Guest Column: Public Sector Agencies - Stop Buying Storage!

By Jim Russell, VP Public Sector, Symantec Corporation

Public sector agencies are really no different that their private sector counterparts in the fact that they are under unprecedented pressure to cut costs. At the same time, government IT professionals are tasked with ensuring the smooth operation of the data center, which is becoming more complex as a result of continual consolidation, changes, increased adoption of virtualization and exploding data volumes.

Understandably, agencies are reluctant to spend more money than absolutely necessary, which has limited or delayed purchases of new IT equipment that might have been routine otherwise. Forecasts vary widely for the depth and length of any recession, but it is clear that budgets for this year and next are uncertain at best.

Most government IT organizations will focus will be on optimizing existing systems and extending their usual life. The good news is that many organizations have 50 percent or more available storage capacity that may accommodate the organization's needs for the foreseeable future. Plus, many technologies exist that can help optimize existing systems and help delay new hardware purchases.