Legacy kit undermining sustainability efforts

Legacy infrastructure is undermining customer ambitions to improve their sustainability position, according to research from channel player Daisy Corporate Services.

The spotlight is on reducing carbon emissions, but the research, Faster, greener, cheaper: Dealing with IT infrastructure complexity in a hybrid cloud world, has uncovered a major stumbling block in the shape of legacy infrastructure, with it contributing heavily to user power consumption.

As well as making a demand on power, the old kit is also a drain on budgets, with funds used to support and maintain the equipment. The channel enjoys an opportunity to pitch upgrades, but this is more than just a fresh kit conversation because of the impact on sustainability and energy usage, as well as wider IT budgets.

The research also showed a strong desire by users to improve the green position of their businesses. The vast majority of IT leaders (86%) viewed sustainability and energy efficiency as important, with many working towards internal targets in those areas.

“Sustainability is a vital component of any modern business, and IT departments have a growing role in helping the wider organisation achieve green targets,” said Andy Bevan, head of propositions and strategy consulting at Daisy. “But legacy technology is a cause for concern among IT teams, with ageing equipment still contributing significantly to power consumption.”

The dangers of being lumbered with legacy kit mean some of the alternatives the channel can propose, that would ease budgets and improve the green position of a user’s business, were missed.

“Organisations can benefit from the sustainability features of their cloud providers, but are being held back by the challenges of migrating their legacy hardware,” he said. “Here is where modern hybrid cloud platforms can help bridge the gap between on-site infrastructure and cloud to deliver performance and sustainability benefits.”