EngineerIT invited three experts in the data and data centre environment to share their views. The discussion is available online at www.engineerit.co.za. During the discussion the three participants shared their experiences and views of where the industry is heading. The ultimate opinion was that more companies will move into the large data centres as a cloud offering or as collocation for their own servers. The main reasons are the physical security, protection against power outages and extensive interconnectivity. The view was also expressed that the ultimate responsibility for data security remains with the owner of the data.
But it is not the end of the on-premise data centres. For some companies there are good reasons to keep some of their data on-premise and will continue to operate a hybrid configuration.
Panellists
Andrew Cruise
Andrew is the Managing director at Routed. Andrew spent most of his working life in London where he co-founded and grew a successful boutique company, Managed IT Services. Routed was founded in 2016 in response to a growing demand for data centre hosting solutions following the rapid growth and penetration of fast, reliable connectivity services in South Africa. Most recently, Routed has earned a place in the Financial Times’ annual ranking of Africa’s 100 fastest-growing companies for 2023.
Michael Abendanon
Senior leader within Dimension Data and NTT, with over 22 years’ experience in strategising, leading, and executing in very dynamic large businesses across various geographic locations within MEA. Michael has a significant track record of results over his tenure. His high personal integrity and an ability to relate to and create trust in all has made him a confident and persuasive team-builder. His ability to motivate and communicate to achieve sustainable sales, service, and business performance, underlies a proven long term track record with clients, staff, and stakeholders.
Gary Alleman
Gary Allemann is a data management expert with more than 20 years of experience in delivering business-first solutions to improve data integrity. He is the Managing Director of Master Data Management, a consultancy helping large organisations to get value from data.
A founder member of DAMA South Africa in 2006, Gary is a regular speaker at industry events. He has also written numerous articles and whitepapers on data management. Gary’s expertise in data management is not limited to a specific industry or domain. He has worked with clients from various industries, including healthcare, financial services, and retail.
