In a quick interaction with Biztech2.0, Richard S Einhorn, president and CMO, EYP Mission Critical Facilities, talks about the challenges associated with data centre transformation and the synergy that it shares with HP after its acquisition by the latter.

What are the synergies between HP and EYP, now that they work under one umbrella?

To begin with, the selection of the equipment of a data centre is done in sync with HP and its other divisions. One part of every data centre comprises power and cooling solutions and that's where we come in. We are not a separate company but there are some differences when it comes to the selection of specific data centre equipment. Equipment that was not earlier a part of HP's portfolio, such as generators, parallel switchgear and UPS, is now being offered by us, thereby enhancing HP's product offerings. On the other hand, any recommendations that come to us for servers are passed on to HP.

There is just the right amount of synergy between the two companies. HP is the right partner and home for us in the future. It is a forward-looking company and we are helping it to complete its data centre portfolio. All the services that EYP offers are completely new to the HP basket; however, these services have made HP a one-stop-shop for technology services. HP was looking for a partner who understands data centres as a strategic asset and that's where we came in.

What are the challenges that arise with data centre transformation?

The main challenges associated with data centre transformation are availability, expandability and energy costs. Energy audit programmes and reliability are major issues for enterprises. CIOs have to work towards creating a long-lasting data centre facility. All stakeholders of the company must come together and determine the future of IT in future growth strategies. If a data centre is being built now, then it should utilise the latest technologies. Three major issues facing CIOs on this front include meeting investment needs, reducing operational costs and controlling risk.

What is your take on green IT and virtualisation?

Green IT is extremely important in today's context. EYP as a company provides power and cooling solutions for sustainability and increased use of green IT. With increasing awareness of environmental issues, the concept of green IT is going to catch up with everyone around and gain mainstream importance very soon. The main driver for green IT is energy efficiency, which has also led to the emergence of virtualisation.

What trends do you see gaining importance in the data centre space?

Globally, I see virtualisation gaining traction as it provides flexibility in the data centre. Other trends that will gain popularity include increased flexibility in data centres with designing of PODs, improved efficiency and reliability of data centres, consolidation of legacy systems, high density computing (super computing), improved ability of data centres to handle high levels of power, and tools and techniques to predict failures with quantitative methods.

Your message to CIOs.

I would say that forward-looking CIOs should look at data centres as strategic assets.