The importance of data protection

The volume and severity of data breaches and cyber threats increase year on year and can have far-reaching consequences. From personal details to business records, the misuse or loss of data can lead to financial harm and reputational damage. 

Fujitsu’s strategy highlights the importance of treating data as a valuable asset that requires careful protection. Their framework is built on the principle that every piece of information deserves attention and security.

Data classification and security

A fundamental aspect of Fujitsu’s approach is data classification. Information is grouped into categories based on sensitivity, such as ‘restricted’, ‘confidential’, ‘internal use only’ and ‘public’ data. Each category is assigned security measures appropriate to its risk level. For example, highly sensitive data is protected with encryption and strict access controls, severely limiting access to authorised users only.

Encryption is a key component of this strategy. Fujitsu uses 256-bit AES to ensure data remains secure whether it is stored locally or in the cloud. Technologies like Self-Encrypting Drives (hardware) and Transparent Data Encryption (software) also help to protect data at multiple levels without impacting application performance.

Proactive monitoring and compliance

Effective data protection involves more than just technology. Fujitsu conducts assessments to identify what data is held and how it is used. This helps in implementing policies that monitor where data is stored and how it is accessed. Ongoing monitoring allows for recommendations on data loss prevention, remediation and policy improvements.

Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements is also essential. Fujitsu’s practices align with standards such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and support activities like data protection impact assessments and subject access requests. Adopting these principles ensures that your organisation remains accountable and compliant.

Practical lessons for everyone

Following Fujitsu’s approach, you begin by understanding the data you have and its sensitivity. Classify your data and apply security measures such as encryption and access controls. Regularly review and update your policies to address new threats and organic change throughout your processes and infrastructure.

Be aware of your customers’ rights under data protection laws. They can request the deletion or restriction of their personal data. They may also request copies of their data, which you must then supply in a structured format for transfer. 

Behind the scenes, all data and information systems should be secured with strong passwords and multi-factor authentication to strengthen defences.

Don’t underestimate your data’s value

Fujitsu’s data protection strategy employs a structured, thoughtful approach to safeguard information. By adopting similar principles, your business can take steps to ensure data remains secure and trusted –and that you continue to uphold your legal data protection obligations.

To learn more about extracting maximum value from your data using Fujitsu technologies and principles, please give the WTL team a call.

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Most organisations have learned that simply shifting workloads to the cloud does not work. Instead, they need a consumption-based model combined with intelligent data management that ensures every terabyte, transaction or service level is justified.

From cloud-first to workload-first

The rapid rise of public cloud proved the value of on-demand consumption, but it also exposed how easily costs can spiral when capacity is over-provisioned or poorly governed. A workload-first strategy counters this by matching each application to the most appropriate infrastructure – on-premises, hybrid or public cloud – based on performance, compliance or cost requirements. 

Instead of defaulting to “cloud-first”, organisations design a workload-first architecture that delivers the right service levels at the lowest sustainable cost.

The uSCALE model takes this principle on-premises, providing infrastructure with monthly pay-per-use billing. Capacity is deployed with a built-in buffer to absorb growth, but billing reflects actual usage (subject to an agreed minimum). uScale removes the traditional trade-off between over-provisioning for peak or under-provisioning for day-to-day demand. Users benefit from a cloud-like financial model without surrendering control over data location, latency or regulatory compliance.

Intelligent data management is the ‘secret sauce’

Consumption-based pricing alone does not guarantee efficiency; how data is stored, moved or protected directly shapes the bill. Intelligent data management is actually the main tool for optimising spend. 

Primary storage platforms such as Fujitsu ETERNUS DX, AB or HB are designed to align performance with business priority, using features like automated quality-of-service controls or tiering across SSD or HDD media to keep “hot” data on fast tiers. Meanwhile, “lukewarm” or archival data is moved to more cost-effective disk drives. This avoids wasting premium flash capacity on low-value workloads while still meeting stringent SLAs.

Software-defined file or object storage solutions such as Qumulo or NetApp StorageGRID extend this intelligence to massive unstructured data sets. Qumulo uses real-time analytics or machine learning to provide visibility into who is using which data, how or when, enabling teams to make informed decisions about placement, retention or performance tiers. 

StorageGRID applies policy-driven, object-level management to determine how data is distributed across geographies or tiers, balancing durability, access time or cost while supporting hybrid or multi-cloud workflows. The result is that capacity growth can be channelled to the lowest-cost locations that still meet business needs.

Automation, visibility or operational efficiency

True optimisation requires continuous adjustment, which is impossible to achieve manually at petabyte scale. Automation, therefore, plays a central role. 

Fujitsu Eternus platform integrates automation for tiering, failover or quality-of-service, reducing the operational overhead of keeping performance or availability within SLA thresholds. Qumulo’s built-in analytics surface hot spots, orphaned data or inefficient workloads, turning what used to be forensic storage analysis into a routine operational task. uSCALE’s price estimator adds a financial lens, allowing your storage architects to model different configurations or understand cost implications before committing to an investment.

This combination of automation and transparency transforms capacity management from reactive firefighting into proactive optimisation. Your team can identify under-utilised resources, reclaim stranded capacity or adjust retention or protection policies based on actual usage patterns rather than static assumptions. That in turn keeps the pay-per-use bill closer to the theoretical minimum required to support your strategic goals.

Funding next-generation workloads

The strategic value of these savings goes far beyond lowering operational costs. As AI, machine learning, real-time analytics or high-performance edge workloads become mainstream, they demand high-performance, secure or scalable infrastructure – often including all-flash arrays, GPU-accelerated compute or high-bandwidth networks. These investments tend to be expensive, especially for organisations that must maintain legacy estates alongside new technologies.

By adopting consumption-based models like uSCALE or tightening control of data placement or protection through intelligent storage platforms, your business can release budget tied up in idle capacity or inefficient cloud usage. The ability to “only pay for what you use” on both primary or secondary infrastructure means that cost curves flatten even as data grows, freeing funds to invest in next-generation platforms optimised for AI, analytics or other transformational workloads. 

In effect, smarter consumption or data management becomes a self-funding mechanism for innovation.

If your business can combine consumption-based infrastructure with intelligent, automated data management, you will be well placed to navigate the twin pressures of explosive data growth and rising cloud costs. You will not only keep spend under control, but also redirect the savings into strategic initiatives that differentiate your business with a resilient, data-driven foundation for future success.

To learn more about how your business can free funds for future investment by better managing your workloads with Fujitsu Eternus, please give the WTL team a call.

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Solutions such as Fujitsu ETERNUS DX hybrid storage, PRIMEFLEX HCI and NetApp’s hybrid cloud portfolio can help drive this transformation, enabling enterprises to expand while managing an increasingly complex and data-driven landscape.

Digital transformation: Storage as a catalyst

Digital transformation is a strategic imperative for businesses aiming to remain competitive. At the heart of this transformation lies the ability to harness data efficiently and securely.

Fujitsu ETERNUS DX hybrid storage is designed to consolidate both structured and unstructured data within a single system, balancing speed, capacity and cost. Consolidation is crucial for organisations that use real-time analytics, virtualisation and large-scale databases, as it enables seamless scalability and automation.

The integration of NetApp’s hybrid cloud solutions further increases capability. By combining on-premises infrastructure with cloud resources, you can achieve a unified data management experience, regardless of where your data resides. This flexibility is essential for modern workloads, including AI, machine learning and business-critical applications, which demand high performance and agility. Moving data seamlessly between environments optimises operational efficiency and accelerates business outcomes, allowing you to reach digital transformation goals faster.

Cybersecurity: Protecting data in a hybrid world

As digital transformation accelerates, so do the risks associated with data breaches and cyberattacks. The rise of hybrid IT environments has introduced new vulnerabilities, making robust data protection critical. Fujitsu ETERNUS DX offers advanced security features, including automated quality-of-service management, failover capabilities and built-in system security to prevent unauthorised access to valuable business data.

ETERNUS LT and Scalar tape libraries play a vital role in safeguarding data against ransomware and other cyber threats. By providing an air gap between live and protected data, tape storage ensures that even if a network is compromised, critical information remains secure. This approach is particularly effective for long-term archiving and disaster recovery, offering a cost-efficient and reliable solution for organisations looking to mitigate risk.

Simplifying backup and recovery processes and automating threat detection is indispensable for maintaining trust and operational integrity.

Hyper-Converged Infrastructure: Simplifying IT complexity

The adoption of hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) is another key trend driving digital transformation. Fujitsu PRIMEFLEX integrates servers, storage and networking into a single, pre-tested solution, streamlining deployment and reducing operational complexity. PRIMEFLEX enables organisations to easily scale their infrastructure by adding more building blocks, ensuring capacity and performance scale in line with business needs.

Hyper-converged infrastructure solutions are particularly well-suited for virtualisation, where agility and flexibility are paramount. By consolidating IT resources, businesses can achieve greater efficiency, reduce costs and accelerate time-to-market for new applications and services. The ability to deploy and manage infrastructure quickly and reliably is a significant advantage as the speed of business continues to accelerate.

Data protection and innovation, empowered by HCI

The intersection of digital transformation, cybersecurity and hyper-converged infrastructure is redefining the future of data management. Solutions like ETERNUS DX, NetApp hybrid cloud and PRIMEFLEX HCI empower organisations to navigate the complexities of the digital age, ensuring that data is not only accessible but also secure and resilient. As your business embraces these technologies, you will be better equipped to drive innovation, protect assets and achieve sustainable growth in an uncertain market.

To learn more about Fujitsu ETERNUS solutions and how they can help drive your digital transformation ambitions, please drop us a line.

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As international tensions escalate and regulatory frameworks become more complex, organisations across the UK are recognising that maintaining control over their most valuable asset, data, is no longer optional but essential for business continuity and compliance.

With sweeping legislation such as the U.S. CLOUD Act continuing to cast uncertainty over data hosted by American hyperscalers, even organisations adhering to local regulations find themselves potentially exposed to foreign jurisdiction requirements. This reality has prompted 52% of UK organisations currently using public or hybrid cloud models to actively migrate from US cloud providers.

UK data responsibilities

In December 2020, the UK implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (UK-GDPR), maintaining high standards of data protection whilst creating opportunities for a more tailored approach to British business needs. However, this independence brings new responsibilities and complexities, particularly when organisations process data that crosses jurisdictional boundaries.

The Data Protection Act 2018, working alongside UK-GDPR, now governs how British organisations handle personal data. Yet despite this robust framework, a concerning visibility gap persists – only 35% of UK IT leaders have complete insight into where their organisation’s data is actually hosted.

This lack of transparency creates significant compliance risks and undermines organisations’ ability to ensure their data remains under British jurisdiction. Increased uptake of generative artificial intelligence is only set to make things more difficult.

Fujitsu Private GPT: A sovereign solution for the AI era

Enter Fujitsu Private GPT, a transformative solution that addresses these sovereignty concerns whilst delivering the powerful capabilities of generative artificial intelligence. Unlike public cloud-based AI solutions that may expose sensitive data to foreign jurisdictions, Fujitsu Private GPT operates entirely on-premise, ensuring that your data never leaves your premises. Information ‘shared’ with the AI cannot even be accessed over the internet.

This approach directly addresses the core concerns driving the UK’s data sovereignty movement. Organisations choose Private GPT specifically because it enables them to retain complete control over their sensitive data, including intellectual property, company knowledge, and proprietary processes. For many businesses, losing access to this data could be as damaging as losing their most valuable employees.

The system’s architecture ensures that no third parties have access to your data, giving organisations complete control over how their AI operates. This level of data sovereignty is crucial for sectors handling sensitive information, such as legal firms managing confidential client documents, healthcare providers processing patient data, or financial services organisations dealing with regulated information.

Real-world benefits across industries

Fujitsu’s case studies demonstrate the practical advantages of maintaining data sovereignty without sacrificing AI capabilities. Private GPT can assist with communication, documentation and software development whilst ensuring all sensitive company knowledge remains within your control.

In the legal sector, where confidentiality is paramount, Private GPT has proven invaluable for contract analysis, knowledge management and document processing. Legal professionals can now analyse contracts, research past cases, and manage court documents using AI assistance, all whilst maintaining absolute client confidentiality.

Perhaps most importantly, Private GPT implementations deliver measurable efficiency gains. Fujitsu reports preliminary results from knowledge management deployments show consultants saving 1-4 hours per week, directly translating to more productive billing hours and faster project delivery. New employees become operational more quickly, with easier access to essential organisational knowledge, reducing onboarding time and costs.

Technical excellence meets regulatory compliance

Fujitsu Private GPT’s technical architecture is specifically designed to meet the requirements of data-sensitive organisations. The system utilises Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technology, enabling efficient integration with existing documentation whilst maintaining security and accuracy. Open-source models provide flexibility and customisation capabilities, allowing organisations to fine-tune the system to their specific needs without sacrificing control or being tied to the limitations of a fixed-in-time LLM.

Cost and energy efficiency remain central to Private GPT. In an environment where operational expenses are under constant scrutiny, Private GPT ensures that both initial investment and running costs are optimised for performance without unnecessary expenditure. This consideration is particularly important for organisations concerned about the power-intensive nature of GPU-based AI systems.

The platform’s commitment to simplicity ensures that end users can seamlessly integrate AI capabilities into their daily workflows without extensive technical training. Whether streamlining document review, enhancing decision-making processes, or automating routine tasks, Private GPT makes advanced AI accessible whilst maintaining the security and control that British organisations demand.

The future of sovereign AI in Britain

As geopolitical uncertainties continue to reshape the global technology landscape, organisations that prioritise data sovereignty will find themselves better positioned for long-term success. Fujitsu Private GPT represents more than just a technological solution because it is a strategic response to the fundamental challenge of maintaining competitiveness whilst protecting sensitive information in an increasingly connected world.

For UK organisations seeking to harness the transformative power of generative AI whilst maintaining absolute control over their data, Fujitsu Private GPT offers a compelling path forward. In a world where data sovereignty is no longer a luxury but a necessity, this solution enables British businesses to compete globally whilst keeping their most valuable assets firmly under their own control.

To learn more about Fujitsu Private GPT and what it offers your organisation, please get in touch.

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Fujitsu’s ETERNUS storage portfolio offers a comprehensive suite of all-flash, hybrid and on-premise systems. Each unit is designed specifically for dynamic environments, enabling seamless scalability and intelligent data management. These solutions support both structured and unstructured data workloads, allowing businesses to consolidate storage while maintaining high performance, reliability and flexibility.

Scalable and high-performance storage

Every rapidly growing business will benefit from all-flash arrays like the ETERNUS AF and ETERNUS AB series, which deliver ultra-low latency (under one millisecond) and high IOPS for mission-critical applications. By improving data access speeds your stakeholders can find information faster, make smarter decisions more quickly and lays the groundwork as you move towards adopting artificial intelligence applications.

There are cost savings available too; the ETERNUS AF line provides automated quality of service and advanced data reduction features, reducing operational overhead and total cost of ownership (TCO). Perhaps more importantly, these features prevent data sprawl caused by unnecessary duplication.

Maximum performance can be achieved with ETERNUS AB systems, which feature end-to-end NVMe architecture. These units are ideal for data-intensive environments such as AI, analytics and high-frequency transaction processing.

Flexible hybrid and on-premise options

For most businesses, the future of data storage remains firmly hybrid – in terms of media and physical location. Solutions such as the ETERNUS DX and ETERNUS HB series allow you to balance cost and performance by combining SSDs and HDDs in a single scalable system. 

These platforms are particularly effective for consolidating performance-critical applications with large-scale unstructured data and online archives. Choosing on-premise storage ensures direct control over data access, sovereignty, security and compliance – crucial for industries with strict regulatory requirements. 

Fujitsu’s seamless family architecture simplifies administration and enables smooth upgrades without service disruption. They also include tools to simplify the process of operating in a hybrid cloud configuration as your IT needs develop.

Data protection and resilience

Your storage strategy must include resilient data protection to guard against cyber threats, ransomware and hardware failure. Fujitsu’s ETERNUS CS appliances provide integrated backup and recovery, reducing downtime and improving agility. 

Features like hardware encryption, write protection and air-gapped replication are non-negotiable to ensure data integrity and compliance. These can be complemented by ETERNUS LT tape systems, which offer cost-effective, energy-efficient long-term archiving and flexible scalability.

Strategic IT partnership

Partnering with WTL enhances the effectiveness of your storage deployments. With decades of hands-on expertise in enterprise systems, including Fujitsu storage, WTL delivers tailored support for infrastructure scaling, migration and optimisation. 

To learn more about Fujitsu’s ETERNUS storage and how we can help with high-performing, high-availability data storage investments that align technology spending with business outcomes, please give us a call.

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