Gartner makes audience feedback the guiding factor when focusing and defining each Summit. For 2009, the Data Center Summit has been revised, refreshed and renewed to meet the client challenges being faced in the new climate. The chosen track themes and titles are as follows:

Track One - Evolving Infrastructure Commoditization and your Path Forward
Organizations increasingly perceive raw infrastructure as a commodity. However, this infrastructure of servers, networks, storage etc. is the foundation for any Data Center. Get this choice wrong and the layers built on top will come crumbling down. Given the current market turmoil, new entrants and consolidation in this area, this track will cover how to choose the right strategic technologies and vendors for servers, networks, storage, databases, clients etc and how they will evolve in the future. It will also examine any emerging trends and best practices in this area.

Track Two - Is Cloud Computing The End Game of Virtualisation?
Most organizations are now familiar and are using virtualization technology for servers, storage, clients etc in their Data Center. However, the increasing heterogeneity of technology and diversity of vendors in the data center makes it a difficult decision to bet their business on the future of these technologies and vendors. In this track we help organizations plot their journey towards the next steps in virtualization across various technology platforms, vendors and help identify how and where this will be the foundational technology for Real-Time Infrastructure (RTI) and Cloud computing. We will also examine trends, critical success factors, major pitfalls and best practices that will provide organizations the agility needed to manage rapid change without breaking the bank.

Track Three - Delivering lower TCO and higher quality of Service through IT Operations Excellence
IT Operations is the key to delivering business benefits of lower TCO, managing and improving quality of services and lowering business risk. In this track we examine the increasingly complex and changing infrastructure, services (in-house, outsourced and cloud) and application environment and propose organizational, process (e.g. ITIL v3) and technology solutions to deliver business benefits rapidly without disrupting the business. We also examine the trends and best practices in IT Operations. Furthermore it will also guide you on how to devise high availability and disaster recovery strategies and make technology choices.

Track Four - Data Center Services, Strategies and Best Practices
Most Data Centers today do not procure all their services in-house. This track examines how organizations should devise multi-sourcing strategies to optimize costs without sacrificing agility and risk. It will also look at how emerging trends in power and cooling, facilities, environmental (Green-IT) and other factors impact the data center. It also examines how enterprises should manage their IT assets by negotiating software licenses, services and facilities to optimize costs and identify future trends in these areas.

Virtual Track - Optimizing Costs and Making Savings within the Data Center
Most organizations have been and are feeling the cost pressures more this year than ever before. In this track we provide short term, medium term and long term actionable advice on how to optimize costs. This track will identify content in the four main tracks that provide this advice in the infrastructure, software, services, applications, IT Operations and other areas.

New For 2009

Become a Thought Leader in Your Organization
In 2009 you have the unique opportunity to understand the I&O priorities of Gartner's own SVP CIO in the downturn climate; to hear from the former Director General of the Confederation of British Industry about the overall economic environment you're working in; and to hear Gartner's Chief of Infrastructure Research outline the 10 key trends facing you.

Interactive Workshop Sessions
We are staging two sessions allowing you to discuss your approaches and priorities with the Gartner analysts and your peers. Tackle real-time infrastructure and virtualization by examining and debating real-life approaches with our help, support and insights.

New Gartner "Locknote" Closing Keynote
With 63 sessions taking place over the two day event that's a lot of perspectives and approaches to take in. The new "Locknote" gives you a concise download of all core messages from across this year's Summit, and the Gartner analyst recommended action plan for success in the year ahead.

Strategy and Insight for the Senior Practitioner
As well as the high-level keynote content, this year's Data Center Summit features a selection of "strategic insight" presentations aimed at providing the longer-range vision for leaders within the data center and I&O departments. This is where to go for the knowledge that will matter to your CIO. Follow the appropriate session tags within the agenda pages.

Foundation Content for Newcomers and Refreshment
Join us at a Foundation Session giving you the latest updates and summaries on key topics. Combined with the interactive workshops, the Track Four best practice focus, closing Locknote, and the Gartner Analyst/User Roundtables you will be fully furnished with what you need as a data center newcomer or as a senior I&O professional wanting a specific update or 'health check'.

End-User Case Studies

• Alfa Laval Lund
• DLA Piper
• Colacem
• London Borough of Hillingdon
• Rabobank

Key Technology Areas

For 2009, Gartner will be offering advice via presentations on vendor selection, tool selection and assessment, real-world case study examples, process updates, best-practice cases, maturity models, disruptive technologies, technology trends, market activity and development in the following key technology areas:

• IT procurement and contract negotiation
• Outsourcing and hosted data centers
• Cloud Computing / Infrastructure as a Service
• Energy efficient data centers and low power consumption
• Configuration management
• Organization and staffing for infrastructure and operations
• IT operations management
• IT Operations Process Automation
• Application Level SLAs
• Asset Management
• Green IT implications and opportunities
• Virtualized servers / virtualization tactics
• ITIL strategy and best practice
• Data protection and back up
• Business continuity and disaster recovery
• Multicore
• Client computing architectures
• Storage trends and technology
• Enterprise networking
• Rack / blade servers

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