Sue Preston, HPE, Talks Transformation, Innovation, and Sustainability

As India continues to accelerate its digital transformation journey, organizations are increasingly looking for trusted partners to guide them through the complexities of technology adoption. In this exclusive interview, Sue Preston discuss the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in India's IT landscape. With a focus on digital transformation, sustainability, and innovation, Sue shares valuable insights on how HPE is empowering Indian businesses to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world.

How does Advisory and Professional Services help organizations redefine their IT strategies?

Let me provide an overview of how my organization is structured. We focus on three core segments: Data and AI, Cloud Platform Modernization, and IT Sustainability Services, including Sustainable Data Center Modernization. These areas are supported by key capabilities such as cybersecurity, networking, and HPE Education Services.

I often describe my organization as an internal systems integrator across HPE's entire portfolio. This unique positioning enables us to seamlessly align customers' digital transformation initiatives—whether in AI, IT sustainability, or hybrid cloud strategies—with their overarching business goals. Acting in an advisory capacity, equipped with specialized expertise, we help accelerate our customers' journeys toward achieving their strategic objectives.

Can you share an example of how your team has helped a client redefine their IT strategy?

For customers exploring AI adoption, particularly generative AI (Gen AI), we provide tailored support to meet their unique needs. For instance, some clients come with specific use cases in mind, such as implementing Gen AI-powered chatbots in customer call centers to enhance productivity and decision-making. In such cases, we assist by offering the HPE GreenLake Private Cloud AI platform, enabling customers to procure the solution in just three clicks, set up the environment, and seamlessly deliver outcomes.

For clients who are still exploring potential use cases, we conduct advisory workshops to foster innovation and ideate solutions tailored to their business challenges. Once a direction is established, we implement proof-of-concept (PoC) or proof-of-value (PoV) projects to create a well-defined business plan that includes total cost of ownership (TCO) and return on investment (ROI) analyses.

This approach ensures we can effectively guide customers at any stage of their IT strategy journey, empowering them to harness AI's transformative potential.

What opportunities and challenges are you observing in the Indian market for HPE’s Advisory and Professional Services?

India is a fascinating market. During my recent meetings, I identified three major challenges:

IT Sustainability: Many organizations are focusing on integrating IT sustainability into their digital transformation strategies. For example, we help clients optimize their data centers by improving PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) ratings, modernizing heritage infrastructure, and employing strategies like the 3Rs—reduce, reuse, and renew. We also advise on energy-efficient technologies like air-cooled and direct liquid cooling systems.

Virtualization Strategies: Rising costs and shifts in the virtualization technology landscape, such as with VMware, are driving demand for hybrid virtualized environments. We address this with offerings like VM Essentials (VME) on the HPE GreenLake platform and tools like Morpheus, which provide unified management across diverse workloads.

Skills Development: As organizations adopt AI and innovative technologies, there’s a pressing need to upskill and reskill their workforce. Through HPE Education Services, we provide tailored training programs, including NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute certifications and on-site knowledge transfer, to bridge these gaps.

What are some of the unique considerations or requirements you've observed in the Indian market compared to other regions?

With the evolving regulations around ESG reporting—spanning Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions, which include the use of products—we're noticing that customers need support in preparing for the future. This includes understanding how to report and determining what data is essential for their IT sustainability strategy.

At HPE, we collaborate across the technology landscape, where our partnerships play a crucial role. Specifically in India, we've worked closely with various partners to help customers align and accelerate their IT sustainability strategies, positioning them for long-term success.

You also mentioned that one of the key focus areas for your team is IT sustainability. Could you elaborate on any specific strategies you recommend to drive sustainability and reduce energy consumption?

Yes. For IT sustainability services, we leverage our edge-to-cloud adoption framework, which comprises eight domains. IT sustainability is embedded within this framework, enabling us to conduct workshops with key stakeholders at the customer end.

Sustainability isn't just about IT technology; it involves broader business functions. For example, facilities management teams, who oversee data center operations and energy consumption, play a vital role. We also help customers explore renewable energy options such as wind or solar power, advising them on transitioning from traditional grid energy to more sustainable sources.

For customers with legacy IT estates, a technology refresh using next-generation compute power can achieve energy reductions of up to 90%.

Additionally, I view sustainability as a force for good. For instance, in the health sector, we collaborate with customers working on drug discovery and research. By optimizing their technology stack and data strategies, we support critical advancements in the life sciences domain, ensuring both business needs and sustainability goals are met.

What role does your team play in supporting Indian government initiatives such as Digital India and Make in India?

HPE has been a trusted partner in India's digital transformation journey. We've collaborated with central and state governments to share expertise and provide solutions for population-scale initiatives.

In 2023, we announced our "Made in India" initiative, marking the start of manufacturing HPE high-volume servers locally. By August 2024, we had shipped 1,000 "Made in India" servers, meeting the growing demand from Indian customers.

We are also proud participants in the PLI program and work with VVDN Technologies as part of our local manufacturing efforts. This enables us to serve diverse customer needs—from startups and SMBs to enterprises and government organizations.

Furthermore, we support sustainable data center modernization by working with the Indian government to reduce environmental impact. Innovation remains at the core of these initiatives.

Could you share any key partnerships HPE is exploring in India to support the growth of the IT and digital ecosystem?

HPE is seen as a trusted partner in India, particularly in edge-to-cloud strategies. Our Center of Excellence in Bangalore supports co-innovation, enabling us to drive customer outcomes across industries.

We're increasingly partnering with startups in sectors like fintech and healthcare. For example, I recently engaged with a startup focused on API reporting for IT sustainability.

Globally, we support startups through our Pathfinder program, which fosters innovation and gives back to the ecosystem. This commitment helps us drive growth and transformation in India.

Recent updates to HPE GreenLake include capabilities for high-compliance environments. How does this align with customer demands for data sovereignty and private cloud solutions?

Data sovereignty and security are becoming top priorities, especially in the AI and generative AI spaces. Many customers, including governments, seek disconnected platforms to ensure data remains within India.

HPE GreenLake supports hybrid environments, offering flexibility for organizations to manage critical workloads like SAP and seamlessly move workloads between public cloud and on-premises systems.

Additionally, HPE GreenLake provides a single-pane-of-glass view for IT sustainability reporting, helping customers track key metrics while maintaining agility and compliance.

How do you balance the need for speed and agility with ensuring the right level of customization to meet each client's unique requirements?

We focus on the customer’s entire technology landscape, including networking, connectivity, latency, and performance. Business continuity, recovery time objectives, and uptime are also critical considerations.

Solutions like Zerto and our cyber resiliency vault enable seamless recovery, ensuring a robust end-to-end stack for our customers.

How does your team's focus on data and AI help clients derive more value from their data and leverage emerging technologies?

Our data and AI practice prioritizes upskilling and reskilling. Data is the fuel for AI, so we help customers develop robust data strategies to ensure quality input.

We design simplified architectural platforms, often private clouds, that enable customers to accelerate time-to-value while protecting existing investments. Our collaborations with independent software vendors (ISVs) allow us to deliver tailored solutions aligned with specific use cases.

Is there anything else you'd like to highlight about the unique value your advisory brings to HPE customers?

 Sustainability is a personal passion of mine, and innovation is at the heart of everything we do.

At HPE Discover Las Vegas, we announced a co-innovation project with Danfoss, a long-time customer, focusing on heat reuse within data centers. This innovation has global applications, such as heating water or homes in colder regions.

Driving innovation through our advisory and professional services teams is what I love most about my role. It's a privilege to continuously deliver impactful solutions for our customers.