DCN November 2016 | Page 24

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is at a crossroads . The market is predicted to grow in size over the next five years and is tipped to be the biggest in Europe by 2020 . Some of the largest names in the world of technology provision are planning to build data centres in the UK in the next year , which highlights the strength of the offering we have in this country .
But at the same time , a number of clients don ’ t have the necessary awareness of the technology and its role within the business that ’ s needed to ensure it functions at its optimum level . Typically , data centres only become a key issue for businesses when something goes wrong , and by then it ’ s too late – the client ’ s service and reputation will have suffered as a result . Many businesses are caught in a quandary of needing the service the technology provides and needing it to work at its full potential , but not having the resources to develop a deep understanding of how it works .
Part of the issue is the fact that there ’ s next to no guidance for them – particularly when it comes to awarding design and build contracts for data centres . As a result , price is often the deciding factor when choosing who to work with , and , although this can result in short term savings , it can also cost more in the long run if the data centre needs fixing or upgrading to improve its resilience . As the industry is unregulated , it ’ s easy for firms who don ’ t have a quality-first approach to undercut the market leaders when it comes to tendering for work – and this doesn ’ t always benefit the client in the long term .
The way to develop a position that reflects the needs of the industry is to work collaboratively .
The simple solution to this would be to develop something for clients that enables them – or their procurement department – to know what to look for when reviewing tenders for a data centre contract , and help them understand that price shouldn ’ t always be the main factor in deciding who to work with . But this is easier said than done . There are a large number of organisations who can all legitimately claim to support the industry , but no single voice has been speaking for it . As a result , developing one set of client guidance that has the entire industry ’ s backing is a difficult task .
This lack of a single voice is also an issue when it comes to addressing the industry ’ s absence of an established training pathway . As demand for data centres increases , and we need a larger
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Steve Martin of the Electrical Contractors ’ Association ( ECA ) explores how the data centre industry can improve client awareness and combat future skills shortages .
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November 2016
September 2016
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