MEMBER HCI INSIGHTS – THREE-YEAR TRENDS

The Dell SDS (Software-Defined Storage)/HCI (Hyperconverged Infrastructure) Survey

Installment #3

The third installment of the HCI Member Survey has concluded and there are some obvious results as well as some surprises as the IT landscape continues to shift.

With IT being asked to deal with the long tail of a pandemic, global turmoil, supply shortages, and a talent gap, making our systems run efficiently is key. Also important is focusing on your core business, not the minutiae of maintaining servers, VMs, and appliances.

Trends

The majority, 87%, of respondents are using vSphere. This continues to be the de facto standard hypervisor for on-premises and has been for the past 3 years. However, recently, there has been significant growth in KVM, increasing 9% (from 10% in 2021 to 19% in 2022), and AHV, increasing 6% (from a 6% to 12% increase).

In 2020, 15% of companies transitioned 50% or more to a cloud operating model. That increased to 21% in 2022. The top factors motivating transition remain Efficiency/Scalability, Flexibility, and BC/DR; however, the reasons for moving are starting to level out.

Azure continues to be the most-used hyperscaler. AWS is second, and making the biggest jump is Google going from 8% in 2021 to 30% in 2022.

Top workloads between on-premises and on-premises private cloud remain steady with Dev/Test, Backup/DR, and Database. Public cloud workloads are Dev/Test, Backup/DR, and Database as well, but database replaced eCommerce this year.

Spending and Expansion

It’s no surprise that spending on security solutions is significantly increasing, followed by virtualization services and Cloud Infrastructure as-a-Service. Major jumps year over year are in security solutions, Cloud Infrastructure as-a-Service, and Desktop as-a-Service.

Containers

Container adoption continues and web Security is top of mind for containers as well. Almost half, 46%, of respondents cite security and scalability as the top characteristics they are seeking.

as-a-Service

The move to aaS is increasing in popularity as 38% of respondents cite moving to an as-a-Service model as a motivating factor. As stated earlier, increased spending in IaaS and DaaS is another indication that the move to aaS is gaining popularity.

The majority, 89%, of members would consider a private or hybrid cloud subscription service for IaaS. Furthermore, almost half, 49%, prefer to have their infrastructure and hypervisor lifecycle managed under the subscription. This is one method of managing the skills gap. Moving lifecycle management to the OEM will free up internal IT time.

Skills Gap

VMUG members are aware of the pending skills gap. They cite education and content as the top reasons to join VMUG. One of the conduits through which we deliver education is VMUG UserCons. When surveyed, the desired content at UserCons is vSphere Storage options, Data Protection, and Cyber Resiliency.

One way to bridge the skills gap and free up time, is by automating lifecycle management and day to day administration with an HCI solution like Dell VxRail or employ managed services like Dell Technologies APEX Then you can focus on securing your data and driving differentiators in your business.

It is important not to forget about non-technical professional development—presentation skills, public speaking, reading financials, and understanding your core business. All these things can be nurtured at your local VMUG.

Summary

HCI is a path to a cloud-operating model and multi-cloud. When people, process, and technology are aligned, the cloud model can be an efficient use of your resources. IT continues to shift and multi-cloud, aaS, and containers are making their way through IT departments big and small. If you are not currently using these technologies, be ready for them. Have a plan to utilize them if needed. Options in business are good to have and adding to your skillset is beneficial.

VMUG is here to help, our free membership gives you access to education, peers, and vendors who will help you on your journey.

Brad Tompkins
@BradTompkins_