Start Being Proactive

The frightening thing is it seems that this is a luxury, not just for me, but for just about everyone I know, regardless of whether or not they happen to be part of the high-tech industry. And it's dangerous.

The fact is, being reactive gets you no further than solving your immediate problem. Being proactive lets you address the problem at its root cause. That's why I'm so intrigued by all the strategies being unfurled this year around on-demand computing (for you IBM fans out there), or adaptive IT architecture (as Hewlett-Packard partners are wont to call it).

Essentially, these schemes and those focused on so-called utility computing are born out of the same philosophy,one that suggests that what companies really need from their IT infrastructure is flexibility. That means they crave the ability to scale up (or down), to add new applications on the fly, and to provide access to new devices fed by the wireless world. I actually prefer HP's term "adaptive" because it gets to the spirit of the dilemma more succinctly. The fact is, companies are asking more of their technology than ever as they look for ways to make the process of doing business more efficient. Perhaps their most important requirement is the ability to make and manage evolutionary changes to their technology as their own business processes change. Did I mention that it helps if the management process is automated,that is, the infrastructure can adapt on the fly or flag potential problems without human intervention?

As a solution provider, it's time for you to get proactive and learn where you fit within this new world of computing, regardless of what it's called. The short-term impact on your business will be minimal, but the long-term implications are profound, especially if you hope to play a role in storage, Web services or network management.

Give me something to think about. You can e-mail HEATHER CLANCY, Editor at CRN, at [email protected].