2020 Bio-IT Predictions: Digital Transformation Creates Opportunity and Obstacles

Contributed Commentary By Hervé Tardy

January 2, 2020 | They say change is good, but it’s best if you have the ability to adapt. That’s certainly the case in the IT space, where digital transformation continues to drive rapid advancement across virtually every industry, and certainly in the life sciences. As the Internet of Things (IoT), edge applications and continued cloud adoption usher in a host of new capabilities and services, organizations must adapt quickly or risk being left behind.

With 2020 under way, let’s take a step back to consider how IT is evolving and anticipate what’s in store for the road ahead. Here are some of my predictions and potential challenges to consider heading into next year.

1. The evolution of the central data center: As life science organizations look to harness the latest data-driven solutions and services, the advantages of maintaining a traditional, centralized data center topology are dwindling. Next year will mark the continued migration toward decentralized IT strategies, which will in turn grow the need for organizations to deploy distributed IT solutions to streamline access to critical data and services.

Rather than using a traditional large data center to house all IT infrastructure, organizations using a distributed IT approach can leverage edge and colocation facilities and network closets to place applications in closer proximity to users. This framework provides the latency to make real-time data access more achievable, but also has a significant impact on issues such as power management, as organizations are forced to rethink how they approach power and back up these facilities to ensure critical data is protected.

2. Cloud migration remains a strategic challenge: With the focus shifting away from the central data center, IT staffs are extending their attention outward with the hopes of moving more and more of their critical infrastructure to the cloud. However, this strategy is becoming trickier—if not pervasive—for companies as costs and cybersecurity concerns mount.

This technological balancing act isn’t likely to stabilize anytime soon. The reality is that transferring everything to the cloud is an idea many companies simply can’t stomach. Some workloads demand a level of security, compliance and reliability that many believe the cloud cannot deliver. Heading into next year, expect more organizations to embrace the hybrid IT framework that has become pervasive, where they manage some IT workloads on-premises while relying on cloud-based services for others.

3. Power becomes more critical: As the demand for data and faster services increases for life science organizations, so does the pressure to effectively protect these systems. An unexpected power outage could lead to the loss of important patient data. If an event were to happen at a cold storage facility, it could also result in the loss of numerous lab samples. As organizations move to more decentralized IT strategies, ensuring uptime becomes all the more critical.

Since distributed IT relies on the interworking of systems—some of which don’t have on-premises staff on hand to help monitor and manage—organizations must take a strategic, end-to-end approach to power management and disaster preparedness. Components at the hardware level offer a good starting point, but IT staffs must also contemplate virtualization and network-as-a-service infrastructure to ensure they’re adequately prepared across their system.

4. Cybersecurity in an era of increased connectivity: As mentioned, cyberattacks pose a huge concern for many IT staffs as they migrate networks off-site and continue moving away from the core data center. Simultaneously, with server-gateway connections growing as organizations expand their systems, the number of devices connected to networks are multiplying constantly—creating even more potential targets and threats.

The danger is so significant that state governments are now jumping into the game, taking legislative action to demand a higher level of cybersecurity. California recently passed a bill—California law SB-327—making IoT device companies more responsible for ensuring the privacy and security of the state’s residents. In response to growing cyber dangers, global safety science organization UL has developed and published a standard for software cybersecurity for network-connectable devices, UL 2900-2-2.

As IoT expands and the risks associated with cyber-attacks grow, IT departments must ensure that their connected technology is secure and resilient. Experts recommend taking a variety of measures to safeguard against cybersecurity threats, such as using a firewall and encrypting information; conducting routine security assessments; regularly updating antivirus software and antispyware; using advanced email filtering; establishing powerful passwords policies and end point protection; and offering employees cybersecurity awareness training.

Additionally, as the proliferation of smart, connected devices link together more and more elements of everyday operations, organizations must look to partner with technology and solutions providers that are willing to serve as a proactive participant in addressing IoT and security risks.

The advancement of distributed IT systems and interconnected technologies bring a number of benefits: from ubiquitous networks to the advanced cloud computing capabilities that help drive real-time, on-demand services to consumers. However, there are challenges to keep in mind with these rapidly changing infrastructures. By adopting a proactive approach to disaster preparedness and cybersecurity, organizations can ensure they are best positioned to be successful for the long haul.

Hervé Tardy is Vice President and General Manager of Eaton’s Distributed Power Infrastructure business unit. In this role, Hervé manages the Americas product roadmap for power solutions, software and connectivity products to reinforce Eaton’s technology leadership. He can be reached at HerveTardy@Eaton.com.