DATA CENTRES
Data centres : A choice industry ?
A new breed of global data centre providers are creating even more choice in an industry where choice could sometimes be seen as irrelevant . Darren Watkins , managing director of Virtus Data Centres , talks us through the changes .
It could be argued that the choice of data centre is becoming irrelevant ; that one data centre is just the same as another and that data centre space is therefore a commodity . On this basis , it could also be assumed that global organisations work with providers that have a global footprint – purely because of geographical coverage .
The data centre , however , is a very long way from being a commodity . A commodity typically has three characteristics ; the product is the same , the quality is the same and the price is the same , whereas data centre providers vary in many ways – from accreditations , space and power capacity , connectivity options and service levels , to location . And , it must never be assumed that because the provider is not a global organisation , it is unable to provide a global service .
Today there is a new world way of achieving a global data centre footprint that gives businesses much better local knowledge , enabling them to be truly global . This new breed of global players , which aren ’ t the typical big corporates , can often provide much deeper local expertise . They are made up of an alliance of providers , each leading the field in their region . The local roots mean the alliance data centre provider knows the customer , business culture and regulations enabling them to provide a very personal / bespoke approach . They will also have strong existing relationships with a variety of local carriers and have developed deep ecosystems . It is this local knowledge that enables these provider to work closely with their customers at a local level , whilst still benefitting from a global network .
This approach works successfully when local providers with the same core values are brought together into a global network , and is especially strong when each member of the global alliance is the leading provider in the local market in which they operate . They must all offer the same level of service and support to enable other data centre providers within the network to confidently recommend each other and feel assured that their customers will be well looked after . Granted , a global provider could be number one in each region in terms of square metres of kW , but they are unlikely to be leading in the more important customer centric criteria such as meeting and exceeding customer expectations and understanding the customer ’ s business .
Five other reasons to consider the new breed of global data centre providers are :
1 . Cost savings :
It is expected that economies of scale can be achieved when contracting for data centre space and IT equipment on a global scale , but don ’ t assume that the same can ’ t be achieved with a global data centre alliance . They too can reduce cost aspects of many elements by negotiating with their suppliers to ensure they can get discounts . In country , local knowledge and long standing supplier relationships of the alliance data centres can achieve further cost benefits passing these on to customers .
March 2017 | 25