This paper takes a holistic view of the data center, discusses each of these components individually, and explains how the crucial element of Storage has lagged behind advancements in Compute Power and the Network. It will also examine how an ongoing shift towards clustered storage architectures may help to drive storage forward and, perhaps, even enable it to leap-frog the other data center components in speed and performance. With the storage bottleneck removed, enterprises will be able to gain new insights, create meaningful IT operating leverage and transform information into business breakthroughs - truly realizing the potential of the next generation data center.