Some experts are heralding cloud migration and data center consolidation as the wave of the future for data center technologies and needs. However, the overwhelming concern regarding this move across the globe is security compliance.

According to SafeNet’s recent research report “Encryption, Key Management And Consolidation in Today’s Data Center,” nearly three-quarters of IT professionals consider center consolidation to be an important step in the future of their operations. However, more than half don’t have a strategy in place to accomplish such goals, and only 25 percent have actually completed any consolidation-focused projects to date.

The main concern holding decision makers back from developing cloud migration and consolidation strategies is security. Strong management practices and physical center worries have firms waiting to deploy a solution and start investing in cloud computing. The study found that, even currently, less than 10 percent of businesses use hardware-based security features for their data centers, and while encryption was an oft-cited issue, the lack of physical data center security could prove to be the true fatal flaw.

Optimizing security through deployment of biometric technology can help companies optimize the protection of their data whether driving cloud adoption or not. Biometric security offers the last critical level of protection that businesses need to have to ensure their data is completely safe from theft and other risks, especially when considering center consolidation.

Data center colocation is one way that many firms reduce costs without affecting the efficiency of their center operations. These efforts outline the need for high-quality biometrics clearly, demonstrating how adding that final layer of physical security can ensure the integrity of data protection without having an impact on the workflow of center engineers and maintenance.

A firm’s decision to invest in center consolidation or cloud solutions shouldn’t have to hinge on security practices. With the right technology in place, businesses can eliminate threats on the software and hardware sides of data protection, while streamlining accessibility for their data center staff. Fingerprint scanner hardware puts security in the palm of a company’s hand, it’s simply a matter of how to develop those strategies into a foolproof plan that supports the scalability and growth of data center operations at the same time. Biometrics can do that and more, with the right investment.