DCN July 2016 | Page 4

welcome data centre news Group Editor Michael Crane – 01353 616117 [email protected] Editor Russell Drury – 01353 616105 [email protected] Designer Jon Appleton – 01353 616114 [email protected] Advertisement Manager Francesca Brisk – 01634 673163 [email protected] Production/Circulation Sam Broad – 01634 673163 [email protected] Business Support Administrator Carol Gylby – 01634 673163 [email protected] Publishing Director Alan Goodes – 01634 673163 [email protected] Managing Director David Kitchener – 01634 673163 [email protected] Accounts Emily O’Donnell – 01634 673163 [email protected] The editor and publishers do not necessarily agree with the views expressed by contributors nor do they accept responsibility for any errors in the transmission of the subject matter in this publication. In all matters the editor’s decision is final. Editorial contributions to DCN are welcomed, and the editor reserves the right to alter or abridge text prior to publication. © Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. Head office & Accounts: Suite 14, 6-8 Revenge Road, Lordswood, Kent ME5 8UD T: [phone] | F: [phone] Editorial Office: Alexander House, 38 Forehill, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4AF T: [phone] | F: [phone] W elcome to the July issue of Data Centre News. So here we are on the other side – of the EU referendum – in a place many (including the Leave campaigners it turns out) never thought we’d be. While the UK government and the England football team have battled for the dubious bragging rights for biggest international embarrassment, the opinions on the referendum result have been widespread and contrasting across all industries and walks of life. The verdict from the IT industry’s point of view has, overall, been negative. The skills shortage is one of the biggest concerns, not so much from an immigration point of view, but whether skilled workers will actually choose to come here or seek opportunities elsewhere in Europe. There are also concerns regarding London’s position as the ‘digital capital’ of Europe and the possibility of large tech companies looking to base their European headquarters in other cities. However, in the wake of the Referendum all out, nothing is going to change overnight and I have heard plenty of positivity even from those who voted ‘Remain’, that such is the UK’s global strength it will continue to thrive. There is certainly a lot more to come on this but for now, it seems, it is business as usual. In this month’s issue of DCN it is my pleasure to welcome a first contribution from Steve Martin from the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA). The ECA is a regular contributor to DCN’s sister publication ECN (Electrical Contracting News) and in Centre of Attention (page 12) Steve explains why the UK’s data centre industry needs to do more to educate clients and develop a training infrastructure. Our special feature on Virtualisation and Cloud Services begins on page 16 with an article from Tony Connor of Datapipe, who highlights the key things to consider when migrating to the cloud, with further contributions from Interoute, Cloudian, Fordway and Infinity SDC. We also have an article from Cognisco (page 36) that focuses on the skills shortage in the IT industry and the repercussions if it is not addressed properly. Thank you for reading and if you have any opinions on any of the topics discussed please write to [email protected] Russell Drury Editor