Intelligent Data Centres Issue 02 | Page 21

INDUSTRY INTELLIGENCE POWERED BY THE DCA Intelligent Data Centres is published in association with the Data Centre Alliance – an independent, vendor neutral organisation supporting the global data centre sector. Here, Steve Hone, DCA CEO, introduces the DCA and talks us through the benefits of membership. he DCA (Data Centre Alliance) was founded in 2009 following consultation between industry leaders the DTI, RDA and EU Commission. The aim was to create a completely independent and vendor neutral trade association to represent the interests of the entire data centre community. Through close collaboration with both vendors and service providers we help to drive and promote the adoption of best practices via direct engagement with businesses who either operate their own data centres/server rooms or outsource compute to third party providers. A decade on and the DCA continues to grow, thanks largely to the continued support of more than 120 corporate and strategic partners all working together to provide a wealth of valuable insight and guidance. Thousands of DCA Registered Users rely on this material to help shape future IT strategy and ensure the digital infrastructure which underpins their business continues to remain fit for purpose. As an NOP, the DCA Trade Association is funded via a combination of data centre sector membership and research grants. The funding received allows the DCA to re-invest in a wide range of initiatives designed to improve best practice and operating standards within the sector and www.intelligentdatacentres.com to also support businesses operating and running their own data centres. In this edition of IDC I would like to focus on the value that joining the DCA as a Registered User can offer. In summary if your business owns and operates its own data centre or server room then this free subscription-based membership will enable you to remain informed and up to speed without being bombarded with sales calls and elevator pitches. The value of joining the DCA as a Registered User Registered Users have open access to a wealth of reviewed knowledge and guidance material, together with a comprehensive range of support services to meet business needs; if you can’t find what you’re looking for you can always pick up the phone as we are more than happy to help you find the answers you are seeking. Knowledge Hub – The DCA Knowledge Hub is designed to makes it easy to source articles and case studies on a full range of topics and once logged in, there is also access to white papers and reports. Member Directory – Finding the right partners with the right experience is often challenging. As a Registered User you have access to the DCA members portal, Issue 02 21