Any data center that wants to maintain a competitive edge must offer three things: security, ease of access, and high-quality data. This means that a worthwhile data center transformation has to aspire towards increasing each of these or incorporating them if they aren't already.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can be hugely helpful on all counts.

We'll be discussing the exact specifics of how below. First, however, we'll take a step back and explore the major reasons why it's so important to invest in data center transformation in the first place, as this makes up the basis of why AI and ML are also worth implementing.

Why is Data Center Transformation Important?

Your data center is operating just fine, so why would you change it by opting for a transformation?

As it turns out, the old adage that ‘if it isn't broken, don't fix it' doesn't quite apply here.

The following reasons highlight why you'll always do well to pay close attention to your data center and figure out when to choose data center transformation.

Avoiding data silos

Where there's a lot of data, there's always a risk of silos forming. These isolated spaces keep data separate from the rest of the world, including its original context. That leads to data quality falling over time, which is directly detrimental to any data center.

Worse yet, silos can create knock-on effects that can be compared to ‘poisoning' a data set. Let's say, for example, that you're an insurance company that wants to use the data you've gathered on your leads to draw up some insurance lead generation ideas.

If you use data from a silo, it may be out of date or based on factors that were later proven irrelevant.

On the other hand, if you use fully fresh, up-to-date information, your resultant ideas will be much more useful and helpful in practice. To get that fresh non-siloed data, you've got to instigate data center transformations at the right time.

Keeping up with modern trends

Maybe your data center was fully new and running on the most cutting-edge technology as recently as 2021. But what about all the new trends and tech solutions that have appeared on the market since then?

For example, let's say you weren't using an edge layer - maybe you didn't know they existed, or you didn't have access to one. However, your competition is using one, allowing them to take the strain off their own data center by having devices complete tasks that would otherwise be left for your data center to handle.

You'd clearly not have the competitive edge in that case. So, in short, you've got to opt for data center transformation if you want to stay up to date with new and emerging trends.

The Benefits of Using AI and ML in Data Center Transformation

Next, we'll be discussing the advantages of using AI and ML when you're planning and executing your data center transformation strategy. The following benefits give a good idea of why incorporating AI and ML into that strategy is such a useful tactic.

Identifying areas for improvement

Pinpointing exactly how you'd like to transform your data center can be a daunting task, particularly if you've never done it before.

However, in much the same way you can use a lead management tool to help you determine which leads to pursue and how, an ML-powered AI tool can act as a focus. It lets you accurately identify areas that need work, as well as ones that are working well the way they are.

This way, you never expend extra effort on tasks that don't need your attention.

Being more user-oriented

A data center that's very user-friendly and easy to access for authorized parties is one that's going to be more successful. AI and ML help you achieve this result.

An AI can be taught, using ML models, to recognize authorized users nearly instantly. This lets users access the data they're after very quickly, saving them time and making your transformation process feel worthwhile.

This is also why it's well worth investing in AI-powered data clean room solutions. These help you protect user data as you deal with advertisers, allowing you to optimize the experience for both parties, which means happier users on all ends.

Boosting security

Unfortunately, cyber attacks aren't on their way out - quite on the contrary, plenty of attacks seem to still be ongoing. In the face of those, it's reassuring to know that AI and ML can help you better protect your data center from related threats.

Utilizing AI and ML technologies, along with a dedicated team of cybersecurity talent, ML models can be trained to process large volumes of data concerning cybercrime. This lets them continuously learn and guard you against even the newest threats, ensuring your AI guardian never gets caught by surprise.

Improving scalability

A company needs a brand, just as any organization or effort operating online needs a digital identity. This identity should ideally be malleable, so it can grow and evolve as your company does the same.

AI and ML are ideally suited for this purpose. That's because ML models ensure that AI gets better and stronger the longer it's used, which in turn means that growing your data center is easier than ever when you rely on AI.

Final thoughts

Your data center needs to be able to keep up with modern demands - which is why it needs to undergo transformations at least semi-regularly. These help the center stay fully in the loop and up to date on current trends, such that it remains competitive and consistently useful.

That's why it's vital to ensure you're regularly updating your data center, rather than leaving it for years until it becomes a problem.

In short, data center transformation needs to be at the core of your overall future-proofing strategy. This is also where AI and ML come in: as useful, leading-edge tools, they should be a cornerstone of your planning approach.

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