LAS VEGAS: Enterprises need new super-powered IT solutions to deal with the evolved cloud, mobility, big data and security challenges facing them, according to HP chief executive officer Meg Whitman.

During her keynote at HP Discover in Las Vegas, Whitman cited the increased cost of running traditional data centres as proof that traditional IT solutions are no longer sufficiently powerful for enterprise-level businesses.

“Thinking about the data centre, everyone knows the path that we are on is simply not sustainable – not in terms of space, in terms of energy or in terms of cost. For example, large cloud and web-based services will conservatively have an install base of eight to 10 million servers over the next three years,” she said.

“The space that these servers will occupy will be the equivalent of 200 football fields and these data centres will span the length of Manhattan and to build them will cost anywhere between $10bn and $20bn. That’s not including the cost of operating in a world that is facing asymmetrical and relentless security threats. Since 2006 threats against US government systems alone rose 680 percent. Today security is a board-level agenda.”

Whitman said the need for a change in the way businesses run data centres is indicative of a wider shift in the IT industry. “IT is no longer just about keeping the computers running, it’s now a critical strategic factor determining whether an organisation is a winner or a loser in the marketplace. Driving this huge shift is the rise in cloud, mobility, big data and security,” she said.

“Think about it: on any given day the world posts one billion pieces of content to Facebook, generates over 200 million Tweets and creates information using cameras, sensors, GPS-enabled devices and transaction systems. For example did you know that Walmart alone processes over one million transactions every hour and this translates to over 2.5 exabytes of new data every single day,” she said.

Whitman said despite the evolving nature of the new challenges, HP is already working to create new super-powered services to help face the problem. “In many cases these issues are new and they’re evolving all the time, we get that. We understand you [IT workers] may go to work feeling like Clark Kent, but when you arrive on the scene people expect Superman,” she explained.

“We get what you’re going through and part of our job at HP is to get you wearing a red cape. We’re here to help you be the hero, by delivering the services and perspective you need to stay afloat and stay ahead and stay on top. We do this every day for customers around the world.”

Whitman highlighted HP’s recently unveiled Moonshot servers as proof of her bold claim. “HP’s strategy is to provide solutions for the new style of IT. We are the only company with the breadth and depth of innovative products and services to help businesses succeed in this new reality,” she said.

“Look at our new Moonshot server system, this is revolutionary innovation. With Moonshot you can reduce power consumption by 89 percent and the footprint of those servers by 80 percent and best of all they cost 77 percent less than traditional servers.”

Moonshot servers are one of several new innovative products launched by HP to deal with the new IT challenges facing business. Other key innovations include the launch of HP’s new Haven cloud platform. Haven was unveiled on Tuesday and is designed to offer businesses unprecedented big data analytics powers.