The head and the heart have to agree

This week, we’re looking at the alignment and misalignment of data protection initiatives between IT implementers (the heart) and IT leadership (the head).

Historically, IT implementers were mostly focused on functionality, while IT leaders wanted improved reliability and agility/flexibility. Starting around 2017, that changed: reliability and flexibility/agility started topping both lists (along with cost). The reason that is so important is because if the head and the heart don’t agree, neither is likely to get what they want:

  • If IT leaders want something, but IT implementers don’t implement due to incompatibility or lack of buy-in — then nothing happens
  • If IT implementers want something, but IT leaders don’t comprehend the business justification for the investments (so nothing gets bought) — then nothing happens

On this impasse, Veeam worked with Wiley Press (the Dummies Book publishers) to unpack all of the metrics and languages that technologists, operations, and financial folks use – i.e. the heart, the head, and the wallet. As it relates to data protection, the industry is finally aligning on the reality that “If it doesn’t work well, the price tag or the shiny widget doesn’t matter.” Reliability and flexibility/agility are top of mind for both those responsible for implementation and those who lead them.

Navigate the series:

  1. When you modernize production, you must modernize protection
  2. The race to zero downtime and data loss
  3. Ya gotta know what ya got
  4. The head and the heart have to agree
  5. The industry is adding, not “just” changing
  6. The hype of copy data management and secondary storage

This article was originally posted on the Veeam Blog.

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