows 7/8 takes time
and money, requiring infrastructure, bandwidth, and systems management
resources. Development resources are needed to update, test, and certify
critical line of business applications for Windows 7/8. Microsoft estimates it
can take a company 18 to 32 months to plan and execute a Windows XP migration.
With Microsoft no longer publicly distributing patches to the software's
vulnerabilities, cyber attackers will have an easier time victimizing
organizations running Windows XP. Many antivirus software providers have said
they plan to stop providing security for the product after April 8, 2014.
Although the risks would appear to justify the costs, many companies will be
exposed. The coming year will see a plethora of unfortunate headlines about
data theft and other cyber attacks on companies who left the front door open in
the form of Windows XP.
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About the Author
Deepak Kumar founded Adaptiva in 2004. He is
responsible for Adaptiva's strategic product direction, and leads the
development organization. Deepak was the lead architect of Microsoft Systems
Management Server 2003, and prior to that was a program manager with the
Windows NT Networking team. He has received five patents and has written more
than 50 publications, including a book on Windows programming. While at
Microsoft, he also authored the Thinkweek paper for Bill Gates that became
Project Greenwich, now known as Microsoft Office Communications Server / Lync.