INTERVIEW Darren Watkins - Virtus Data Centres
“The extensive nature of digital transformation needs something beyond a company or Government
department’s in-house storage capabilities” Darren Watkins, Managing Director for Virtus Data Centres
Transforming
Ambition into Reality
Comms Business Magazine met with Darren Watkins, Managing Director for Virtus Data Centres, to ask how
the government can realise its own digital potential
In the UK, the case for public
sector digital transformation
is clear; to serve everyone -
regardless of location, ability,
age or gender - a reliable and
scalable delivery method for
services and information is
required.
How is that going and what
is the best approach for the
government to take?
Darren Watkins (DW): Digital
technology is an obvious way to
deliver, but many believe that
the government has been slow to
use the transformative potential
of digital technology. And
despite the UK government’s
clear commitment to using
technology to improve services
and save money, squeezed public
sector budgets and complex
requirements make adopting
digital technologies on a large
scale dicult.
Much progress has been
made since the introduction of
Government Digital Strategy
in 2012, which demonstrated
the potential of public service
transformation by making
some of the most high volume
services ‘digital by default’.
New digital professions are now
established across the public
sector and departments are
better at sharing platforms and
components, code, patterns and
best practices.
However, reports show
that the UK is still at the early
stages of its digital journey,
where the primary aims are to
cut costs and make savings,
rather than to embrace the truly
transformative potential of
digital disruption.
Currently, there is a focus
on discrete initiatives, such
as a move to more digital
communications with the public,
or workplace programmes which
aim to provide government
workers with digital skills. But
a broader strategy is needed –
one that harnesses the power
of technology to provide for all
in an inclusive, accessible and
sustainable way.
Clearly this is an enormous
undertaking, so how do you get
the basics right?
(DW): For some, creating a smart
city - which uses Internet of
ings (IoT) sensors to collect
and use data to manage assets
and resources - is the ultimate
aim of a successful digital
transformation programme.
ere are plenty of good
examples: in Barcelona, extensive
use of sensors has helped to
reduce trac congestion by a
quarter; in Singapore, the citystate
has developed a dynamic
3D model that enables city
planners to run virtual tests
- verifying, for instance, how
crowds might evacuate from
a neighbourhood facing an
emergency; and in Oslo, great
strides have been made in using
information technology to
curb energy consumption and
greenhouse gas emissions.
ese truly transformative
schemes are only possible when
the IT Infrastructure is in place
to support them.
Public sector organisations
must be able to physically link
dispersed machines and sensors
quickly, securely and reliably.
But the stakes are high - failures
in the network could result in
transport systems being shut
down, power outages and huge
disruption to citizens. A huge
amount of connectivity, storage
and computing power is required
- facilitated by the data centre.
Most will have to deal with
legacy infrastructure as well
as creating new facilities. is
might mean that traditional
‘core’ connectivity hubs will
have to work alongside smaller
data centres optimised for Edge
computing.
So where do the channels fit in
to this scenario – where are the
opportunities?
(DW): e extensive nature of
digital transformation needs
something beyond a company
or Government department’s
in-house storage capabilities,
and this presents signicant
opportunities for managed
service providers (MSPs) to help.
For example, many
government departments and
wider organisations are turning
to third party IT suppliers to
help them navigate their data
centre strategies - engaging with
colocation facilities that provide
the best in interconnectivity,
exibility and scalability.
Managed services provide
peace of mind, reduce risk and
allow public sector executives to
focus on their core competencies
- leaving IT management to the
experts.
For any wide scale digital
transformation to succeed,
it’s vital to start with getting
the basics right - ensuring the
impact of new technologies on
infrastructure is well managed.
64 | Comms Business Magazine | September 2019 www.commsbusiness.co.uk
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