Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operations & Cloud Strategies Conference 2024 Las Vegas: Day 2 Highlights

We are bringing you news and highlights from Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operations & Cloud Strategies Conference, taking place this week in Las Vegas, Nevada. Below is a collection of the key announcements and insights coming out of the conference.

On Day 2 from the conference, we are highlighting the top trends impacting infrastructure & operations (I&O), enhancing cyber security for data and storage and avoiding top mistakes in a cloud strategy. Be sure to check this page throughout the day for updates.

• Gartner Identifies the Top Trends Impacting Infrastructure and Operations for 2025

Presented by Jeffrey Hewitt, VP Analyst, Gartner

I&O leaders have little time, skills and budget to track emerging trends and the full impact of those on infrastructure and operations. In this session, Jeffrey Hewitt, VP Analyst at Gartner, discussed the top I&O trends that are most likely to impact organizations.

• Trend No. 1: Revirtualization/devirtualization: “The recent license changes for certain vendor-based solutions have forced many I&O teams to re-evaluate their virtualization choices with some moving more to public cloud, some turning to distributed cloud and some moving to private cloud.”
• Trend No. 2: Security Behavior and Culture Programs: “As the sophistication and variety of attacks increases, security programs must evolve to address behavior and culture to optimize their effectiveness. Security behavior and culture programs are enterprisewide approaches to minimize cybersecurity incidents associated with employee behavior.”
• Trend No. 3: Cyberstorage: “Cyberstorage solutions utilize a data harbor made up of data that is fragmented and distributed across multiple storage locations. The fragmented data can be instantly reassembled for use when needed.” 
• Trend No. 4: Liquid-cooled Infrastructure: “Liquid-cooled infrastructure consists of rear-door heat exchange, immersion and direct-to-chip. It enables I&O to support new chip generations, density and AI requirements, while also providing I&O opportunities to flexibly place infrastructure to support edge use cases.”

Presented by Jonathan Forest, VP Analyst, Gartner

Since generative AI (GenAI) has the potential to revolutionize network operations, organizations must manage the expectations while also investing in the technology.  In this session, Jonathan Forest, VP Analyst at Gartner, discussed the value that GenAI can bring to network operations.

• “By 2027, GenAI technology will account for 40% of initial network configuration, up from less than 5% in 2024.”

• “Drive agility and improve network operations by leveraging GenAI networking tools to accelerate network design/setup and optimize troubleshooting.”

• “Determine the business case of implementing GenAI solutions by quantifying efficiency, cost optimization and service improvement.”

• “Start small and iterate with GenAI solutions by verifying recommendations and outputs and evolving to unattended automation over time as efficiency and trust in GenAI networking tools improve.”

Presented by David Smith, Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner

Many organizations think they have a working cloud strategy or are lacking one altogether. They often consider IT needs without input from other parts of the organization. In this session, David Smith, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, discussed the top mistakes Gartner sees most often when reviewing cloud strategy documents.

• “The most common mistake is assuming a cloud strategy concerns only IT. It’s about producing new business outcomes resulting from the availability of new services and models.”

• “Many organizations don’t believe they need an exit strategy, yet it’s vital to the success of any cloud strategy. It’s like having an insurance policy that you’ll hopefully never need to use.”

• “A cloud strategy is often confused with an implementation plan. It’s important to keep them separate so the strategy sets the foundations and direction, while the implementation plan puts that strategy into effect.”

• “Many believe it’s too late to devise a cloud strategy as they’ve been using the cloud for years. Driving adoption without it will cause resistance from those not aligned on key drivers and principles, which will slow down adoption and potentially jeopardize the entire project.”

• “Outsourcing a cloud strategy may sound attractive, but avoid doing so as outsourcers don’t know as much about your business strategy as you do.”

Journalists can receive additional information and/or request an interview with the Gartner expert by contacting Matt LoDolce at matt.lodolce@gartner.com.