Ascend Performance Materials LLC has overhauled its data protection and recovery infrastructure to ensure business continuity. The company implemented a new system to manage backups locally and at a remote recovery site, a process recently tested during a hurricane threat in Florida.
The deployment was managed in partnership with Dell, which handled the racking, configuration, and validation of the hardware. This infrastructure upgrade allows Ascend to recover both modern and legacy systems, ensuring data availability for the company's AI initiatives.
According to Xiong Xiong, vice president of IT at Ascend, the company now requires its suppliers to integrate AI-based defenses into their products. This shift aims to use AI to prevent security issues caused by other AI technologies, moving from a theoretical requirement to a practical necessity.
The improved data management has reduced the operational burden of reorganizing data across sites. Ascend is now focusing on leveraging its vast data reserves to support its broader AI strategy, transitioning from being data-rich but information-poor.
