Abstract

Financial markets are witnessing an unprecedented explosion in the availability of data, and the firms that survive will be able to leverage this information to increase their profit and expand their opportunities in a global world. Financial firms have two options: to build their own data centers or to outsource them to hosting services such as Google and Amazon ‘cloud’ services. While outsourcing data centers is a trend for small firms, it is not applicable to bigger firms who want more control over their huge amounts of data. Large firms thus build their own data centers. In such an environment, the CIO’s ability is crucial to lead an effective data strategy to capture, process and connect data to all the relevant lines of business. At the core of this strategy lies the data center – the repository of all information. In recognition of the importance of information, firms are rushing to invest in data centers, but they are finding that just throwing technology at the problem is not good enough. Despite the investments, data centers prove frustrating in terms of inefficiencies and rising costs, directly cutting into the profitability of lines of business that they serve. While there are books that discuss the mechanics, hardware and technicalities of data centers, no book has yet made the connection between enterprise strategy and data center investment, design and management.
This book is a solution driven book for management demonstrating how to leverage technology to manage the seemingly infinite amount of data available today. Each chapter offers cutting-edge management and technology solutions to effectively manage data through data centers.
• Feature: Presents cutting-edge technology solutions not available in one place until now
• Benefit: Saves time going to numerous websites, calling vendors, going to conferences
• Feature: Includes step-by-step instructions on how to implement a data center strategy based on the author’s recent success with Wachovia’s data center
• Benefit: Readers can follow these steps with confidence that they will work and not have to re-invent the wheel
• Feature: Demonstrates how business and IT can be aligned in financial services
• Benefit: Demonstrating this alignment is crucial for any proposal for IT related resources today

"Tony Bishop leverages his unique experience and understanding of business process and technology in presenting a clear path for evolving today’s datacenter to one that is far more agile, high performing, leveraged, and cost-effective.  This is a must read for financial institutions focused on leveraging their ongoing IT investments under a new paradigm; one that breaks down barriers to be far more responsive to market shifts and proactive in attacking market opportunities."

--Paul D. Jameson, Director, Global Financial Services, Cisco Systems

"Tony has provided a very comprehensive "cookbook" of how to transform the legacy data centers to the next generation data centers.  He provides logical advice and easy to follow instructions based on his real life experience on the "dos" and "don’ts" so those who follow his advice should be able to save considerable time and effort on their own transformation. It is not only for the financial services industry, but anyone dealing with complex information technology modernization that needs to support an agile business which is almost every business. This should be a "must read" for anyone on the journey to the next generation data center."

--Brian K. Ott, Vice President Global Service Lines, Systems and Technology, Unisys

Tony brings together a rare combination of business alignment and IT discipline to solving the crisis firms face with their datacenters.  His proven track record resonates throughout the book with sound, logical advice for firms to implement transformation in a consumable building block manner.  The strategy blueprint laid out methodically in the book can be best summarized for readers as business differentiation through IT transformation. --George A. Vega, CIB Managing Director, Global Markets & Investment Banking Technology