Although data centre transformation (DCT) projects form a key part of most businesses' IT plans, such initiatives will not be prevalent in the mainstream until 2013 at the earliest, according to an analyst firm.
DCT is being restricted by the immaturity of the required technology, along with a lack of vendor choice and an unwillingness among customers to commit business funds to such projects, an Ovum report has suggested.
This is despite unified computing, unified fabric and automation technologies coming to market this year and in 2011, said Ovum senior analyst and report author Ian Brown.
"Data centre transformation will not happen overnight, or be driven by technology developments alone," Brown said.
The future of DCT is still secure, however, as Brown claimed it will be significant for business IT in the coming years.
"Data centre transformation will underpin most companies' IT strategies for the foreseeable future," he said.
"Indeed, we expect it to be one of four technology trends that will dominate the managed services landscape from a customer and supplier perspective over the next five years, along with sustainability, smart workplaces and cloud services."
For successful implementation of an automated and unified data centre infrastructure, IT management will need to implement clearly defined processes and policies, the Ovum advised.
"DCT is an ongoing strategy and for most organisations will be tied in with cloud computing, sourcing strategies and IT sustainability solutions," Brown added.
