Eight Reasons Why Data Centre Solutions Fail

30/01/2013

James Odom – Product Specialist, Data & Cloud Services

Webcast Agenda

•Introduction to InTechnology

•What is a data centre solution?

•The benefits of data centre solutions

•8 reasons data centre solutions fail, and how to avoid them

•Summary

•Questions and Answers

Introduction to InTechnology

• Serving the UK IT market for nearly 30 years

•Unique position in the managed IT services market

•Full range of managed IT services delivered to over 800 UK businesses

What is a Data Centre Solution?

What can a data centre solution offer you? • Reduced capex/opex

• Removal of in-house operational burden

• 24/7/365 support

• Budget transparency – pay for what you use

• Option of fully managed service, focus time/energy into front-end business operations

• Scalability, flexibility

1. Lack of Planning

Data centre solutions are individually tailored and flexible.

•What are your business objectives?

•How can a data centre help you achieve your objectives?

•Has the end-to-end delivery from network, to access methods, application delivery, business continuity and DR been considered?

If you can’t answer these questions, how will a data centre solution be a success?

2. Seller Misrepresentation

• Some sellers have motives that may not align with those of your business

• Know what you need and what you do not – do your research

• A seller may try and give you Tier 4 facilities, but many do not need this – the difference between Tier 3 and Tier 4 in terms of availability is 0.013%, 68 minutes a year

3. End-to-end Ownership

•Exactly what are you paying for?

•Simple colocation services? Or are network, IaaS and data management protection included?

•It is essential that you choose the right provider and ask the right questions; what do they offer and what do you need?

• Where do you want your data – is local preferable? Are you unsure?

• City data centres are often housed in buildings that were not designed with data in mind

• Data centres based outside of the urban hub are often superior in design and quality. Ensure it is easily accessible, with good transport links close by

 

4. Location

5. Insufficient Testing

• Most data centres offer resilience, but many do not test it

• An unreliable data centre means you may be left without access to your data, and ultimately, your business

• Ask the right questions – how often does the data centre carry out fail-over testing? How will they support your business continuity plan?

• Get these things in writing if necessary; you wouldn’t hand your mission-critical information to a stranger, so why do so many to a sub-par data centre?

6. Audit and Documentation

savings

• All businesses must keep a record of their actions, data centres are no exception

• They offer 24/7/365 support – can they show evidence?

• They offer a high level of security and compliance – do they have CCTV recordings from the last 90 days and the correct certification?

• As such records allow for error-tracing and support improvement of business operations, easily accessible documentation is critical

7. Quality Systems

• PCI and ISO standards should be the minimum requirement for any potential data centres

• Take a tour of their facilities to observe their standards for yourself – what does their ‘24/7/365 hands and eyes’ really look like?

8. Best Effort v Business Grade

• Is the data centre a colocation warehouse, or does it offer business-grade services that are secure, resilient and managed end-to-end?

• Who are their other customers – are they comparable to you and likely to possess similar business needs?

• Attentiveness and knowledge are a must . Talk to them, let them assure you of quality of their facilities

Summary

• Data centre solutions are varied and flexible; it is vital you know what level of service you want before you begin

• A data centre solution is only as good as the data centre itself. Conduct ample research, look for documentation and proof of the services they claim to offer

• No factor is insignificant – even a data centre’s geographical location can affect the success of your data centre solution

ANY QUESTIONS?

Email: contact@intechnology.co.uk

Telephone: 01423 850000

Website: www.intechnology.co.uk

Twitter: twitter.com/InTechnology

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME