DATA CENTRE DESIGN
By Chris Wellfair, Projects
Director, Secure IT
Environments
Examining the right option for your
business when it comes to specifying
data centre solutions
www.siteltd.co.uk
At a time when capital expenditure of any kind still raises
an eyebrow or two, what do you do if your current data
centre arrangements are reaching the end of their life? If
you’re of the mind that you want your systems and data
within arms reach, then for most IT Directors the question is
one of whether to invest in the latest technology with your
own modular data centre build, refurbishment or upgrade,
or to outsource IT to a co-hosting company. It’s a difficult
decision to make, especially in light of the fact that both
have clear benefits. So, which way do you go: own it, or
co-host it?
Making it modular
Building your own data centre affords you the flexibility
to design and build a facility that’s made to measure,
and entirely within your own control. Modular systems in
particular can be built quickly, at relatively low-cost, and
to fit any space. Going modular doesn’t mean you have to
compromise. A well designed and built modular data centre
will add capital value to an organisation as well as peace of
mind that the IT infrastructure is on-site and within sight.
The build is flexible and you have complete control over
the intricacies of how it’s put together. Even when space is
limited, a data centre can be fitted into ‘dead space’ within
an office environment. Using modular data centre systems,
spaces that would ordinarily be wasted can be turned into
highly secure IT environments. Some clients even do the
reverse, and use building modular data centres as a way to
offer additional space for other parts of their operations.
Building or upgrading a modular data centre has costs
that are fixed and pre-determined. The initial outlay,
although often significant, is planned and in effect a one-off
investment that requires limited funding for a number of
years before any upgrades are necessary. Certainly a build
that is well planned can provide state of the art equipment
that is energy efficient and up to date including the latest
technology. They can even generate revenue, by renting to
other nearby organisations as a shared services scheme.
The total cost of ownership for these schemes can offer
additional benefits to any business.
Think about the future
Expanding a data centre can be a struggle if you’re limited
to us ing internal office space, so think about your future
needs even if your implementation is small. External data
centres don’t have to be large, but designing for expansion
through modular technology can offer a quick and easy
route to achieve a seamless expansion programme, making
for a swift and clean process when the time arrives.
The co-hosting option
Many organisations choose to co-host, but others believe
it offers less flexibility; with concerns over sharing facilities,
the infrastructure being out of physical reach, and ultimately
a feeling that they aren’t in control. Co-hosting facilities
are however by their nature continually upgrading and
improving facilities, giving organisations with little or
no budget the option to tap into new technology on an
ongoing basis. In addition, the services that you’re buying
require no capital expenditure, and the way they’re
accounted for can be attractive to the finance director.
Assuming the co-hosting costs are managed and capped
within reason, access to this ongoing technological
development can be achieved on a relatively low budget.
And this can give companies a competitive advantage.
If your organisation has a small IT team with limited
experience, the co-hosting option allows the team to in
effect ‘outsource the IT responsibility’ to someone with
more experience – providing a knowledge base that
ordinarily would not be available in a smaller IT unit. Speed
is also an attractive benefit in co-hosting – changes to the
environment are almost instant giving a level of flexibility
that’s not available within an owned data centre.
The choice is yours
So while there are benefits and shortcomings of both co-
hosting and building a modular data centre, the truth is that
circumstance will dictate the route to take. Think about how
much control you need and how close you want to be to
your data, as well as the financial commitments that you’re
prepared to make in the short and medium term. Make
your own decisions and have an open mind, don’t let the
experiences of others sway you too much – a data centre is
a strategic investment whichever route you take, and has to
be the right one for your business, not somebody else’s. n
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