The IDC Infobrief discusses the transition to intelligent and autonomous datacenters driven by the demands of the digital economy, emphasizing the critical role data plays in business transformation. As enterprises increasingly seek to monetize data and adopt automated infrastructures, the necessity for adaptable, AI-embedded solutions becomes paramount. By 2021, a significant portion of enterprise datacenters is expected to operate autonomously, signaling a shift towards more efficient data management and utilization.

1. IDC InfoBrief
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8
Sponsored by
F O R T H E D A T A E C O N O M Y

2. IDC InfoBrief Building Intelligent and Autonomous Datacenters for the Data Economy 2
Everything is about in the digital economy
I N T R O D U C T I O N
The digital
economy is
reinventing
businesses
Under Armour has
invested close to
US$800 million in
health and fitness apps.
With information about
activity levels for 180
million users in their
target audience, Under
Amour is able to see
fitness trends emerge
in real time. They can
react faster and offer
personalized products
and experiences to
consumers.
Data monetization
will be a prime goal
as more enterprises
find ways to store and
analyze data in an
autonomous
and intelligent way.
The custodians
of data, i.e., the
datacenters, will also
need to be dynamic
and autonomous right
from core to edge, as
they will become the
catalysts to navigating
the store-to-insights
journey of data.
Connected Fitness
“becomes a force
multiplier that takes
us from shirts-and-
shoes company to
true technology
company.”
Kevin Plank
CEO
DATA

3. IDC InfoBrief Building Intelligent and Autonomous Datacenters for the Data Economy 3
From core to edge, there will be a major proliferation of data
We are fast approaching a new era of the data economy. From mobile devices, wearables, sensors and modules, the
world around us is undergoing a fundamental change, transforming the way we live, work and play.
M O B I L E
D E V I C E S
882 million
1.2 X over 2017
W E A R A B L E S
113 million
1.9 X over 2017
S E N S O R S
A N D M O D U L E S
40 billion
1.7 X over 2017
IDC research shows that
the sum of all data created,
captured and replicated
is growing rapidly in both
volume and criticality.
Data will become the new oil!
163 ZB
by 2025
10 X over 2018
DATA

4. IDC InfoBrief Building Intelligent and Autonomous Datacenters for the Data Economy 4
Digital transformation is driving the data economy
The data economy is where raw data and various forms of value added content will be bought and sold through
bilateral transactions or though data brokers.
U P S T R E A M
Locate, identify and acquire continuous streams of
information assets in your enterprise
R E F I N E M E N T
Refine internal information assets and enhance value of
information by aggregating external information
D O W N S T R E A M
Distribute info assets through real-time control systems
and channels such as industry clouds
How can organizations harness the data spawning across various centers of activity to create valuable insights?
There will be a need for intelligent and predictive infrastructure to STORE, ANALYZE and DISSEMINATE insights
DISSEMINATEDISSEMINATESTORESTORE ANALYZEANALYZE

5. IDC InfoBrief Building Intelligent and Autonomous Datacenters for the Data Economy 5
Monetizing data is becoming a viable and crucial strategy
Where once data
primarily drove
successful business
operations, today
data has become
the most valuable
resource for the
enterprise. Enterprises
across the region
are embracing new
and unique business
opportunities,
powered by the wealth
of data and the insight
data provides.
What percentage of your total expected enterprise revenue will be allocated to each of the following models?
U S E R C O M M U N I T Y E N G A G E M E N T A N D M O N E T I Z A T I O N
D A T A
M O N E T I Z A T I O N
“ S H A R I N G
E C O N O M Y ”
R I S K - R E W A R D
S H A R I N G
C O N T E X T U A L
O F F E R I N G S A N D
P R I C I N G
P L A T F O R M - B A S E D
R E V E N U E M O D E L
23%
18%
19%
20%
19%
2021
IN
Source: DX Executive Sentiment Survey May 2018, N=695
I D C P R E D I C T I O N By 2019, all digitally transformed organizations will generate at least 45% of their revenues from “future of commerce” business models.
Source: IDC’s Digital Transformation Worldwide FutureScape Predictions 2018

6. IDC InfoBrief Building Intelligent and Autonomous Datacenters for the Data Economy 6
Cloud to become the catalyst in providing means for integration and
access to data from core to edge
We’ll see a
cloud world
that is…2021
BY
The underlying datacenters will have to be autonomous based on
software-defined and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to build
greater availability and agility.
AUTONOMOUS
DATACENTER
US$82B
>60%
M U L T I C L O U D
>15%
S P E C I A L I Z E D
25%
A T T H E E D G E
A P e J C L O U D M A R K E T
I D C P R E D I C T I O N
By 2021 in APeJ, critical infrastructure in 35% of enterprise datacenters will be operating autonomously while the use of autonomous IT in
intelligent edge locations will be even greater as organizations seek to link core and edge resources to support digital transformation initiatives.
Source: IDC Datacenter Worldwide FutureScape Predictions 2018

7. IDC InfoBrief Building Intelligent and Autonomous Datacenters for the Data Economy 7
Automation is becoming a critical need
IDC’s Enterprise Datacenter survey 2018 shows
that 45% of the respondents are demanding
more shared, agile and flexible resources
in the digital transformation era.
As a result, IDC sees software defined
and automation becoming the top
infrastructure priority for the CIO.
AI will also play a huge role in enabling
datacenter automation with enhanced
self-learning and predictive capabilities
to continuously stay ahead of the problems
that cause datacenter failure.
By the end of 2019, the need for improved agility, better manageability and enhanced asset usage will force
T O P I N F R A S T R U C T U R E
I N I T I A T I V E P R I O R I T I E S I N 2 0 1 8
Investing in
automation and
software-defined
datacenters
Modernizing
traditional core
business critical
applications
Migrate Apps
to x86 servers
10.4%
21.9%
34.1%
Source: IDC Enterprise Datacenter Survey, Aug 2018
I D C P R E D I C T I O N
The need for improved agility, better manageability and enhanced asset usage will force companies to migrate over 50% of the
IT infrastructure in datacenter and edge locations to a software-defined model by the end of 2019.
Source: IDC Datacenter Worldwide FutureScape Predictions 2018

8. Autonomous infrastructure will become a fundamental need
as data continues to grow at a rapid rate across multiple points
of transactions between humans and machines. The need for
building a self-aware datacenter that can adapt to the incessant
changes will require a software-defined infrastructure that is
embedded with AI in order to constantly learn and adapt.
Are you planning to deploy more AI embedded solutions?
Learn more: https://www.hpe.com/sg/en/storage/infosight.html
This IDC InfoBrief was produced by IDC Asia/Pacific Custom Solutions. Copyright 2018 IDC. Reproduction without written permission is forbidden. Any IDC information or reference to IDC
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