Lenovo released the second edition of its ‘Smarter Data Management Playbook’, detailing the intricate challenges and strategies in AI data management across the Asia-Pacific. The report, derived from insights from over 550 CIOs and IT decision-makers, including over 220 from ASEAN+ regions (Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand), highlights the growing reliance on hybrid cloud setups and data security.
Shift towards hybrid cloud and AI
This IDC study reveals a clear shift among CIOs in ASEAN+ towards developing hybrid cloud infrastructures to bolster AI capabilities. Approximately 26% of these leaders initiate new hybrid cloud frameworks, while another 27% utilise cloud vendors to meet their AI infrastructure requirements.
Sumir Bhatia, President of Lenovo ISG, AP, says, “Data innovation is crucial for today’s CIOs to unlock new business opportunities and drive digital success. The playbook unveils data management complexity as the prime challenge for 29% of Asia-Pacific enterprises. This represents a significant shift towards hybrid cloud environments tailored for AI. Lenovo’s open, reliable, and secure infrastructure empowers organisations to modernise their data strategies, ensuring agility and competitive advantage.”
Simplifying data management
The playbook also highlights that 29% of enterprises in the Asia-Pacific and 32% in ASEAN+ view data management’s complexity as a major challenge. This complexity signals a critical need for robust data management solutions to streamline operations and enhance regional efficiency.
Kumar Mitra, Managing Director – CAP, Lenovo ISG, stated, “As highlighted in the Data Management Playbook, 2024 will be pivotal for organisations navigating the evolving landscape of data management. We observe a pronounced shift towards prioritising data security and optimising data for AI-driven insights and business outcomes. Lenovo ISG is committed to empowering our customers with agile, hybrid cloud solutions that streamline data management by up to 85%, enhancing operational efficiency. This underscores our continuous dedication to delivering tangible business value in an increasingly competitive market.”
Data security and migration priorities for 2024
The top priorities for ASEAN+ CIOs include data backup, security, and cloud migration. Meanwhile, their Asia-Pacific counterparts place data security at the top, followed by data preparation for AI and data architecture planning.
David Mooney, VP of Storage Sales – WW, Lenovo ISG, added, “As 30% of Asia-Pacific organisations prioritise data security for 2024, Lenovo ISG reaffirms its commitment to delivering fast, simple, and secure data management solutions. Our ThinkSystem DG and DM Storage solutions, with built-in ransomware protection, safeguard critical business data against evolving threats. As we strive to be the world’s leading end-to-end infrastructure solutions provider, we deliver innovations that help customers manage and protect their data, enabling AI integration and business transformation.”
In summary, Lenovo’s report not only outlines the significant data quality concerns but also the organisational hurdles in effectively adopting AI. The top concerns include AI training on false information and the lack of data quality assurance. Lenovo addresses these issues by providing comprehensive data management and storage solutions, supporting a range of enterprise needs from edge to core data centres and across cloud environments.