DCN April 2016 | Page 7

industry news UNHAPPY COLOCATION CUSTOMERS LOOKING TO MIGRATE THEIR SERVICES TO ANOTHER PROVIDER Recent research conducted by Coreix has revealed that 18.6 per cent of customers who use data centre services will be looking to migrate their services to another provider in the coming months. This research is highlighted in the company’s latest whitepaper ‘How To Guide: Choosing a Right Colocation Provider’, which looks to help customers assess their current colocation provider and establish whether their particular service offering will meet their requirements growing forward. It offers insights into those thinking about changing their colocation provider. In Q3 of last year, Coreix conducted a survey with 110 senior executives who use data centre services in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. It found that there were a surprising number of pain points which they are being faced with, including lack of transparency around extra charges and poor levels of support. The survey found that 18.5 per cent of respondents were extremely unhappy at the lack of transparency about extra charges from their colocation provider. It highlighted that customers are not only unhappy at the lack of transparency over additional charges, but also frustrated that skilled personnel are often not permanently on site, faced with poor response times and that additional services such as antiDDoS solutions are not offered in some cases. Commenting on the findings, Paul Davies, technical director at Coreix, said, ‘Although the colocation market is forecast to experience significant levels of growth in the coming years, customers are becoming increasingly vocal about their pain points. The colocation sector would do well to remember that customers are increasingly astute, and service providers have to pay attention to these pain points if they wish to meet the demands of their customers in the years ahead.’ Survey highlights lack of understanding of new networking controls Software defined network (SDN) is being labelled as the future of networking for its ability to deliver greater efficiency and automation. However, research from Exponential-e has revealed that 86 per cent of businesses do not understand SDN and 95 per cent do not know what benefits it could bring to their enterprise. ‘In an innovate or fail society, an agile and responsive network is central to driving competitive advantage,’ explained Chris Christou, director of engineering at Exponential-e. ‘Providing a business with the ability to manage and control their network themselves enables them to support their business internally in their drive for increased revenues.’ SDN effectively allows organisations to reconfigure network services on-demand. Enterprises are no longer subject to change controls, service tickets or related support and management fees. Instead they can adapt the services that network providers deliver, through a simple self-service interface. In total, nearly a third (32 per cent) of respondents are battling escalating software and hardware costs, 21 per cent admitted that there is a lack of internal control over the network and 17 per cent said that infrastructure was unable to cope with growth. Exponential-e surveyed 100 UK business and IT leaders online from 5th January 2016 to 9th January 2016. Huge increase in number and quality of apprenticeship applications shows opinion is turning  NG Bailey has seen an unprecedented surge in applications for its 2016 apprenticeship intake. It received 4,000 applications in the first four weeks – double the rate seen in 2015, and by the end of the recruitment period the highest number of applications in NG Bailey’s history. The company, which unveiled the record breaking response at the start of National Apprenticeship Week, said the ‘earn and learn’ route was now more popular than ever as an alternative to further academic study. Not only that, but the quality of applications it has received shows there has been a significant shift in the way apprenticeships are perceived as a career route. Frank Clayton, head of group learning and development at NG Bailey, said, ‘We have been overwhelmed this year, not only by the number of applications received but also by the quality. It’s significantly improved on previous years.  ‘The answers being provided on application forms are much more detailed and thorough, proving this is a considered career choice. ‘It’s obvious that people have researched their career path and are applying because of a desire to undertake an apprenticeship, rather than because of a lack of other options.’ 7