A business organization is like a living organism. If it is to succeed and grow, the organization must be aware of and operate in harmony with its environment. IT is at the heart of most business organizations and, consequently, must deliver the services the business needs, when and where they are needed.

The business environment is complex and highly dynamic. It requires an IT infrastructure that is agile and can act in sync with the fast-moving business environment. To meet this requirement, IT organizations are transforming the model of the data center from one that is a static and dedicated resource, to one that is a highly dynamic and shared resource. Technologies such as virtualization and automation are enabling this transformation.

Delivering the right services at the right times is only part of the challenge. IT must deliver them at agreed-upon service levels, in a cost-effective manner, while maintaining compliance with internal policies and external regulations. To meet the challenge, IT organizations must take a new approach to managing the complex and highly dynamic data center.

This paper examines the data center's transition from a model that is static and dedicated, to one that is dynamic and shared.