What are containers?

Think about the last time you tried to move a project from one computer to another. Maybe it worked perfectly on your laptop but failed to run on a colleague’s machine or the company data centre. Containers put an end to that headache. Imagine packing up your app, all its code and everything it needs, like libraries and settings, into a neat box. No matter where you take that box, it works. Developers can stop worrying about hidden system differences and start building essential features. 

This isn’t just theory. Picture a team at Netflix rolling out new features to millions of viewers. They can’t afford downtime or glitches. By using containers, their engineers can build and test new ideas on their laptops, knowing those containers will behave the same way in production. It’s like having a universal plug for every socket — no more fiddling with adapters or hoping things will fit. 

How are containers used?

Before containers, we relied on virtual machines (VMs). VMs were like renting an entire flat for every guest, complete with a kitchen, bathroom and all the amenities; great but cumbersome and slow to set up. Containers are more like giving each guest their own room in a shared house. They share the basics but still get their own space. This makes containers much lighter and quicker, allowing you to fit more on the same hardware. 

Of course, with more moving parts, you need to be careful. Security is always essential. It’s like double-checking that every box you send out is locked, labelled and tracked. We ensure that only trusted boxes are used, monitor who can open them and regularly check for any signs of tampering. When done correctly, containers can be just as safe, if not safer, than the old ways. 

Why containers are the right choice for your organisation

For many IT teams, containers have become the solution to persistent challenges, such as software functioning in one environment but not another, slow updates and the struggle to scale quickly when demand spikes. We built our platform to alleviate these headaches. You can seamlessly move workloads, reduce wasted resources and adapt to changes in your business without missing a beat. 

We’ve designed our Managed Containers Platform to be easy to adopt, whether you’re a small startup or a large company with outdated systems to modernise. There’s no need to lock yourself into one vendor or way of working. The goal is to provide you with choice and control, not additional obstacles to navigate. 

What’s exciting is how containers open doors for everyone involved. Developers can build and test faster, operations teams can implement changes smoothly and businesses deliver new features to customers sooner and with fewer hiccups. It’s no wonder that more and more organisations, from online shops to banks, are making the switch. 

Getting started shouldn’t be a chore. We’ve made it easy for you to deploy our platform wherever you need it — on your servers, in the cloud or a mix of both. With straightforward guides and automation, you’ll spend less time setting up and more time building what matters. 

Ultimately, containers aren’t just another tool; they’re a means to deliver better software, faster. They help teams work together, keep things secure and ensure you’re ready for whatever comes next. That’s why containers are shaping the future of technology, one simple, powerful box at a time. 

Workload environment and distribution

Infrastructure strategy is no longer about choosing between cloud and on-premises. Although it never really was that simple, the stakes are higher today, and the choices are more deliberate. In a business landscape of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA), organisations are designing systems that do more than just run workloads; they’re building environments that can adapt. 

The latest survey data reflects this shift. On-prem data centres still play a vital role, offering the control and compliance many sectors demand. But we’re seeing a clear move toward cloud-based models. Businesses are investing in a mix of hosted private cloud, public cloud and colocation services, a measured approach that balances innovation with risk, scale with governance. 

Demand for private cloud services continues to rise as companies look for scalable infrastructure that doesn’t compromise reliability or security. At the same time, cloud management platforms have become essential for leaders managing hybrid and multicloud estates, offering control without complexity. 

It’s no longer just about where the infrastructure is located; it’s about how effectively it moves, supports growth and adapts to changing conditions. 

The 5% of environments classified as “Other” is also worth watching. This likely includes edge computing and emerging architectures, both of which are gaining traction as organisations move data processing closer to users and endpoints. 

In short, demand reshapes infrastructure: systems must be flexible, stable and ready for whatever comes next. 

Off-premises drivers

Disaster recovery / Business continuity: 60% 

The primary driver for moving workloads off-premises is ensuring robust disaster recovery and business continuity. Organisations are increasingly prioritising the need to safeguard their operations when disruptions and attacks eventually occur. By leveraging cloud solutions, companies can achieve higher redundancy and recovery capabilities crucial for maintaining seamless business operations.

Lower capital costs: 41%

The shift towards cloud computing is also driven by the need to reduce capital expenditure. Moving workloads off-prem allows companies to transform their IT infrastructure costs from CapEx to OpEx. This financial flexibility is vital, especially in uncertain economic climates, enabling organisations to invest in innovation and growth rather than being tied down by heavy upfront infrastructure costs. 

Improved security: 40%

The number and sophistication of cyber threats continue to increase. This third key driver is the quest for improved security. Cloud providers invest heavily in state-of-the-art security measures and protocols, often surpassing what companies can achieve independently. This enhanced security posture is a significant factor driving the migration to off-prem environments as organisations seek to protect their data and maintain customer trust. 

These insights point to a strategic focus on resilience, cost-efficiency and security as the primary factors influencing the migration of workloads to cloud environments. This alignment with current market trends underscores the importance of adopting flexible, scalable and secure IT solutions to stay competitive and resilient in dynamic business landscapes. 

Public cloud challenges

Organisations’ challenges with public cloud solutions reflect the maturity of cloud adoption and the complexity of managing cloud environments at scale. 

1. Predicting costs

One of the most significant concerns is the difficulty of accurately forecasting cloud costs. Organisations scaling their cloud usage find that the complexity of pricing models, usage fluctuations and unpredictable workloads can lead to cost overruns. Cloud financial management is becoming a priority for many organisations as they strive to optimise their spending while leveraging cloud resources. 

2. Internal staff skill set

The rapid pace of cloud technology evolution has left many organisations facing limitations due to skill gaps. Internal teams may lack the specialised knowledge required to fully utilise cloud services, leading to inefficiencies and slower adoption of new capabilities. Businesses must upskill staff and find talent proficient in cloud technologies to maximise the value of their cloud investments. 

3. Complexity

Managing the complexity of multicloud environments, integration with legacy systems and navigating the vast array of cloud services and configurations present significant hurdles. Organisations find it difficult to manage this complexity while ensuring smooth operations and consistent performance. 

These challenges point to a need for better cloud cost management tools, investment in workforce training, and solutions that reduce the complexity of cloud operations. As cloud adoption continues to accelerate, addressing these issues will be critical for organisations to fully realise the benefits of the cloud while managing risks and costs effectively. 

Read our 2025 Data Centre & Infrastructure Report today for more survey results and expert insights. 

What is recovery assurance? 

Recovery assurance is the ability to confidently restore IT systems after a ransomware attack or data loss event. Traditional backup strategies often assume that hardware failure is the primary concern, meaning recovery focuses on reinstalling software and restoring backups. However, ransomware and other cyber threats invert the problem: your hardware is fine, but your software, applications and data can no longer be trusted. This shift highlights the difference between traditional disaster recovery (DR) and cyber recovery.   

• Traditional DR assumes backups and software are intact, but infrastructure has failed.   
• Cyber recovery assumes infrastructure is fine, but software and data are compromised.   

Organisations must implement regular recovery testing to validate that backups aren’t compromised before they’re restored to ensure safe and trustworthy recovery. Doing so requires a dedicated, secure testing environment that ransomware cannot reach.   

Incident response plans also play a crucial role in recovery assurance. A strong plan includes a well-trained Incident Response Team (IRT) skilled in penetration testing, forensic analysis and network security. Regular training ensures employees know how to identify and respond to threats, reducing human errors that can lead to infections.

What is RTO and RPO? 

Two critical metrics define an organisation’s ability to recover from an attack: Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO). RTO measures how quickly operations must be restored to prevent severe disruption, while RPO defines how much data loss is acceptable. Organisations must move beyond traditional backups and embrace solutions for modern cyber threats to achieve the lowest possible RTO and RPO.  

How to safeguard valuable data 

Data is an organisation’s most valuable asset, and cybercriminals know it. Whether it’s customer records, financial transactions or intellectual property, losing access to data can be catastrophic. Immutable data storage and Isolated Recovery Environments (IREs) provide a robust defence by ensuring data remains untouched, accessible and instantly recoverable.   

What is immutable data storage? 

Immutable storage is a game changer in ransomware defence because data cannot be modified, encrypted or deleted once written, even by administrators, protecting it from malicious attacks. Unlike traditional backups, which can be encrypted or erased by ransomware if attackers gain access, immutable data guarantees there’s always a clean, untampered copy available.   

Instead of relying on nightly backups, which can leave organisations vulnerable to 24+ hours of data loss, immutable data solutions create multiple snapshots during the day. This approach allows organisations to restore data from a precise point before an attack, minimising disruption and reducing an organisation’s RPO to near zero. 

What are isolated recovery environments (IREs)? 

An IRE takes immutable data storage one step further by creating a secure, offline environment to test, validate and restore business-critical systems. This environment is separate from the primary network, ensuring ransomware cannot infect or corrupt recovery points.   

Key features of IREs include:   

• Unalterable data: Ensures backups cannot be encrypted, manipulated or erased 
• Multiple copies for fast recovery: Reduce RTO by allowing businesses to restore systems rapidly using multiple recovery points 
• Robust reporting and visibility: Provides insight into backup integrity and potential security risks, allowing IT teams to make informed decisions 

One of the biggest mistakes organisations make is storing their incident response plan on internal systems, only to find it encrypted and inaccessible after an attack. A simple but effective solution is maintaining a “lockbox” copy of critical response documentation in a secure, offline location, such as an IRE. This ensures IT teams can access clear recovery instructions immediately without wasting time searching for missing files.

Key benefits of immutable data storage include:  

• Protection against cyberattacks: Prevents data loss and ensures quick and easy data restoration.  
• Maintains compliance: Meet various regulatory requirements, including General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and others, while ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of personal data.  
• Faster recovery times: Significantly decreases the time needed to recover from a data loss event. 
• Scalability and flexibility: Easily add additional storage capacity as data and business requirements grow.  
• Reduces risk: Removes the ability to modify or delete backups once created, so data is always protected.  

When time is critical, you need a fast solution 

Ransomware recovery is a race against time. The longer systems remain locked, the greater the financial and operational impact will be. Whether it’s lost productivity, missed revenue or compliance fines, the consequences escalate quickly. A slow or uncertain recovery process is no longer an option.   

An IRE provides the fastest and most secure way to restore operations. When combined with immutable storage, it delivers a clean, trustworthy recovery solution that can be deployed in minutes.  

Combining forces 

The technical advantages of immutable storage and IREs lead to significant business benefits:   

• Minimised downtime: Faster recovery reduces operational disruption and financial losses 
• Regulatory compliance: Supports data protection regulations like GDPR, PCI-DSS and ISO 27001 
• Cyber resilience and business continuity: Ensures businesses can withstand and recover from attacks without lasting damage 
• Cost savings: Eliminates the need to pay ransoms, reduces legal exposure and protects brand reputation 

When combined, these solutions transform ransomware recovery from a reactive scramble to a proactive, well-structured strategy that guarantees business continuity. By investing in these technologies, businesses shift from hoping their backups will work to knowing their recovery strategy is bulletproof.   

Modernising disaster recovery

Ransomware is no longer a question of if but when. As cyberattacks become more sophisticated and relentless, businesses must move beyond traditional disaster recovery approaches and adopt solutions explicitly designed for cyber resilience. Immutable data and IREs provide the strongest line of defence, ensuring your data remains untampered, your recovery process is tested and reliable and your downtime is minimised. 

By implementing immutable storage, organisations can guarantee that their critical data remains untouched by ransomware, preventing attackers from holding data hostage. Pairing this with an IRE ensures recovery in a secure, air-gapped environment free from lingering risks of reinfection. Automated testing, forensic analysis and detailed reporting ensure that organisations can restore operations quickly and confidently when disaster strikes. 

Traditional disaster recovery is no longer enough. Cyber threats have changed the game, and businesses need a modern, proactive recovery strategy that keeps them one step ahead of attackers. By integrating immutable data and IREs, organisations can eliminate uncertainty, take control of their recovery and ensure ransomware never dictates their future. 

Source: Education responses collected from an online Data Centre & Infrastructure Survey conducted by Service Express.

1. Moving to a subscription-based model, discontinuing free and perpetual licenses 

Companies looking to purchase new, renew, upgrade or receive maintenance support on perpetual licenses must transition to a subscription model. Previously, perpetual licenses were one-time purchases that fell under most company’s CapEx budgets. Moving to a subscription model may require companies to shift these costs to OpEx. Broadcom announced that customers will continue to access their perpetual licenses and receive free zero-day patches for supported versions of vSphere. 

2. Condensing the VMware portfolio to two primary solutions with options for add-ons 

• VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 
• VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) 

In addition to the main bundles, add-ons and access to vSphere Standard and vSphere Essentials Plus are available. 

3. Calculating pricing per core (with a minimum of 16 cores) 

With new product offerings comes new pricing. Previously, VMware required one CPU license for up to 32 physical cores. The pricing for VCF and VVF is calculated based on the number of cores per CPU, with a minimum of 16 cores. 

4. Rolling out changes to their partner program and framework 

In February 2024, VMware’s partner programs transitioned to Broadcom’s invitation-only Advantage Partner Program. As outlined in Broadcom’s Partner FAQ, they’ll begin rolling out invitations to VMware partners, starting with resellers. Invitation timelines may vary by partner route and market. 

Broadcom’s VP of Global Partner and Commercial Sales shared updates to the partner program, including a net margin model; streamlined pricing, systems and tools; predictable partner profitability and deal protection; and increased resourcing and support. 

Ways to mitigate VMware’s rising costs 

Every company’s next step forward will depend on various factors, including current environments, utilisation, compatibility, budget, resources, etc. Below are potential considerations and strategies to reduce subscription costs or make room in your IT budget for the increase. 

Assess your current environment and utilisation 

You’re overpaying for an additional license if your servers have less than 16 cores per CPU. That said, now’s the time to identify servers that are underutilised, idle or spare hosts since you’ll be paying for each core. Depending on your situation, you may be able to upgrade, downgrade or refresh hardware to get the most out of your budget. 

Find cost savings opportunities 

We know every IT department is challenged to do more with less and increasing VMware subscription costs have only added more pressure. Several opportunities for cost reduction include delaying hardware refresh cycles by extending the life of your equipment and switching to third-party Data Centre Maintenance to address support costs. 

Evaluate your storage strategy  

Customers can utilise the vSAN that’s included with their respective bundle. However, exceeding the allotted amount could overwhelm your budget and incur additional capacity charges. Read more about calculating cores for vSAN in Broadcom’s article. 

Exploring VMware alternatives 

There’s no telling what the future holds for VMware post-Broadcom acquisition. As VMware competitors begin to target the company’s significant customer base, IT decision-makers must weigh the cost, risk and time associated with considering an alternative solution. 

“A large-scale migration from VMware’s server virtualization platform will require multiple person-years of effort, considerable one-time project costs and business risk, and have an elapsed duration of 18 to 48 months.” — Gartner 

We’ve compiled a list of the top VMware alternatives and their advantages and disadvantages based on findings from Ace Cloud Hosting and reviews on Gartner Peer Insights. 

How Service Express can guide you through the changes 

We understand this change is widespread and impacts many — if not all — of our customers. Although the waters seem a tad murky, the good news is that you don’t have to navigate them alone. Ultimately, our priority is to help our customers get the most out of their budget without compromising performance. Our team of Infrastructure Sales Consultants is equipped to weigh your options and advise on the best strategy to maximise your VMware investment. 

What is multicloud?

Multicloud architectures include two or more public cloud services, usually from different cloud providers. These deployments connect services across environments without physically connecting the clouds. The main objective of implementing multicloud is to give businesses the flexibility to leverage the most suitable computing environment for each of their workloads. 

Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IasS) all fall into the multicloud category. Most companies use these products daily, including Microsoft 365, Salesforce, AWS, etc. 

Benefits of multicloud

Cloud providers all have their own advantages and disadvantages; a multicloud solution allows you to use best-in-class services for each app or task. Partnering with multiple providers can help businesses avoid vendor lock-in and reduce expenses by opting for more affordable options. 

If your business is thinking about switching to cloud computing, multicloud offers an easy and efficient setup process and can also help you:

• Minimise spending by exploring pricing options between providers
• Scale on demand to fit your organisation’s growing needs 
• Reduce downtime by routing computing between clouds

What is hybrid cloud?

Both multicloud and hybrid cloud integrate more than one cloud service, but they differ in several ways. Whereas multicloud systems only use public cloud services, hybrid cloud environments combine elements of public cloud with either a private cloud or on-premises infrastructure, enabling data and application sharing between them. 

Another key difference between multicloud and hybrid cloud is architecture. Those with hybrid cloud solutions own and manage a private cloud as part of their infrastructure, usually hosted on-premises or on dedicated servers within a third-party data centre. They sync their private cloud with their public cloud workloads to create a single solution. 

Benefits of hybrid cloud

Some organisations prefer to have their infrastructure solely onsite and don’t want to host it elsewhere. A hybrid cloud solution lets you have infrastructure in one location while using a public cloud provider to get the best parts of both worlds. It’s ideal for businesses looking to optimise their resources and manage costs. 

Hybrid cloud allows organisations to transition to cloud computing gradually, as well as:

• Freedom to manage tasks across private or public clouds
• Public cloud scalability combined with private infrastructure security
• The ability to manage high-demand and fluctuating workloads efficiently

What is specialty cloud?

Specialty cloud solutions involve a cloud provider specialising in a particular area, industry or application. If you consider Microsoft 356, Salesforce and IBM Power, they each have a specific use case. Specialty cloud providers can create custom solutions to increase scalability and flexibility around business-critical applications. 

Specialty Cloud for IBM Power is one example. Since some workloads and applications don’t fit most public cloud architectures, it can be challenging for companies to adopt cloud solutions. This specialty cloud solution is built on IBM Power to integrate with mission-critical applications without rearchitecting workloads. 

Benefits of specialty cloud

If a company doesn’t want to host their architecture on-premises, it can entrust a managed service provider to run its entire IT infrastructure stack in a specialty cloud environment. This requires total trust and transparency between the business and the managed service provider.

Specialty cloud also allows you to:

• Benefit from cloud solutions without rearchitecting
• Integrate technologies and tailor your environment to your needs
• Protect sensitive data that isn’t safe in a shared environment

What are most companies using for their infrastructure?

Today, a vast mix of companies use multi and hybrid cloud. Nearly every business is using a public cloud provider of some type. For example, Microsoft requires cloud access for Office 365 products. Most enterprises or large companies still have their IT footprint and haven’t fully migrated to the cloud. While specialty cloud is a fairly new cloud computing platform, it has gained momentum over the last few years. 

Which solution is the best fit for your business?

Multi, hybrid and specialty cloud all create easy access to cloud computing. However, when choosing a cloud model for your workload or migrating your data to a new cloud, compare the pros and cons across cloud strategies to find the best fit for your specific business needs. 

What is hyperconverged infrastructure? 

HCI is a single software-defined platform that integrates the same components as converged infrastructure (CI) into one system. In addition to enhancing scalability, this type of infrastructure can improve performance and reduce costs. Discover more about the differences between converged and hyperconverged infrastructure.  

Challenges of hyperconverged infrastructure 

Maintaining HCI poses unique challenges, including frequent updates and complex layered software. 

HCI environments often face the dilemma of keeping pace with frequent software and hardware updates. Failure to stay current can lead to performance issues and security vulnerabilities. 

In addition, HCI solutions often utilise layered software, requiring a specialised skill set for effective servicing. Expert knowledge is crucial for handling complexities introduced by plugins and software layers, especially when maintaining infrastructure spanning multiple manufacturers. 

The importance of planning for proper maintenance 

Efficient maintenance begins with strategic planning. Organisations must go beyond a reactive approach and embrace proactive strategies. Proper maintenance planning extends the lifecycle of HCI components, maximising the return on investment. 

Benefits of third-party maintenance for hyperconverged infrastructure 

TPM can be a strategic choice for addressing the complexities of maintaining HCI. 

Compared to OEM maintenance, TPM providers can offer significant cost savings. This means organisations can maintain their HCI configurations without compromising quality or budgets. 

A reputable TPM provider brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in maintaining diverse HCI environments. Service Express engineers possess a broad skill set to support various HCI solutions and are well-versed in handling HCI complexities and providing comprehensive maintenance services. 

Our team has completed extensive research and development on HCI through breaking, fixing and relocating equipment in our research labs. This enables our engineers to develop and enhance the skills needed to maintain and service major players in the HCI space. 

Service Express specialises in supporting various HCI solutions, including Cisco Hyperflex, Dell EMC VxRail, HPE SimpliVity and Nutanix NX appliances. Our experts are equipped to navigate the nuances of these systems, ensuring reliable and efficient maintenance. 

Leveraging a trusted maintenance partner 

In the dynamic realm of HCI, strategic maintenance planning is crucial. Choosing a TPM provider for your maintenance strategy delivers cost savings and places your infrastructure with experienced professionals. With a proven track record and expertise in various HCI configurations, Service Express stands out as a reliable partner for organisations seeking seamless and effective maintenance. 

By embracing TPM, organisations can confidently navigate the complexities of maintaining their HCI environments, ensuring continuous innovation and optimal performance.